This collection of chocolate dessert recipes has something for every chocolate lover! You’ll find tried-and-tested favorites, plus helpful baking tips to make your chocolate desserts even better.
To know me is to know I LOVE chocolate. Since I started Handle the Heat in 2009, I’ve spent more than 17 years baking, testing, and learning everything I can about desserts, with chocolate being my favorite.
I’ve created hundreds of chocolate recipes and learned a LOT about how chocolate works in baking. I even dedicated an entire chapter of my cookbook, The Ultimate Cookie Handbook, to chocolate cookies.
So, if you’re a fellow chocolate lover, you’re in the right place! Below, you’ll find some of my favorite chocolate dessert recipes from Handle the Heat, from fudgy brownies and rich chocolate cakes to chewy cookies, creamy pies, silky cheesecakes, and more.
Each recipe comes with all the tips and techniques I’ve picked up over the years, so you know not just what works, but why it works.
The Chocolate Hall of Fame
Not sure where to start? These are some of my most-loved chocolate recipes, and a few of the recipes I’m most proud of.
My BEST Ever Chewy Brownies are just as chewy as boxed brownies but with better chocolate flavor. One bowl recipe, ready in less than 1 hour. I've made this recipe over 200 times (no joke!).
Finally, the perfect Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies, with a thick chewy texture, soft center, and golden brown edges. This kitchen-tested, easy recipe can be made in 30 minutes. Now with gluten-free and egg-free options!
After tons of testing and tweaking, I've finally discovered the very BEST Chocolate Cupcake recipe! Check out all my recipe tips, Baking Science insights, and the full recipe below.
This homemade French Silk Pie has an Oreo crust and ultra-creamy chocolate filling with no raw eggs! A perfect make-ahead dessert. My most-popular holiday recipe!
Big, thick, soft, and fudgy, these Double Chocolate Chip Cookies are a chocoholic's dream come true! No mixer required and the dough can be prepped ahead of time.
Thick, fudgy cookies and cream cookies with a chocolate base and crushed Oreos baked right in. No stand mixer or softening butter required. Tested results every time!
Marbled Chocolate Chip Cookies take classic brown sugar chocolate chip cookies and double chocolate chip cookies and swirl them together, for the prettiest chocolate chip cookies ever.
Ultimate Brownies are ultra thick, fudgy, chewy, and chocolaty with a gorgeous crackled crust on top. It took over 6 batches to get this recipe JUST right!
Lava Brownies are the ultimate chocolate decadence and one of my all-time favorite desserts. Rich, and chewy brownies with tons of chocolate flavor and a heavenly flowing lava center.
Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies infuse rich, fudgy brownies with the warming flavors of Mexican hot chocolate. Chocolate, cinnamon, and a subtle hint of cayenne are balanced by a silky chocolate ganache and toasty marshmallow topping.
EASY Chocolate Sheet Cake with simple fudge frosting takes just minutes to prepare and doesn’t even require an electric mixer. Such a crowd pleaser perfect for any party or BBQ!
Fudgy, rich, and moist, this Chocolate Bundt Cake is a surefire hit with any chocolate-loving crowd. It’s also super easy, with no stand mixer or decorating skills required.
This easy German Chocolate Cake recipe features a rich, tender cocoa cake, layered with a thick, fudgy coconut pecan frosting. This recipe can be made in just over an hour, no mixer required!
Chocolate Lava Cakes are made with just a handful of ingredients and have rich, molten chocolate centers. Perfect for dinner parties, Valentine's Day dessert, or any special occasion, these decadent desserts are easy to make and can even be made ahead of time.
My go-to chocolate frosting recipe! It takes just 5 minutes to make and is deeply chocolatey without being overly sweet. It's ultra-smooth, creamy, and pipeable, making it perfect for cakes and cupcakes.
My Classic Whoopie Pies feature fluffy, moist cocoa cakes sandwiched together with a creamy marshmallow fluff filling. Quick and easy dessert recipe, perfect for chocolate lovers of any age!
Insanely decadent Death by Chocolate Cheesecake features chocolate in FOUR forms: chocolate cookie crust, double chocolate cheesecake filling, with a rich chocolate ganache topping. It doesn't get better than this!
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownie Bars feature a fudgy brownie bottom with creamy peanut butter cheesecake and topped off with luscious peanut butter chocolate ganache. Delicious and perfectly indulgent!
Chocolate Stout Cheesecake Bars feature a velvety smooth chocolate stout cheesecake filling on a salty-sweet pretzel crust, all topped with stout-spiked whipped cream.
Gooey Chocolate Rolls are what happens when you take fluffy cinnamon buns, fill them with a gooey chocolate filling, and top them with a rich cocoa icing. Absolute chocolate decadence!
Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake features moist, soft coffee cake studded with chocolate chips, layered with a heavenly brown sugar streusel. This coffee cake comes together in no time as the perfect easy treat for breakfast, dessert, or any time of day, no mixer required!
Chocolate Coffee Toffee Crunch Muffins feature a mocha muffin that's studded with chocolate chips and topped with a crunchy toffee streusel, for the best combination of flavor and texture! Ready in just 35 minutes, no mixer required!
Want to learn more about baking with chocolate? I’ve put together simple guides to help you choose the right chocolate and understand what makes your favorite chocolate desserts work.
It depends on the recipe! Semisweet chocolate is one of my go-to choices because it works well in everything from cookies and cakes to frostings and pies. For the best results, use the type of chocolate the recipe calls for. Different types have different amounts of sugar, fat, and cocoa, so they don’t always work the same way.
Can I use chocolate chips instead of baking chocolate?
Sometimes! If you’re mixing chocolate into cookie dough or cake batter, you can usually swap chocolate chips for chopped baking chocolate. But if the chocolate needs to melt smoothly, such as for a ganache or a chocolate coating, stick with baking chocolate. Chocolate chips contain ingredients that help them keep their shape, so they don’t always melt as smoothly.
What is the difference between semisweet and bittersweet chocolate?
Both semisweet and bittersweet chocolate are types of dark chocolate, and both must contain at least 35% cacao, but there’s no U.S. government labeling standard beyond that. Bittersweet chocolate is darker and less sweet, while semisweet chocolate is a little sweeter. If you want a less sweet chocolate dessert, try using darker chocolate instead of reducing the sugar.
Why does my melted chocolate get hard or grainy?
Your chocolate probably came into contact with water. Even a tiny drop of water can cause melted chocolate to seize, making it thick, stiff, and grainy. If this happens, start over. Make sure your bowl, spoon, and other tools are completely dry when melting chocolate.
My chocolate turned a grayish color, but it’s not expired. Can I still use it?
Probably! That gray or whitish coating is called bloom, and it can happen when chocolate gets too warm or is exposed to moisture. Bloomed chocolate is safe to eat and fine to bake with, but when melted and used for coating (like for Chocolate Covered Strawberries), it’ll maintain that same gray cast and can be more prone to seizing.
Can I substitute Dutch-process cocoa powder for natural cocoa powder?
Not always. Natural and Dutch-process cocoa powders have different levels of acidity, which can affect how a recipe rises, as well as its color, flavor, and texture. I recommend using the type of cocoa powder the recipe calls for unless it specifically says they can be swapped. Learn more about natural and Dutch-process cocoa powders here.
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