Salted Caramel Chocolate Cream Bowls

No-bake and with just five ingredients these Salted Caramel Chocolate Cream Bowls are an elegant treat to serve to guests or to satisfy that sneaky weeknight sweet tooth.

This rich, simple chocolate dessert is the sibling of chocolate pudding and chocolate pot de creme – a category of single serving chocolate treats that are a totally worth learning to make at home. These desserts are infinitely better than anything store-bought and shockingly easy to make.

Growing up, I always thought it was a certain brand of magic that my mom produced by walking into the kitchen on a weeknight and emerging a few minutes later with a batch of old-fashioned chocolate pudding. We had glass ramekins used just for that recipe, and eating a fresh bowl of still-warm pudding made an ordinary Tuesday feel special.

And though it still does always seem like magic, the truth is that homemade pudding takes just one pot and a few minutes of attentive stirring. It’s a recipe that anyone can master.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cream Bowls give me the same feeling of simple magic, but have a rich texture that is entirely their own. The caramel layer is a creamy surprise at the bottom of a thick layer of chocolate. A couple pinches of salt balance things out.

But divided into small bowls, this dessert is just indulgent enough to feel really special.

If you’ve been reading for a while you may know that making homemade caramel is not my favorite. I have a terrible habit of looking away just at the moment that the caramel starts to burn. Cleaning burned caramel out of a pan is the stuff of food blogger nightmares.

So I take my favorite short-cut. Trader Joe’s makes the most lovely Dulce de Leche which is my go-to in these bowls.

Any store-bought caramel sauce will work just fine. And if you’ve got mad caramel skills, by all means, make it yourself.

And come give me a lesson!

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4.2 from 5 votes

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cream Bowls

With just five ingredients and easily made ahead, these rich, creamy, chocolate bowls with a layer of salted caramel in the bottom are a favorite to serve for guests or just have tucked in the fridge for a weeknight treat.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time25 mins

Course: Dessert, Gluten-Free

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp Butter, unsalted*
• 8 oz Dark or Milk Chocolate, finely chopped (preferably high quality baking chocolate)
• 1 1/4 cup Heavy / Whipping Cream
• 1/2 cup Caramel Sauce**
• Large Grain Salt, like Maldon

Instructions

• Before you start cooking, set out 6 small bowls, ramekins or even coffee cups. Fill a saucepan with about 2 inches of water. Place a glass bowl on top of the saucepan, making sure that the bottom of the glass bowl isn't touching the water. (See photos above or just use a double boiler if you have one).
• Place saucepan over medium heat until water begins to simmer. Combine butter and chocolate in glass bowl and place the bowl over simmering water. Melt, stirring continuously until chocolate is fully melted. Remove from heat and slowly add cream, while stirring. Stir until cream is fully incorporated and chocolate appears shiny and smooth.
• Spoon caramel into the bottom of the bowls (if it is super thick, microwave it for a few seconds to soften). Top caramel with a pinch of salt. Pour chocolate mixture over caramel.
• Refrigerate bowls for 30 minutes, until they are beginning to set. Add a sprinkle of salt on top. Return bowls to refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• Serve chilled.
• The bowls can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Notes

*If you use salted butter, it's a good idea to skip the added salt in the recipe to avoid a dessert that is too salty.
**You can use any type of caramel here. Homemade works well, but I usually just go for store-bought. My favorite is Trader Joe's Dulce de Leche because it is thick and creamy and super convenient.

Molly and Clara had a berry picnic after this photo shoot, complete with pjs and tutus.