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You are here: Home / Recipes / Recipes by Course / Desserts & Puddings / Deliciously Indulgent Chocolate Risotto with Pears Recipe

Deliciously Indulgent Chocolate Risotto with Pears Recipe

Published on October 18, 2010 by Helen Best-Shaw 8 Comments
Last Updated on September 3, 2020

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A delicious and indulgently rich sweet risotto, made with dark chocolate and cocoa with a hint of orange. Serve with caramelized pears for a luxurious alternative to savoury risotto. 

small pudding dishes of a rich dark chocolate risoto served with caramelized pears

Italian risotto rice – be it Carnaroli, Arborio or Vialone Nano – is delicious in a traditional savoury risotto. Stirring the rich broth into the rice gives it that perfect, creamy just right consistency – not too liquid, not too stiff.

Happily for risotto fans like me, I can also enjoy a variation on one of my favourite rices dishes as a dessert. Enjoy this chocolate risotto served with caramelized pears.

How do I make chocolate risotto?

This recipe does take a little time, but for most of that time the pan can be largely left to its own devices.

Step 1: Fry the rice in butter.

Step 2: Add the chocolate, cocoa powder and sugar, and stir together for a minute.

Step 3: Start adding the milk. You don’t have to be quite so particular about the speed at which you add the liquid as with a standard risotto; you can add it all in the space of a few minutes.

Step 4: Leave the risotto to simmer, stirring from time to time until it has reached that perfect consistency.

Finally Add the orange zest and brandy, flavours that will offset the richness of the rest of the dish.

Can I make chocolate risotto in advance?

Absolutely – but you will need more milk.  Cook the risotto following the recipe but remove from the heat while it is still al dente, with a slight chalkiness to the centre of the grains.  To finish the dish, simply add some more milk and reheat, stirring all the time.

three pots of dark chocolate sweet risotto with some caramlized pears, viewed from above

Caramelized pears are perfect to serve with this dish, and are equally simple to make.

  • Peel and quarter the pear, and cut out the core.
  • Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan over a medium heat, and fry the pears, turning regularly.
  • After a couple of minutes, sprinkle over the sugar. Give the pears another turn to make sure they’re covered on all sides. Leave for a further few minutes.
  • The sugar should caramelize and darken. Sweet and fruity, and a perfect addition to the chocolate risotto.
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Delicious rich and indulgent chocolate risotto, with caramelized pears
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5 from 3 votes

Chocolate Risotto with Caramelized Pears

Deliciously rich and indulgent chocolate risotto. Adding the brandy at the end cuts through the richness. Serve with the caramelized pears for added luxury. 
Servings: 4 people
Author: Helen Best-Shaw
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time50 mins
Total Time1 hr
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Ingredients

Chocolate Risotto

  • 25 g butter
  • 100 g risotto rice
  • 35 g cocoa powder
  • 50 g plain chocolate
  • 50 g sugar
  • 425 ml milk
  • zest of half an orange - finely grated
  • 35 ml brandy

Caramelized Pears

  • 1 pear (peeled, cored and sliced into 4)
  • 1 knob unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp sugar

Instructions

Chocolate Risotto

  • Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the rice until it is translucent. 
  • Add the cocoa, chocolate and sugar and cook for a minute. 
  • Slowly add in the milk stirring. Leave to cook over a low heat, stirring every few minutes, adding more milk when needed until the rice is plump and cooked through.
  • Add the orange zest and brandy, and the risotto is ready to serve. 

Caramelized pears

  • Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the pears. Fry them gently for a couple of minutes, turning regularly. 
  • Sprinkle over the sugar. Keep turning the pears. Cook until soft and coloured. 

Notes

You can substitute orange liqueur, rum or another favourite spirit for brandy. 
This makes 4 very generous portions, though it would easily serve 6 if with some extra pears.
• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.
Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Risotto with Caramelized Pears
Amount Per Serving
Calories 389 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 26mg9%
Sodium 101mg4%
Potassium 344mg10%
Carbohydrates 60g20%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 33g37%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 355IU7%
Vitamin C 1.9mg2%
Calcium 150mg15%
Iron 2.5mg14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
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Filed Under: Desserts & Puddings, Easy Rice Recipes, Italian, Recipes, Travel Ingredients: Chocolate, Cocoa, Rice

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Antonia

    5 stars
    Wow – chocolate risotto? Bet that is delicious. My husband would love it – he is made about the pear/chocolate combination. We picked over 60 pears from the garden yesterday so I’ll bookmark this for trying at some point soon!

    Reply
    • Helen

      Be warned that it is very very rich. I am now wondering if a shot of espresso would also go well in it.

      Reply
  2. Choclette

    That looks so lovely and rich and very nice with the pears on top. Quite similar to my chocolate porridge. Whenever I’m really hungry and in need of a quick filling chocolate fix, I make porridge with chocolate, milk, oats and cinnamon. Your risotto is a bit more upmarket than that though.

    Reply
  3. Johanna GGG

    mmm love chocolate risotto – great warming dessert – though I would prefer a drop of cointreau to brandy

    Reply
  4. simply.food

    5 stars
    Wow chocolate rissotto sounds wonderful and so chocolicious.I love the idea of serving it with pears .Lovely inviting click.

    Reply
  5. Amber Shea @Almost Vegan

    What a fabulous idea! It looks dark and delicious.

    Reply
  6. Sarah, Maison Cupcake

    Chocolate risotto? Oh wow! Why have I never tried this??

    Reply
  7. Hayley Wells

    5 stars
    I think I need to make this right now! I was about to do some poached mulled fruit and use up the last of the brandy sauce, but this is a much better idea for a snowy winter warmer! Yum!

    Reply

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