Chocolate doesn’t need dressing up to stand out, these recipes are built around texture, depth, and real flavor that lands from the first bite. Some are rich and dense like fudge cake or molten lava, others are crisp-edged cookies, layered bars, or no-bake styles that stack flavor in chilled trays. There’s structure here, but none of it leans fussy, just bakes that hold firm, cool clean, and finish without needing glaze, icing, or complicated extras. You’ll find hazelnuts, marshmallow, caramel, cherry, and buttermilk baked or folded in, plus shortcuts like cake mix and air-chilled formats that still bake up strong. Every dessert in this list holds its own texture and finish ,some scoop soft, some slice sharp, but all of them land with chocolate right where it should be: up front, full, and clean.

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies Recipe. Photo credit: Southern Food and Fun.

Cocoa-rich shortbread baked crisp on the edges and soft in the middle, with a smooth, sandy texture that holds. The flavor hits sharp and clean without being too sweet. Serve plain or dipped. They pack well and hold their shape after cooling.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies. Photo credit: Southern Food and Fun.

Quick cookie dough made from boxed chocolate cake mix with just enough add-ins to keep it interesting. The edges crackle and the inside stays soft. Serve warm or room temp. A fast-build option that doesn’t sacrifice flavor.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

Chocolate Lasagna Recipe

Chocolate Lasagna Recipe. Photo credit: Southern Food and Fun.

Layered dessert with crushed cookie base, whipped filling, chocolate pudding, and more topping stacked into a chilled, sliceable tray. Each layer holds its form but stays soft. Serve cold with a clean cut. It’s structured like a no-bake, but eats like a full dessert.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Lasagna Recipe

Chocolate Pizza

Chocolate Pizza. Photo credit: Southern Food and Fun.

Flat baked base topped with melted chocolate, crushed candy, or sliced fruit and nuts. The crust stays chewy or crisp depending on the dough. Serve sliced like pizza, no plate needed. Built to share, easy to finish.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Pizza

Chocolate Brownie Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate Brownie Crinkle Cookies. Photo credit: Southern Food and Fun.

Cookies with a brownie-style base that bake into crinkled tops and soft centers. The texture breaks slightly on top but stays gooey underneath. Serve plain or with a dusting. They bake fast and cool soft.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Brownie Crinkle Cookies

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake. Photo credit: Southern Food and Fun.

Soft chocolate cake layered or topped with hazelnut spread or chopped nuts. The cake bakes moist and the hazelnut adds contrast. Serve sliced, no frosting needed. It leans rich but still cuts clean.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

Chocolate Cobbler

Chocolate Cobbler. Photo credit: Southern Food and Fun.

Hot, baked dessert where a fudgy bottom forms under a cake-like top—both scooped warm from the pan. The base stays gooey, almost like sauce. Serve with cream or plain. Built for spoons, not slicing.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cobbler

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Bars

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Bars. Photo credit: Southern Food and Fun.

Three layers: shortbread base, soft caramel middle, and chocolate top, chilled and sliced into squares. The layers hold clean and break sharp. Serve cold or room temp. Each bite lands with full texture.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Bars

Chocolate Chess Pie

Chocolate Chess Pie. Photo credit: Southern Food and Fun.

Custard-style chocolate filling baked in a flaky crust until set but still soft in the center. The top crisps just slightly while the middle stays smooth. Serve chilled or room temp. It slices clean and doesn’t need topping.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chess Pie

Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes. Photo credit: Southern Food and Fun.

Soft, tall cupcakes with cocoa-heavy batter that bake even and stay moist. Serve plain, with frosting, or just dusted. The texture holds firm after baking. A clean build that’s easy to pack or stack.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Buttermilk

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Buttermilk. Photo credit: Southern Food and Fun.

Large-format chocolate cake baked flat with buttermilk in the batter to keep it tender. The top sets with or without icing. Serve in squares, cold or warm. It’s a sturdy bake that stays soft across the tray.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Sheet Cake with Buttermilk

Thumbprint Cookies with Chocolate

Thumbprint Cookies with Chocolate. Photo credit: Southern Food and Fun.

Short dough baked with a pressed center filled with melted chocolate or ganache. The cookies hold their shape and don’t spread. Serve cooled. A small-format bake that finishes clean.
Get the Recipe: Thumbprint Cookies with Chocolate

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake. Photo credit: Southern Food and Fun.

Individual cakes with set edges and melted centers, baked just long enough to hold shape. Cut into for soft chocolate to flow. Serve warm from the oven. They land best plated and fast.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

Turtle Chocolate Brownies

Turtle Chocolate Brownies. Photo credit: Southern Food and Fun.

Brownies topped with caramel, pecans, and a layer of melted chocolate that firms as it cools. The texture is dense, rich, and chewy. Serve cold or warmed slightly. It’s dessert in one square.
Get the Recipe: Turtle Chocolate Brownies

Chocolate Cheesecake

Chocolate Cheesecake. Photo credit: xoxo Bella.

Dense chocolate cheesecake baked in a crust until set and smooth. The top holds with no cracks and the center stays rich. Serve cold. Slices clean and doesn’t need extras.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cheesecake

Chocolate Cherry Blossom Cookies

Chocolate Cherry Blossom Cookies. Photo credit: Xoxo Bella.

Cookies built around a cherry center or cherry flavor, baked with a chocolate dough or topping. The cherry stays whole or breaks slightly. Serve cooled. They finish clean with bold contrast.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Cherry Blossom Cookies

Chocolate Fudge Cake

A slice of chocolate fudge cake with glossy frosting on a white plate.
Chocolate Fudge Cake. Photo credit: Easy Homemade Life.

Deep chocolate cake that bakes dense and smooth with no crumble. The texture stays tight and moist. Serve plain or with a dusting. Best sliced thick.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Fudge Cake

Chocolate Macaroon Pie

A slice of chocolate coconut pie on a plate.
Chocolate Macaroon Pie. Photo credit: Real Life of Lulu.

Coconut and chocolate baked into a pie with a chewy texture and soft middle. The crust stays crisp under the filling. Serve chilled or at room temp. It cuts firm and holds its shape.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Macaroon Pie

Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Chocolate Fudge Cookies. Photo credit: Xoxo Bella.

Soft fudge-style cookie with a brownie-like center and smooth top. The flavor lands rich with every bite. Serve plain, no extras needed. They hold texture even after cooling.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Chocolate Hazelnut Torrone

Chocolate Hazelnut Torrone. Photo credit: xoxo Bella.

Classic nougat packed with toasted hazelnuts and layered with dark chocolate that sets into firm, sliceable blocks. The texture stays chewy but breaks clean when cooled. Serve in thin wedges or cubes. A cold-finish build that doesn’t need baking but still holds real chocolate weight.
Get the Recipe: Chocolate Hazelnut Torrone

A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair, wearing a white T-shirt and dark jeans, stands in a kitchen with a brick backsplash and stainless steel appliances. She is smiling and resting her hands on the counter.

About the author

Hi, I’m Lucy! I’m a home cook, writer, food and wine fanatic, and recipe developer. I’ve created and tested hundreds of recipes so that I can bring you the best tried and true favorites.

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