Chocolate is the elixir of life — it fixes problems; it makes everything better.
And to prove it, we rounded up the most decadent chocolate dessert in every state. From pies to cakes to cookies to ice cream, we’re pretty sure we covered our bases.
So get comfy: We’re about to take you to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, digital style.
ALABAMA — Moon Pie à la Mode, Felix’s Fish Camp
The American South is well-known for its decadent foods both savory and sweet, but none take the cake quite like the moon pie à la mode at Felix’s Fish Camp. Think cookie and marshmallow coated in chocolate, warmed up, and topped with cold vanilla ice cream (and more chocolate sauce, of course).
ALASKA — Cointreau Chocolate Obsession Cake, Alaska Cake Studio
Any chocolate dessert with “obsession” in the name has our vote. Anchorage’s famous Alaska Cake Studio churned out this new-edition bad boy with four moist Cointreau-infused layers and a Cointreau buttercream. If that weren’t enough, you could always go for AK Cake Studio’s traditional chocolate merlot celebration cake.
ARIZONA — White Chocolate Brownie, The White Chocolate Grill
White chocolate deserves some love, too, and none deserves it more than the white chocolate brownie from its namesake restaurant, The White Chocolate Grill. This dessert starts with a bottom layer of white-chocolate brownie topped with chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and an artful white-chocolate curl.
ARKANSAS — Possum Pie, Stoby’s
Don’t worry, no actual possums were harmed in the making of this pie. Possum pie is a state original, and Stoby’s will give you the slice of your life. Possum pie is a layered indulgence of pecans, chocolate pudding, sweet cream cheese filling, and whipped cream. Find it at Stoby’s locations in both Russellville and Conway.
CALIFORNIA — 3X Chocolate Cake, Milk
Chocolate cravings in Cali? Head to Milk, where you’ll find masterpieces like Nutella-dipped ice cream bars, red velvet chocolate chip cookies, and more — but the 3X chocolate cake really, um, takes the cake. Dense, chocolate angel food cake layered with dark chocolate frosting and chocolate ganache… what more could you ask for?
COLORADO — Ultimate Chocolate Cake, The Chocolate Café
Remember the Trunchbull’s special chocolate cake from the movie “Matilda”? The Chocolate Café’s ultimate chocolate cake is basically that cake, minus the evil headmistress. Four layers of rich, classic chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting makes all your chocolate dreams come true.
CONNECTICUT — Butterfinger Donut, Tony’s Square Donuts
Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger donut from Tony’s Square Donuts! It’s chocolate and peanut butter all the way through, plus some crunchy Butterfinger crumbles on top. Get it with your coffee for the best morning ever.
DELAWARE — Warm Chocolate Molten Cake, BBC Tavern & Grill
If the name of the cake weren’t enough to get you to order it, maybe take into account that it comes with salted caramel ice cream, chocolate sauce, and fresh berries. BBC Tavern recommends pairing this baby with coffee and Bailey’s, and we couldn’t agree more.
FLORIDA — Chocolate-covered Key Lime Pie Bar, Kermit’s Key Lime Pie Shoppe
In the hot, Florida heat, this sounds like the perfect cool-down dessert to us. Kermit’s puts slices of its famous key lime pie on popsicle sticks, coats them in melted dark chocolate, and freezes them so they’re a convenient treat to have on the go!
GEORGIA — White Chocolate Peach Fritter, Sublime Doughnuts
Featured on Food Network’s “Incredible Edible America,” Sublime Doughnuts’ white chocolate peach fritter takes Georgia’s state fruit and pairs it with sensuous white chocolate in doughnut form. And if that weren’t enough, did you know you could also get it as a sundae? The possibilities are endless.
HAWAII — Chocolate Shave Ice, JoJo’s Shave Ice
Shave ice doesn’t just come in your standard fruity flavors — some shave ice shops, like JoJo’s, also serve ~*chocolate*~ varieties. JoJo’s makes all of its own syrup flavors so you know you’re getting something truly original.
IDAHO — Ice Cream Potato, Westside Drive-In
Idaho is known for potatoes, but not all of its potatoes grow in the ground. Westside Drive-In gets theirs from the freezer; but before you think, ew, potato ice cream?! Bug get this: It’s not a real potato. It’s a potato-shaped scoop of ice cream rolled in cocoa powder with chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and Oreo bits. Say no more, fam.
