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  1. Midwest Living
  2. Food
  3. Desserts & Baking
  4. Decadent Chocolate Dessert Recipes

Decadent Chocolate Dessert Recipes

By Midwest Living editors Updated December 08, 2022
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German Chocolate Cake full
Credit: Kelsey Hansen

Chocolate lovers, these are for you: rich-and-gooey chocolate dessert recipes, including pie, pudding, cake, cookies, fondue and brownies.

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German Chocolate Cake

German Chocolate Cake full
Credit: Kelsey Hansen
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This celebration cake is a staple at Bake Chicago. It has a wonderfully fudgy, old-fashioned, homemade texture. The frosting has an unusual method that may feel initially like it's failing, but stick with it. Laced with sour cream, it's creamy and utterly delicious.

Related: Meet Five Midwest Cake Creators (and Try Their Recipes)

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Bittersweet Chocolate Tart

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 Chai Bundt Cake with Candied Oranges and Rum Buttah

Chocolate Chai Bundt with Candied Oranges and Rum Buttah
Credit: Kelsey Hansen
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Reine Keis of SweetArt Cafe in St. Louis says that the secret to vegan baking is not assuming that one plant-based alternative fits all recipes. In this truly cozy cake, coconut yogurt is her power play.

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Gâteau au Chocolate

gold rim plate with Gâteau au Chocolate
Credit: Blaine Moats
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

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

Related: Valentine's Day Dessert Recipes

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Coconut Chocolate Squares

Coconut Chocolate Squares
Credit: Carson Downing
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Orange marmalade is a nice surprise in these rich (and ribbon-winning) bars created by Iowa State Fair entrant Marianne Carlson.

Related: Our Best Bar Cookies

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Salted Almond Truffle Tart

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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Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
Credit: Brie Passano
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Take the layers in: Cookie-crumb crust. Dark chocolate cheesecake. Vanilla cheesecake speckled with raspberries and orange zest. A heap of fresh fruit. What a stunner!

Related: Rich and Creamy Cheesecakes

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Mood-Booster Cookies

Mood-Booster Cookies
Credit: Brie Passano
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

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.

Related: The Midwest's Best Cookies

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Fudgy Stout Brownies

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.

Related: Rich, Moist Brownie Recipes

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S'Mores Squares

S’Mores Squares
Credit: Jason Donnelly
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These bars are a grown-up spin on a campfire classic: buttery graham cracker crust, chocolate mousse, toasty meringue.

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Double Chocolate Pound Cake

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.

Related: Try Nathaniel Reid's Hazelnut and Milk Chocolate Pound Cake

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Hot Fudge Sauce

Hot Fudge Sauce
Credit: Jacob Fox
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Chocolate cravings have met their match: In 15 minutes, you can melt six ingredients into the thickest, gooiest ice cream topping.

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Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes

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

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Chocolate Cream Pie

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.

Related: Make Your Best Pie Ever

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Our Best-Ever Chocolate Cake

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.

Related: Ultimate Cake Recipes

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Chocolate Truffles

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.)

Related: Delectable Candies and Treats

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Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

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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Caramel Pecan Skillet Brownie

Caramel Pecan Skillet Brownie
Credit: Blaine Moats
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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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Tiny Chocolate Torte with Salted Ganache

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. (Try our Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies, too!)

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Cookie Jar Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cookie Jar Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
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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

Chocolate Mocha Gooey Butter Cake recipe
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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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Dark Mocha Mousse

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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Cafe Latte's Turtle Cake

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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Oreo Truffles

Oreo Truffles
Credit: Robert Jacobs Photography
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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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Raspberry-Hazelnut Swirl Brownies

Raspberry-Hazelnut Swirl Brownies
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Seedless raspberry preserves and chopped toasted hazelnuts add a little crunch and sweet-sour pop to fudge brownies. 

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Double-Chocolate Bread Pudding with Strawberry Sauce

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.

Related: Divine Slow-Cooker Desserts

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Chocolate-Caramel Fondue

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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Country Chocolate Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting

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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Triple Coffee Brownies

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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Mini Chocolate Soufflés

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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Triple-Chocolate Bread

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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Gooey Chocolate-Caramel Fantasy

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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Malted Mousse Brownies

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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Mediterranean Chocolate Mousse

Mediterranean Chocolate Mousse
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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.

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Fudge Brownies

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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Cherry Pie Crepes a La Mode

Cherry Pie Crepes a La Mode
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Wrapping the crepes into fruit-filled bundles means that you can assemble them ahead, store them in the fridge, and then zap them in the microwave before serving. (Plus, it's fun to cut in and see the ruby filling spill out.) But for a speedy and pretty variation, just fold the crepes into quarters and top with the cherries and ice cream.

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Chocolate Panini

Chocolate Panini
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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.

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    Everything in This Slideshow

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    1 of 37 German Chocolate Cake
    2 of 37 Bittersweet Chocolate Tart
    3 of 37 Chocolate Chai Bundt Cake with Candied Oranges and Rum Buttah
    4 of 37 Gâteau au Chocolate
    5 of 37 Coconut Chocolate Squares
    6 of 37 Salted Almond Truffle Tart
    7 of 37 Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
    8 of 37 Mood-Booster Cookies
    9 of 37 Fudgy Stout Brownies
    10 of 37 S'Mores Squares
    11 of 37 Double Chocolate Pound Cake
    12 of 37 Hot Fudge Sauce
    13 of 37 Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes
    14 of 37 Chocolate Cream Pie
    15 of 37 Our Best-Ever Chocolate Cake
    16 of 37 Chocolate Truffles
    17 of 37 Chocolate Pumpkin Cake
    18 of 37 Caramel Pecan Skillet Brownie
    19 of 37 Tiny Chocolate Torte with Salted Ganache
    20 of 37 Cookie Jar Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
    21 of 37 Chocolate Mocha Gooey Butter Cake
    22 of 37 Dark Mocha Mousse
    23 of 37 Cafe Latte's Turtle Cake
    24 of 37 Oreo Truffles
    25 of 37 Raspberry-Hazelnut Swirl Brownies
    26 of 37 Double-Chocolate Bread Pudding with Strawberry Sauce
    27 of 37 Chocolate-Caramel Fondue
    28 of 37 Country Chocolate Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting
    29 of 37 Triple Coffee Brownies
    30 of 37 Mini Chocolate Soufflés
    31 of 37 Triple-Chocolate Bread
    32 of 37 Gooey Chocolate-Caramel Fantasy
    33 of 37 Malted Mousse Brownies
    34 of 37 Mediterranean Chocolate Mousse
    35 of 37 Fudge Brownies
    36 of 37 Cherry Pie Crepes a La Mode
    37 of 37 Chocolate Panini

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