Recipes and Cooking Desserts & Baking Chocolate Desserts 27 Rich Chocolate Dessert Recipes That Are Surprisingly Simple By Karla Walsh and Samantha Lande Samantha Lande Instagram Twitter Website Samantha Lande has been contributing food, wellness and health content for over a decade. She spent the decade prior as an account executive at firms focusing on innovation in health care. Samantha's writing has been featured in Better Homes & Gardens, Allrecipes, Good Housekeeping, AARP, and The Food Network. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Michigan and a M.A. in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on October 4, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Jason Donnelly Here they are. The best big and small chocolate desserts to turn to any time you're craving cocoa. We can speak from copious amounts of experience sampling, testing, and perfecting these decadent chocolate dessert ideas—they're all rich, luxurious, and unforgettable. While they taste like something you'd buy at a fancy bakery, these rich chocolate desserts are surprisingly simple. For this complete guide to the best chocolate dessert recipes, we've compiled our favorite individual chocolate desserts, easy chocolate desserts to make for a crowd, fancy chocolate desserts for parties, and much more. 01 of 27 Mini Flourless Chocolate Cakes View Recipe Jason Donnelly Impress your guests with these simple-to-make and utterly indulgent miniature flourless cakes. They're a nod to a popular restaurant dessert menu option and truly have it all: minimal prep time, soufflé-like texture, and three kinds of chocolate. We also sneak in a splash of coffee liqueur to accentuate the bittersweet chocolate in these individual chocolate desserts. 15 Alcohol-Infused Desserts that Will Leave Everyone in Good Spirits 02 of 27 Chocolate-Hazelnut Bacon Layer Cake View Recipe Karla Conrad For this party-ready decadent chocolate dessert, we snag a little inspiration from our favorite chocolate-hazelnut spread for the cake itself, then take things over the top with salty, crispy bacon. It sounds crazy, but once you try a single bite, you'll wonder why you waited so long to pair the dynamic duo. 03 of 27 Hot Chocolate Bombs with Marshmallows View Recipe Emily Fink We certainly don't hop on every social media food trend, but we melted almost immediately after we spotted hot chocolate bombs making waves in late 2020. While it's an easy individual chocolate dessert to make, it looks super-fancy. To try it yourself, simply brush melted chocolate on a mold. Freeze until solid, fill with cocoa mix and any desired hot chocolate mix-ins, and pop an unfilled chocolate shell on top using more melted chocolate to seal them together. For a food gift or to enjoy yourself, this chocolate dessert idea is the bomb. 04 of 27 Ina's Boston Cream Pie View Recipe Carson Downing Cookbook author, entertaining ace, and TV host Ina Garten is a queen at dreaming up creative twists on classic dishes, both sweet and savory. In this recipe, which she was kind enough to share with us from her latest book, Modern Comfort Food, she upgrades traditional Boston cream pie by soaking the cake itself in an orange juice-Grand Marnier syrup. Pair that with the chocolate eclair dessert flavors featured in the rest of the crowd-pleasing creation, and you have one showstopping cake. 05 of 27 Chocolate Chip-Cookie Dough Truffles View Recipe Karla Conrad Show of hands by all of us who have eaten cookie dough before it's baked. If you, too, have been there, sampled that, these truffles might be the best chocolate dessert recipe for you. Shape eggless chocolate chip cookie dough into balls, then smother in rich melted chocolate. Yes, please! Our 21 Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes 06 of 27 Chocolate Cake Donuts View Recipe Adam Albright Craving dessert for breakfast? Max out each chocolaty bite with these healthy-ish mini donuts. They're drenched in a chocolate or powdered sugar glaze but made with sneakily nutritious additions like low-fat yogurt, egg whites, and white whole wheat flour. With