12 quick and easy chocolate recipes
Brownies, layer cakes, cookies, and more.
Date
February 10, 2025
Sometimes, you just want a quick, easy recipe — that's where Bake It Easy comes in. These recipes are low-fuss: made in a short amount of time, rely on basic ingredients, mixed entirely by hand, or come together in one bowl. When you need something simple but still want to bake, we've got you.
Need a chocolate dessert but don’t want to spend hours baking? We have some ideas. From brownies, to layer cakes, to pudding cups, we have plenty of chocolate dessert recipes you can enjoy in no time. Here, we’ve shared a dozen of our favorite chocolate recipes that come together in a snap.
1) Quick and Easy Fudge Brownies
This dump-and-stir method for gooey brownies doesn’t get easier. All you need is one bowl to mix the batter — no melting chocolate (all you need is cocoa powder!) or multiple bowls for wet and dry ingredients required. This recipe only takes half an hour from start to finish, so you’ll have dessert sorted in no time.
Get the recipe: Quick and Easy Fudge Brownies
Shop the recipe: Espresso Powder
2) Cute and Small Chocolate Cake
For a smaller sweet treat, you can whip up the batter for this tiny cake in just 15 minutes without a mixer. Pair it with your frosting of choice; we recommend Chocolate Ermine Frosting, which is fluffy and light, yet still plenty chocolatey.
Get the recipe: Cute and Small Chocolate Cake
Shop the recipe: Triple Cocoa Blend
3) Brownie Brittle
This recipe was made for the brownie lover who goes straight for the crispy corner pieces. Once you incorporate the wet and dry ingredients, thinly spread the batter on a sheet pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
Get the recipe: Brownie Brittle
Shop the recipe: Callebaut Semisweet Chocolate Chips
4) Easy Chocolate Pudding
This recipe comes together in a single saucepan in just about 15 minutes, and you won’t even need to temper any eggs. You could eat that velvety smooth pudding by itself or turn it into a chocolate cream pie.
Get the recipe: Easy Chocolate Pudding
Shop the recipe: Vanilla Extract
5) Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Mayo in cake? Trust us! Mayonnaise is a key ingredient in this recipe, taking the place of eggs and oil. You’d be surprised how moist it makes the cake — and we promise you won’t taste the mayo at all.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
Shop the recipe: 9" x 13" Pan
6) Chocolate Cookies
Sometimes, the most time-consuming part about baking cookies is waiting for the dough to rest in the fridge. Luckily, this recipe skips that step, so you’ll have a warm batch of soft cookies to eat in less than 30 minutes. Make them double chocolate cookies by adding chips or opt for chopped nuts or dried fruit.
Get the recipe: Chocolate Cookies
Shop the recipe: Double Dark Cocoa
7) Homemade Cosmic Brownies
With one bowl and about one hour, you can be rewarded with ultra-fudgy brownies, a luscious layer of silky ganache, and a shower of vibrant sprinkles for that signature cosmic charm. It’s only slightly more effort than reaching for the box, but tastes infinitely better.
Get the recipe: Homemade Cosmic Brownies
Shop the recipe: Rainbow Softies Sprinkles
8) King Arthur’s Original Cake Pan Cake
This simple cake is a beloved classic for a reason. You don’t need eggs, butter, or milk to make it — or an electric mixer, for that matter. And it turns out a reliably moist, chocolatey cake every time. Double the recipe and sandwich with your favorite frosting to make a layer cake, or enjoy as a single-layer snacking cake.
Get the recipe: King Arthur's Original Cake Pan Cake
Shop the recipe: Round Cake Pan
9) Quick Pots de Crème
If you’re looking for something richer and more decadent than pudding, pots de crème fit the bill. This streamlined recipe uses a food processor to do all the work for you: It blitzes chocolate chips so they’ll easily melt into warm cream and whisks egg yolks with ease.
Get the recipe: Quick Pots de Crème
Shop the recipe: Cuisinart Custom 14™ 14 Cup Food Processor
10) Small-Batch Chocolate Cupcakes
Rich, tender, and deeply chocolatey, this recipe for just four cupcakes are ideal for small celebrations, midweek pick-me-ups, or sudden chocolate cravings (without the leftovers). The batter is mixed by hand and ready in about an hour.
Get the recipe: Small-Batch Chocolate Cupcakes
Shop the recipe: Standard Muffin Pan
11) Flourless Chocolate Cake
You’d be surprised how effortless it is to make this ultra-decadent cake. Melt chocolate and butter, add the dry ingredients, then whisk in eggs and cocoa powder. To top it off, frost it with an easy chocolate ganache to gild the lily – or skip if you’re short on time! This cake is plenty rich on its own.
Get the recipe: Flourless Chocolate Cake
Shop the recipe: Guittard Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
12) Molten Chocolate Mini Cakes
It’s tricky to nail a chocolate lava cake at home, since it’s hard to get that perfect gooey filling. We solved that by switching up the format: We make these in mini muffin tins (instead of jumbo) and add chocolate wafers to the middle. This way, you won’t need to worry about the batter reaching the correct temperature, but you’ll still have a melty, molten center.
Get the recipe: Molten Chocolate Mini Cakes
Shop the recipe: Mini Muffin Pan
Ready to bake? Make sure you're stocked up on all the chocolate and cocoa you need.
Cover photo (Homemade Cosmic Brownies) by Patrick Marinello; food styling by Yekaterina Boytsova.
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