Photography: Mikkel Vang / Styling: Lisa Featherby
When it comes to making sweet treats, it’s hard to beat the flavour of good old chocolate. The hard part, however, is choosing just which chocolate dessert recipe to make – because they’re all so delicious!
Here we’ve rounded up 12 easy chocolate dessert recipes beloved by Home Beautiful readers – which includes everything from a celebration cake to mini meringues. These recipes, which feature a supporting cast of hazelnuts, peanut butter, caramel and coconut, are perfect for entertaining on chilly nights or all year round. Enjoy!
Chocolate celebration cake
With whiskey caramel sauce
A show-stopping cake that will look wonderful in the centre of a dinner table. A naughty-but-nice whiskey caramel sauce takes this chocolate cake to the next level.
Chocolate hot cross buns
Soft and fluffy
Chocolate hot cross buns make for a fun twist on a traditional favourite. In this recipe, the flavours of 70% dark chocolate and candied orange meld with a delicious cinnamon glaze for a delectable Easter treat.
Chocolate madeleines
Dipped in extra chocolate and hazelnuts
These little French tea cakes are the ultimate sweet treat. They have a light, smooth flavour and are the perfect accompaniment to afternoon coffee or tea.
Chocolate pudding
With dulche de leche and peanut butter
Cold nights are made for chocolate pudding. But this recipe, created by chef Louise Franc is not your average pudding. Chocolate is indeed the hero, but is supported by creamy dulche de leche and peanut butter.
Chocolate crepes
Filled with hazelnut cream
When you feel like something sweet but don’t want to fire up the oven, crepes are the perfect go-to. These silky smooth sheets of chocolatey goodness can be mixed up, swirled into a pan and finished in no time at all. To serve, simply whip cream with Nutella and you’ve got yourself a cafe-worthy dessert.
Mini chocolate meringues
Drizzled with gooey chocolate
These mini meringues marbled with cocoa and chocolate simply melt in your mouth. Pile atop a cake stand and drizzle with chocolate sauce for a tempting treat you’ll return to for seconds and thirds.
Chocolate pecan pie
With a crunchy nut topping
In this recipe, rich, velvety chocolate meets the buttery crunch of pecans. The filling – made by whisking chopped pecans, melted chocolate, eggs, corn syrup and butter together – needs to set in the fridge overnight, which makes it a fabulous make-ahead dessert.
Kids’ chocolate cupcakes
Filled with hidden vegies
Bite-sized delights that are delicious and healthy. The top three ingredients are zucchini, carrot and broccoli but your kids won’t have a clue by the time these are baked and topped with chocolate icing.
Chocolate scrolls
A pull-apart dish the whole family will love
Want an easy-to-make alternative to traditional hot cross buns? These chocolate scrolls are fluffy, light and sweet, but the best part is that you can easily make them from ingredients you’ve probably already got sitting in the pantry.
Almond brittle truffles
Bite-sized treats
Sugared almonds are already a great bite-sized treat, but coating them in a layer of melt-in-your-mouth chocolate really takes them to the next level. Make a large batch and give them as edible gifts to your family and friends this Easter.
Boiled chocolate and coffee cake
Rich and indulgent
Love to keep the conversation going long after dinner plates have been cleared? This is the cake you need to serve. Chocolate and coffee are a truly addictive flavour combination, but this will entice your guests to stay well into the evening, swapping stories, sharing funny anecdotes and reminiscing about the good old days.
Caramel slice
With a macaroon-inspired crust
Caramel slice is a classic. This recipe manages to improve on perfection by giving the biscuit base a coconut twist. What’s not to love?
