October 28^th is the happiest day for our taste buds because it’s National Chocolate Day! Not that we need an excuse to indulge in rich, deep, sweet chocolate – anyone with a sweet tooth will tell you that. Plus, when you eat the right kind of chocolate, it’s actually healthy for you. That’s right, dark chocolate, with a cocoa content of 65 percent or higher, is considered a superfood!

Flavanols, which are more prevalent in dark chocolate, have antioxidant effects that reduce cell damage implicated in heart disease. Dark chocolate has been shown to lower blood pressure and improve vascular function, possibly reducing the risks of diabetes, stroke, and heart attack.

There’s no end to what you can make with chocolate. See Creative Ways to Put Dark Chocolate to Good Use, 10 Divine Ways to Create Delicious Dark Chocolate Desserts, and 10 Decadent Dishes for Dark Chocolate Lovers for tons of ideas. You can even learn to make your own Homemade Dark Chocolate Chunks. Then, check out these 20 rich, decadent, and chocolatey recipes that will make you so happy.

1. Coffee Glazed Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

This Coffee-Glazed Chocolate Hazelnut Cake is deliciously moist and decadent, all while being 100 percent whole wheat and refined sugar-free. The sponge itself is made with whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, and hazelnuts and flavored with almond milk, peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Topped with a gooey coffee cream spiked with espresso, this treat is perfect for pairing with a hot cup of coffee on a chilly morning.

2. Salted Caramel Pretzel Brownies

These Salted Caramel Pretzel Brownies really make a statement! Huge on flavor, simple to make, and packed with great, whole food ingredients. They’re made from oats, dates, and kidney beans (but nobody will ever know) with tahini and sweet cherries added for decadence. The gooey caramel/crunchy, salty pretzel topping elevates these to the status of the best brownies you’ll ever have.

3. Double Layer Chocolate Mousse Cake

The only thing better than a chocolate mousse cake is a Double Layered Chocolate Mousse Cake! That’s right, this ultra-decadent cake is composed of two layers of cocoa sponge, two layers of silky cashew-based chocolate mousse, all encased in a dark chocolate ganache. You seriously can’t go wrong.

4. Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Bites

These Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Bites are a chocoholic’s dream. There are chocolate cookies in the crust, melted chocolate in the mix, and a chocolate drizzle on top. These literally melt in your mouth. The crust is a little chewy from the dates, which add a great texture, and then you get the creamy chocolate center and the crunch from the chocolate on top.

5. Mini Raw Peanut Butter Cup Tarts

What better way to end your day than with some delicious Raw Peanut Butter Cup Tarts? These scrumptious tarts start with a peanut butter base, followed by a nut butter filling topped off with a homemade raw chocolate, crushed peanuts, cacao nibs, and oats! Peanut butter and chocolate on their own is a yummy pairing, but with oats and nuts for texture and added protein, it makes an easy, delicious dessert.

6. Chocolate Avocado Mousse Cake

This Chocolate Avocado Mousse Cake is rich, creamy, and indulgent but made with good, nutritious ingredients. The cake consists of a baked bottom layer made from gluten-free flours, peanut butter, raw cocoa, maple, and plant-based chocolate milk. It is topped with a chocolate mousse layer, which is based on avocados and raw cocoa. Avocados are high in potassium, vitamins and full of healthy fats and fiber – and they are simply a great vegan ingredient in creamy sweet dishes.

7. Coconut Cacao Bonbons

These Coconut Cacao Bonbons are so delicious and you can’t have just one. Sweet flaked coconut is combined with almond butter and coconut cream, then dipped in a raw cacao coating. Luckily, they make a healthy and guilt-free treat, perfect to satisfy your sweet tooth or to serve as a light dessert after a big feast.

8. Peanut Butter and Chocolate Coulant

This Peanut Butter and Chocolate Coulant is dark chocolate heaven! Fudgy but firm, filled with warm peanut butter, and cute to boot, this is the perfect dessert to whip up for a get-together. Serve with plenty of peanut butter drizzle and a dollop of coconut whipped cream if you’re trying to get really decadent.

9. Walnut Cake with Chocolate Sauce

This Walnut Cake with Chocolate Sauce is the definition of a healthy dessert. It’s made with wholesome ingredients like walnuts, spelt flour, coconut sugar, banana, coconut oil, and almond milk, and even has a yummy chocolate sauce made from cacao, coconut oil, and maple. Simple, wholesome, and totally healthy enough for seconds!

