Our Best Chocolate Desserts

January 05, 2011
Photo: Daniel Agee; Styling: Karen Rankin
For many people, there’s no point in bothering with dessert unless it’s chocolate, so let us tempt you with this collection of our favorite chocolate dessert recipes.
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Dark Chocolate Cakes

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Styling: Rishon Hanners
Dark Chocolate Cakes Recipe

Make a sweet dessert for your dinner party. Mini chocolate cakes filled with more ooey-gooey chocolate are sure to satisfy everyone's sweet tooth.

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Fudge Cakes with Jasmine Tea Whipped Cream

Photo: Erin Kunkel; Styling: Christine Wolheim
Fudge Cakes with Jasmine Tea Whipped Cream Recipe
This sensual dessert offers intriguing flavor combinations and textures that range from cloudlike to crunchy with a topping of delicious roasted hazelnuts.

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Chocolate Chip Cream Puffs

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Mindi Shapiro and Amanda Widis
Chocolate Chip Cream Puffs Recipe
Deb likes to stir the chocolate chips into the warm dough by hand because the power of the mixer would forcefully combine the melting chips into the dough, making it brown chocolate dough instead of dough studded with chocolate chips.
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Salted Chocolate Tart

Photo: Leigh Beisch; Styling: Dan Becker
Salted Chocolate Tart Recipe
The addition of coarse salt to the rich chocolate tart creates the perfect salty-sweet combination that is sure to delight your taste buds.

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Chocolate Chunk Bread Puddings

Photo: Rachel Johnson
Chocolate Chunk Bread Puddings Recipe
One online reviewer claims that this is now her “go-to” chocolate dessert recipe because it offers such a satisfying, decadent result for minimal effort. What else could you ask for in a dessert?

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Vegan Dark Chocolate Coconut Tart 

Photo: Kelsey Hansen; Styling: Rishon Hanners
Vegan Dark Chocolate Coconut Tart  Recipe

After you take one bite of this deeply decadent “clean eating” dessert, you might not believe that it’s raw, vegan, gluten-free and paleo… but low and behold, you don’t need excessive sugar or other processed ingredients to make something magical. This show-stopping dark chocolate tart offers an incredibly rich chocolate flavor and silky pudding-like texture—but it’s so easy to whip up, even the most inexperienced baker/dessert-maker will look like a pastry pro bringing it to the table. Perfect for anyone following a special diet or simply trying to clean their eating habits up a bit, this dark and decadent tasting treat perfectly satisfies both the sweet tooth and chocolate indulgence cravings. And since there’s no need to crank up the oven, it’s especially ideal for summer. 

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Triple-Chocolate Cake

Photo: Oxmoor House
Triple-Chocolate Cake Recipe
Chocolate lovers rejoice! This rich cake features three kinds of chocolate: cocoa, bittersweet chocolate, and milk chocolate. And you get chocolate in the cake batter, the filling and the glaze.

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Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies Recipe
Oats create a chewy texture in these cookies, while chocolate chunks provide melt-in-your-mouth flavor in each delicious bite. Use your favorite bittersweet chocolate baking bars.

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Chocolate Thumbprints with Caramel and Sea Salt

Photo: Erin Kunkel; Styling: Kelly Allen
Chocolate Thumbprints with Caramel and Sea Salt Recipe
For a twist on traditional thumbprint cookies, these rich chocolate morsels are filled with ooey-gooey caramel and sprinkled with sea salt.
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Black Forest Pound Cake

Photo: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck
Black Forest Pound Cake Recipe
This decadent, chocolate-cherry dessert is an easy, one-pan twist on the traditional layered cake.

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Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Claire Spollen
Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes Recipe
Use a high-quality chocolate in these lighter molten lava cakes. It will make all the difference.

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Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cake Recipe
It takes a special cake to make the cover of Southern Living. This decadently rich buttermilk pound cake is just that.
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Triple-threat Chocolate Cookies

Photo: Peden & Munk; Styling: Amy Wilson    
Triple-threat Chocolate Cookies Recipe
Prepare to abandon all restraint when you try one of these cookies, made with melted chocolate and chocolate chips in the batter and layered with a chocolate ganache filling.

