A decadent, rich, and creamy Bailey’s Dark Chocolate Custard recipe made with only 5 ingredients — plus an extra dose of chocolate and vanilla by way of Bailey’s Irish Cream. Served in small ramekins (paid link), this dessert is perfect for one or many.

Love chocolate? You may also want to try my Salted Chocolate Bread Pudding, Double Dark Chocolate Toffee Brownies, or Double Chocolate Skillet Brownie.

Rameskins of chocolate custard surrounded by dark chocolate chips

Chocolate is always a welcomed treat, but when it doesn’t require hours of preparation or a ton of ingredients, you already have a winner on your hands.

Plus, who doesn’t enjoy a personal-size dessert? We know all concepts of dieting go out the window with this recipe, but there is a way to fulfill your sweet tooth without completely ruining the day’s meal plan! It’s another reason I enjoy this recipe — those smaller portions mean I don’t have to double up on my workout the next day 🙂

overhead shot of dark chocolate custard with powdered sugar

So what is the texture of this custard? Is it a pot de crème or a crème brûlée?

To me, it is a mixture of both — or as a say, the best of both worlds. Both pot de crème and crème brûlée are custards that are baked and made with eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Both are chilled for some time; however, before serving, crème brûlée is sprinkled with sugar, and the sugar is torched until it is slightly “burnt” and becomes brittle. Also, I find the texture of crème brulee to be more pudding-like than a pot the crème. Hence my reason for just calling this dessert a custard. It has a texture similar to a pot de crème, with that nice brittle top of melted sugar that cracks when you gently tap it with a spoon.

So let’s jump into the ingredients you’ll need to make this decadent dessert:

Let’s start with the chocolate since it’s the core of this recipe. I went with bittersweet dark chocolate chips for this recipe. I mean, dark chocolate screams richness, and that’s what I was going for. I used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Premium Baking Chips.
The heavy whipping cream makes way for the creamy and velvety texture you come to expect from a custard.
Another creamy ingredient that takes this recipe from good to great is the addition of Baily’s Irish Cream. The notes of chocolate and vanilla only add to the chocolatey flavor of the custard.
There is no custard without eggs! They play an important role in thickening the custard. (The yolks also make this custard smooth and rich). For the recipe, we are using one whole egg plus three egg yolks (without the egg whites). I used one whole egg to give the custard a little volume.
And last but not least, you’ll need sugar and vanilla. These are a no-brainer when it comes to sweets. 🙂

A few considerations when making this recipe:

You can substitute heavy cream for heavy whipping cream. While heavy whipping cream is made up of around 30% milkfat, heavy cream is made up of at least 36% milkfat. That higher fat content won’t change the recipe much, and both work well. However, swapping out the heavy whipping cream for a dairy product with less milk fat may not result in the same texture, so I would not recommend using anything aside from these two options.
Since we are only using the egg yolks for many of the eggs, feel free to discard the eggs white or use them in another recipe later. To avoid wasting food, worst case save them to whip up a delicious egg white omelet the next day.
Custards should be smooth and silky — which is why you want to heat the milk before adding the chocolate chips and whisk (paid link) until all ingredients are completely smooth. The result will be so worth it!
Ensure your heavy whipping cream and chocolate mixture is not hot when it is time to add your egg mixture. If the mixture is too hot, it will curdle your eggs. We don’t want cooked eggs in our custard. 😉
You can absolutely leave off the torched sugar/creme brulee topping and/or the powdered sugar. This recipe is perfect straight out of the fridge. And since the custard bakes smooth throughout, the top is smooth as well.

sprinkling powdered sugar on top of custard

How to make a baked chocolate custard:

Add your heavy whipping cream to a pot and bring to a slight boil. Remove from heat (or turn off your gas flame) and add in your chocolate chips. You’ll want to stir until the chocolate chips completely melt and blend into the cream.
In a separate large bowl, whisk (paid link) your egg, egg yolks, and sugar. Add your chocolate mixture into the same bowl. Add in your vanilla extract and Bailey’s Irish Cream; slowly whisk (paid link) until combined and smooth.
Place your ramekins (paid link) inside of large and deep baking dish (large enough for 6 ramekins (paid link)) and add hot water into the dish until the water covers the bottom half of your ramekins (paid link). Do not put water inside of the ramekins (paid link). Note: This water bath is called a bain-marie. Baking the custards in water keeps the air in the oven moist, and prevents the custards from cracking.
Pour your custard mixture into each ramekin. Bake at 275 degrees for 45 minutes.
Remove from the dish and allow each ramekin to cool to room temperature then place them in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
Before serving, sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon of sugar over the top of the custard and use a cooking torch to caramelize the sugar. This should only take a few seconds. Optionally, sprinkle on powdered sugar.

Can I make these ahead of time?

Yes, these can be made ahead of time and remain in the refrigerator for up to three days, which makes them ideal when you want to get your dessert out of the way to focus on other courses of your meal.

If you’re looking for a dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth, then look no further. It’s perfect to serve for a small gathering and equally perfect for a party of one or two.