those wholesome ingredients—and since we call for baking the donuts rather than frying them—each serving clocks in at just 155 calories. Buy It: CHEFMADE Mini Donut Baking Pans ($22, Amazon) 07 of 27 Fudgy Brownies View Recipe Blaine Moats Add some extra oomph to traditional fudge brownies by choosing from one of 10(!) flavor variations for classic individual chocolate desserts. Minty, malted, fruity, or rocky road, anyone? Our make-it-your-way brownies are guaranteed to please any sweet tooth. Our 23 Greatest Brownie Recipes When You Need Desserts by the Panful 08 of 27 Triple-Chocolate Cake with Peppermint Ganache View Recipe Carson Downing This stunning triple chocolate bundt cake is elevated with a silky chocolate peppermint ganache and shards of homemade peppermint bark. We think this is the best chocolate dessert recipe for the holidays or any time of year. 09 of 27 Chocolate Crinkle Cookies View Recipe Blaine Moats These crinkle cookies look impressive, but with only 7 ingredients they're actually easy to toss together. The trick is rolling this chocolate dessert in a double-dose of sugar—granulated and powdered—so the snow-kissed look is really vibrant. They take a mere 8 minutes to bake, which means less time stands between you and your first cookie. How to Freeze Cookies and Cookie Dough 10 of 27 Cinnamon-Spiced Hot Chocolate with Almond View Recipe Andy Lyons You control the kick in this frothy individual chocolate dessert recipe. Chocolate, sugar, milk, vanilla—and your desired amount of warming ground cinnamon—create the perfect blend of sweet and spiced. No matter how you season it, this is one ridiculously silky sip. (Hence, you'll find a mug in our hands early and often every winter.) 11 of 27 Dark Chocolate Pudding View Recipe Andy Lyons Ditch the store-bought pudding cups. You deserve only the best, and that's what you'll find when you spoon with this easy, rich small chocolate dessert. It's a dreamy party pleaser, too, since the creamy homemade pudding takes just 20 minutes to prep and can be chilled for up to 24 hours. 9 Rich and Creamy Homemade Pudding Recipes 12 of 27 Triple-Chocolate Cookies View Recipe Kritsada Panichgul Who doesn't love chocolate with a bit of chocolate on top? An extra drizzle of melted chocolate adds an elegant finish to these chocolate cookies. Chopped toasted pecans lend a buttery, nutty element that makes every bite feel like a decadent chocolate dessert recipe in and of itself. 13 of 27 Chocolate Cake View Recipe Blaine Moats Forget the boxed cake mix. This from-scratch cocoa cake is just as easy and fills a full 9- x 13-inch pan for a serves-12 sweet. Made with only 10 basic ingredients, it's the perfect easy chocolate dessert to make for last-minute get-togethers. 14 of 27 Chocolate-Chipotle Brownies View Recipe Blaine Moats Chipotle chile pepper adds a spicy kick of flavor to this delicious brownie recipe. A combination of coffee, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and chocolate offers warm, complex flavor in every bite. 15 of 27 Chocolate-Peanut Ice Cream Cake View Recipe Andy Lyons Peanut butter and chocolate play nicely in candy bars and cookies. So why not pair them up in a cool and creamy ice cream cake? This make-ahead chocolate dessert recipe is a cinch to prepare in 20 minutes, and can then chill out in the freezer for up to a week. 13 Chocolate-Peanut Butter Desserts That Deliciously Meld the Flavors 16 of 27 Triple-Decker Decadence View Recipe Blaine Moats If a single (or even double) dose of chocolate simply won't do, turn to this ultra-decadent chocolate dessert. These cookie sandwiches, featuring chocolate cookies stacked with layers of homemade chocolate ganache, will have you dreaming about them for days after the final bite disappears. Don't be turned off by the tiny dash of black pepper; it elevates and amplifies the sweet elements in the cookie dough. 