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
Cindy Rodriguez says
This looks so sinfully decadent that I, too, may not share with my husband. The gooey ooziness of the fudge and then I'm just imaging the slow melt of the vanilla ice cream has me nearly speechless. Wow!
MKS says
Just baked this and it’s perfect! My ceramic dish is marked in ounces, and is the 20oz size you suggested.
But 20oz = 2.5 cups - not 1.5! ☺️
Once I had all three layers in, my 20oz (2.5C) was full to the brim with chocolatey deliciousness!
I worry anyone trying to do this with a 1.5 cup capacity (which = 12 oz) might find themselves short on space!
I especially love that this recipe is egg free - we used the last of our eggs at breakfast and this cobbler saved the day! Will definitely make again! We have devoured every Dessert for Two recipe we’ve tried so far!
Lori says
My mom made this frequently but it was called Fudge Batter Pudding. I pulled out her recipe and compared ingredients because I couldn’t figure out why yours was much lighter in color. Our recipe doesn’t use brown sugar and uses boiling water instead of hot tap. AND nuts!
Christina Lane says
I love that name, Fudge Batter Pudding! It makes me drool!
It might be the cocoa powder I used (Dutch process).
Katie says
I made this then lost the link so glad I found it again this is the only cobbler/lava cake I've made that actually had the saucey bottom. The ones you mix never turn out right for me. I also love that it doesn't have eggs, I've picked up a sensitivity for eggs and really try to avoid them which can be harder then I thought. Eggs seem to be in everything.
John says
I've seen a "serves more" people version of this "inverts while it bakes" somewhere (maybe America's Test Kitchen?) and I always wanted to try it but with just two of us in the house, it never made sense to do so. Now I have this--and I look very forward to trying it out once I pick up a properly-sized baking dish for it.
Beth says
Can this be made in two smaller dishes if you do not have the correct size ceramic dish? Or could a glass baking dish yield the same results?
Christina Lane says
It might overflow. I would be better to double it and bake it in an 8x8 brownie dish, I think.
RossC says
Made this today... Too decadent.. Its messy when I grin while chewing.. ;o)
Don't use glass or ceramic vessels in my toaster oven so, I used my 6X2 round cake pan..
Perfect fit for a perfect dessertfortwo..
Llana says
I LOVE that I was able to make this for only two people! It was better than a brownie mix because of the ooey gooey sauce that this makes! This was as good as an individual lava cake and less fussy. This will be a repeat recipe in my kitchen.
Mashaal says
Can i use white sugar instead of brown since brown sugar isnt available where i live?
What difference would it potentially make?
Christina Lane says
You can :)
Jenea says
Just made this it was amazing!!!! But we didn’t finish it the first night want to reheat it. Suggestions on best way to re heat and not change the consistency?
Thank you 💗