10. Chocolate Peanut Butter Doughnuts With Salted Peanut Butter Glaze

Salty. Sweet. Chocolatey. Are you hungry yet? These Chocolate Peanut Butter Doughnuts With Salted Peanut Butter Glaze are an explosion of rich, harmonious flavors. The chocolate chips are optional, but they add texture. Topped with a salty peanut butter glaze, these yummy doughnuts are more like a dessert than anything. Enjoy them with a cup of your favorite coffee.

11. Chocolate-Covered Marshmallows

Yes, you can make gelatin-free marshmallows at home — and it’s easy! These fluffy Chocolate-Covered Marshmallows use agar agar, a type of sea vegetable, in place of the traditional gelatin. They’re spiced with saffron and cinnamon, then covered with chocolate but you can try different spices and coatings to find what you like best. These marshmallows are perfect for snacking, sundaes, or for stirring into a big mug of hot cocoa.

12. Chocolate Hazelnut Hearts

These Chocolate Hazelnut Hearts help you get your chocolate fix in no time flat. Not only are they rich, creamy, and chocolatey, they’re made with raw cacao and hazelnuts, so they taste like a better-for-you version of Nutella. If there’s leftover “Nutella” after you make the chocolates, try it on toast, in oatmeal, or on top of vegan waffles and pancakes!

13. Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cereal Bars

Healthy and delicious cereal isn’t just a good breakfast on its own, it also makes for a great base for these sweet Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cereal Bars! In this recipe, chocolaty cereal is bound together with coconut oil, peanut butter, maple syrup, and dark chocolate chips, for a sticky-sweet bar that not only satisfies cravings but a rumbling stomach. Pair these with a cup of coffee for an afternoon pick-me-up or a glass of almond milk for a post-dinner treat.

14. Raw Mini Chocolate Cream Cakes

These Raw Mini Chocolate Cream Cakes are not only healthy and easy to make, they are raw and gluten free too! Plus they are the perfect individual serving! There are pecans in the crust and cashews create the filling. They’re just sweet enough for everyone to gobble these down.

15. Salted Caramel Peanut Chocolate Bars

If you like making your own candy at home, you will love this Salted Caramel Peanut Chocolate Bar recipe! The filling is a delicious combination of salted date caramel and roasted peanuts. Salty and sweet, sticky and crunchy, each bite is a variety of delicious texture and flavor.

16. Chocolate and Butterscotch Pudding Pie

This Chocolate and Butterscotch Pudding Pie is a perfect accompaniment to afternoon coffee or tea. Two thick and dense layers of pudding – chocolate and butterscotch – are set atop a simple, vegan crust. The top is dotted with chocolate chips for yummy bursts of chocolatey goodness throughout. Serve with some coconut whipped cream on the side for added decadence!

17. Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Bark

This Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Bark is the perfect holiday treat. Chocolate and peanut butter is a match made in heaven. How do you make this tried and true favorite even better? Easy! Use raw vegan chocolate, all natural peanut butter, and sea salt! Simple, clean, and delicious.

18. Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

These Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Swirl Brownies will make you think of words like rich, ooey-gooey, and decadent. They have dark chocolate, cacao chunks, and rich cacao butter to make these brownies a trifecta of chocolatey heaven. Pumpkin adds a soft, gooey pumpkin layer to an already sweet, fudgy bottom layer.

19. Raw Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes

If you like chocolate, you’ll love these Raw Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes. It may not be hot, but if you’re a raw foodie, then nothing else will come closer to that experience that the thick, chocolatey center of these dark chocolate buckwheat-based cakes. Eating one is like a mega awesome super chocolate party in your mouth which this results in an excellent, ethereal sense of well-being.

20. Black Bean Chocolate Orange Mousse

This Black Bean Chocolate Orange Mousse is mega rich and super delicious. No trace of a bean-y taste left, just a smooth and creamy texture and a filling, protein-packed treat. It does have a fair amount of syrup in it to make it totally indulgent, but you could easily leave a few tablespoons out and still have yourself a yummy treat!

We think chocolate should be celebrated every day but since it’s a holiday, today is the perfect day to indulge in something special, chocolatey, and delicious.

Lead image source: Double Layer Chocolate Mousse Cake