50 Decadent Chocolate Dessert Recipes
Super-Duper Chocolate Kisses [1]
Create these rich, chocolatey cookies from refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough--just add cocoa powder, chocolate sprinkles and a candy center. Use colored sprinkles instead of chocolate if you'd like a more festive presentation.
Double Chocolate-Espresso Truffle Pie [5]
Do you have a chocoholic in your family? Give them something to love with this über-rich pie. For pretty chocolate curls, warm a bar of milk chocolate in your pocket or hand, then shave with a sharp vegetable peeler.
Our Best-Ever Chocolate Cake [9]
This recipe has been perfected through the years. We think you’ll agree that it is the moistest, richest, “chocolatiest” cake ever. Of the many ways to frost it, we vote for our classic Chocolate-Sour Cream Frosting — though you can certainly use your family’s favorite.
Chocolate Mocha Gooey Butter Cake [13]
This dessert, from a Missouri bakery, lives up to its name. The center should be a little soft when done.
Hazelnut Truffles [17]
At M restaurant in Columbus, Ohio, the pastry chef creates these rich, chocolate truffles with a hint of two liqueurs: hazelnut and almond.
Mile-High Chocolate Pie [21]
Whipping cream, semisweet chocolate and bittersweet chocolate create a rich, tall filling for this pie from a Minneapolis restaurant. Sweet meringue forms the crust.
Chocolate-Caramel Fondue [25]
Just three ingredients go into this quick dessert: sweetened condensed milk, caramel ice cream topping and chocolate. Vary your dippers to match the mood of your party.
Spiced Chocolate-Pistachio Cookies [29]
Bright green pistachios and subtly spicy flavors give this buttery chocolate cookie plenty of personality. Serve a plate of them with coffee.
Oreo Truffles [33]
These easy candies look elegant but are simple to make. The recipe comes from chef Anthony Schulz at the Inn and Spa at Cedar Falls in Logan, Ohio. He says kids, especially, have fun making these truffles.
Oreo Truffles [34]
Chocolate Zabaglione Cream Trifle [37]
The delectable Italian custard zabaglione mixes with cubes of cake flavored with cocoa in this layered dessert. For an easier version of the trifle, use a store-bought cake.
Chocolate Chess Pie [41]
Fort Wayne, Indiana, cookbook author Marcia Adams loves this standout treat. "It's so easy to prepare," she says. This is Marcia's rendition of the Southern classic chess pie: a basic dessert made with eggs, sugar, butter and a little flour.
Chocolate Chess Pie [42]
Gooey Chocolate-Caramel Fantasy [45]
This luscious dessert includes a chocolate crumb crust and caramel-pecan filling crowned with melted chocolate.
Valentine's Cocoa Angel Cake [49]
Flavored with cocoa powder and generously frosted with sweetened whipped cream, this tender cake from our Test Kitchen was featured on a Midwest Living® cover. To lower the fat, serve plain slices of cake with a dollop of fat-free whipped dessert topping and fresh fruit.
Softhearted Chocolate Cakes [53]
A rich, soft center makes these chocolatey cakes irresistible. The Inn at Kristofer's in Sister Bay, Wisconsin, serves them with custard and raspberry sauces. We've simplified the recipe with whipped cream and a fruit topping.
Devilishly Good Devil's Food Cake [57]
This dense, filling cake recipe comes from the book Savoring the Seasons of the Northern Heartland by Beth Dooley and Lucia Watson of Minneapolis.
Black Tie Cupcakes [61]
You can get creative with the finishing touches on these cupcakes, which are topped with seedless red raspberry or blackberry preserves, then chocolate ganache, decorative icing and small decorative candies.
Black Tie Cupcakes [62]
Hot Cocoa Cake [65]
Zingerman's Bakehouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan, took a basic chocolate cake and infused a little coffee and bittersweet chocolate to give it a sophisticated flavor.
Hot Cocoa Cake [66]
S'more Pie a la Marshmallow Creme [69]
Cream cheese brings body and richness to so-chocolatey mousse filling. More wow comes from the blend of marshmallow crme and crme de cacao draped over the top.
Cafe Latte's Turtle Cake [73]
Sheer three-layered audacity put this creation from a Saint Paul bakery in our hall of fame: buttermilk-cocoa cake, candylike chocolate frosting and creamy caramel sauce. Originally published: December 2005.
Download a free printable collection of our all-time best recipes [75]
Double Chocolate Ice Cream Cake [78]
Chocolate chips and cookie crumbs layer with chocolate and vanilla ice creams in this make-ahead dessert from Lynda Slowey of Dubuque, Iowa. Whipped topping is an easy last-minute frosting.
Chocolate-Orange Tart [82]
Orange marmalade and liqueur give this sinfully rich filling a citrus twist inside an almond-flavored crust.
Chocolate Ribbon Pound Cake [86]
Semisweet chocolate pieces make a gooey layer inside this moist, buttery-good pound cake, served at the annual Chocolate Festival in Galesburg, Illinois.
Truffle Brownies [90]
These moist, fudgy, mocha-flavored bars will remind you of truffles.
Truffle Brownies [91]
Chocolate Flourless Torte [94]
Creamy ganache tops a smooth, dark chocolate base. Decorate with swirls of melted chocolate or with chocolate curls, if you like.
Brownie Bombs [98]
A reader sent us this recipe when Midwest Living® held a chocolate recipe contest. The popular brownie features a cheesecakelike layer sandwiched between two rich chocolate layers.
Brownie Bombs [99]
Better-Than-Grandma's Fudge Pudding [102]
A sugary crust forms over the fudgy center of this pudding. Serve warm by itself or cooled with whipped cream.
