Alright, so today I’m sharing my little kitchen adventure with “quick easy chocolate desserts.” I’m no pro, but I love messing around with chocolate, and these are some things I’ve actually made and devoured, so here we go!
Chocolate Mug Cake Mania
First up, the classic mug cake. I mean, who hasn’t tried one? But seriously, these are lifesavers when you need chocolate, like, NOW.
- Grabbed a big mug, the bigger the better, because, well, chocolate.
- Dumped in 4 tablespoons of flour (all-purpose, nothing fancy), 4 tablespoons of sugar, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt.
- Mixed that dry stuff real good with a fork. Gotta get rid of those cocoa clumps!
- Poured in 3 tablespoons of milk, 1 tablespoon of oil (vegetable or canola, whatever’s handy), and a splash of vanilla extract.
- Stirred it all together until it was smooth-ish. Don’t overmix!
- Nuked it in the microwave for about a minute to a minute and a half. Keep an eye on it – you want it to be cooked but still fudgy.
- Topped it with some whipped cream or ice cream if I was feeling extra fancy. Otherwise, straight from the mug it is!
Chocolate Bark Bonanza
Next up, chocolate bark. This is ridiculously easy, and you can customize it like crazy. Perfect for using up leftover Halloween candy, too!
- Melted some chocolate. I usually use semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. You can do it in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, or use a double boiler if you’re feeling all chef-y.
- Spread the melted chocolate on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Nice and thin, about ¼ inch thick.
- Sprinkled on whatever toppings I had lying around: pretzels, chopped nuts, dried cranberries, mini marshmallows, sprinkles, crushed Oreos… the possibilities are endless!
- Chilled it in the fridge for about 30 minutes until it was solid.
- Broke it into pieces and devoured. Or, you know, “shared” it.
No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Okay, these are technically cookies, but they’re no-bake, so they count as easy in my book. Plus, they’re nostalgic. My grandma used to make these.
- Melted ½ cup of butter in a saucepan.
- Added ¼ cup of milk, 2 cups of sugar, and ¼ cup of cocoa powder.
- Brought it to a boil, stirring constantly, then boiled for exactly one minute. Set a timer!
- Removed from heat and stirred in ½ cup of peanut butter (or any nut butter), 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 3 cups of quick-cooking oats.
- Dropped spoonfuls of the mixture onto waxed paper.
- Let them cool and harden completely. This takes a while, so be patient! The hardest part.
- Enjoyed the chewy, chocolatey goodness.
And that’s it! Three ridiculously easy chocolate desserts that I actually make when I’m craving something sweet. Hope you give them a try and let me know what you think!