Mocha Chocolate Cobbler

Rivers of molten mocha chocolate sauce bubble up around this easy Chocolate Cobbler. It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day or any weeknight you need a serious chocolate fix!

Mocha Chocolate Cobbler in a cast iron skillet with scoops of ice cream

an easy dessert for an occasion.

The past few weeks I’ve been reading Shauna Niequist’s book,

Bittersweet Mocha Chocolate Cobbler

This idea of bittersweet is, of course, stolen from our descriptions of food. There’s a reason I add a squeeze of lemon juice to my Cheesecake with Sour Cream Topping and brewed coffee to The Best Chocolate Bundt Cake. That hint of bitterness adds complexity and richness to dessert. It makes the sweet stuff even better.

This Mocha Chocolate Cobbler should be the poster child for bittersweet desserts. Unlike fruit cobblers, chocolate cobbler is made by pouring hot water over a very simple chocolate cake batter right before baking. In the magical space of your oven, this strange concoction is transformed into a fluffy chocolate cake with molten rivers of chocolate sauce bubbling up all around it. It’s kind of like a built in chocolate brownie sundae (<<<amazing).

This Mocha Chocolate Cobbler is an easy dessert recipe for the chocolate lover in your life.

The Best Chocolate Cobbler

I’ve had chocolate cobbler in the past, but it was always a little too sweet for me. For this version, I used Nielsen Massey’s coffee extract and Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract to round out the flavors. The coffee extract, which can be used in place of espresso powder, brings balance and compliments the chocolate so well. And of course, nearly every dessert benefits from the added dimension and nuance of pure vanilla extract.

For the grand finale, I replaced the hot water with hot coffee to give this whole dessert a mocha-like flavor profile. Basically, you’ve got a rich chocolate cake surrounded by puddles of mocha chocolate lava sauce.

This rich, sultry, dark and brooding dessert is definitely worthy of your Valentine’s Day table. It is perfection with a few scoops of vanilla ice cream piled on top. No need for bowls with this one. Just grab your Valentine and a few spoons, cozy up to the skillet, and dive in!

This Mocha Chocolate Cobbler is a rich and indulgent recipe for Valentine's Day or any special occasion.

Looking for more rich and chocolatey desserts? Try my Chocolate Crazy Cake, Easy Fudgy Stovetop Brownies, and Double Chocolate Banana Bread!

This Mocha Chocolate Cobbler is a rich and indulgent recipe for Valentine's Day or any special occasion.

Mocha Chocolate Cobbler

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

This easy molten Chocolate Cobbler is made with espresso powder and coffee to give this an incredible mocha flavor!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 7 Tablespoons cocoa powder, divided
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Nielsen Massey coffee extract
  • 1 teaspoon Nielsen Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 6 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 1/2 cups very hot fresh brewed coffee OR 1 1/2 cups hot water + 3 teaspoons coffee extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking pan.or 8 inch cast iron skillet.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, 3 Tablespoons of the cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
  3. In another bowl, whisk together the coffee extract, vanilla, milk, and butter. Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Spread the cake mixture in the prepared pan.
  4. Combine the brown sugar and remaining 4 Tablespoons of cocoa powder. Sprinkle over the cake batter. Spread the chocolate chips over top.
  5. Pour the hot coffee (or water) over top of the cake. Do not stir. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly with some parts that are set. There will be some molten chocolate parts that will remain liquid. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a review, or head over to Instagram and share a photo! Tag your projects with #neighborfoodies!

This post was developed in partnership with Nielsen Massey Vanillas. As always, all opinions are my own.

16 Comments

  1. I’ve been making a version of this since the late 80’s called chocolate sludge. A fitting name since that’s exactly what it looks like!! As weird as it looks it is divine especially warm with a good vanilla ice cream.

  2. OMG I’m drooling. Big time. This sounds amazing and the photos are freaking GORGEOUS!

  3. Was intrigued by title but see that it is just another name for the old chocolate pudding cake. The addition of coffee sounds interesting, though.

  4. I’m not familiar with this technique but I really want to try it! Those rivers running through the cobbler have me wanting to dig in so badly!

  5. I’ve actually never heard of chocolate cobbler, but I am so intrigued by the hot water technique. It sounds so strange, but obviously, the results are worth it. Also, you’re rocking this working mom thing, friend. You got this.

  6. Motherhood sounds like a ton of work, but it definitely sounds like a wonderful and rewarding journey. This cobbler is so beautifully styled and photographed that I want to grab one of those spoons and start indulging.

  7. Awe, I have no doubt that motherhood is bittersweet. <3 As for this dessert, I like the sound of the balance because I also don't like overly sweet. Pinning!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.