Recipe Roundup

81 Deep, Dark Chocolate Dessert Recipes

Our favorite bittersweet and semisweet chocolate recipes include flourless cakes, dark chocolate truffles, chocolate-caramel tarts, and rich cocoa puddings.

By Joe Sevier and The Editors of Epicurious

February 4, 2019

A single slice being removed from a tart topped with swoops and swirls of chocolate ganache.

Photo by Alex Lau
1/81
Salted Caramel–Chocolate Tart
This dark chocolate tart is dinner-party ready. A bit of flaky sea salt on top brings out the flavor of the chocolate and tempers the sweetness of the caramel.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton
2/81
Luscious Hot Chocolate
This intense version of winter's most comforting drink is for professional chocolate lovers only.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
3/81
Chocolate Pie
Reminiscent of a classic diner dessert, this chocolate cream pie offers pure comfort in a cookie crust.
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Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova
4/81
Flourless Chocolate Cake
A classic. And a powerhouse. This is the cake to turn to on those nights when you want to be knocked unconscious by chocolate.
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Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
5/81
Chocolate Blackout Cookies
We love the look of the homemade extra-long sprinkles on these whoopie-pie-type chocolate cookies, but they take a steady hand and a wealth of patience to shape. Use any store-bought sprinkle in their place.
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Photo by Peden + Munk
6/81
Bittersweet-Chocolate Truffles
Chef Jody Williams serves this truffle mixture family-style at holiday parties, with spoons, so guests can scrape off shavings of ganache and toss them through cocoa powder or sandwich between wedges of clementine.
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Photo by Alex Lau
7/81
BA's Best Chocolate Macaroon Cake
This is a cake version of the chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons that are a Passover staple. Any nut will work in place of the almonds.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
8/81
Sheet-Pan Brownie Thins
These sheet-pan brownies don't require any special equipment, all you need is a standard 18x13" rimmed baking sheet and a bowl. The batter gets spread into a thin layer yielding rich, chewy (not cakey!) brownies that are about ¼-inch thick—perfect for parties, bake sales, or anytime you want just a little chocolate dessert.
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Photo by Eva Kolenko.
9/81
Dark-Chocolate Mousse
You know what never, ever goes out of style? Chocolate mousse. Keep this recipe around for those times when you just need a bite of chocolate.
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Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott, food styling: Susan Spungen
10/81
Chocolate Fudge With Bourbon Sugar
The exceptional texture and glossy sheen of this fudge result from the way you mix it. Make sure the chocolate and condensed milk are barely hot.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
11/81
Chocolate-Hazelnut Napoleons
Weighting the puff pastry with an extra sheet pan while it blind-bakes is a classic way to get the crackle without the height and also gives the pastries a sleek, modern look.
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Photo by Alex Lau
12/81
Warm Cocoa Pudding With Candied Pecans
Makes you wonder why you would ever serve cold pudding again.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
13/81
Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake
This recipe makes decadent chocolate cake and delicious chocolate cupcakes. Don't skip the silky frosting, it's the best part!
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Photo by Chris Court, William Meppem, Ben Dearnley, Anson Smart
14/81
Crunchy Chocolate Caramel Layer Cake
Sandwich layers of crisp chocolate pastry with an oozing chocolate-caramel sauce for a stunning-but-easy celebratory dessert.
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Following stints at StarChefs and Saveur, Joe joined Epicurious in 2016 where he’s written about how to make the very best biscuits, the singularity of third-culture cooking, and the ultimate cream cheese frosting. Currently, he works across both BA and Epi as the senior SEO editor for cooking stories, which ... Read More

Senior SEO Editor, Cooking

The Epicurious editorial team develops original recipes, and publishes stories about cooking better, faster, and more creatively, sustainably, and affordably. See our full masthead, here. ... Read More