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Five-Ingredient Chocolate Cakes

Photo: Ryan Liebe; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl 
Five-Ingredient Chocolate Cakes Recipe
Believe it: This gorgeous dessert uses only five ingredients--sugar, butter, eggs, cake flour, and cocoa. The chocolate sauce that tops the individual cakes is luscious, thick, and glossy, with full-on chocolate flavor.

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Fudge Brownie Pops

Photo: Ryan Liebe; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl 
Fudge Brownie Pops Recipe
These brownies are incredibly rich and moist, and impossibly easy to make: Just roll 'em, dip 'em, and stick 'em!
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Double Chocolate Soufflés with Warm Fudge Sauce

Becky Luigart-Stayner; Leigh Ann Ross
Double Chocolate Soufflés with Warm Fudge Sauce Recipe
This recipe received the highest rating in the Cooking Light Test Kitchens and has the bonus of being a make-ahead recipe. You can prepare the ingredients ahead, spoon the batter into soufflé dishes, cover, and freeze until you're ready to cook them. They can go straight from the freezer to the oven.

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Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Once you make this chocolate chip cookie recipe, you’ll probably never use another one. It just might be the perfect chocolate chip cookie.

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Chocolate Cookie Pudding

Chocolate Cookie Pudding Recipe
All you need are 6 ingredients to create this family-pleasing dessert that combines cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies and instant chocolate pudding.
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Buttermilk-Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

Photo: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Cari South
Buttermilk-Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake Recipe
Buttermilk is the surprising secret ingredient in this tender, rich chocolate pound cake. Instead of calling for Mexican chocolate, the same flavor is created with semisweet chocolate and cinnamon.

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Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake

Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake Recipe
Why settle for a plain cheesecake when you can indulge in one with a chocolate batter and a rich chocolate glaze?

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Chocolate Ganache Sandwiches

Photo: Melanie Acevedo
Chocolate Ganache Sandwiches Recipe
Only 3 ingredients are needed to reach chocolate heaven with these super-easy chocolate sandwich cookies.
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Bittersweet Chocolate Soufflés

Becky Luigart-Stayner; Lydia DeGaris-Pursell
Bittersweet Chocolate Soufflés Recipe
If you think making soufflés is hard, think again. These instructions will have you discovering your inner dessert chef and impressing the guests at your next dinner party.

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Chocolate Cake IV

Chocolate Cake IV Recipe
The rich and tender cake layers would probably be fine on their own, but when you add the coffee icing, the creamy mocha filling, and the chocolate curls, this chocolate cake goes beyond fabulous.

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Rich Chocolate Soufflé Cakes with Crème Anglaise

Photo: Randy Mayor; Styling: Melanie J. Clarke
Rich Chocolate Soufflé Cakes with Crème Anglaise Recipe
Unlike traditional soufflés, these don't need to be served immediately (although they can be). In fact, we loved their fudgy, dense texture when chilled. The sweet custard sauce is also good either warm or chilled.
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Chocolate-Caramel Trifle with Raspberries

James Carrier
Chocolate-Caramel Trifle with Raspberries Recipe
Layered desserts like this trifle are really much better after they’ve chilled overnight, so this is a great make-ahead dessert to serve at your next dinner party.

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Chocolate-Glazed Brownies

Chocolate-Glazed Brownies Recipe
Reviewers love these brownies because they’re just the right combination of fudgy and cake-like, and the chocolate glaze makes them extra-special.

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Salted Chocolate-Pecan Toffee

Annabelle Breakey
Salted Chocolate-Pecan Toffee Recipe
If you’ve never made candy before, we suggest that you start with this easy, no-fail recipe that’s guaranteed to get rave reviews. It’s perfect for gift-giving, but you’ll want to set aside some for yourself.
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Chocolate-Zucchini Cake

Chocolate-Zucchini Cake Recipe
We can’t think of anything better to do with your bumper crop of zucchini than use it to make a rich and tender chocolate Bundt cake. The zucchini almost makes it seem healthy.

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Chocolate Baklava

Oxmoor House
Chocolate Baklava Recipe
Baklava is a classic Mediterranean dessert that traditionally features layered phyllo dough, nuts, and syrup or honey. In this version, creamy chocolate-hazelnut spread adds rich, decadent flavor to this nutty, crowd-pleasing pastry.