ILLINOIS — Ode to the “Milk Chocolate Malted,” HotChocolate
HotChocolate’s James Beard Award-winning chef, Mindy Segal, puts her chocolate expertise to good use in this decadent, stacked dessert. Segal takes milk chocolate Moloko stout mousse and sandwiches it between two chocolate buttermilk cake rounds, topped with some malt ball candy bar. If you’re not chocolate-d out after that, get the hot chocolate!
INDIANA — German Chocolate Pie, Wick’s Pies
Known for making every Hoosier’s favorite sugar cream pie, Wick’s Pies also offers another scrumptious sweet: its German chocolate pie. The flaky pie crust is loaded with German chocolate filling and coated in chopped pecans on top. Simply put, it’s heaven.
IOWA — Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Shake, Hamburg Inn No. 2
What do you get when you cross a slice of pie with a scoop of ice cream, milk, and whipped cream? A pie shake of course, and Hamburg Inn No. 2 is famous for them. Hillary Clinton herself even stopped in for one. You can order a pie shake made with any of Hamburg Inn No. 2’s slices of pies, but when they’ve got chocolate bourbon pecan on the menu, what else is there to see?
KANSAS — Snickers Bar Cheesecake, Chestnut Street Kitchens
Chestnut Street Kitchens offers weekly specialty cheesecakes, and — get ready — one of them is chock full of Snickers. At CSK you can also expect to find Reese’s Pieces cheesecake, chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake, and brownie-layered cheesecake.
KENTUCKY — Derby Pie, J. Graham’s Cafe at the Brown Hotel
Named for the state’s most prominent horse-racing event, derby pie is essentially pecan pie made with chocolate chips and bourbon, and no one does it better than J. Graham’s Cafe. Located inside the upscale Brown Hotel, J. Graham’s derby pie is highly rated and at $6 a slice, you truly get your money’s worth.
LOUISIANA — Mile High Pie, Caribbean Room at the Pontchartrain Hotel
The mile-high pie is more like a mile-high ice cream tower of chocolate, vanilla, and peppermint ice cream topped with meringue and chocolate sauce — and yes, it really is as tall as the name implies. And you know it’s good because Lil’ Wayne gave it his seal of approval when he visited the beloved NOLA restaurant.
MAINE — Dark Chocolate Tart with Berries, The Bar of Chocolate Cafe
While Maine may be known for blueberries, lobsters, and moose, we can’t neglect its chocolate. The Bar of Chocolate Cafe in downtown Portland makes a killer fudgy, flourless dark-chocolate tart with ripe fresh berries… including blueberries, of course.
MARYLAND — Double Chocolate Raspberry Smith Island Cake, Smith Island Baking Co.
What makes a Smith Island Cake a Smith Island Cake? Probably its 10 (yes, 10!) decadent layers. This classic Maryland bakeshop makes its Smith Island cakes in a variety of flavors, but would you really order any but double-chocolate raspberry? We didn’t think so.
MASSACHUSETTS — Boston Cream Pie, The Omni Parker House
The Boston Cream Pie was actually first created at the Omni Parker House more than 150 years ago, so these guys must have the recipe down by now. What makes this establishment’s BCP so special is its stunning presentation, of course, as well as the toasted almond slivers on the side and chocolate fondant on top.
MICHIGAN — Chocolate Salted Caramel Cake, Four Roses Cafe
Michiganders go nuts for the six-layer chocolate salted-caramel cake at this Plainwell stalwart. But looking at the photo, can you blame them? Four Roses Cafe has perfected the balance of salty and sweet in this mouthwatering dessert.
MINNESOTA — Chocolate Torte, 112 Eatery
Holy chocolate, Batman! This tall, dark, and handsome dessert is actually pretty small and dense, but it’s still dark and handsome, and served with a scoop of malted chocolate ice cream.
MISSISSIPPI — Black Bottom Pie, Weidmann's
There’s a reason Weidmann’s black-bottom pie is world famous: With its rich, dark chocolate-coated crust and a heap ton of fluffy whipped cream, it’s everything a black-bottom pie is supposed to be (it was even featured on Food Network). It’s big enough to share, but why would you want to?
