16 great chocolate recipes: cookies, muffins, dips, and more

Mug of hot chocolate viewed from above — City Bakery–Style Hot Chocolate

We aren’t going to sit here and write an introductory paragraph about all the attributes that make chocolate great. Why would we insult your intelligence like that? You already know how perfect a substance it is. All we want to do is provide you with a stack of recipes that demonstrate all the different ways you can incorporate chocolate into your day-to-day life. So here they are: The Takeout’s most chocolatey recipes of all time.

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Mega Chocolate Malted

The problem with most modern malts is that they skimp on the malted milk powder. This Mega Chocolate Malted seeks to remedy that: it prioritizes malt above all else, to remind us of why the chocolate malted is so great in the first place. This is not a milkshake recipe; it’s more of a cross between a mocha Frappuccino and a float. But with each sip, you’re treated to full, robust cocoa flavors—a crowd-pleasing treat all around. Get the recipe for the Mega Chocolate Malted here.

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Ganache Thumbprints

The rich chocolate centers of these Ganache Thumbprints appear to stare straight back at you—go ahead, be mesmerized by them. This recipe comes to us from Thalia Ho’s cookbook WILD SWEETNESS: Recipes Inspired by Nature, and its ingredient list is surprisingly simple, given the show-stopping results. Get the recipe for Ganache Thumbprints here.

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Abuelita’s Surprise

Chocolate and booze is a beautiful combination. The Abuelita’s Surprise is the perfect beverage to sip during the holiday season, but its flavors are irresistible enough to enjoy year-round as well. Fireball, a key ingredient in this drink, is the only way to go when it comes to spiking Mexican hot cocoa. It melds with the rich dark chocolate and cinnamon flavor of Abuelita and renders the warm goodnight you’ll never want to do without. Get the recipe for Abuelita’s Surprise here.

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Homemade Jos Louis Cakes

Snack cakes sitting on a wooden cutting board, with one bitten cake on a red napkin — Homemade Jos Louis Cakes

Most Canadians are familiar with Jos Louis snack cakes, little round sponge cakes filled with vanilla cream and dipped in chocolate that can be easily found in supermarkets up north. Think of them like American Ding Dongs, and now picture yourself making an ultra-rich version of them in your own kitchen. This recipe involves covering the cakes in a chocolate glaze, and while you will get messy, you will also end up with perfectly picturesque cake squares that will wow whomever is lucky enough to taste them. Get the recipe for Jos Louis Cakes here.

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Breakfast Stout Muffins

Three chocolate muffins on a white plate — Breakfast Stout Muffins

Always trust a recipe that calls for at least 1/2 cup of Dutch-process cocoa powder. These muffins are meant to evoke the combination of cocoa flavors, coffee notes, and quiet sweetness that make breakfast stouts sing, without making you feel like you’re getting tipsy or eating a straight-up cupcake first thing in the morning. But perhaps best of all, the recipe only calls for one cup of stout, so you’re going to have plenty left over for sipping. Get the recipe for Breakfast Stout Muffins here.

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Nutella Pizza Ring

If Nutella is popular in North America, it’s a veritable necessity in European households—particularly in Italy, from whose culinary culture this recipe draws its inspiration. Thom and James Elliot of the Pizza Pilgrims restaurant chain and the recent cookbook Pizza have shared the recipe for one of their bestselling items, a ring made of Neapolitan pizza dough filled with Nutella and ricotta and baked to golden perfection. Serve with vanilla ice cream... or maybe more chocolate. Get the recipe for Pizza Pilgrims’ Nutella Ring here.

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City Bakery–Style Hot Chocolate

Image for article titled 16 chocolate recipes for any occasion (or none at all) — Graphic: Allison Corr

City Bakery in New York City was famous for its hot chocolate, a mythical substance for which residents and tourists would line up down the block in the middle of winter. The bakery closed its doors in 2019, but this recipe is a loving memorial to some of the greatest hot chocolate in America, using an entire pound of milk and semisweet dark chocolate to create a rich, thick mug of comfort. Get the recipe for City Bakery-Style Hot Chocolate here.

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Matcha Chocolate Chunk Cookies

For those who like their chocolate a bit more tempered, look no further than these Matcha Chocolate Chunk Cookies. Matcha is a delicate flavor, and too much sweetness can overpower its subtle sweet, savory, and umami notes. So in this cookie recipe, the bitterness of the matcha powder works alongside the sweetness of the chocolate, creating a balanced and comforting dessert. Get the recipe for Matcha Chocolate Chunk Cookies here.

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Wacky Cake

This cake is specifically designed to be so easy a child could make it: simple ingredients, no specialized tools, no raw eggs, and easy cleanup make it the perfect rainy-day activity for you and your kids. It’s a never-fail recipe and a crowdpleaser, one that you can serve warm straight from the oven or spend hours decorating with frosting and nonpareils. Get the recipe for Wacky Cake here.

