How To Make Chocolate Cobbler

Growing up, we had this probably once a week. I always thought it was because everyone liked it so much but according to Mama, the frequency of this dessert had a lot more to do with it being so quick, easy, and most importantly: budget friendly. Generally, most folks have these ingredients on hand. It doesn’t hurt that you don’t even need an egg for it!
As kids, we always called this “Mud Pie”. I guess it was a fun name for the three of us. “We’re having mud pie for supper!”. I was introduced to the actual name only a few years ago while at a quilt retreat with my mother. I was speaking with a few of her friends and someone mentioned “Oh! I had your mother’s chocolate cobbler, it was WONDERFUL!”. I was awful confused. Mama makes chocolate cobbler? I’ve never had chocolate cobbler. When did she make this? Having honestly tasted everything my mother has made in the past thirty —umm…something years, I was a bit put off that she had not shared what was obviously a grand success of a recipe. After asking her, she shook her head and waved it off “Oh, its just mud pie!”.
This cobbler bakes up magically. When you pull it out of the oven you’ll have a rich chocolate cake layer on top and a hot fudge saucy layer beneath. I highly recommend it be served with ice cream.
We frequently package the dry ingredients and give them along with the recipe as Christmas Gifts. People are always intrigued by the name and very happy with the results!
You’ll need some self rising flour (see my buttermilk biscuit tutorial on how to substitute plain for self rising), vegetable oil, milk, sugar, cocoa, brown sugar, and vanilla.
(As always, actual recipe at bottom of page).
Have I got you paranoid about pouring it slow enough now? Good, you’ll do it right then.
Place in 350 oven for forty to forty five minutes.
Its gonna look like this…and smell like……omg…..
Oh LAWD. Just make it already!!!
Ingredients Instructions

















Hmmm…I must’ve done something wrong, ’cause the syrup part of my cake didn’t turn out very sweet.
Maybe the brown sugar I used wasn’t the right kind?
Hello
Love the recipe !
it can also be made with Homemade Biscuick IN the Crock Pot.. quick and easy
Lisa
How do you make chocolate cobbler with Bisquic and crock pot??
Thanks in advance,
Rie
Soon as I get time to play around with the recipe I’ll sure do it and let you know!
My mom use to make this when I was a kid! I loved it soooo much…still do! I double the sauce part for a even more chocolatey experience! Mmmmm…salivating…must make some now!
Sorry, but this was very disappointing. It smelled wonderful but the taste was not good. Sickening chocolatey and my own opinion is that it could have used butter in lieu of oil and a pinch of salt. I had chocolate cobbler in Hickory, SC last January and that’s what I was hoping to copy. Looks like I will have to reach out to that wonderful lady and beg her recipe.
Yes, but that’s just YOUR opinion…which you certainly are entitled to! ~winks~ But folks should try a recipe at least once to see what THEIR opinion is, don’t you think?!! I cut the recipe in half…tried it and liked it! So your negitive response doesn’t really matter to me! ~winks again!~ When I try a new recipe I never waste my time sharing a negative opinion of it …I just don’t bother to make it again! ~skips away, chuckleing the whole time!~
This is a most deadly(but delicious)recipe!! My husband & I almost killed ourselves from eating so much. We both love chocolate, and the is by far the best chocolate cobbler I have ever eaten. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
I love this dessert!! It made me think of the first time I made it 20 something years ago when I first got married. I tried to turn it out on a plate (like you would a regular cake)whatever you do, don’t do this, hot pudding went all over the top of my stove. I was young and had not cooked very much. LOL Thanks for reminding me of this yummy easy recipe! (and the funny memory)
[...] you enjoy the clip and the recipe below! I also have the full photo tutorial on Southern Plate here if you’d like to see it. This recipe doesn’t have any eggs whatsoever in it, so if you [...]
Just barely caught your episode. I forgot to turn on the tv until the news was almost over and low and behold there you were just coming on! Brady was so cute. I could tell you didn’t know what he was doing. Reminded me of my grandkids. enjoy your segment so much. Keep up the good work and simple recipes. So many of the cook shows do things I have never heard of or would try.
