The 10 best chocolate desserts in the world
General
World’s sweetest classics
The 10 best chocolate desserts in the world
The tooth fairy will need a vacation after this. From American favorites to European classics, these 10 chocolate desserts have earned spots among the world’s most tempting treats, according to the renowned food encyclopedia TasteAtlas. Ready to discover your next chocolate obsession?
Brownies — United States
Deliciously chewy and scrumptious, brownies are undoubtedly one of the most popular American desserts.
Some say the recipe began when Bertha Palmer, wife of the owner of the Palmer House Hotel in Chicago, asked a chef for a new chocolaty recipe in 1893. Others point to a disputed early 20th-century origin story involving Mildred "Brownie" Schrumpf, a Maine home economics instructor and food educator who forgot to put baking soda in a chocolate cake preparation. Either way, this beloved treat gained even more popularity with the introduction of boxed mixes from brands such as Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker in the 1950s. They’re especially hard to resist when paired with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee.
Chocolate Chip Cookie — United States
The classic, beloved chocolate chip cookie has quite an interesting story behind it.
It turns out that Ruth Graves Wakefield, who ran The Toll House Inn, a popular bed and breakfast in Whitman, Massachusetts, created the recipe in 1938 when she ran out of chocolate while trying to make chocolate cookies. To make up for this, she mixed small pieces of a new semi-sweet chocolate that her friend André Nestlé had given her into the batter. It didn’t melt as she had expected, and the result was what she called the Toll House Crunch Cookie, which helped popularize the treat and boost sales. This led to a sweet deal: The recipe would go on Nestlé’s packaging, and Ruth would get a lifetime supply of chocolate.
Chocotorta - Argentina
Like the chocolate chip cookie, this dessert has its own connection to the product that inspired it. Created around 1982 by advertising creative Marité Mabragaña as part of a campaign to promote Chocolinas, a crisp chocolate cookie brand manufactured by Bagley in Argentina, the "chocotorta," which translates to "chocolate cake" in English, is a no-bake dessert reminiscent of Italy’s tiramisu.
It only requires four ingredients popular in Argentina: chocolate biscuits, milk, dulce de leche, and cream cheese. The biscuits are dipped in milk to soften them, then layered with a mixture of the other two ingredients. Curiously enough, this beloved treat has traditionally been made at home, although it has increasingly become available at specialty bakeries and cafes in recent years.
Chocolate Mousse — France
Could you ever say no to chocolate mousse? This is a true classic that dates back centuries. Spaniards were the first to introduce chocolate to France in the 17th century. Mousse, on the other hand, wasn’t combined with chocolate until about 100 years later.
Today, this airy, foamy dream is usually paired with chocolate flakes, mint leaves, cream, raspberries, or strawberries to catch the eye and add contrast.
Black Forest Cake — Germany
Black Forest Cake, or as the Germans call it, "Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte", consists of chocolate layers that are coated in whipped cream and scattered with kirschwasser-infused cherries.
Different theories surround its origin, and the debate over whether the cake was created by confectioner Josef Keller or pastry chef Erwin Hildenbrand still continues. What isn’t in question, though, is that it was created in 1934 in the Black Forest area (hence its name), and its colors resemble the folk dresses of the region.
Chocolate Lava Cake — United States
Molten chocolate cake was reportedly created in 1987 when chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten pulled out his chocolate sponge cake from the oven ahead of time, finding a deliciously oozy chocolate center.
According to the French chocolatier Jacques Torres, a similar dessert already existed in France, but it was Vongerichten who helped turn the dessert into a sensation in the United States, where it eventually became a must-have on the menus of high-end restaurants around the world.
Brigadeiro — Brazil
Travel to the Southern Hemisphere, and you’ll find Brazil’s beloved brigadeiro, which visually resembles a truffle and is made by heating three ingredients before being rolled into small balls: unsalted butter, cocoa powder, and condensed milk.
Different legends surround its origin, but our favorite links it to the mid-20th-century presidential campaign of Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes. His slogan was "Vote for Brigadeiro, he's handsome and single," and supporters reportedly baked and sold the sweets to raise funds for his campaign. Whether or not this is true, brigadeiros have become a staple of Brazilian birthday celebrations.
Sachertorte — Austria
The Sachertorte or Sacher-Torte is one of Austria’s most famous cakes, a layered chocolate sponge cake, thinly coated with high-quality apricot jam, and topped with chocolate icing, preferably accompanied by unsweetened whipped cream.
Invented in 1832 by Franz Sacher, a pastry chef for Prince Clemens Lothar Wensel Metternich, who was also the State Chancellor of Austria at the time. It was the result of a request from the prince, who wanted a new cake, and Sacher, who was 16 years old at the time, obliged him by creating something new from ingredients that were readily available in the kitchen.
Chocolate Soufflé — France
Few desserts are more quintessentially French than the heavenly chocolate soufflé, which combines dark chocolate, a creamy egg yolk base, and fluffy egg whites.
While the first soufflés were initially prepared as savory dishes, the chocolate version has become one of the most popular varieties of this internationally acclaimed classic.
Tinginys — Lithuania
Despite how weird this might sound, many describe the Lithuanian Tinginys as Italian chocolate salami. This simple dessert, whose name translates roughly as "lazy man," is a blend of crumbled cookies, cocoa, condensed milk, butter, and sugar. It can be shaped into pretty much any desired shape before being left to set.
Many people think tinginys may have been another creation born from a mistake. Due to its neutral taste, it’s easily adaptable with additional ingredients, such as nuts or dried fruit. Locals recommend having it with a cup of coffee or tea on the side.
