2-Ingredient Chocolate Fudge Cakes
If you’re craving something intensely chocolatey with a rich, fudgy texture, these 2-ingredient fudge cakes will blow you away.
I make them with just melted chocolate chips and one cup of canned pumpkin puree—they come together in minutes and deliver the kind of indulgence that feels almost too good to be true. No flour, no eggs, no dairy—just pure chocolate bliss.
Not only does the pumpkin add moisture to these beauties, but it also cuts down on the need to add sugar, butter or oil. Plus, with built-in portion control, you can enjoy an indulgent, fudgy dessert without going overboard. You’re welcome. 😉
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Only two ingredients: No complicated steps or long ingredient lists.
- Rich and fudgy: The texture is dense, creamy, and deeply chocolaty. (You won’t taste pumpkin)
- Pumpkin adds a nutrition boost: It enhances the texture while sneaking in fiber, potassium and antioxidants.
- No oven needed: Just mix, pour, and chill for a foolproof, decadent treat.
My dad, Artie, is a self-proclaimed chocolate connoisseur—he knows a good chocolate dessert when he tastes one. So when I handed him one of these little gems, I watched closely for his reaction. He took a bite, closed his eyes (that’s how he focuses lol), and let out a deep, satisfied sigh before declaring that they reminded him of the legendary Ebinger’s Blackout Cake, a Brooklyn classic he grew up loving. For him, that was the ultimate compliment—Ebinger’s was famous for its intensely rich, deeply chocolaty, and ultra-moist cake, and if these simple fudge cakes could evoke some of that beloved nostalgia, I knew I had something special.
The texture of these cakes lands somewhere between a dense, fudgy brownie and a silky chocolate truffle. They’re thick and creamy with just the right amount of chew, and they firm up beautifully in the fridge. Whether you enjoy them straight from the fridge for a chilled, almost ganache-like experience or let them soften slightly at room temperature for a more melt-in-your-mouth effect, one thing is certain—they will satisfy a chocolate craving!
If you landed on this recipe, I’m guessing you’re serious about chocolate—and you appreciate the magic of a two-ingredient dessert. If that sounds like you, I have a few more ridiculously easy and yummy chocolate treats that belong on your must-try list.
My 2-Ingredient Chocolate Fudge is melt-in-your-mouth decadence—just rich chocolate chips blended with naturally sweet, caramel-like dates to create indulgent fudge squares.
Then there’s my 2-Ingredient Chocolate Pie, where velvety melty chocolate chips meet smooth applesauce for a dream dessert.
And for the easiest bite-sized treat that doesn’t need to chill, my Dark Chocolate-Stuffed Raspberries deliver the perfect balance of tart and sweet—simply tuck a chocolate chip into the center of a juicy raspberry for an instant, poppable delight.
These recipes prove that you don’t need a long ingredient list to create something spectacular—just a little creativity and a deep love for chocolate!
Try my 3-Ingredient Chocolate Cookies (one of the ingredients is also canned pumpkin)!
2-Ingredient Chocolate Fudge Cakes
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
- 1 cup pumpkin puree*
Instructions
- Prepare a standard muffin tin: add paper liners to 10 (of the 12 muffin) compartments (I like to double up on the paper liners for extra sturdiness. No need to mist with oil spray). Set aside.
- Melt the chocolate chips using a double boiler or using the microwave method (see recipe notes below).
- Mix in the pumpkin puree and stir until the mixture is smooth and creamy without any streaks of pumpkin.
- Divide the batter among the 10 paper liners, smooth the tops using the back of a spoon and give the muffin tin a few taps on the counter to flatten out the cakes.
- Place in fridge to firm for 2 hours or more. Serve with optional berries and dark chocolate shavings.
