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Rich, decadent chocolate is on full display in this easy to make, old fashioned chocolate cobbler. Picture a traditional cobbler filled with chocolate instead of all the pesky fruit chopping! For me, that makes it a chocolate loving dream come true.
You may find yourself wondering, “What is chocolate cobbler?” Often called a Southern chocolate cobbler, this decadent treat is associated with Southern cooking, known for its rich comfort foods.
It’s a fabulous dessert that combines a rich layer of fudgy, chocolate cake over a layer of gooey chocolate pudding. If you’ve ever had a molten lava cake, then the experience is deliciously similar. This easy chocolate cobbler recipe leans on pantry staples and bakes up in about thirty-five minutes from start to finish, the same easy no stir magic you’ll find in my pecan pie cobbler.
Chocolate Cobbler
My family went wild for this dish, devouring it in a single sitting. My youngest was taking the BIGGEST bites he could possibly load onto his spoon. And, all of them raved about it afterward.
I’d only ever made fruit-based cobblers before this. But, having tried chocolate, I’ll be making this one again! And, now I’m looking for new ways to make this dessert. It would be fun as a two-person dessert served in a mini-skillet, wouldn’t it?
Delicious! Came out exactly as shown in the photos!
– Kelsey
Ingredients and Substitutions
Butter – Is it really southern if it doesn’t have real butter? I use salted butter in this recipe.
Flour – You’re going to want a regular old all-purpose flour for the cake layer.
Leaveners – I use baking powder for the lift, here.
Sugar – You’ll use white sugar in two places. First it sweetens the batter, and the rest goes into the cocoa to form the magic-pudding during baking.
Cocoa Powder – Unsweetened, plain old natural cocoa powder. I’m not brand loyal here.
Milk – Whole milk gives the richest result. 2% will work as well, if that’s what you have on hand.
Vanilla – Yes, vanilla goes in chocolate cobbler! I use pure vanilla extract. And, given the amount of it that we go through, I’ve pretty much always got a big bottle from Costco in the pantry.
Boiling Water – If you’ve never made a cobbler before, this is the step that is going to make you scratch your head. But, yeah, you’re going to need boiling water for this one.
Notes on Equipment
- 2-quart 8-inch square baking dish
- Mixing Bowls. I have a borderline absurd number of mixing bowls. It’s a thing. But, I love knowing that I have the right number and sizes to tackle any task in the kitchen. I’ve been using these mixing bowls daily for the last 8 years, and they’re still going strong.
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk. I have a borderline absurd number of whisks. But, this one is really incredible. It’s a seamless, dishwasher-safe dream come true, and (despite the odd-looking design?) it WORKS.
- Kettle or small saucepan to boil the water
How to Make Chocolate Cobbler
Boiling the Water: You can start this step later, if your kettle heats up fast. But, you’ll need the water at a rolling boil before you start to assemble the layers!
Melting the Butter: I preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the butter in a 2-quart baking dish (8-inch square size) and set in the oven to melt while it preheats.
Starting the Batter: You’ll want to whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, part of the sugar, and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder in a medium mixing bowl.
Removing the Butter: Around this time, the butter has melted. Remove it from the oven. Then, I just set it aside for now.
Adding the Wet: Into the mixing bowl, you want to add the milk and vanilla. Whisk again until smooth.
Prepping the Top Layer: In a separate bowl, I add the remaining sugar and cocoa powder in a small mixing bowl. Whisk one final time to combine.
Layering the Dish: If the water isn’t boiling, we wait. Once it is, pour the liquid batter over the melted butter in the baking dish. Then, sprinkle with the sugar and cocoa mixture.
Finishing with Water: Slowly pour boiling water over the top as evenly as possible. Don’t stir, even if it looks strange in the dish (that’s how the pudding layer forms!).
Baking: Bake for about 30 minutes, just until the top has set. Then, cool for 15 minutes before serving warm.
Expert Tip
The strangest part of the ingredient list is actually what makes any cobbler work. But, if this is your first cobbler, it probably seems odd to pour boiling water over the top. There are two keys to success. You want that water boiling hot and don’t stir.
Pour it over the top right before baking. As the cobbler bakes, the syrupy sugar water sinks through to the bottom and creates an indulgent glossy pudding underneath. That’s the science behind this recipe for chocolate cobbler, and a few small steps can make the difference between a fine cobbler and a great one.