MISSOURI — Red Velvet Bread Pudding, Scape
Ready for a bread pudding as velvety as its name? Scape makes its bread pudding in the red-velvet variety, and it’s more cake-y than pudding-y with a warm, gooey interior. Pairs great with red wine!
MONTANA — Chocolate Chocolate Cake, Bernice’s Bakery
Well I’ll be if this isn’t the chocolate-chocolatey-est cake you’ve ever seen. Bernice’s Bakery makes its chocolate chocolate cake with moist chocolate cake layers and a combination of chocolate frosting and chocolate ganache to make the whole thing ready for consumption.
NEBRASKA — Chocolate Espresso Cake, The Chocolate Bar
“Indulge” is the motto of Grand Island’s The Chocolate Bar, and that’s exactly what you’ll do when you sit down with a slice of the espresso chocolate cake. It’s frosted in espresso buttercream frosting, garnished with hazelnut ganache, and sprinkled with a generous helping of chocolate shavings.
NEVADA — 24-Layer Chocolate Cake, Strip House
TWO DOZEN LAYERS!? You bet. The Las Vegas location of this classic New York steakhouse doles out cuts of cake even bigger than its cuts of steak, if you can believe it. Visit Strip House for yourself, and you will.
NEW HAMPSHIRE — Cocoa Nib Brownie, Vicuña Chocolate Factory & Cafe
This bean-to-bar chocolatier gets the best-of-the-best cocoa from South America and puts it to work in chocolate bars, beverages, and pastries — like the award-winning cocoa nib brownie. It’s rich and fudgy and chock-full of cocoa-nib bits.
NEW JERSEY — Chocolate Fudge Bacon Brownie, Cavé
When in Avon-By-The-Sea, you’ve got to check out the gluten- and grain-free chocolate fudge bacon brownie at Cavé paleo eatery. It’s every bit as decadent as a non-paleo brownie, PLUS, bacon!
NEW MEXICO — Dark Chocolate Spice and Fig Cake, Kakawa Chocolate House
“Kakawa,” the Olmec word for cacao or chocolate, is the name of the game at Kakawa Chocolate House. It pays tribute to its deep, Mesoamerican history with treats like the dark chocolate spice cake with figs — a seasonal delight. Don’t forget to also try one of Kakawa’s chocolate drinking elixirs.
NEW YORK — Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookie, Levain Bakery
Expect some loooong lines leading up to the cookie-scented heaven that is Levain Bakery, but we can tell you it’s totally worth it because you’ll never find a cookie that more likely to perfect the balance of crunchy and chewy. We also recommend the classic chocolate chip walnut and chocolate peanut butter chip cookies — and everything else, really.
NORTH CAROLINA — Salted Caramel Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream Sandwich, Ninety’s
Known for its ice cream, ice cream sandwiches, and milkshakes, Ninety’s basically puts the whole shebang together in this luscious creation. Homemade salted-caramel ice cream, brownie pieces, and more melted caramel meld perfectly in between two French macaron shells.
NORTH DAKOTA — Chocolate Feuillantine Cake, Nichole’s Fine Pastry
Nichole’s stunning chocolate feuillantine cake features a cocoa cake with hazelnut crunch, dark chocolate mousse, and a dark chocolate glaze with a gold foil leaf on top. Go check it out in February, where they shape the cake like a heart for Valentine’s Day <3
OHIO — Dark Chocolate Pie, O Pie O
You won’t want to miss this dark chocolate pie-O in Ohio. The O Pie O bakery fills its flaky crust with indulgent, dark chocolate filling and tops it off with a sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar. O pie goodness!
OKLAHOMA — Drunken Turtle Pie, Pie Junkie
Take a buttery graham cracker crust and smother it with a fudgy chocolate filling, salted bourbon caramel, and pecans on top and you’ve got Pie Junkie’s drunken turtle pie. All that’s left is to enjoy a slice (warm or frozen!).
OREGON — Port & Caramel Truffle Ice Cream, Salt & Straw
Widely considered to be the best ice cream maker in Oregon, Salt & Straw has partnered with one of Oregon’s best chocolatiers, Ococoa, to make this port and salted caramel chocolate ice cream with swirls of port chocolate sauce. It was a special flavor back in February, and we can’t wait for its return.