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Miso-Black Garlic Chocolate Chip Cookies

We don’t think that these slightly exotic cookies are going to replace your regular rotation of Tollhouse when you get that craving, but it’s a great recipe when you’re seeking something new and unexpected for your next gathering, or to bring as a gift to the adventurous eaters in your life. Black garlic, paired with the sweet dough and bittersweet chocolate in this cookie, takes on the same role a raisin or dried cherry would, adding a bit of fruitiness. Why not give them a try? Get the recipe for Miso-Black Garlic Chocolate Chip Cookies here.

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Whipped Nutella Fun-do

The dessert dip is an underappreciated—and more importantly, underutilized—category of party food. This Nutella cream cheese dip combines everyone’s favorite chocolate-hazelnut spread with whipped cream, whipped cream cheese, powdered sugar, and spices to create a snack reminiscent of fondue. Use graham crackers, sliced fruit, and pretzel sticks for dipping, or let your guests get creative (Ritz crackers, perhaps?). Get the recipe for Whipped Nutella Fun-do here.

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Ben & Jerry’s Superfudge Brownies

In 1996’s In the Kitchen with Miss Piggy, Miss Piggy herself doesn’t cook (she’s far too glamorous for such a thing), so she has called upon her celebrity friends to contribute to the collection. Enter Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, better known as Ben and Jerry, who were kind enough to share their iconic recipe for Superfudge Brownies. Our slightly revised version adds espresso powder and milk chocolate chunks to appeal even more to chocolate lovers. Get the recipe for Ben & Jerry’s Superfudge Brownies here.

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Beer & Pretzel Caramel Cookie Bars

We know the word “chocolate” doesn’t appear in the name of these Beer & Pretzel Caramel Cookie Bars, but that’s because the name could hardly fit everything else that’s great about them. Rest assured there is a layer of rich chocolate ganache that sits between gooey pretzel-studded beer caramel and a sprinkling of crushed pretzels and sea salt. It all adds up to one giant candy bar, somewhere between a Twix and a Take 5. Get the recipe for Beer & Pretzel Caramel Cookie Bars here.

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Homemade Dark Chocolate Syrup

This recipe takes less than three minutes to assemble, and after that, you’ll never want to go back to the store-bought bottled stuff again. It starts with the basic chocolate syrup formula, but the addition of brown sugar, espresso powder, and a pat of butter make it a silky, complex kitchen staple you’ll want to use in chocolate milk, egg creams, ice cream sundaes, and anything else you can think of. Get the recipe for Dark Chocolate Syrup here.

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S’mores Dip

S’mores Dip seems like something that’s been around forever, but in fact, as best we can tell, the dip first appeared in 2012 on the blog What Megan’s Making. Since then, it’s taken off around the internet, and various recipes offer tweaks depending on whichever aspect of s’mores you like best. Our version, served in a cast iron skillet, leaves the broiled tops of the marshmallows beautifully golden brown for a photogenic dessert that’s a lot less messy than eating the classic fireside sandwich. Get the recipe for S’mores Dip here.

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Brown-Butter Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chef Dana Cree of The Publican in Chicago was kind enough to share this recipe for her life-changing cookies—and that’s not a description we’d use lightly. The brown butter is the linchpin of the whole process, because its liquid state hydrates the flour in a way that produces crisp edges and a gooey center. These cookies are much easier to make than you’re anticipating, and vegetarians will be happy to learn that they taste just as great without the bacon. Get the recipe for Brown-Butter Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies here.

16 chocolate recipes for any occasion (or none at all)

16 chocolate recipes for any occasion (or none at all)

Chocolate muffins, Nutella dip, brownies, wacky cake—the list goes on.

Mega Chocolate Malted

Mega Chocolate Malted

Ganache Thumbprints

Ganache Thumbprints

Abuelita’s Surprise

Abuelita’s Surprise

Homemade Jos Louis Cakes

Homemade Jos Louis Cakes

Breakfast Stout Muffins

Breakfast Stout Muffins

Nutella Pizza Ring

Nutella Pizza Ring

City Bakery–Style Hot Chocolate

City Bakery–Style Hot Chocolate

Matcha Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Matcha Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Wacky Cake

Wacky Cake

Miso-Black Garlic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Miso-Black Garlic Chocolate Chip Cookies

Whipped Nutella Fun-do

Whipped Nutella Fun-do

Ben & Jerry’s Superfudge Brownies

Ben & Jerry’s Superfudge Brownies

Beer & Pretzel Caramel Cookie Bars

Beer & Pretzel Caramel Cookie Bars

Homemade Dark Chocolate Syrup

Homemade Dark Chocolate Syrup

S’mores Dip

S’mores Dip

Brown-Butter Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brown-Butter Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

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