50 Decadent Chocolate Dessert Recipes

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
Chocolate lovers, these are for you: 50 of our best rich-and-gooey chocolate dessert recipes, including pie, pudding, cake, cookies, fondue and brownies.
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Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes

Top these gooey-center, intense chocolate desserts with powdered sugar.Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes

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Bittersweet Chocolate Tart

This rich, creamy (and surprisingly easy!) chocolate tart is the most-requested recipe at the Savory Spoon Cooking School in Door County, Wisconsin.Bittersweet Chocolate Tart

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Chocolate Cream Pie

The filling of this chocolate-crust pie is luscious, but not too rich. (Think old-fashioned chocolate pudding.) A bit of sour cream in the whipped topping balances the chocolate perfectly.Chocolate Cream Pie

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Gooey Chocolate-Caramel Fantasy

This luscious dessert includes a chocolate crumb crust and caramel-pecan filling crowned with melted chocolate.Gooey Chocolate-Caramel Fantasy

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Country Chocolate Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting

Begging for a crown of birthday candles, this layer cake has two kitchen tricks working in its favor. Mayonnaise yields a moist crumb; sour cream keeps sugary buttercream in tangy check. (Note: This recipe makes enough frosting to fill and frost the entire cake [top and sides]. To leave the sides unfrosted as we did in our photograph, just make a half batch.Country Chocolate Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting

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Chocolate Truffles

Using an easy method from Pete's Chocolate Co. in Detroit, you can make a dazzling array of rich, creamy chocolate truffles. (Note: The yield varies depending if you use bittersweet, milk or white chocolate, so read the recipe carefully before starting. And know that you can double it if desired.)Chocolate Truffles recipe

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Salted Almond Truffle Tart

One of our testers described this tart's filling as "chocolate butter." We couldn't agree more. It's fantastically rich, with roast-toasty salted almonds in the crust and flaky sea salt on top to balance the sweetness.Salted Almond Truffle Tart

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Caramel Pecan Skillet Brownie

Caramel in the bottom of the pan melds with the brownie, creating a dessert so rich and gooey that you need a spoon to serve it. Because cast iron holds heat, the brownie will still be warm when you go back for seconds.Caramel Pecan Skillet Brownie

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Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cheese Puffs

Dawn Logterman of Verona, Wisconsin, created this clever twist on the classic cream puffs served at the Wisconsin State Fair. Her recipe was a finalist in our annual recipe contest.Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cheese Puffs

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Double Chocolate Pound Cake

No doubt, this is a chocolate-lover's cake, richly flavored and crusted on the outside with a coating of mini chips and a dusting of cocoa powder. The recipe comes from Nathaniel Reid Bakery in St. Louis.Double Chocolate Pound Cake

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Fudgy Stout Brownies

Fans of cakey brownies, step away now. These squares are dense and rich, thanks to brown sugar, extra egg yolks- and more than half a can of stout. Your friends and family may not be able to identify the beer, but its toasted malt flavor brings depth to every bite.Fudgy Stout Brownies

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Super-Duper Chocolate Kisses

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.Super-Duper Chocolate Kisses

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Dark Mocha Mousse

A dollop of whipped cream foam crowns this rich, chocolatey mousse. For maximum fun, serve the mousse in mugs.Dark Mocha Mousse

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Chocolate Mocha Gooey Butter Cake

We used a cake mix in the crust for this creamy chocolate dessert from the former Chocolate Cafe and Coffee House in Missouri. The recipe makes a generous 24 bars, so it's perfect for a potluck.Chocolate Mocha Gooey Butter Cake

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Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

This utterly unforgettable autumn cake layers moist chocolate-pumpkin cake, luscious milk chocolate ganache and fluffy pumpkin-spice whipped cream. The recipe comes from Minnesota blogger Amanda Rettke (iambaker.net).Chocolate Pumpkin Cake recipeSee a short video about how to make this cake

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Our Best-Ever Chocolate Cake

