Chocolate cobbler is an old-fashioned Southern dessert that makes its own sauce: a simple chocolate batter made with self-rising flour is spooned over melted butter, covered with sugar and cocoa, then flooded with boiling water. In the oven the cake rises to the top and a rich, pudding-like chocolate sauce forms underneath. It serves 8 and is best warm with vanilla ice cream.
How to make it: Melt the butter in a 9×13 dish in the oven. Stir together sugar, cocoa, self-rising flour, milk and vanilla, and spoon the batter over the butter without stirring. Sprinkle on the sugar and cocoa topping, slowly pour boiling water over everything, and bake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes. Let it rest 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Why You’ll Love It
- Cake and sauce in one pan: soft chocolate cake on top, gooey fudge sauce below.
- Pantry ingredients: butter, sugar, cocoa, self-rising flour, milk and vanilla.
- No mixer: one bowl and a whisk.
- Feeds a crowd: a 9×13 pan serves 8.
Is Chocolate Cobbler Supposed to Be Gooey?
Yes. That’s the whole point. The boiling water dissolves the sugar and cocoa on top, then sinks through the batter as it bakes. The batter rises into a cake layer, and the chocolate water collects underneath and thickens into a fudgy sauce. When it comes out of the oven, the top should be set with a slight crust while the bottom is still loose and saucy. Resting it for a short while lets the sauce thicken a little.
Ingredient Notes
Butter: 1/2 cup, melted right in the baking dish.
Self-rising flour: 2 cups. It already contains baking powder and salt, which is why there’s no separate leavening. Spoon it into the cup and level it.
Batter: 1 1/2 cups sugar, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 cup whole milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla.
Topping: 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup cocoa sprinkled over the batter, then 3 cups of boiling water.
Vanilla ice cream: optional, but it’s the classic way to serve it.
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Ingredients
For the batter
- 1/2 cup butter (113 g)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (297 g)
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (16 g)
- 2 cups self-rising flour (226 g)
- 1 cup whole milk (227 g)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (9 g)
For the topping
- 2 cups granulated sugar (396 g)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (42 g)
- 3 cups boiling water (681 g)
- Vanilla ice cream, as needed, for serving
How to Make Chocolate Cobbler
1. Melt the butter. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the butter into a 9×13-inch baking dish and set it in the oven to melt while the oven heats. Once the butter is melted, carefully remove the dish and set it aside.
2. Make the batter. In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 cups self-rising flour, 1 cup whole milk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
3. Add the batter. Spoon the batter over the melted butter in the baking dish. DO NOT STIR—the batter should float on top of the butter.
4. Add the topping. In a separate bowl, mix together 2 cups granulated sugar and 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter.
5. Pour in the water. Slowly pour 3 cups of boiling water over the sugar and cocoa topping. Again, DO NOT STIR—this is crucial for creating the cobbler’s signature sauce.
6. Bake. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is set and has a slight crust. The bottom will still be a little loose and saucy.
7. Rest and serve. Let the cobbler cool for 15-20 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.
Tips for the Best Chocolate Cobbler
- Don’t stir. Not after the batter goes in, and not after the water. The layers make the sauce.
- Pour the water slowly. Pour it over the back of a spoon so it doesn’t dig holes in the batter.
- Use truly boiling water. It dissolves the sugar and cocoa into the sauce.
- Place the dish on a sheet pan. The sauce can bubble over the edges.
- Don’t overbake. It should look set on top but still saucy underneath.
- Let it rest. The sauce thickens as it cools slightly.
What Is a Cobbler Dessert?
A cobbler is a baked dessert with a fruit or sweet filling and a biscuit- or cake-like topping. Chocolate cobbler is a Southern twist with no fruit at all, closer to a “pudding cake”: the batter bakes into cake while the chocolate sauce forms beneath it. It’s an old church-supper and family-reunion favorite because it uses simple ingredients and feeds a crowd.
Variations
- Pecans: scatter chopped pecans over the batter before the topping.
- Mocha: use hot brewed coffee instead of boiling water.
- Chocolate chips: sprinkle a handful over the batter.
- Sea salt: finish with a pinch of flaky salt.
- Peanut butter: dollop peanut butter over the batter before baking.
If you enjoy this chocolate cobbler, try Blackberry Cobbler for a five-ingredient cobbler made with fresh or frozen berries.
For another cobbler, Easy Peach Cobbler uses canned peaches and just four ingredients.
Storage
Chocolate cobbler is best warm, the day it’s made. Cover and refrigerate leftovers, then rewarm portions in the microwave until the sauce turns gooey again.
What to Serve With It
Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or a drizzle of cold cream.
More Southern and chocolate desserts: pecan pie cobbler, Texas sheet cake, Mississippi mud cake, homemade German chocolate cake, chocolate turtle cake and chocolate brownie cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is chocolate cobbler supposed to be gooey?
Yes. It has a cake-like top and a gooey chocolate sauce underneath.
What is a cobbler dessert?
A baked dessert with a sweet filling and a biscuit- or cake-like topping. This one makes its own chocolate sauce.
Can I use all-purpose flour?
Self-rising flour is what makes it rise. If you only have all-purpose flour, you’ll need to add baking powder and salt.
Why didn’t a sauce form?
It was stirred, or it baked too long and the sauce was absorbed.
Can I make it ahead?
It’s best fresh, but you can bake it earlier in the day and rewarm it before serving.
Final Notes
Don’t stir, pour the water slowly and serve it warm. If you try the mocha or pecan version, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Chocolate Cobbler
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter 113 g
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 297 g
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 16 g
- 2 cups self-rising flour 226 g
- 1 cup whole milk 227 g
- 2 tsp vanilla extract 9 g
- 2 cups granulated sugar 396 g, for topping
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 42 g, for topping
- 3 cups boiling water 681 g, for topping
- as needed vanilla ice cream for serving, optional but recommended
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the butter into a 9x13-inch baking dish and set it in the oven to melt while the oven heats. Once the butter is melted, carefully remove the dish and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 cups self-rising flour, 1 cup whole milk, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Spoon the batter over the melted butter in the baking dish. DO NOT STIR—the batter should float on top of the butter.
- In a separate bowl, mix together 2 cups granulated sugar and 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter.
- Slowly pour 3 cups of boiling water over the sugar and cocoa topping. Again, DO NOT STIR—this is crucial for creating the cobbler’s signature sauce.
- Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is set and has a slight crust. The bottom will still be a little loose and saucy.
- Let the cobbler cool for 15-20 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly before serving. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
2 comments
Yeah, this was a miss. Super goopy, overly sweet and oddly chunky. We tried it once and threw the whole pan away. This was a favorite treat of mine at a restaurant I went to as a kid and I was hoping it would be a good copycat but it is not.
Sooo easy and absolutely scrumptious!!! ALL the chocoholics are hooked on this….they fight for the mixing spoon!!