Chocolate recipes always help me to get through January, which is probably my least favorite month of the entire year. The festive season is over, and Easter still feels about a million miles away. There are no holidays or fun parties or events to look forward to, just a whole lot of cold, grey weather. Oh, and it’s dark at 4:00 in the afternoon. Yay.
I often find myself baking more as a way to get through the winter months. Chocolate, of course, is one of my go-to indulgences. Below are a few of my favorite brownie, truffle, cookie, and hot chocolates to make and enjoy on a dreary January day.
For even more recipe inspiration, feel free to visit my chocolate recipes gallery too!
Easy Four-Ingredient Red Wine Truffles
These simple chocolate truffles require just four basic ingredients: Cream, chocolate, cocoa powder, and rich red wine!
Vegan Chocolate Almond Milk Pudding
Perfect for Veganuary, this rich chocolate pudding features an almond milk base and just the tiniest hint of espresso powder for an extra kick. Garnish with nuts, fresh fruit, chocolate shavings, or a dollop of coconut whipped cream!
Italian Rainbow Brownies
Fudgy dark chocolate brownies packed with Italian rainbow cookies, a traditional Italian-American pastry made with almond sponge cake, jam, and chocolate.
Passionfruit and Dark Chocolate Cookies
These decadent dark chocolate and passionfruit cookies feature a chocolate cookie base with chunks of dark chocolate and Valrhona Passionfruit Inspiration, plus a gooey dark chocolate and passionfruit ganache surprise in the middle!
Salted Chocolate Caramel Brownies
A rich, fudgy brownie slathered in a thick layer of homemade salted chocolate caramel, and finished with a sprinkling of coarse sea salt.
Decadent Red Wine Hot Chocolate
A boozy hot chocolate recipe, perfect for warming up on a cold winter day!
Chai-Spiced Oatmeal Lace Cookies
A chai-infused dark chocolate ganache, sandwiched between a pair of delicate, ginger-spiced oatmeal lace cookies.
Chocolate Caramel Cookies
A dark chocolate base packed with chocolate chips and Milk Dud candies. A chewy, gooey, caramel-ly treat!
Rebecca Frey is a freelance recipe developer, food writer, photographer, stylist, and pastry chef. She earned the Diplôme de Pâtisserie (French Pastry Techniques Diploma) from Le Cordon Bleu London in 2020 and an MSc in Culinary Innovation from Birkbeck, University of London in 2022, where she focused her dissertation research on Pennsylvania Dutch recipes. She also holds a Professional Chocolatier’s Certificate from Ecole Chocolat. Rebecca has developed recipes for websites including Serious Eats, The Spruce Eats, Wine Enthusiast, and others. Follow her on Instagram @bastecutfold.