PENNSYLVANIA — Chocolate Bento Box, Buddakan
This pan-Asian Philly eatery gives you all the goods in its chocolate bento box. You’ll get a taste of everything, from the pistachio macaron dipped in dark chocolate to the white-chocolate cheesecake with raspberry mousse to the dark-chocolate Grand Marnier truffles to, the chocolate pot de crème with mango-passion fruit tapioca, and more.
RHODE ISLAND — Torta di Cioccolatta, Pastiche
Indulge your senses at a quaint bakery where Europe meets New England. A smooth, flourless chocolate cake comes to life with rich, French dark chocolate, a hint of almond butter, and raspberries and curls of dark and white chocolate on top.
SOUTH CAROLINA — Chocolate Toffee Custard, Edmund’s Oast
Hellooooo, beautiful. From the genius mind of pastry chef Heather Hutton comes Edmund’s Oast’s chocolate toffee custard, a sticky-sweet custard dessert served with brown butter and caramel popcorn ice cream.
SOUTH DAKOTA — Guinness Chocolate Cake, Grille 26
Oh, Guinness chocolate cake, where have you been all my life? When Grille 26 imparts the richness of Guinness beer with light layers of cake and Irish cream cheese frosting, you get a grown-up dessert that is even better than the sum of its parts.
TENNESSEE — Blueberry Brownie Pie, Loving Pie Co.
Ooh baby, this pie really takes the cake. Fudgy brownie interior plus sweet blueberry topping equals chocolate pie heaven. To make this even better, order it with Loving Pie Co.’s white hot chocolate flight. Call it chocolate overload or chocolate heaven; either way, you know you want it.
TEXAS — I Love Chocolate Milkshake, Chill: The Milkshake Bar
Doesn’t the name — "I Love Chocolate" — just say it all? Chill is known far and wide for its decadent milkshakes — including the I Love Chocolate shake, but especially the build-your-own shakes. You won’t believe the crazy concoctions people come up with, and Chill wants to see yours!
UTAH — Pastel de Mole Negro, Frida Bistro
Named for the famous Mexican artist, Frida Bistro’s own sumptuous art is its Pastel de Mole Negro, a chocolate mole cake with dark chocolate ganache, honey-chocolate mousse, tequila-infused cherries, and house-made cracked black pepper ice cream.
VERMONT — Flourless Chocolate Cake, Pauline’s Cafe
Balancing the rich chocolatey-ness of Pauline’s Cafe’s flourless chocolate cake is a spoonful of tart red currant sauce, creme anglaise, and whipped cream. It may be the prettiest thing you’ll see in the state, aside the verdant Vermont landscape.
VIRGINIA — Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake, Shyndigz
Y’all, have you seen these layers? Fluffy and chocolatey and moist, and cemented together with chocolate frosting and *gulp* gooey salted caramel? We can’t even, but maybe you can… because you definitely should.
WASHINGTON — Dark Decadence Lava Cake, Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery
The only time you ever want to touch lava is when the lava is chocolate — like at Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery. We’d recommend any of HCMCC’s lava cakes, but especially the dark decadence lava cake; it’s got an elegant richness you wouldn’t believe. HCMCC also makes vegan lava cakes!
WEST VIRGINIA — Chocolate Espresso Scone, River and Rail Bakery
River and Rail Bakery’s chocolate espresso scone might be the most decadent thing you could have for breakfast. Enjoy a crisp exterior with warm, melty chocolate chips and the buzz of espresso with your coffee, tea, or however you like to wake up.
WISCONSIN — Salted Caramel Brownie, C. Adam’s Bakery
This ain’t no ordinary brownie. The salted caramel brownie, made completely from scratch at C. Adam’s Bakery, is extra gooey because of the caramel, and balanced in sweet and salty to boot. Someone get us a cup of milk, stat!
WYOMING — Chocolate Souffle, Snake River Grill
Dat cream doe 0_o You didn't think we wouldn't round off the list without including a chocolate souffle, did you? Snake River Grill has the chocolate souffle to end all chocolate souffles. Warm and fluffy, with just the right amount of sweet cream to give it a fudgy core your spoon will dive right into.
Did we leave out your favorite chocolate dessert?
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