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Chocolate Cobbler

Chocolate cobbler with a self-saucing, molten chocolate interior—baked until the top is set and a fudgy sauce forms underneath. A classic American dessert with an easy batter and a poured cocoa-brown sugar topping.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 540
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the batter
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.25 cup cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.5 cup whole milk
  • 0.33 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the topping (poured over — do not stir)
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.25 cup cocoa powder
  • 1.5 cup very hot water
Serving
  • 1 vanilla ice cream

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and batter
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F, then butter a 9x9 or 8x8 baking dish.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.
  3. Stir in whole milk, melted unsalted butter, and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth.
  4. Spread the batter into the prepared baking dish.
Top and bake
  1. Mix brown sugar and cocoa powder, then sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter (do not stir into the batter).
  2. Pour very hot water over everything in an even layer (do not stir).
  3. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350F until the top is set and you can see the sauce bubbling underneath at the edges.
  4. Serve the chocolate cobbler warm with vanilla ice cream.
The magic
  1. Let the cobbler stand briefly after baking so the self-saucing chocolate interior settles while the top stays set.

Notes

For the best molten interior, use very hot water and don’t stir after adding it—swirling collapses the self-saucing layers. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in the microwave until just warm (sauce will re-soften). Freezing isn’t recommended for the most pourable sauce texture. If you want a lighter option, swap the whole milk for 2% milk and expect a slightly less rich crumb.