Chocolate Truffles [106]
Even novice cooks can master this simplified candy recipe. Just melt chocolate, add whipping cream and follow our easy instructions for Chocolate, Mint-Chocolate or Orange-Chocolate Truffles.
Chocolate Truffles [107]
Chocolatey Shortbread Bites [110]
Because this recipe makes so many cookies, you might want to freeze some dough for future use. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to one week. Or freeze in a freezer container for up to 6 months; thaw in refrigerator before use.
Chocolate Panini [114]
Assemble this quick-and-easy dessert while your main dish cooks. Just before serving, toast the sweet sandwich until the chocolate filling is warm and gooey.
Chocolate Panini recipe [115]
Ebony and Ivory Cupcakes [118]
Drizzle this chocolate cupcake with Powdered Sugar Glaze and then rolled in chocolate shavings if you want it to look like ours. Or top the glaze with nuts, hard candies, chopped chocolate or colored sugar.
Ebony and Ivory Cupcakes [119]
Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes [122]
Kirby House Bed and Breakfast in Saugatuck, Michigan, greets guests with a morning meal that's addictive. The buffet usually includes a savory entree, a vegetable dish and something sweet. This gooey-center, intense chocolate dessert is among guests' favorites.
Three-Tiered Chocolate Cake [126]
Few foods say "celebration" like cake, especially chocolate. We challenged our Test Kitchen to come up with a fresh, delicious twist on this all-time favorite. The result is a decadently rich dessert. The recipe includes variations such as Hot Chocolate Cake, Spice is Nice Chocolate Cake and Mocha Chocolate Cake.
Torta d'Alassio [130]
Glossy chocolate glaze encases moist chocolate cake in this decadent finale topped with caramelized sugar shards.
Torta d'Alassio recipe [131]
Sublime Chocolate Cheesecake [134]
The Midwest Living® Test Kitchen created this creamy chocolate dessert, which can be topped with chocolate curls or raspberries.
Heavenly Devil's Food Cake [138]
This moist and rich creation includes unsalted butter, eggs, cocoa powder, two kinds of sugar and buttermilk. Serve with whipped cream and berries, if you like, or your favorite flavor of ice cream. Or frost with desired cake frosting.
If you like marshmallows, try our Gooey, Chewy Rocky Road Cake. After you bake the chocolate layer, top it with marshmallow creme and then a chocolate frosting.
Chocolate-Raspberry Souffle [143]
A cross between a cake and a souffle, these individual chocolate desserts make a fitting finale for any special dinner. Fresh raspberries add a nice touch on top.
The Original Chocolate Fondue [147]
Fondue stars at the Melting Pot restaurant in Indianapolis. We offer The Original Chocolate Fondue recipe as well as versions based on s'mores and caramels. Dippers can include fruit, angel food cake, pound-cake cubes and marshmallows.
Fudge Brownie Hearts [151]
These brownies combine bittersweet and semisweet chocolate with plenty of butter, eggs, granulated sugar and brown sugar for a moist and rich dessert. After the brownies have cooked and cooled, you can cut them into bars or use 3-inch heart-shape cutters to make pretty treats. Drizzle with a vanilla glaze.
Dark Cocoa Buttermilk Cake with Mascarpone Frosting [155]
The Midwest Living Test Kitchen created this moist, rich, chocolatey cake with a "wow" frosting. We used buttermilk instead of milk for a pleasant tang, and we called for Dutch processed cocoa powder instead of regular cocoa powder for a richer, darker flavor. The frosting is based on extra creamy and buttery mascarpone cheese.
Dark Cocoa Buttermilk Cake with Mascarpone Frosting recipe [156]
Mousse in minutes [159]
This delicious mousse is a snap to mix together. You can layer it over fresh fruit and top with your choice of miniature chocolate pieces, chocolate sprinkles or chocolate-covered espresso beans.
Bittersweet Chocolate Souffle [163]
Bittersweet chocolate gives this amazing dessert its deep, dark chocolate color and flavor.
Amazing Chocolate-Pecan Torte [167]
A brownielike torte, strawberry cream filling and chocolate glaze make a beautiful and rich dessert. The recipe is from the Chances R Restaurant in York, Nebraska.
German Chocolate-Nut Cake [171]
There's no flour in this cake; the pecans take on that role. The result is a dense, dark-chocolate dessert. Drizzle the top with our Toasted Coconut-Pecan Caramel Sauce.
Chocolate Pavlova [175]
Pavlova, an egg meringue dessert named for Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova, gets a chocolate makeover in this recipe from Chicago Pastry Chef Gale Gand. Top the pavlova with whipped cream and sliced fresh fruit.
Chocolate Pavlova [176]
Triple-Chocolate Mocha Truffles [179]
Three kinds of chocolate, plus cream cheese, flavor this melt-in-your-mouth treat.
Truffle Trio Torte [183]
Three varieties of chocolate make the candylike layers in this decadent confection from the White Gull Inn in Fish Creek, Wisconsin.
Truffle Trio Torte [184]
Double Chocolate Biscotti [187]
Cocoa powder and chocolate chips blend in these crunchy, twice-baked Italian cookies. They're perfect for dipping into a cup of coffee or a glass of sweet wine.
Double-Dipped Strawberries [191]
This juicy Valentine (or anytime) treat teams up fresh strawberries and two kinds of chocolate.
Chocolate Strata Pie [195]
Combine chocolate, meringue and whipped cream for this tall, silky creation from Northwoods Supper Club in Marquette, Michigan.
Chocolate Strata Pie [196]
