Recipe Roundup

53 Chocolate Desserts for Days When a Basic Bar Just Isn’t Enough

What do we want? Chocolate. When do we want it? All the time.

By Joe Sevier and The Editors of Epicurious

February 14, 2024

A slice of chocolate stout cake on a dessert plate with a fork.

The best chocolate desserts can make any day better. Sometimes, sure, a few squares from a chocolate bar will do. Other times? You absolutely need a slice of chocolate cake, or the fudgy-crispy corner bite from a pan of brownies. Sometimes the answer is a batch of chewy chocolate cookies; some occasions require a pudding-filled pie. You’ll find our favorite recipes to satisfy any chocolate craving below, including layer cakes and fuss-free one-bowl sweets, ice pops and the easiest-ever hot fudge. So preheat that oven and scroll down for a peek at our best chocolate dessert recipes.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
1/53
Chocolate Pie
It’s hard to narrow down our favorite chocolate desserts in the Epicurious archive. But this chocolate pie with its cookie crust and creamy topping is definitely up there.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone
2/53
Chocolate Chip Cookies
We went on a quest for the ultimate chocolate chip cookie. Here’s the recipe, and here’s a bit more on the method.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad
3/53
Double Chocolate Layer Cake
You’re definitely not getting any older, but you might as well bake yourself a showstopping birthday cake. Serve each slice with a scoop of ice cream.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Simon Andrews
4/53
Chocolate Mousse
This rich and silky chocolate mousse comes from the pages of Gourmet, circa 2002. It’s been a reader favorite ever since. You’ll need two cups of heavy cream for the mousse, plus a little more if you want whipped cream on top.
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Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
5/53
French Silk Pie
You could use flaky pie crust here, but going with a no-bake Oreo crust means even more chocolate in every bite.
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Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Liberty Fennell
6/53
Black Forest Cake
If you happen to catch sour cherry season, they’ll be incredible in this classic cake. You can also use jarred or canned sour cherries during the rest of the year.
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Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Micah Marie Morton
7/53
Scotcheroos
Chocolate and butterscotch meet peanut buttery Rice Krispies Treats in this Midwestern favorite. Be sure to use no-stir creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy in this recipe.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart
8/53
Chocolate Stout Cake
Adding a complementary ingredient can heighten chocolate’s flavor, whether you’re making chocolate cheesecake, chocolate cupcakes, or fudgy brownies. Sometimes coffee is the right move. But here you’ll pour in dark, roasty beer. Prepare yourself for an intensely chocolaty experience.
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Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Stevie Stewart
9/53
Chocolate Mousse Pie
It’s good to plan a make-ahead dessert when you’re entertaining. This silky mousse pie can chill for a day in your fridge; just top with whipped cream right before bringing to the table.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
10/53
Chocolate Cherry Cake
This easy cake is both fluffy and rich—everything you want with a cup of coffee. All it needs is a bit of powdered sugar on top, but frosting lovers could add buttercream or a quick chocolate glaze.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
11/53
Chocolate Pots de Crème
Dress up these luscious prep-ahead puddings with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of olive oil.
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Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova
12/53
Flourless Chocolate Cake
We love a low-effort, high-reward recipe. And this one’s worthy of your next date night or fancy dinner party.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Molly Baz
13/53
3-Ingredient Fudge Pops
It’s easy to make your own chocolate pops from cocoa powder, canned sweetened condensed milk, and coconut milk.
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Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Christina Allen, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht
14/53
Peanut Butter Brownies
Really good peanut butter brownies are all about the ideal balance of nutty and chocolate flavors. These get it right.
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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