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Triple-Chocolate Cheesecake

Photo: Oxmoor House
Triple-Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
Chocolate syrup, semisweet chocolate and chocolate graham cracker crumbs provide ultra-chocolate flavor to this creamy cheesecake. And, at only 260 calories per slice, you don’t have to feel a bit of guilt.
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Warm Chocolate Soufflé Cakes with Raspberry Sauce

Photo: Oxmoor House
Warm Chocolate Soufflé Cakes with Raspberry Sauce Recipe
One online reviewer raves about the melt-in-your-mouth cake and the wonderful, citrusy sauce. It’s “a perfect and elegant ending to a special meal.”

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Chunky Chocolate Brownies

Chunky Chocolate Brownies Recipe
Using chocolate chunks in these brownies makes them extra fudgy and chopped nuts provide a nice crunch.

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Raspberry-Almond Torte with Chocolate Ganache

Photography: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Lydia DeGaris-Pursell
Raspberry-Almond Torte with Chocolate Ganache Recipe
If you want to be a big hit at your next dinner party, serve this tender layered cake filled with preserves and covered in a rich chocolate icing.
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Chocolate Italian Cake

Chocolate Italian Cake Recipe
This is a chocolate version of the traditional Italian cream cake with coconuts and pecans folded into the batter and a rich, thick chocolate cream cheese filling and frosting.

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Individual Chocolate Melting Cakes

Photo: William Meppem
Individual Chocolate Melting Cakes Recipe
These decadent little chocolate cakes are baked in muffin cups and have gooey, rich chocolate centers. Top them off with caramel sauce and a scoop of coffee ice cream for the ultimate indulgence.

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One-Bowl Chocolate Mocha Cream Cake

One-Bowl Chocolate Mocha Cream Cake Recipe
This easy chocolate sheet cake was a dessert category winner in the Cooking Light recipe contest and continues to be one of the most popular cake recipes on the site.
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Chocolate-Cinnamon Bread Pudding

Photo: Jan Smith
Chocolate-Cinnamon Bread Pudding Recipe
One online reviewer said it best: “Great flavor combo of chocolate and cinnamon. All of the bread soaked up the wonderful custard, so there was chocolatey goodness in every bite.”

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Mocha-Chocolate Shortbread

Mocha-Chocolate Shortbread Recipe
If you’re a fan of rich, buttery shortbread cookies, this chocolate version of shortbread is guaranteed to satisfy. You’ll only need 6 ingredients.

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Milk Chocolate Crème Brûlée

Photo: Ryan Liebe; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl 
Milk Chocolate Crème Brûlée Recipe
A splash of nutty amaretto adds an extra layer of elegance to the milk chocolate in this decadently creamy dessert.
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Triple-Chocolate Cheesecake

Photo: Ryan Liebe; Styling: Mary Clayton Carl 
Triple-Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
This dessert gets well-rounded chocolate richness from three sources: chocolate graham crackers in the crust, plus intense cocoa powder and luscious milk chocolate in the filling.

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Triple Chocolate Brownie-Mousse Stacks

Photo: Linda Pugliese, Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas, Buffy Hargett Miller
Triple Chocolate Brownie-Mousse Stacks Recipe
Allow plenty of time to make fillings, and immediately assemble stacks. You can chill the assembled stacks up to 24 hours ahead of time.

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Mexican Chocolate Pudding Cake

Mexican Chocolate Pudding Cake Recipe
This pudding cake gets its Mexican flair from the addition of cinnamon, red pepper, and chipotle chile pepper. The spice is just enough to give it a little kick!
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Hazelnut-and-Chocolate Meringue Cake

Stephanie Foley
Hazelnut-and-Chocolate Meringue Cake Recipe
This extraordinary dessert, made with crisp chocolate-hazelnut meringue and whipped cream, is actually quite simple to make.

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Ganache-Stuffed Chocolate-Chip Cookies

Photo: © Con Poulos
Ganache-Stuffed Chocolate-Chip Cookies Recipe
A stuffed cookie is like a sandwich cookie, only with more cream on the inside-it's fatter, fuller and (if you're the kind of person who twists apart the cookies to get to the cream) better.

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Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse Tart

Photo: Yunhee Kim; Styling: Kevin Crafts
Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse Tart Recipe
The interplay of crunchy, fudgy, and silky-smooth textures in this ultra-rich dessert makes it our go-to choice when we're looking for something easy and splashy.
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