50 Decadent Chocolate Dessert Recipes

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
Updated February 08, 2020

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

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Top these gooey-center, intense chocolate desserts with powdered sugar.

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Bittersweet Chocolate Tart

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

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Chocolate Cream Pie

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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.

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Gâteau au Chocolate

Credit: Blaine Moats
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This exceedingly moist and rich (but so simple!) cake is all about chocolate and butter; if you can swing it, choose top-quality brands.

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Country Chocolate Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting

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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.

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Chocolate Truffles

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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.)

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Salted Almond Truffle Tart

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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.

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Mood-Booster Cookies

Credit: Brie Passano
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Slip yourself one of these insanely rich morsels, which fall somewhere between a truffle and a cookie, on those gray afternoons when only chocolate will do.

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Caramel Pecan Skillet Brownie

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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.

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Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cheese Puffs

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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.

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Double Chocolate Pound Cake

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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.

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Fudgy Stout Brownies

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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.

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Cookie Jar Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

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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.

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Chocolate Mocha Gooey Butter Cake

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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.

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Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

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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).

See a short video about how to make this cake

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Our Best-Ever Chocolate Cake

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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.

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Cafe Latte's Turtle Cake

Credit: Blaine Moats
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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. 

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Double-Chocolate Bread Pudding with Strawberry Sauce

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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.

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Dark Mocha Mousse

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

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Oreo Truffles

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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. 

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Chocolate-Caramel Fondue

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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.

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Double Chocolate-Espresso Truffle Pie

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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.

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Triple-Chocolate Bread

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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.

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Super-Duper Chocolate Kisses

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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.

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Mini Chocolate Soufflés

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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.

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Chocolate Chess Pie

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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.

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Gooey Chocolate-Caramel Fantasy

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

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Three-Tiered Chocolate Cake

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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.

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Malted Mousse Brownies

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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.

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Triple-Chocolate Ice Cream Cake

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Layer ice cream with a mixture of cookie crumbs, chocolate pieces and pecans to make this striped frozen dessert.

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Fudge Brownies

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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.

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Triple Coffee Brownies

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These brownies pack a coffee punch from coffee liqueuer (or strong brewed coffee) added to the batter as well as stirred into powdered sugar for drizzling on top. The final touch: a garnish of chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans.

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Mile-High Chocolate Pie

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

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Tiny Chocolate Torte with Salted Ganache

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Say hello to your new sinfully rich dinner-party standby. (Bonus: It's gluten-free.)

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Chocolatey Shortbread Bites

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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.

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Chocolate Panini