I’ve made this very same recipe for about thirty years as well! It ALWAYS turns out perfect, and our family loves it. It’s not too overly sweet, and perfect with vanilla ice-cream. I got it from a Betty Crocker cookbook. The first time I made it, I thought “oh no, pouring that water over it just CAN’T be right!” But it is!
Lordy Lordy Kristy…
You’ve really done it now…. Wouldn’t this be good with some home made vanilla icecream on it… or fresh whipped cream?
Thanks for sharing.
~Linda
Be the kind of women that when your feet hit the floor in the morning the Devil says “Oh crap she’s up again “
Only 1 word, YUMMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh My, this was SOOOOOO GOOD!!!!!! Thanks for yet another good recipe…
Christy, I made this for dessert tonight and my husband said I wouldn’t be allowed to make this very often – because it was TOO GOOD! Oh my goodness, this is the best recipe! I’m saving this one for honored guests.
All right girl! Desserts in your hands!
I’m making it and it’s in the oven! I hope it will turn out okay! My water poured over it left some spots showing, like the next to last picture you have! Arghhhhhhh……I’m paranoid now!
Ha ha! However it turns out…it’s chocolate and a dallop of whip cream will cover any imperfection!
Love ya,
Cindy
P.S. I know another reason to call it mud cake! It felt like I was a kid again and playing in the sand as I was scooping and spreading the topping mixture! What fun! The kids would love that!
Mmmm made this tonight! It’s so good. I just knew my fiance would love it. I had to make my own self rising flour, and next time would only use 1/4 teaspoon of salt because it was the teensiest bit salty tasting with 1/2 teaspoon. Other than that, I’ll definitely make this over and over again! Oh and I like the name Mud Pie
)
I had never heard of “chocolate cobbler” before so I made this last night for the first time. BOY, was it good good GOOD!!! Only difference was that I only had skim milk so used that and I also made it using Splenda, both in the “mud” part & for the brown sugar on top!! My flour part of the cobbler was very dry or doughy? It was more like a ball of dough when I put it in my pan..I just patted it down to cover the entire bottom and then added the top part & then…slowly..slowly (yes,Christy, I do read your instructions..) I added the hot tap water…mine turned out great I thought but it was more cakey on the bottom than what yours is like…any suggestions on what I did wrong? I will be making this cobbler again…thanks for all the GREAT recipes & stories Christy!!
Made this last night for my family. They loved it! I told them we were having mud cobbler for dessert!
Ha, I love that name! I couldn’t decide between Mud Pie and Chocolate Cobbler. I choose Mud Cobbler
I made this again today with an extra tablespoon of cocoa in the cake part and half milk in the sauce part. Very good. Next time I’m going to try a tablespoon less cocoa in the sauce part and all milk. I’m going to tinker with this recipe until it’s just right for me!
This has been a family “treat” for YEARS!!!
It was always referred to as “Dick Silver’s Pudding”. Never knew it was “Chocolate Cobbler” until a few years back. When I asked Mom about the name she had for it, she shared that it had been a friend of the family’s recipe. The Mother had 6 kids and was a widow young so she bartered for anything she could. Dick Silver was the kid who mowed her grass and she make the cobbler for him as payment! LOL
Will in fact be making this tonight for my daughters’ birthday!
[...] for dessert just to be able to take this. You can see the tutorial (which I posted last year) here. Its another incredibly economical dish which doesn’t even require an [...]
Oh my goodness! Where has this been all my life!? I’m blogging about it and providing a link for this wonderful recipe!
I have been making this for years. It is in a Betty Crocker cookbook and called Chocolate Pudding Cake. I do use melted butter in place of the oil and it is better with skim milk instead of water. But if you add the ice cream I don’t think it matters. Definately a ‘choc. lovers dream.’
[...] Chocolate Cobbler [...]
Can this be frozen to use at a later date? We are having a family reunion and would love to make this ahead for that….Thanks!!!
Easy to make and very delicious! Exceeded my expectations!!!
Delicious!!! Simple ingredients & very easy to make. Thanks for sharing. It was absolutely FANTASTIC!!
I just made this dessert and man was it laripen good!! Salute!
