16 Popular Chocolate Desserts Around The World

Chocolate is rich, sweet, and pairs well with almost anything. It's one of the most universally beloved desserts in the whole world. From Brigadeiro in Brazil to Tiramisu in Italy, we're taking a look at chocolate desserts around the world. Belgium is quite literally the chocolate capital of the world, a title it's held since 1912 when a pharmacist put some almond paste inside a chocolate couverture to sell to patients. These days, Belgians have perfected the treat, packing tempered chocolate with all kinds of delicious fillings from dried fruit to nuts to caramel to sweet creams. Choix Verde Kirschtorte, or Black Forest Cake, gets its name from the sour cherry kirsch that's soaked into each layer of dark chocolate cake. Kirsch-soaked black cherries are layered between fresh whipped cream before the cake is topped with more cherries and dark chocolate shavings for a bittersweet and boozy slice. Champorado is Mexican hot chocolate brewed with a cinnamon stick thickened with masa and sweetened with a pinch of poloncio for an ultra-thick, rich cup of cocoa that's perfect for cozying up on cold nights. Brigadeiros are named for a 1940s Brazilian candidate who was known for being quite the looker. This chocolatey dessert was created for his fundraisers. A combination of sweetened condensed milk, butter, and cocoa powder create a sweet, gooey ball that's rolled in chocolate sprinkles for a tiny snack. Notoriously one of the most difficult desserts to nail, chocolate soufflés date all the way back to 1783. The delicate dessert combines melted chocolate with fluffy egg white, sugar, and egg yolk, then it's baked until risen perfectly for a sweet and airy treat. In Nigeria, puff puffs are not only a go-to street food, but an essential party snack. Chocolate puff puffs combine cocoa powder with a yeasted dough full of nutmeg and cardamom, which is rolled into a ball and deep-fried. The finished donut is crisp yet stretchy and chewy. Babka originated in Poland when leftover challah dough was combined with fillings on Passover. Though it wasn't until large populations of Jewish people moved to New York that chocolate became the go-to filling. The layered bread is fluffy yet dense and perfect any time of the day, from breakfast to midnight snack. Nama alludes to the freshness of this chocolate treat. Fresh cream is mixed into chocolate to form a thick ganache, which is refrigerated before it's sliced into squares and dusted with a heavy coating of cocoa powder. It should be served slightly chilled for a decadent, creamy bite that melts in the mouth. Tiramisu combines coffee and chocolate for the perfectly bittersweet after-dinner treat. The layered Italian dessert starts with a row of crisp ladyfingers soaked in coffee and rum, followed by a thick coating of creamy, nutty mascarpone cheese, and finished with a blanket of cocoa powder. For whole decades older than chocolate chip cookies, the brownie is a staple dessert for any occasion, from barbecues to school lunches, even to weddings. Whether you prefer them dense and cakey or fudgy and gooey, brownies use powdered and or melted chocolate for the perfect portable treat. Malva pudding is a sweet, pillowy South African dessert that doesn't have to include cocoa, but does if you want that extra chocolatey richness. In addition to standard cake ingredients, you'll find apricot jam, orange zest, and a thin, semi-sweet chocolate sauce. Like all great puddings, it can be served with a scoop of ice cream. A three-layer, no-bake dessert, Nanaimo bars are about the most decadent treats to whip up. The crunchy base is made with cocoa powder, graham crackers, almonds, and coconut. The middle layer packs sweetness with a mix of cream and vanilla custard, and it's all topped off with a shiny chocolate ganache. In Swedish, klakaka means sticky cake, which is the perfect description for this gooey chocolate cake. The simple one-pot recipe incorporates melted chocolate into eggs, sugar, and wheat flour, and a ton of butter for a molten, sticky slice of heaven that's served during a daily coffee break called fika. If you've ever visited the Caribbean, it's almost guaranteed you left with black cake, also known as rum cake. A chocolate rum cake incorporates melted, unsweetened chocolate into the batter along with dark rum and coffee. And once it's baked and chilled, the cake is doused in even more rum, perfect for enjoying in the Jamaican sun. Mosaic cake is a go-to after-dinner dessert in Turkey. Shortbread biscuits called petibur are pounded into small squares, then combined with sugar, butter, cocoa powder, and bitter chocolate. The mixture is poured into a loaf pan before the biscuits are baked and sliced, revealing the tiled pattern inside. Lamingtons were created in the late 1800s in honor of the governor of Queensland, and these days afternoon tea just isn't complete without them. Vanilla sponge is cut into small squares, covered in a thin, sweet chocolate icing, and rolled in desiccated coconut. So, which chocolate desserts do you want to try? Are there any we missed? Let us know in the comments below.