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Our Chocolate Cobbler recipe is extra rich and chocolatey with a gooey, pudding like texture. This is an egg-free dessert that is beyond simple to whip up with pantry staples. You’ll find us enjoying this warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!!

Let’s talk about chocolate for a moment, shall we?
It’s a Happy Little Chocolate Moment.
I have to admit, the first time I made this chocolate cobbler, I was a hot mess. I was having one of those “I just want to eat all the chocolate” kind of days (AKA, my normal state of being), and I needed something serious to save the day.
I’d seen a few chocolate cobbler recipes floating around the internet (this was back in 2009, by the way), and the obsession was born.
As the smell of melty chocolate smacked me in the face, I was like, “Okay, universe, you’re speaking my language now.” 🍫
And that first bite? Pure. Magic.
It’s like a warm hug, a chocolate explosion, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream all mixed into one perfect little dessert.
Think lava cake, but without all the fussiness.
Now that we’re here in 2025, where eggs are the price of your first born child, I appreciate this gooey, decadent, excessively chocolate dessert for the fact that it’s also egg free.
This is basically a budget-friendly superhero. And don’t even get me started on how easy it is to make—no fancy ingredients needed, just stuff you probably already have in your pantry.
♥ What We Love About This Recipe:
Honestly, what’s not to love about this excessively chocolate dessert? Here’s what’s at the top of my list, though.
- No weird ingredients: This cobbler calls for nothing but the staple ingredients most people are stocked with. No picking the perfect piece of fruit or chopping and peeling. The only ingredient you may not have is espresso powder, but if you don’t have it on hand, just skip it. It does help deepen the chocolate flavor, so I do recommend you buy some. It’s great in my perfect chocolate chip cookies, homemade brownies, and just about any dessert that calls for a lot of chocolate. Get it here.
- It’s easy: That’s something I say about a lot of my recipes, but that’s because my goal is always to create big wins in the kitchen with minimal effort.
- It’s chocolate: Smack you in the face levels of chocolate. And its surprising too – most people haven’t even heard of a chocolate cobbler. I mean, cobbler is for fruit, right? Not this time, although my apple cobbler is still very much at the top of my list.
Ingredient Notes:
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
For the cobbler:
Butter – One of the key components of this recipe is to place the butter in the baking dish and pop it in the oven as it preheats. This melts the butter and gets the dish hot, which helps things to bake up properly.
Dry Ingredients – You’ll need all-purpose flour, white sugar, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Use an unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder for the best result.
Wet Ingredients – For mixing with the dry ingredients you’ll need some milk and vanilla extract.
Espresso Powder – This is optional but I definitely recommend it! I promise it won’t make the chocolate cobbler taste like coffee. Espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavor and makes it even richer and fudgier tasting!
My Favorite Vanilla!
A good quality vanilla really does make a difference and this is my favorite brand.
For the topping:
Sugars – We’re using both granulated white sugar (texture) and brown sugar (flavor).
Cocoa Powder – Chocolate in the filling and chocolate in the topping. There’s never enough, you know?
Hot Water – This is a key ingredient that helps the cobbler bake up properly. We tested the recipe with cold water and it doesn’t turn out quite the same.
Ice Cream or Whipped Cream – We have tested this both ways, extensively. Just doing my due diligence. I prefer vanilla ice cream, but whipped creamy is also decadent and delicious.
My Favorite Cocoa Powder!
This cocoa powder is Dutch-processed, giving it a rich, deep flavor and color. Hershey’s brand is inexpensive and easy to find.
Step by Step Chocolate Cobbler:
Mix together the dry cobbler ingredients in a mixing bowl while your oven preheats. Whisk in the wet ingredients until well combined.
Melt some butter in an 8×8 baking dish in the oven while it preheats. When melted carefully spoon the chocolate cobbler mixture over the melted butter in the pan.
Prepare the topping by mixing together the dry ingredients with a whisk and then sprinkle over the top of the chocolate cobbler in the pan.
Slowly pour the hot water over the top, covering all the topping. Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top has firmed up but the cobbler is still jiggly in the middle.
Karly’s Tips & Tricks:
I tested this recipe extensively (partially so we’d have it just right for you and partially because I find myself in ‘must eat chocolate’ situations on the regular. Here are some of the tips I’ve learned along the way:
- Place the stick of butter in the pan and pop it in the oven to melt as the oven preheats. I’m not entirely sure why, but this does make for a better chocolate cobbler. I think it helps the texture a bit.
- Don’t stir the layers together. You’ll have melted butter topped with filling topped with topping topped with hot water. Resist the urge to stir!
- Let it cool for a good 15 minutes so that it’s not pure liquid when you try to spoon it out, but be sure to dig in while it’s still a bit warm for the best chocolate experience.
- Top it with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or even some fresh berries. This is rich, rich, rich (in the best way) and that helps to balance things out.
MORE HOMEMADE COBBLER RECIPES!
We love fruit cobbler too! Here are some of my favorites that I like to make, epsecially in the summer when fruit is ripe and fresh and hard to pass by.
- Bisquick Peach Cobbler
- Pumpkin Cobbler
- Keto Blueberry Cobbler
- Blackberry Cobbler
- Peach Cobbler Egg Rolls
Chocolate Cobbler
Ingredients
For the cobbler:
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder optional but recommended
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the topping:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups hot water
- Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for serving
Instructions
To make the cobbler filling:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the butter in an 8×8 baking dish and put the dish in the oven while it preheats until butter has melted.
- If you hear the butter start to sputter and pop, remove the dish from the oven so as not to burn the butter.
- Mix together the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Whisk the milk and vanilla into the dry ingredients until well combined.
- When the butter has melted, carefully spoon the chocolate mixture over the melted butter in the pan. Do not stir to combine.
To make the cobbler topping:
- Mix together the dry ingredients with a whisk. Sprinkle over the top of the chocolate cobbler.
- Slowly and carefully pour the hot water over the top, being sure to cover the topping with water as much as possible. A few dry spots are okay. Do not stir to combine.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top has firmed up, but the cobbler is still quite jiggly in the middle.
- Serve warm with either vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was originally published back in 2009. It was updated with new photos in 2025.
Sherri S. says
Love your updated photos, lol. I have been making your recipe for years. It is hands down the best recipe for chocolate cobbler and is my husbands favorite (who can be challenging to get the exact taste he is looking for). It’s been awhile since I made it and was coming to view the recipe to make sure I had it in my memory right. I know it tastes great and now it looks great!
Karly Campbell says
Haha, I’m so glad you tried the recipe even with those original photos! ๐ Glad to hear you enjoy this one!