Make Sure It’s BOILING – Get the kettle or saucepan going early with some extra water. It will be ready for you when you are. Then, just pour it into a measuring cup and into the cobbler. Lukewarm water won’t pull the topping down through the batter, and your pudding layer will suffer for it.
Pour Slowly and Evenly – You want to pour the water out low and slow over the whole pan. Don’t pour it from a height. First of all, it’s boiling water and will splash. Second, it will blast the sugar and cocoa around and give you uneven pockets.
Resist Stirring – The dish will look like a middle school science experiment when it goes in the oven. Liquid water sitting on top, dry sugar and cocoa floating, batter underneath. That is what it’s supposed to look like. Don’t stir.
Let It Rest – The pudding layer will be very thin and scalding hot when the cobbler comes out of the oven. Let it rest for fifteen minutes on the counter. You’ll find that it sets the pudding into the kind of gooey, spoon-able consistency we want. (Learn from my mistakes of the past and resist the urge to spoon into it too soon! Patience will result in the perfect gooey, pudding layer.)
Serving Suggestions
For those who are looking for some way to top this treat on its own, let me tell you, it’s a tall order. But, I find that pairing it with some strawberries and cream is never a bad idea. Tangy fruit and velvety cream pair beautifully with the intense chocolate.
And, if you’re a fellow ice cream aficionado, look no further than a scoop of my raspberry white chocolate ice cream. Or, if you really want to lean into a rich dessert, give butter pecan ice cream a try. Personally, I keep it simple (well, most of the time) with just a scoop of the best and easiest homemade ice cream you’ll ever find.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead – Do not make this ahead of time. Don’t. But, you can can measure out the dry ingredients in advance and store them separately, if it will save you time.
How to Store – Cover any leftovers and refrigerate in the same baking dish or in an airtight container. The cobbler holds up for a few days days. The pudding layer thickens in the fridge and the top firms up, but the flavor stays just as rich.
How to Reheat – A short stint in the microwave is the easiest way to bring it back. Thirty seconds for a single serving, a minute and a half for a larger plate. The pudding layer won’t be quite the same as when you first made it, but it’s still a fantastic dessert a day later. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top and we’re back in business!
More Cobbler Recipes
Yes, a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour swaps in well for the all-purpose. My readers have reported good results using this method. The pudding layer doesn’t depend on gluten, so the swap holds up fine.
That’s the cobbler trick. As the dish bakes, the boiling water sinks through the dry sugar and cocoa topping and pulls them down into the batter, creating the gooey pudding layer underneath the delightful cakey top. Cold or warm water won’t do it. It has to be at a true rolling boil when it hits the pan.
Now you’re speaking my language! This recipe doubles beautifully for use with a 9×13 baking dish. And, the bake time stays close to the same. Just keep an eye on it during the last few minutes.
Chocolate Cobbler
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1¾ cups white sugar divided
- ¼ cup, plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder divided
- ⅔ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the butter in a 2-quart baking dish (8" square) and set in the oven to melt. Keep an eye on the butter and remove from the oven when it has melted. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, ¾ cup sugar, and 2 tablespoons cocoa powder in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the milk and vanilla. Whisk again until smooth.
- Combine the remaining 1 cup sugar and ¼ cup cocoa powder in a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the liquid batter over the butter in the baking dish. Sprinkle with the sugar and cocoa mixture. Slowly pour boiling water over the top as evenly as possible.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, just until the top has set. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Could I make this with gluten free flour?
That should work fine.
Delicious! Came out exactly as shown in the photos!
How should I store leftovers?
I’m glad to hear that the cobbler turned out well, Kelsey. I typically refrigerate any leftovers in a Pyrex dish/Tupperware/etc.
No flavor! I couldn’t believe this nasty recipe. I can bake extremely well and this thing was not right. I don’t understand. None of us could even taste it.
Sorry to hear that. Did you happen to substitute/omit any ingredients? I’m drawing a blank here because if nothing else it should have been intensely chocolately. If you overcooked it, it may not have been as nice, but still flavorful. Whatever the issue might have been, I hope your next baking recipe turns out much more successfully.