Chocolate cobbler recipe for two made in a small baking dish. This Southern chocolate cobbler recipe is basically a brownie baked with hot fudge on the bottom.
This recipe is an updated version of the earlier chocolate cobbler on my site. I reduced the water by ¼ cup and tested both Dutch-processed and regular cocoa powder and they're both great here.
I’ve heard this chocolate cobbler recipe called many things over the years: chocolate pudding cake, mud pie, brownie pie, brownie fudge bake, death by chocolate, and more. But mainly, I hear it referred to as ‘the best chocolate dessert ever.’ Which is 100% true.
Essentially, it’s a brownie baked with hot fudge sauce, all in one pan!
The method to make this Chocolate Cobbler feels very strange. It starts with a thick layer of brownie batter on the bottom of the baking dish, followed by a crumbled dry mixture on top. Boiling water is poured on top of both layers in the dish—it is never stirred. Resist the urge to stir the layers together, or you will not get a layer of fudge on the bottom with brownie on top!
You will doubt me when you’re baking. You will think I’m crazy, but when it comes out of the oven, you will become a believer. At that point, you will praise me for helping you get brownies and hot fudge sauce in the same pan for such little effort!
This recipe for chocolate cobbler is amazing served with vanilla ice cream, because the heat of the fudge sauce just begs for it. Warm chocolate cake with fudge sauce and ice cream is the literal definition of ‘best chocolate dessert ever.’
Chocolate cobbler relies on milk for moisture and fluff. I use the milk that I always have in my fridge: Horizon Organic Grass-fed 2% milk.
I’m a long-time believer in grass-fed dairy (it’s what our grandparents ate, by the way), and was thrilled when my favorite organic milk by Horizon became available in a grass-fed version! I appreciate companies that make the extra effort to make products that are better for our health and the environment.
Grass-fed milk is higher in CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), which is one of the good fats that reduces heart disease and helps increase absorption of vitamins A and D in our bodies.
I’ve bought Horizon Organic milk for years, and love its creamy richness.
Fun side note: this recipe is entirely egg free, so if you’re out of eggs or avoiding eggs because of an egg allergy, you can enjoy this! I seem to have a lot of Mamas write writing to me and asking for more egg-free recipes for their kiddos once they discover my small batch of chocolate cupcakes are egg-free.
I made you a video to show you exactly how to make this chocolate cobbler for two recipe, because I wanted you to see the weird baking method. It's so hard to not to stir this before it heads to the oven, and I want you to see the texture of it.
Baking tips for this Southern Chocolate Cobbler Recipe:
-The pan I use has a 0.6-quart (20-ounce) capacity. Fill your baking dish up with water to test the capacity—it should hold 2.5 cups of water to the top.
-Bake this chocolate cobbler on a sheet pan to catch drips from the hot fudge sauce bubbling up from underneath.
-Let it cool for 15 minutes before scooping and serving with vanilla ice cream.
-Yes, the recipe really doesn’t have any eggs!
Chocolate Cobbler Recipe
Southern chocolate cobbler recipe for two.
Ingredients
- For the brownie bottom layer:
- ½ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 tablespoons of Horizon Organic Grass-Fed 2% Milk
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the top layers:
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup hot tap water
- for serving: vanilla ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and have ready a 0.6L (about 20 ounces) small ceramic dish.
- First, make the brownie layer: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, espresso powder (if using), and the cocoa powder. Stir in the milk, granulated sugar, melted butter and vanilla. The batter will be very thick. Spread it in an even layer in the baking dish.
- In a separate bowl, make the top layer: whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar and brown sugar. Sprinkle this over the brownie batter evenly.
- Pour the hot tap water on top of everything, but DO NOT STIR.
- Bake the cobbler on a small sheet pan to catch overflow for 35 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving hot.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 412Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 262mgCarbohydrates: 69gFiber: 2gSugar: 47gProtein: 5g
Joy says
Okay, I followed this recipe to a T, used all new ingredients, the right sized baking dish, and my oven works fine. This came out soupy, and the only reason I'm giving it two stars is that the flavor was great and I served it over natural vanilla bean ice cream. My hubby thought it was a sauce and raved over it. Can't imagine what was wrong here, no eggs maybe?
Christina Lane says
Hi Joy,
So, it's supposed to be soupy on the bottom. Only the very top layer sets. Did the whole thing not set for you? I'm searching through the other comments from people who made it successfully, and no one else had this problem :/ Bummer! I would check your oven temperature. It sounds like it did not bake long enough if the whole thing did not set. However, if the top layer set and the 'soup' was on the bottom--you did everything right! :) The recipe does not contain eggs on purpose.
-Christina
Mary says
You are a rock star, my friend. I made this tonight and it's pure chocolate heaven! Thanks for the awesome recipe.
Christina Lane says
Yay, Mary! Thanks so much :)
Greg says
Umm hello recipe might be awesome but fit in a 1 1/2 cup baking dish?? No way! I had to split the batter into two ramekins. Not happy Jan!!
Christina Lane says
When I say 1.5 cups, I mean if you filled water to the top, it would fit 1.5 cups. But two ramekins still serve two? Why so sad? :(
Tina says
I am so glad I am making this for a casual evening instead of for Valentine's Day. As the recipe says, I used a small casserole that holds nearly 2 cups. It is not big enough for the ingredients, so I had to move the ingredients to a 1 quart casserole, messing up the layering. I expect it will still taste ok, but it was very frustrating and made a mess. Now that I look at it, the ingredients add up to more than 1.5 cups, even if you assume that the sugar will dissolve in the water.
Cookin Deva says
I wish I had read more of the reviews before attempting to make this dish.
The recipe calls for a dish that has at least a 1 1/2 cup capacity, this is WRONG. 1 1/2 cups is no where near large enough and I ended up with a mess and a desert that was inedible.
Kristie Gray says
We were stuck home with a blizzard this weekend and I had a terrible craving for chocolate. This was the perfect fix for that!! Very easy and sooooooo yummy!
I've tried several of your recipes and I've never been disappointed. Keep up the great work!! ????
Emm says
Definitely going to try this! Question is the brown sugar, packed or not??
Christina Lane says
Packed! Sorry I didn't mention it!
Panya says
I followed the directions exactly and ended up with 2.5 cups of batter [including both layers and the water]. I'm glad I used a 3-cup dish.
Kathleen says
What would be the best way to make this for a small dinner party? Can I assemble the two elements (I plan to double the recipe) and then add the hot water and slip into the oven as we sit down to eat? I want to be sure it's warm when we eat it.
Brittney Petty says
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake is one of my family's most beloved recipes! My Grandma made if for my Mom's first birthday, and My Mom has been making it for us for years and years! Pure comfort food! I love that you scaled it down, becuase this stuff is dangerous, and since it is not nearly as good leftover, the 3 of us usualy end up eating a whole cake in one or two days! Thank you from saving us from ourselves!