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Chocolate Cobbler

Chocolate cobbler with a fudgy cake top and self-saucing molten chocolate interior—poured topping and very hot water create the sauce as it bakes. Bakes in a buttered 8x8 or 9x9 dish for a set top and gooey chocolate layer underneath.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 410
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
To serve
  • 1 Vanilla ice cream

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Preheat and prep
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and butter a 9x9 or 8x8 baking dish so the cobbler releases easily after baking.
Make the batter
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined and no dry pockets remain.
  2. Stir in whole milk, melted unsalted butter, and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth and pourable.
  3. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish for an even bake.
Add the poured topping (do not stir)
  1. Mix brown sugar and cocoa powder, then sprinkle it evenly over the batter without stirring into the batter.
  2. Pour very hot water over everything—do not stir—so the liquid settles below to form the sauce as it bakes.
Bake and serve
  1. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350F until the top is set while the interior remains saucy.
  2. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, letting the ice cream melt alongside the self-saucing chocolate interior.

Notes

Pro tip: use very hot water (not warm) so the sauce forms reliably underneath; if your oven runs hot, pull it closer to 35 minutes for a set top. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container up to 3 days; reheat at 300F until just warmed through. Freezing is not recommended for best sauce texture. For a dairy-free swap, use plant-based butter and a dairy-free milk in the batter; keep the water temperature very hot.