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.Our Best-Ever Chocolate Cake

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Double-Chocolate Bread Pudding with Strawberry Sauce

This rich bread pudding made in the slow cooker has deep chocolate flavor, thanks to a combo of chocolate chips and cocoa powder. The simple strawberry sauce has just two ingredients.Double-Chocolate Bread Pudding with Strawberry Sauce

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Hazelnut Truffles

At M restaurant in Columbus, Ohio, the pastry chef creates these rich, chocolate truffles with a hint of two liqueurs: hazelnut and almond.Hazelnut Truffles recipe

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Mile-High Chocolate Pie

Whipping cream, semisweet chocolate and bittersweet chocolate create a rich, tall filling for this pie from a Minneapolis restaurant. Sweet meringue forms the crust.Mile-High Chocolate Pie

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Chocolate-Caramel Fondue

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.Chocolate-Caramel Fondue

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Double Chocolate-Espresso Truffle Pie

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.Double Chocolate-Espresso Truffle Pie

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Triple-Chocolate Bread

What goes best with chocolate? More chocolate. What goes best with our Triple-Chocolate Bread? Whipped cream, chocolate sauce and a glass of cold milk.Triple-Chocolate Bread 

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Oreo Truffles

These easy candies look elegant but are simple to make. This holiday dessert recipe comes from the Inn and Spa at Cedar Falls in Logan, Ohio. Oreo Truffles

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Mini Chocolate Soufflés

These warm, bittersweet puffs have coffee in them, but you'd never know it. Performing culinary sleight of hand, the hidden ingredient just helps chocolate taste more chocolatey, like a capful of vanilla would, but with a darker intent.Mini Chocolate Soufflés

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Chocolate Chess Pie

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

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Softhearted Chocolate Cakes

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.Softhearted Chocolate Cakes

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Cookie Jar Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

From The Cookie Jar in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, these soft, no-restraint chocolate chip cookies pack in cocoa powder, chocolate chips and a very chocolatey chocolate frosting.Cookie Jar Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Black Tie Cupcakes

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

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Hot Cocoa Cake

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

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Cafe Latte's Turtle Cake

Blaine Moats

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.Cafe Latte's Turtle CakeDownload a free printable collection of our all-time best recipes

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Three-Tiered Chocolate Cake

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.Three-Tiered Chocolate Cake

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Malted Mousse Brownies

We stirred chocolate-flavor malt powder into both the brownie base and the lush, fluffy topper. For an extra-indulgent dessert, substitute your favorite homemade brownie recipe. Just be sure it bakes in a 13x9x2-inch pan.Malted Mousse Brownies

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Triple-Chocolate Ice Cream Cake

Layer ice cream with a mixture of cookie crumbs, chocolate pieces and pecans to make this striped frozen dessert.Triple-Chocolate Ice Cream Cake

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Chocolate-Orange Tart

Orange marmalade and liqueur give this sinfully rich filling a citrus twist inside an almond-flavored crust.Chocolate-Orange Tart

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Chocolate Ribbon Pound Cake

Semisweet chocolate pieces make a gooey layer inside this moist, buttery-good pound cake, served at the annual Chocolate Festival in Galesburg, Illinois.Chocolate Ribbon Pound Cake

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Fudge Brownies

The key to a perfect homemade brownie is not overcooking it. Rather than a toothpick test, trust your eyes and nose to tell you when the brownie is set. The center will stay ever-so-slightly moist.Fudge Brownies

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Chocolate Flourless Torte

Creamy ganache tops a smooth, dark chocolate base. Decorate with swirls of melted chocolate or with chocolate curls, if you like.Chocolate Flourless Torte

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Mediterranean Chocolate Mousse

If mousse vacationed in a Sicilian villa, this is how it would taste when it came back. Olive oil lends sultry silkiness and fruity complexity. The apricot and pine nut topping is a sun-soaked (but optional) delight.Mediterranean Chocolate Mousse 

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