Thank you Mama Janice for this recipe! In my collection of cookbooks I have this recipe, however it doesn’t use self-rising flour so it is not quite as easy to put together, and I don’t think it tastes as good as yours does! They call it Chocolate Sunday Pudding, but I think it was suppose to be Sundae! LOL Made this tonight for my Southern Plate Supper and I am still enjoying my ‘chocolate high’!!! ;o)
Thank you Mama Janice for this recipe! In my collection of cookbooks I have this recipe, however, it doesn’t use self-rising flour so it is not quite as easy to put together. And I don’t think it tastes as good as yours does! They call it Chocolate Sunday Pudding, but I think it was suppose to be Sundae! LOL Made this tonight for my Southern Plate Supper and I am still enjoying my ‘chocolate high’!!! ;o)
Hey could a twelve year old make this please be yes I am starving. I mean is it easy enough for a twelve-year old to make.
OMG!!! That’s all I can say! OMG!!! I can not wait to make this – except I’m not telling the family – I’m gonna go hide in a corner where no one can find me and go to town on this as soon as its cool enough from the oven!!!! Thank-you!!!!!!
[...] Chocolate Cobbler from Southern Plate (my mama’s favorite dessert) [...]
Awsome recipe…made it last night…really enjoyed this dessert. Reminds me of the old pudding cake by Py O My ( I think)
Mine is very similar to yours. May I share it? I am like Paula Deen in that I can’t cook anything without butter! I begin by melting 1 stick of butter in my dish while the oven is preheating. I pour the wet ingredients into the butter, distributing the length of the 9 x 13 dish. Then I sprinkle the dry ingredients (I use regular sugar, not brown) up and down the length of the wet stuff and then pour the (2 cups boiling) water in. It is done in 30 minutes at 350 degrees. It is my #1 dish for church dinners.
[...] Mama’s Chocolate Cobbler [...]
[...] – Biscuits, pineapple upside down cake, chocolate frosting, hamburger steak, chocolate cobbler *twice*. O and deep dish pizza, mac and cheese, o just too [...]
Does anyone have a recipe for double crust coconut pie? Not coconut cream with meringe or whipped cream on top. The filling sort of tastes like an Almond Joy or Mounds candy bar. Kapiolani Bakery and Cafe in Honolulu made these and I loved them. They went out of business and I’m dying to get the recipe. The filling is sweet, creamy, and not too stiff. The double crust makes it really good warm with van. ice cream. Yum. Help, anyone!
Lawdy! Wish I was home right now and I would be making this!!! But, when we met for sunday dinner at mom and dads, I will be making this!!!!!
I make this same recipe too. LOVE it!!!
This looks like chocolate gravy with a breading on top.
Just made this – SO GOOD!!! Don’t understand the negatives. Added a little cinnamon, used Mexican vanilla and added a little instant espresso to the hot water. As my daughter says, “Do Over!!”
Hi – I couldn’t find the recipe to make self-rising flour – could someone please share? thanks
Hey ! it’s on my FAQ page. Http://SouthernPlate.com/FAQ should be up near the very top. It’s so handy!
i can’t wait to try this. how about adding nuts? cracker barrel use to make a chocolate cobbler. to those that has had it, does this taste the same?
My mother usually adds pecans to hers. Just put them in the first batter you make and they’ll be great! I think this is just about the same as Cracker Barrels, but I never had it there. My mother did though and she says it’s the same thing
Like Sandy — my recipe for this, which we called Fudge pudding, came from the Betty Crocker cookbook of 1955 vintage that I used to learn to cook — yes — way back IN 1955! But my story – one winter my step-daughter got snowed in at our home and I made this dessert and she was eating and yumming and said ‘what kind of a box did THIS come from?’ And I said BITE YOUR TONGUE. Yes, this is an oldie but a goodie — I haven’t made it in ages but maybe I should???
Oooooohhhh my word–this is deadly stuff (but what a way to go!!). I love using brown sugar with the cocoa, it adds so much richness to it. I don’t allow myself to make this very often because I know myself and chocolate, especially anything with fudge sauce like this. Love your website, there isn’t one recipe I’ve tried that’s not a keeper. Thank you!!!
Deb, you just made my day!!! So glad you are enjoying the recipes and finding keepers!!
My kids LOVE this chocolate cobbler! Its so easy for me to throw in the oven at the end of a long day at work and my boys think I have just slaved over it! Thank you so much Christy for your super easy, filling recipes that my family just loves! Reminds me of home…
I am so glad to hear that you and your family like this recipe!!!
Christy, how can you be sure when it’s done?