20 Chocolate Dessert Recipes That Will Satisfy Your Cravings
Whether you're craving brownies or cake, these desserts hit the spot for chocolate lovers.
Marcus Nilsson
A chocolate dessert holds a place of its own: Rich and decadent, there's nothing half-hearted about it. It's all in, completely owning its chocolate-y goodness. If that's the sort of recipe you're looking for, we've got you covered (and then some). In this collection, you'll find our most tempting must-make chocolate desserts. We covered every base, from cake to pudding and everything in between.
If you've come for cake, you'll find plenty on this list: On it, there's a deep, rich chocolate number with fudgy frosting, a super-easy version you can make with just one bowl, a dense, single-layer cake that requires no frosting at all (and is meant to look imperfect), and a decadent quadruple chocolate threat that calls for four types of chocolate.
Beyond cake, we have a range of options, including a skillet cookie with a double hit of fudgy flavor and a bread pudding for chocolate lovers—plus souffles, cheesecakes, brownies, donuts, and even pound cake.
Related: 20 of Our All-Time Best Brownie and Blondie Recipes
Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
Bryan Gardner
One reason to love this speedy recipe: You can make the cookie batter in just one bowl. Here's another: You simply spread the cookie batter into a skillet, instead of dropping it by the spoonful onto sheets.
Chocolate-Pistachio Tartufo
To make this sophisticated, but surprisingly easy take on a classic Italian frozen treat, you tightly pack two flavors of ice cream into a bowl. A cookie-crumb mixture goes over them both, and then you invert the ingredients and top them with a chocolate shell.
One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
Dana Gallagher
If you're looking for a no-fail chocolate layer cake for your recipe collection, this is it. It hits every note and has a decadent taste that makes it appropriate for birthdays or parties, but requires just 25 minutes of prep. You can also use the batter to make two dozen cupcakes, if you prefer.
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze
Never cloying and always indulgent, this chocolate cheesecake is a fresh take on a familiar combination, with a crust made from finely ground chocolate wafer cookies. Plus, the glaze has a beautifully sleek look.
Chocolate Soufflé
Romulo Yanes
Although soufflés have a reputation for being temperamental, they're actually very simple, and this recipe walks you through every step—including the key, which is to beat the egg whites stiffly to give the soufflé height. Using a few staple ingredients, you can whip up a chocolate dessert that's guaranteed to impress at a dinner party, but easy enough for anytime.
Rich Chocolate Cake
Thanks to some basic, but very rich ingredients (eggs, butter, and bittersweet chocolate), this one-layer cake has a deep, decadent flavor. Don't stress about making it look perfect—it's supposed to look homemade, eschewing frosting for an authentic appearance.
Milk-Chocolate Pudding Pie
Kate Mathis
This pie has a vintage feel to it, too, but instead of the usual chocolate and mint, it combines chocolate and vanilla. To make it, you fill a vanilla-wafer crust with a milk-chocolate filling (made with a combination of milk and semisweet chocolate), then finish it with vanilla-bean whipped cream.
Chocolate Angel Food Cake with Double-Chocolate Frosting
This indulgent dessert is a quadruple chocolate threat, calling for four types of chocolate: cocoa powder for the cake batter, bittersweet chocolate and milk chocolate for the frosting, and semisweet chocolate as a garnish.
Triple-Chocolate Mousse Cakes
Good looking and satisfying? Sign us up. And while making these cakes is a multi-step process, you can spread it out over a day or two—the results are well worth it.
German Chocolate Bundt Cake
This creative recipe offers a new twist on classic German chocolate cake: Instead of topping the cake with coconut-pecan frosting, you tuck it inside a Bundt cake. When you cut through the glossy ganache, you're given a delicious and unexpected treat.
Double-Chocolate Pound Cake
This mouthwatering loaf is loaded with chocolate flavor, courtesy of cocoa powder and chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate). It's easy to make, too, requiring just one bowl.
Ultimate Chocolate Cake
As one reviewer puts it, "this is the chocolate cake you are looking for." It tastes decadent and has a deep cocoa frosting; it's made with Valrhona cocoa powder, which cooks love for its distinctive aromatics.
Devil's Food Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting
This delicious, not-too-heavy, anytime cake recipe is a wonderful go-to. Want something more dense and fudgy? Add melted bittersweet chocolate, reduce the amount of cake flour, and add more butter.
Decadent Chocolate Pots de Creme
Pot de creme is a loose French dessert custard, and this version has an especially rich chocolate flavor. It's particularly delicious served with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
Triple-Chocolate Chocolate Pudding
We challenge any chocolate lover to turn down a bowl of this delightful pudding. It incorporates semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, and Dutch-process cocoa powder.
Fudgy Double-Chocolate Brownies
Featuring both bittersweet and cocoa powder, these brownies truly hit the spot. And while we love the flavor of semisweet chocolate in a brownie, if you want a more intense taste, you can use bittersweet (about 70 percent). In either case, the thin crust gives way to a rich, fudgy interior.
Baked Chocolate Cake Donuts
Looking for a special post-brunch or post-lunch treat? These donuts are just the thing. Cocoa powder and chocolate chips give the batter extra oomph, and for the toppings, you can go with chocolate glaze and sprinkles or shaved chocolate.
Decadent Chocolate Bread Pudding
You may have tried bread pudding with caramel sauce, or with the addition of raisins or bourbon—but here's a twist for chocolate lovers. It's rich and comforting, and you can make it with leftover bread or a new loaf.
Peanut-Butter Chocolate Parfait
If you love PB&C, this lovely parfait has your number. To make the chocolate cream, all you need are semisweet chocolate chips and heavy cream.
Chocolate-Mint Icebox Cake
Here's a fantastic throwback dessert that sets up in the refrigerator—no oven necessary. To make it, you need only three elements: chocolate wafer cookies, mint whipped cream, and chocolate chips.
