53 Chocolate Desserts for Days When a Basic Bar Just Isn’t Enough
The best chocolate desserts can make any day better. Sometimes, sure, a few squares from a chocolate bar will do. Other times? You absolutely need a slice of chocolate cake, or the fudgy-crispy corner bite from a pan of brownies. Sometimes the answer is a batch of chewy chocolate cookies; some occasions require a pudding-filled pie. You’ll find our favorite recipes to satisfy any chocolate craving below, including layer cakes and fuss-free one-bowl sweets, ice pops and the easiest-ever hot fudge. So preheat that oven and scroll down for a peek at our best chocolate dessert recipes.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone2/53Chocolate Chip Cookies
We went on a quest for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie. Here’s the recipe, and here’s a bit more on the method.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad3/53Double Chocolate Layer Cake
You’re definitely not getting any older, but you might as well bake yourself a showstopping birthday cake. Serve each slice with a scoop of ice cream.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews4/53Chocolate Mousse
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton5/53French Silk Pie
You could use flaky pie crust here, but going with a no-bake Oreo crust means even more chocolate in every bite.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell6/53Black Forest Cake
If you happen to catch sour cherry season, they’ll be incredible in this classic cake. You can also use jarred or canned sour cherries during the rest of the year.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart9/53Chocolate Mousse Pie
It’s good to plan a make-ahead dessert when you’re entertaining. This silky mousse pie can chill for a day in your fridge; just top with whipped cream right before bringing to the table.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova12/53Flourless Chocolate Cake
We love a low-effort, high-reward recipe. And this one’s worthy of your next date night or fancy dinner party.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Molly Baz13/533-Ingredient Fudge Pops
It’s easy to make your own chocolate pops from cocoa powder, canned sweetened condensed milk, and coconut milk.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Christina Allen, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht14/53Peanut Butter Brownies
Photo by Angie Mosier15/53German Chocolate Cake
Calling all lovers of coconut desserts! This recipe from baking legend Cheryl Day is guaranteed to be the best version of this old-school cake you’ve ever tried.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell16/53Double Chocolate Rye Cookies
This is no ho-hum chocolate cookie. It includes both bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate in the mix to amp up the chocolate flavor. Nutty rye flour showcases the chocolate even more.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich18/53Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
The classic CCC is no slouch, but we all know that brown butter is the not-so-secret ingredient that can make almost anything better. If you’re not sure what to make for the school bake sale, start here.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell19/53Orange Chocolate Loaf Cake From Florida
This simple butter cake has no butter at all. Instead, there’s whipped cream. The result is an amazingly moist chocolate dessert with a touch of orange.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Tiffany Schleigh20/53Chocolate Pudding Pie
Bring it to a barbecue, bring it to picnic, bring it to the couch to enjoy, slice by slice.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova21/53Chocolate Bombe With Spiced Cake and Chocolate-Brandy Glaze
This bombe works as a Christmas dessert, but there’s no need to wait until then. Any party can benefit from a spiced chocolate cake topped with a cream cheese mousse that’s studded with dried fruit and nuts and glazed with brandy-spiked melted chocolate.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell22/53Chocolate-Hazelnut Napoleons
All of the elements for this elegant dessert can be prepped at least two days ahead. This recipe was part of Gourmet’s unpublished final Christmas menu.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich23/53Anything Goes Biscotti
You can skip the chocolate dip when you’re making this biscotti recipe, but why would you? Go for a variety as you bake, dipping some in white chocolate and some in semisweet chocolate. This is one of our favorite cookie recipes for playing around with based on what’s in the pantry.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Diana Yen24/53Giant Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne25/53Molten Double Chocolate Mug Cake
No cake pans. No stand mixer. No fuss. Just all the delight of chocolate lava cakes in a format that’s perfect for two—or one, if you don’t feel like sharing.
Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Sean Dooley26/53Cajeta Cream Cheese Brownie Tart
Take brownie batter, swirl it with cajeta (a goat’s-milk-based cousin to dulce de leche), and you’ve got a dessert you’ll want to bake over and over.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams, Food Styling by Judy Haubert27/53Quick-and-Easy Hot Fudge Sauce
Turn any carton of ice cream into a luxurious sundae—or a banana split—with this quick hot fudge recipe. Try our Microwave Hot Fudge Sauce if your sweet tooth demands dessert even sooner and you don’t feel like turning on the stove. Pair with caramel sauce for the ultimate scoop.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Anna Hampton29/53Chocolate-Pecan Sheet Pie With Molasses
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton30/53Easy Chocolate Mousse With Whipped Cream and Sea Salt
You don’t need eggs for this easy chocolate mousse. Instead, you’ll whip melted chocolate with water over an ice bath until it puffs into a silky, naturally gluten-free dessert.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Sean Dooley31/53Malted Chocolate Cake With Namelaka and Cherries
The best part of this cake is the super-silky chocolate cream filling. Malted milk powder gives both the cake and the namelaka a subtle toasty, butterscotch-y flavor.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich32/53Vegan Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
Using nondairy butter and a flax “egg” means these easy cookies are vegan-friendly—be sure to buy dairy-free chocolate and vegan sugar to keep them that way.
Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht33/53Peppermint Bark Brownies
These brownies are a tribute to fancy store-bought peppermint bark—they’re just as tasty and giftable, but they won’t break your grocery budget.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova34/53Hot Cocoa Cake
Any chocolate cake can be a chocolate Bundt cake if it tries hard enough, but we love this recipe for its rich cocoa-coffee flavor and melty chunks of chocolate. We won’t stop you from serving a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows on the side.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton35/53Chocolate Pecan Pie
Give your classic pecan pie a glow-up with a touch of chocolate in the filling. The crust here gets its tenderness from a bit of plain yogurt in the dough.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Astrid Chastka, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks36/53Spiced Hazelnut-Pear Cake With Chocolate Sauce
Drizzle this warm spiced cake and wine-poached pears with dark chocolate after you’ve layered on the whipped cream and toasted hazelnuts.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Gerri Williams, Food Styling by Judy Haubert38/53Chocolate Malt
We’ve got a soft spot for old-fashioned soda fountain drinks, like this malted shake made with vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, Ovaltine, and milk.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone39/53One-Bowl Milk Chocolate Cake With Chocolate-Caramel Frosting
40/53Chocolate “Creme Egg” Tart
You might as well have a little fun with your chocolate desserts. This one delivers the flavor of a certain beloved Easter candy in the form of a shareable tart.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks41/53Mint-Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
Turn store-bought ice cream sandwiches and chocolate-peppermint whipped cream into a towering no-bake dessert for a hot day.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Diana Yen42/53Giant Chocolate Caramel Cookie Bars
Photo by Kelley Jordan Schuyler43/53Double Chocolate Potato Drops
Yes, there are potatoes in these cookies—the ingredient helps guarantee a pillowy, cakey texture and tenderness that lasts and lasts.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova44/53Salted-Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Using salted butter and resting the dough are the secrets to these chewy and crunchy cookies.
Photo by Johnny Autry46/53Chocolate Sour Cream Zucchini Cake
Nobody is ever going to guess there’s zucchini in here because it virtually disappears in the baking—there’s not even a hint of vegetable flavor or nubbiness that you might expect from grated summer squash.
Photo by Dennis Prescott47/53Double-Chocolate Skillet Brownie
This double-chocolate brownie, served with crunchy pecan halves and a few scoops of ice cream, is baked in your favorite cast-iron skillet.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson49/53Double Chocolate Cake With Peppermint-Chocolate Frosting
Some chocolate desserts are homey, but this one is pure elegance. No need to tell everyone that this cake relies on applesauce and—believe it or not—mayonnaise for moisture without any dairy.
Photo by Leigh Beisch52/53Brigadeiros
This Brazilian confection is simple to make with sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder, butter, salt, and vanilla extract. While crunchy chocolate sprinkles are the traditional garnish, you can also roll each bite in grated chocolate, toasted shredded coconut, or finely chopped nuts.