Notes
*Just to be clear, use only 1 cup pumpkin puree (I’m calling this out because it’s easy to confuse “cup” with “can” and I want to make sure you don’t include the entire can as it will negatively impact the final result). Using more than 1 cup of pumpkin will create a texture that’s too soft with an overly pumpkin-y flavor. Muffin Liners
• For this recipe, you’ll need to use muffin liners because the fudgy cakes can be fussy to remove from the compartments without them. You can use silicone liners or double up on paper liners for sturdiness—do not mist them with oil spray! Chocolate
• When it comes to sweetness, you are the boss of your sauce! The darkness of your chocolate will determine how sweet or intense your cake is—I prefer using semi-sweet chips, which are about 50% cocoa (perfectly in-between milk and super-dark), but if you prefer a sweeter flavor, use milk chocolate chips. For a more intense dark chocolate flavor, use 60 or 70% chips. • Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, stopping and stirring every 20 seconds until they are velvety smooth (~2 minutes total).
*LIFE-CHANGING HACK* Mist your microwave-safe bowl with oil spray before adding your chocolate chips. It will make cleaning the bowl SO MUCH EASIER. Alternatively, you can use a double boiler, of course. Storing Fudge Cakes
• Store in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze for a few months. Dietary Accommodations
• If you’re following a gluten-free diet, be sure to carefully read the packaging for each ingredient. While these foods are inherently gluten-free, gluten can sometimes be added during processing for a variety of reasons, including for flavor and consistency.
So easy and delicious treat! I put them in mini muffins and froze the extra for some mini treats.
Hi BusyBee. So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe…and that you’re now well-prepared for any treat cravings that may arise!
—Team Joy
So easy and delicious treat! I put them in mini muffins and froze the extra for some mini treats.
These are amazingly decadent!! Please keep em comin!! And thank you!!
Hi Ray. Thank you so much for your kind words and I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe! There’s definitely more deliciousness on the way, so stay tuned. I really appreciate your support!:)
I love these! These are my go-to when I need chocolate. I make everyone try them and they can’t believe how delicious and easy to make. This recipe is what introduced me to Joy Bauer’s recipes. Thank you!
Hi Jeni, thanks so much for your sweet comments! And we’re so happy these indulgent chocolate treats were your first attempt at a Joy recipe! We’re all huge chocolate fans here, so there are plenty of healthy chocolate creations on the site to explore, including these 3-ingredient Chocolate Cookies and Chocolate Cherry Mud Cake and this super popular Chocolate Pie. Happy baking!
—Team Joy
I’m making these today but I don’t have muffin liners. I am using a silicone pans, are liners still necessary?
Hi Sue, Joy hasn’t tested this recipe with a silicone pan yet, but she’s concerned that the fudge cakes may be tricky to remove without liners—not because they’re sticky, but due to their soft, fudgy texture. For the best results, she still recommends using a double liner for easy removal. That said, if you’re curious, you could test one without a liner to see how it holds up. If you do, we’d love to hear how it turns out! Wishing you sweet success and delicious results!
—Donna
Hi! I made these with sugar free dark chocolate chips and added a little bit of crushed walnuts on top of each. They are terrific! Thanks Joy!
Hi Cheryl! I’m thrilled you enjoyed these fudge cakes — and love your addition of omega-3-rich walnuts on top!!
5 stars. So quick and easy and delicious
Thanks for the wonderful review, Kim! So happy you enjoyed them!!
I have a Vegan and a GF person in my family. Is it ok to use Vegan Chocolate Chips, without compromising the ‘deliciousness’ of this recipe?
Hi Cindy! Yes, I’ve tried this with dairy-free chips and it worked perfectly. The key is to 1). make sure you love the taste of your chips in whole form before melting, and 2). ensure they melt seamlessly. If your chips seem fussy during the melting process (whether in the microwave or using a double boiler on stovetop), simply add a dash of coconut oil and continue melting. They should become smooth and velvety. If you try this recipe — let me know what you think!!
When she said Ebingers blackout cakenI knew exactly what she meant so I had to try and unbelievable! Amazing! Now this I can definitely work into my weight loss goals!❤️
HI Lisa, I looooove that you knew what my dad meant when he mentioned Ebingers blackout cake!! I’m reading this to him right now 😉 Thanks for being here and for sharing your wonderful review!
Delicious! I am an Ebinger’s gal from Brooklyn Kings Highway. Thoughts on how to make either in an 8×8 or loaf pan.
Hail to Ebinger’s — Patricia, it’s so great to connect here! My dad will be thrilled to read this . I recommend lining the pans with parchment paper, leaving some overhang for easy removal (it’ll likely stick without the parchment paper). I haven’t tried it this way myself, but it should firm up enough to cut. If you give it a shot, let me know how it turns out!