17 of 27 French Silk Pie View Recipe Andy Lyons "Everyone loves this pie. I serve it a couple times a year and get rave reviews," says one BH&G fan of this best chocolate dessert. We second that and find ourselves raving about the bakery-quality results we can achieve with a handful of staples like butter, eggs, sugar, flour, cream, and chocolate. Actually, that's pretty much all you need to make this entire showy silk pie. 18 of 27 Chocolate-Cherry Stack Cake View Recipe Andy Lyons Creamy cherry-flavor frosting is layered between tiers of rich chocolate cake for a fancy chocolate dessert that's absolutely unforgettable. Chocolate-covered cherries make a gorgeous topper. 19 of 27 Chocolate Cheesecake Bars View Recipe Peter Krumhardt Classic vanilla-scented New York Cheesecake is good. But you know what is even better? Cheesecake that somehow sneaks in 5(!) sources of chocolate. Finely-crushed chocolate sandwich cookies make up the crust of these irresistible cheesecake bars. Melted and chopped semisweet chocolate, mini chocolate chips, and chocolate liqueur all team up here. Cheesecake Recipes That Are Practically Works of Art 20 of 27 Chocolate Blitzen View Recipe Kritsada Panichgul A chocolate milkshake cocktail? Sign us up! Chocolate ice cream, Irish cream liqueur, dark créme de cacao, and vodka combine for a boozy individual chocolate dessert that can be enjoyed as an after-dinner drink. 21 of 27 Chocolate-Lover's Cake View Recipe Blaine Moats No list of best chocolate dessert recipes is complete without layer cake made with batter and frosting featuring the MVP ingredient. This fudgy version is topped with chocolate-butter frosting, chocolate curls, and raspberries. It's our top choice of birthday cake for true chocolate devotees. 22 of 27 Ultimate Chocolate-Dipped Cookies View Recipe Blaine Moats Chocolate dessert ideas only get better when you dunk them in even more chocolate. The cookie dough includes both cocoa powder and chocolate chips for these cookies, which are worthy of their "ultimate" designation. Then for another layer of decadence, dunk each baked and cooled cookie in a coating of chocolate ganache. Chocolate Ganache 23 of 27 Chocolate-Ancho Crème Brûlée View Recipe Blaine Moats Like some sweet with your heat? Us too. So for this Mexican chocolate-inspired crème brûlée recipe, we suggest adding a pinch of mildly-spicy ancho chile pepper. Bake until the top of the custard is hardened, then top this fancy chocolate dessert with a cinnamon-sugar mixture to finish. 24 of 27 Double-Chocolate Mascarpone-Raspberry Pie View Recipe Karla Conrad Nestled in flaky pastry, this silky chocolate dessert recipe is topped with fresh raspberries and silky white chocolate whipped cream. (Why didn't we think of infusing whipped cream with melted chocolate sooner?!) With double the chocolate and the glossy finish courtesy of melted raspberry jam, the bakery-quality pie is totally delicious and almost too pretty to eat. Almost. 25 of 27 Hot Cocoa Soufflé with Coffee Ice Cream View Recipe Kritsada Panichgul This light and airy hot chocolate-inspired soufflé is nearly impossible to resist. (So we don't even try to.) We promise it's not as complicated to execute as it sounds—the trickiest part is simply whipping egg whites to soft peaks. Serve coffee ice cream on the side, or place a few scoops in the center before serving for an individual chocolate dessert that's melty and pretty close to magical. 26 of 27 Dark Chocolate Fondue with Fruit Kabobs View Recipe Karla Conrad Semisweet chocolate, whipped topping, and strong coffee collide in this set-and-forget slow-cooker chocolate fondue. For dippers to pair with this easy, decadent chocolate dessert, try cake cubes, pretzels, salted peanut candy bars, dried fruit, marshmallows, biscotti, fruit, and crispy marshmallow treats. Since it serves 16 and can be good to go in less than an hour, this is one of our go-to party dessert ideas. 10 Ways with Marshmallow Treats 27 of 27 Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake Brownies View Recipe Jason Donnelly Brownies meet cheesecake in this perfect chocolate dessert for a crowd; it serves 24 people. The addition of chocolate-hazelnut spread and chopped hazelnuts makes this chocolate dessert extra decadent. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit