The Best Recipes to Get Your Chocolate Fix

Swiss and German folks eat just a ton of it. In Puebla, Mexico, a dash of it goes into mole poblano, the famously nuanced, silky sauce. The Japanese love esoteric versions of it, like oddball flavors of Pocky and Kit Kats.

We’re talking about chocolate, of course, and we’ve got it every which way you require it. Purchase our versions, from chocolate cake to hot chocolate to gorgeous hat boxes full of chocolate. Or make your own. We’ve got cold and hot, whipped and dense, fudgy and ethereal recipes. There’s a chocolate for you—even, haters begone—the ivory-hued version! With World Chocolate Day upon us, here are a few of our favorite ways to treat ourselves.

1. Cake

There must be cake. Chocolate cake, a towering one, brimming with chocolate. This beauty contains two types of chocolate: cocoa and chips, one for the batter and one for the creamy ganache you slather on top. It’s a triple-decker, all the better to bring it to a party or present to a loved one. A hit of espresso makes it ideal for adults; leave out the pep for a kids’ birthday party!

2. Brownie Cake

Need a cake but want it to be ready in less than an hour, soup to nuts? You want brownie cake. No one will mind that you’re “cheating,” and you can dollop on ice cream while it’s still warm (unlike traditional cake!) Whipped cream and seasonal berries are two other smart ways to dress up this surefire hit.

3. Olive Oil Mousse

For the person who always chooses salty or savory over sweet, but whose family is bananas for chocolate, consider this. Olive oil and chocolate are happy bedfellows in a mousse that’s as silky as you can imagine. (There’s still a splash of cream on top, so don’t fret.) The mousse itself, though, has loft and the most delicate bouquet of olive.

4. Crinkle Cookies

Nothing wrong with plain chocolate cookies, but when there’s a flurry of confectioners’ sugar involved, sign us up. Cookbook author Gaby Dalkin is the genius mind behind these beauties. They’re a snap to make, they make wonderful hostess and host gifts, and they look gorgeous.

5. Tart With Pomegranates and Hazelnuts

It doesn’t have to be cake, ice cream, cookies or brownies. Chocolate can also look elegant in a tart, as in this one. That’s a knockout chocolate ganache filling you’re looking at, and it’s as lovely with pomegranates and hazelnuts as it is with pistachios, if those happen to be in season. Just don’t skip that whipped crème fraîche and heavy cream on top. A tart this luxe and dense needs that cloud of lightness.

6. Meringues

Like meringues OK enough, but always felt like there should be more oomph there? You’re not alone. This recipe contains only five ingredients, but three are chocolate. The result is a chewy meringue with so much oomph you won’t be able to stop eating at one. Or two. Or three. Sorry. (Not sorry.)

7. Ice Cream

Banana. Cherries. Mint. Chocolate is happy to be a bit player sometimes, it’s worth remembering, and it pairs beautifully with all sorts of other flavors. This ice cream recipe is a bright, gentle midsummer daydream. Scoop it between chocolate wafer cookies or spoon it out as a treat between meals. It’s summer; you do you!

8. Grasshopper Pie

Don’t forget about the allure of white chocolate. Delicate and buttery, it’s a delight in this grasshopper pie, where it mingles with crème de menthe, plenty of heavy cream and “real” chocolate wafer cookies. It’s as pretty as a picture, but it’s also adults-only, so save this for the evening events when you want to impress.

But really, when doesn’t chocolate impress? Get hungry right here.