These are amazing!! Will be making these often!
Hi Shelly, so happy you’re a fan of these fudge cakes! They’re such a quick and easy treat to whip up whenever a craving strikes!
—Donna
Would butternut squash or sweet potatoes work or strictly pumpkin? Thanks!
Yes, Debbie! Just make sure the butternut squash or sweet potato is smoothly pureed (you can use the canned pureed version, if you want) –stick with the same “one cup” amount and it will work well. Report back after you make them!
Went well, thanks!!!
Thanks for checking back in with us, Debbie. So happy the ingredient swap worked out for you!
—Donna
Great easy & delicious. Im no baker & am using this one at my next girls-night-out! I cut out heart stencils from a note card & sifted powdered sugar on top for my valentine on V-Day
Jennifer, I love this so much! I’m honored to be a part of your next girl’s night out, and your powdered heart idea was precious… you had a lucky Valentine 🙂
DELICIOUS
Hi Adrienne! Thanks so much for your comment – we’re glad this recipe was a hit! 🙂
-Alison
Could you use silicone cupcake containers?
Hi Lisa, Joy hasn’t tested this recipe with silicone cupcake containers yet. She’s concerned that the fudge cakes may be tricky to remove without liners—not because they’re sticky, but because they have a soft, fudgy texture. For the best results, she still recommends using a double liner for easy removal. That said, if you’re curious, you could test one without a liner to see how it holds up. If you do, we’d love to hear how it turns out! Wishing you sweet success and delicious results!
—Donna
Oh my is this good and SO easy to make!!! It reminds me of the flourless chocolate cake that I love so much – the richness of the chocolate (I used sugar free chocolate chips) along with the smooth and silky texture the pumpkin brings (as well as some sneaky nutritional value) is pure bliss!!! I took these to a Bible study and no one could believe they were sugar free! They were a hit and of course they wanted the recipe. Thank you SO much for this!!!❤️
I wish you could see my smile!! Thank you for your lovely note and review… and for including my fudge cakes in your Bible study group (such an honor, truly!!).
I meant to leave 5 stars – really it deserves a solid 10 stars but 5 will have to do.
Awwww 😉
I just had my first bite of this and it’s absolutely incredible! I love it. Thank you so much!
Awww, love hearing this Leigh!! It’s a “love at first bite” kind of dessert! 😉
Hi Joy, I made these last night, they were delicious ! Thank you so much!
Hi Leigh, so glad you enjoyed the fudge cakes! Thanks for stopping by to share your kind words and for being part of our community! We’re so grateful to have you here!
—Donna
We enjoyed these but had to eat with a spoon out of the liner because they never firmed up. Even being in the fridge over night. And yes, i only used 1 cup of pumkin. What did I do wrong?
Hi Kathy, I’m so sorry you had trouble with this recipe. I’m scratching my head… maybe it was the brand of chocolate chips? If you’d like to share the brand you used, I can try and get to the bottom of this.
Thank you for your reply! My husband and I wondered that also. I used Aldi milk chocolate chips. I have never used them before and bought them in error.
Hi again, Kathy! It’s likely that the issue came from using “milk” chocolate chips. Milk chocolate has less cocoa solids and more milk and sugar than semi-sweet or dark chocolate, which can make the final texture much softer—especially when combined with moisture-rich pumpkin. Some lower-priced brands of milk chocolate chips also use more vegetable oils or stabilizers, which can prevent the mixture from firming up properly in the fridge. I’m betting it was a combo of these things. If you’re willing to try it again (I totally understand if you prefer to skip it!), try using semi-sweet or a 60% dark chocolate chips from a different, more popular brand … and report back! 😉
Thanks to your note, I am going to test this recipe with varying brands of milk chocolate to see if I have the same issue you did. If I don’t, I’ll send you the names of the brands I used. And in the meantime, I updated the recipe to say semi-sweet chips!
I used an entire 15 oz can of pure pumpkin, a 10 oz bag of 60% dark chocolate from Wal-Mart, and sprinkled 1.5 oz of chopped walnuts on top (thanks to another reviewer). They are easier to scoop into double lined mini muffin tins if the batter is cool. My yield was 32 truffles and are delicious! I’m keeping them in the freezer. They are 2 WW points each.
