7 Quick and Decadent Chocolate Desserts That Will Have You at ‘Hello’

There are times where you just need chocolate immediately. With tomorrow being Valentine’s Day, perhaps the craving is due to the aggressive marketing that surrounds us everywhere we go. Or maybe intense chocolate cravings like this are normal occurrences in your life, slogans and images or not. I tend to fall into the later category — I eat chocolate almost everyday of my life. It’d definitely be easier to count the days that I don’t eat chocolate as opposed to the days that I do.

Most of the time it is some nice dark chocolate at the end of the day, some times in it’s the form of a baked good, and then there are those times where I am craving chocolate so extraordinarily that I need it that instant or else I might burst. Given the amount of times the latter happens to me, I’ve collected a good group of recipes that give me that chocolate fix. And fast! Here they are below.

Everyday Chocolate Loaf {via smitten kitchen}
For when you want a moist cake with a rich chocolate flavor, you don’t have any special ingredients, and you don’t want to go out to get them — this is your cake. It takes only minutes to prepare, then the hardest part comes in, which is waiting for it to bake for an hour in the oven. No, it’s not a fast cooking cake and yes, it might be the longest hour of your life, but it’s certainly worth it and you don’t have to wait for it to cool! Just eat it straight out of the oven. I never put anything on it, just preferring the good ol’ slice and eat, but powdered sugar or berries would certainly be yummy. This also keeps well, so you can have it out on your counter all week for that chocolate fix, sans oven baking time.

Image Credit: nordwood themes

Chocolate Pudding Cookies {via siri daly}
It seems wrong because we think of chocolate as creamy and flavorful, but when it’s baked with sometimes the opposite can happen and you can end up with something dry and lacking in true flavor. There are way too many recipes out there that claim chocolate flavor but produce none. And then there are those that do have a chocolate flavor but are so dry you can’t even enjoy it. I find these things especially prolific in chocolate cookies for some reason, which is why once I found this recipe I held onto it like a crutch. I’ve made it many times and never once did it produce anything less than soft, gooey, flavorful chocolate cookies. I believe the secret ingredient here is the pudding. It keeps things soft and ensures a deep chocolate flavor.

Chocolate Granola {via sally’s baking addiction}
For when you want chocolate, but you don’t feel like eating something rich, and you might want to enjoy a few different textures. Chocolate granola isn’t as popular as it should be — when made correctly it’s extremely delicious and can almost trick your mind into thinking you’re eating a dessert-like treat when in fact you are having something that is perfectly acceptable as breakfast food. This recipe is FAST, you can customize it, and being granola it stores well. It’s another recipe that is great to keep around the house for when the craving strikes.

Brownie Mug {via weelicious}
Mug cakes and brownies have grown in popularity and so there’s been a rise in the amount of recipes out there. Unfortunately in my experience, a lot of them are underwhelming: They have the wrong texture (too gummy), they don’t get a good rise (some skip the leavener) or they are lacking flavor (it can be hard to impart in such a tiny container). Some recipes also call for so many ingredients you might as well just bake the whole thing (I am NOT getting out an egg or softening butter just for a dang mug cake!). So when I came across this recipe I just about cried. It’s the perfect instant mug brownie recipe. No ridiculous ingredients for only a mug cake, it comes together in minutes, has the perfect texture, and actually tastes sweet and like chocolate! It says this serves two but…I like big mugs in my house, so no shame if you only get one serving.

Drinking Chocolate {via david lebovitz}
Quite a popular drink in Paris, but for some reason it hasn’t quite made the leap over to America. Maybe it’s because hot chocolate and hot cocoa already have the monopoly on the drinking chocolate market. But who says we can share the chocolate wealth? Especially for a recipe so pleasant. This drink is the art of simplicity. It really is just drinking chocolate, as it only has two ingredients: Chocolate and milk, which you melt together and then sip until your heart’s content Liquidity, rich (although you can use milk chocolate if you’d like for a not-so-rich flavor) and the absolute answer for when you want JUST want that chocolate hit.

Image Credit: cala maffia

Skillet Chocolate Cake {via cookie & cups}
For when you want chocolate cake and chocolate frosting and you’re also feeling cute. Because what is cuter than baking in a cast iron skillet? The answer is nothing, nothing is cuter than that. Even if all that’s going to happen is you’ll dig into this baby by yourself with a spoon, there’s no rule that says you can make fancy desserts to serve one. The key here is to make sure that the recipe is worth that presentation, and this one certainly is. So simple and so quick to put together (especially for a homemade cake and homemade frosting) this is equally great to feed your own cravings as it is to serve a crowd.

Mini Brownie Bites {via stylish cuisine}
Brownie bites are life’s delicious little chocolately treats. And while there are very popular store-bought bags of brownie bites that are surprisingly delicious and unsurprisingly addictive, it’s definitely worth it to try to make some at home. These are very much like those brownie bites you’ve seen in every gift basket known to man except they have more chocolate flavor and a buttery/melt-in-your-mouth consistency. They’re that good. It’s impossible not to eat a million and really, who cares if you do? It’s a chocolate craving. That’s what they are there for.

What’s your go-to chocolate recipe when you’re in a pinch?

Featured image is from nordwood themes.