Meet the 10 worst flight companions ever: Getting Kicked Off a Plane 101
Do NOT attempt any of these
10 outrageous reasons why passengers have been kicked off planes
Flying comes with plenty of rules, and most of them make perfect sense. But every once in a while, an ordinary flight turns into a story nobody aboard could have predicted. From an unruly pig and a forbidden peacock to a birthday cake that caused an entire plane to be emptied, these absolutely true stories prove just how strange air travel can get.
Bringing an emotional-support squirrel aboard
In October 2018, a passenger at Orlando International Airport had informed Frontier Airlines that she would be traveling with an emotional-support animal. There was just one important detail missing: the animal was a squirrel. Frontier's policy did not allow rodents aboard its aircraft.
When the passenger refused to leave the Cleveland-bound flight, police were called, and everyone else had to deplane while the situation was resolved. Eventually, officers escorted the woman and her squirrel out of the aircraft as some fellow passengers cheered.
Needing to use the bathroom before takeoff
In April 2017, Kima Hamilton was aboard a Delta flight from Atlanta to Milwaukee when nature called at an extremely inconvenient moment. The aircraft had left the gate but was still waiting to take off. Hamilton initially obeyed an instruction to remain seated, but as the wait continued, he decided he simply couldn't hold it any longer.
Hamilton used the lavatory and returned to his seat, but the plane eventually went back to the gate. The situation culminated with all the passengers being asked to leave the aircraft; everyone except Hamilton was allowed to reboard. He ultimately bought a ticket on another airline to get home.
A dispute over where to put a birthday cake
Cameron and Minta Burke were taking their children from New York to Las Vegas in May 2017 to celebrate Minta's 40th birthday. They brought along an appropriate accessory: a birthday cake. Before the JetBlue flight could depart, however, a disagreement developed over where that cake could safely be stowed away.
The two sides later disputed exactly how the confrontation unfolded. JetBlue said the passengers became disruptive and failed to follow crew instructions, while the family challenged that account. What isn't disputed is the outcome: authorities were called, the plane was emptied, and the Burkes didn't make the flight.
Allegedly smelling bad
David and Jane Smith (names changed for obvious reasons) were returning home to Detroit with their 19-month-old daughter after a Florida vacation in January 2019 when American Airlines asked them to leave their flight in Miami. The airline said several passengers and crew members had complained about the family's body odor.
The Adlers strongly denied that they smelled and later disputed the airline's explanation. American provided them with a hotel, meals, and seats on another flight the following day, but their checked luggage continued to Detroit without them.
A toddler kicking the seat in front of them
Every parent dreads the moment when their restless toddler begins bothering another passenger. For one family aboard a JetBlue flight from Fort Lauderdale to New York in 2017, that familiar problem escalated far beyond an awkward apology when their one-year-old daughter began crying and kicking the seat ahead.
The child's parents said the kicking started the confrontation that eventually got their family removed. JetBlue disputed that characterization, saying the removal followed a heated altercation between adults involving threats and profanity.
Trying to board with an emotional-support peacock
In January 2018, travelers at Newark Liberty International Airport encountered an emotional-support animal difficult to overlook: a peacock named Dexter. His owner hoped to take him aboard a United Airlines flight to Los Angeles, and reports at the time said she had even purchased a seat for him.
United wasn't convinced. The airline said Dexter failed to meet its guidelines for several reasons, including his size and weight, and noted that the passenger had been warned before arriving at the airport. Unlike some animals on this list, Dexter never made it aboard.
Refusing to leave the bathroom
A January 2025 United flight from Tulum, Mexico, to Houston became the subject of a federal lawsuit after passenger Yisroel Liebb spent an unusually long time in the lavatory. According to his complaint, Liebb was suffering from constipation and remained inside for roughly 20 minutes while crew members became increasingly concerned.
The subsequent confrontation became considerably more serious, and Liebb's lawsuit included allegations disputed or not publicly substantiated by United. After the plane landed in Houston, Liebb and his traveling companion were detained by federal officers. Unlike the lighter mishaps on this list, this remains a contested legal case, so its stranger details are allegations rather than fact.
Getting up despite orders to remain seated
A bathroom trip also helped trigger chaos aboard Delta Flight 2565 from Minneapolis to Los Angeles in December 2016. Passenger Anna Koosmann reportedly left her seat to use the lavatory shortly after takeoff despite instructions to remain seated. Eventually, the captain issued an unusually clear warning: sit down, or the plane would turn around.
It did. The flight returned to Minneapolis, where Koosmann and her companion were removed by police. The episode had escalated beyond the original bathroom disagreement, with Delta describing the pair as aggressive.
Having an emotional-support pig that became disruptive
Passengers boarding a US Airways flight at Connecticut's Bradley International Airport in 2014 found themselves sharing the cabin with a pot-bellied pig. The animal, reportedly weighing around 70 to 80 pounds, had been brought aboard as an emotional-support animal. At first, that was apparently allowed.
Then the pig began behaving rather less like an experienced traveler. Witnesses said it became noisy and defecated in the aisle while its owner struggled to control and clean up after it. The disruption became too much, and the passenger and her porcine companion were asked to leave.
Refusing to stop singing Whitney Houston
On May 9, 2013, an American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to New York made an unscheduled stop in Kansas City because of a passenger who reportedly wouldn't stop singing. Her song of choice was Whitney Houston's monumental version of "I Will Always Love You."
The passenger, identified by airport police as Margaret Gay, had reportedly been disruptive during the flight. But the story's unforgettable finale came after authorities boarded the plane: video showed her continuing to sing as she was escorted away. She wasn't charged, but American wouldn't let her continue on the flight.
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