Hi Jennifer – we’re so thrilled to hear it turned out delicious! We love that you tried out the walnuts as well – what a tasty and nutritious addition. Thank you for sharing your experience and for being a part of our community! 🙂
-Alison
Is that whipcream or icing on the cupcakes?
Hi Kristynne, That’s a squirt of aerated whipped cream. It’s so light (typically ~15 calories a squirt), and it adds a little something special! Of course, the toppings are optional and these individual fudge cakes are great on their own, too! Please let us know if you decide to try the recipe, and which toppings (if any) you use—we’d love to hear your thoughts!
—Donna
Ok Joy! You’ve done it again! I sprinkled slivered almonds on top! Yum! And thanks for the melting chocolate hack!
Hi Patty, we’re so happy that you enjoyed the recipe and we love the idea of sprinkling almonds on top—double yum! Glad the chocolate-melting hack worked for you. Thanks for sharing your thoughts—we’re grateful to have you here!
—Donna
I love chocolate and can’t wait to try this. I’ll leave another review when I do or update this one. Sounds delicious!
Hi Joyce, thanks so much and we can’t wait for the final review! Hoping the recipe is a hit!
—Donna
This is probably a stupid question, but is the 2 1/4 cups of chocolate chips measured before or after they’re melted? I’m assuming I measure out that amount of chocolate chips and then melt them, but wanted to double check. Thank you!
No stupid questions–ever! Yes, measure them out as whole chocolate chips before melting! Hope you love the fudge cakes, Laurel!
Thank you so much – I’m looking forward to making them soon!
Thank you for this recipe. I used mostly 60% chocolate chips and about 1/4 cup semi-sweet (ran out of 60%). Next time, walnuts on top because, well, yum! Also will use two layers of liners. With one liner, my cakes were weird looking but still so tasty. If they have to be fancied up, a squirt of whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon would be fine, but for family, this is perfect.
Love this, Pam! Thanks for sharing your review…you had me smiling at the “well, yum” walnuts . I’m so glad you enjoyed them, and I think your whipped cream + cinnamon idea sounds like the perfect fancy touch!!
I was wondering if they have to be refrigerated. I’m sending goodies to my family by mail and wanted to know this. Thank you!
Hi Lisa, Yes, these definitely need to be kept in the fridge (or freezer) because of the pumpkin purée. They’ll get too soft at room temp and won’t hold up well in the mail. If you’re looking for a sweet treat to ship, I’d recommend choosing a sturdier recipe that doesn’t require refrigeration. — Eliza (Team Joy)
Because I made this for Thanksgiving, I added a little pumpkin pie spice (my own mix).
I also used mini cupcake liners because this is so rich. I would rather that people take a couple of the minis rather than taste a larger one & nt eat the whole one.
Ohhh I love these tweaks, Savta… thank you for sharing! Adding your own pumpkin pie spice mix sounds delicious… and the perfect Thanksgiving twist. And prepping bite-size treats in mini liners was a smart move!
Because I made this for Thanksgiving, I added a little pumpkin pie spice (my own mix).
I also used mini cupcake liners because this is so rich. I would rather that people take a couple of the minis rather than taste a larger one & nt eat the whole one.
I’ve made these per the recipe and we loved them. It also inspired us to try a different version. We added pureed dates, used 60% dark chocolate chips, the whole can of pumpkin and some ground flaxseed. They are just as good. Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
LOVE this, Brandy!! So happy you made the recipe and enjoyed it….and your spin sounds terrific. That’s a power combo!
These are delicious with very little effort! The perfect recipe! Have you ever tried white chocolate chips? Do you think they would work?
Thanks for sharing this wonderful review, Elaine! And white chocolate chips will work perfectly!
Made these & always great! Can you make as one large torte, using parchment lined pie pan or cake pan?
Hi Jen! Thank you so much….glad you love this recipe!! Some other community members in the comments have tried using a larger parchment-lined pan. It should work, just be sure to chill it overnight (or at least 6 hours). If you give it a shot, let us know what you think!— Eliza (Team Joy)