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    Home » Recipes » Madeleines

    Chocolate Madeleines

    October 14, 2019 by Amee 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Since Halloween is coming up, I wanted to make something DEEP, DARK chocolate. I think these Chocolate Madeleines fit the bill nicely!

    Chocolate Madeleines with valentine's day sprinkles on a white plate.

    This post may contain affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I’ll never link to anything I don’t use and love! Click here for full disclosure and privacy policy.

    These Chocolate Madeleines are tender little cakes, and are super chocolatey thanks to dark chocolate and black cocoa powder! Because there's no such thing as too much chocolate, I went ahead and dipped them in MORE dark chocolate!

    If you enjoy this recipe, check out the posts for my Death by Chocolate Cupcakes, Chocolate Ganache Cake, and Gingerbread Madeleines!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • FAQ
    • Other Recipes You May Like
    • Dark Chocolate Madeleines
    • 💬 Comments
    Scoops of chocolate madeleine batter in a madeleine pan.

    Ingredients

    • Unsalted Butter - For moisture and richness. Unsalted so that you control the amount of salt in the recipe.
    • Bittersweet Chocolate - For flavor. I used bittersweet (60% cacao) chocolate because I wanted the madeleines to be as dark and deeply flavored as possible.
    • Powdered Sugar - For sweetness and keeping the madeleines soft and moist.
    • Flour - To provide structure to the madeleines. I used all-purpose flour.
    • Black Cocoa Powder - Using black cocoa powder gives you that deep, dark chocolate color and flavor. It's not an ingredient that's easy to find, but you can buy it here. You can substitute with dutch-process cocoa, the madeleines just won't be as dark in color.
    • Salt - To balance and enhance the flavor of the madeleines.
    • Egg Whites - Provides structure for the madeleines. You want your egg whites to be at room temperature.
    • Chocolate Extract - For flavor. Chocolate extract lends a delicious depth of flavor to chocolate baked goods! If you can't find it in your local grocery store, you can find some here. Even better, make yourself some Homemade Chocolate Extract for next time!

    Tip: If you're concerned about having leftover egg yolks, check out my post 15+ Recipes Using Yolks! The post gives tips on saving them for later (you can freeze them!) and >15 recipes to use them in!

    Chocolate Madeleines with Halloween sprinkles on a black cooling rack.

    Instructions

    Madeleines are refined and elegant...but that doesn't mean that they're hard to make! Just follow these simple steps and you'll be impressing your family and friends with madeleines in no time! (Ingredient amounts and more detailed instructions are included in the recipe card below!)

    • Combine butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Microwave until smooth, then set aside to cool slightly.
    • Sift dry ingredients together and set aside.
    • In a large bowl, whisk egg whites and chocolate extract until frothy. Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
    • Add the melted chocolate mixture and stir with a spatula just until combined.
    • Portion batter into the pan. I used my medium cookie scoop for each madeleine. Once portioned, place the pan and the bowl with the remaining batter in the refrigerator and chill for one hour.
    • After chilling, bake madeleines for about 12 minutes. Cool in the pan for 1-2 minutes, then turn the madeleines out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
    • Since the remaining batter was already refrigerated, there is no need to chill the batter in the pan after portioning the next batch. Just be sure to keep any unused batter in the refrigerator so you don't have to wait another hour. For best results, chill the pan between batches!
    • If desired, dip each cooled madeleine in melted chocolate or drizzle the chocolate over the top. If you'd like to add sprinkles, add them before the chocolate sets so that they will stick.

    Hint: Chilling the batter before use helps the madeleines hold their beautiful shell-like shape, and to get their signature "bump" on the back!

    Chocolate Madeleines with Halloween sprinkles on a white plate.

    Substitutions

    Instead of Black Cocoa - Black cocoa will give you the deepest flavor and the darkest color. If you don't have it on-hand or prefer not to buy it, you can use dark (dutch process) cocoa instead.

    Instead of Chocolate Extract - If you don't have/don't want to use chocolate extract in the recipe, you can either omit it entirely, or substitute it with an equal measure of vanilla extract.

    Equipment

    Madeleine Pan - You can't make those adorable madeleines without one! This is the one that I use here. It's a standard size madeleine pan. If you choose to make mini madeleines you'll need to reduce the baking time.

    Cookie Scoop - I use my medium (1.5 Tablespoons) cookie scoop to portion out the batter. It's definitely not a necessity, but it does help you to keep them more uniform in size and to keep your hands clean.

    Storage

    Madeleines are best the day they're baked, but will keep in an airtight container on your counter for about two days.

    Madeleines can also be frozen (*before* being dipped in chocolate)! Just cool completely after baking, wrap well, and freeze for up to two months! Thaw them out when you need them and then dip them in chocolate before serving.

    Chocolate Madeleines with Christmas sprinkles on a white plate.

    FAQ

    Do I have to use a madeleine pan?

    There's no way around it...to make madeleines, you need a madeleine pan! Once you have one, you'll be whipping up madeleines all the time because they're so easy!

    Can I make madeleines in advance?

    Yes! You can make the batter up to a day in advance and bake it when you need it! For longer-term storage: bake, cool completely, wrap well, and freeze for up to two months!

    Other Recipes You May Like

    • Black Velvet Cupcakes on a white background.
      Black Velvet Cupcakes
    • Gingerbread Madeleines
    • Slice of Chocolate Ganache Cake with a blackberry on top.
      Chocolate Ganache Cake
    • Slice of Chocolate Champagne Cake on two stacked black plates with the rest of the cake and a glass of champagne in the background.
      Chocolate Champagne Cake

    Dark Chocolate Madeleines

    Amee
    These Dark Chocolate Madeleines are tender and suuuuper chocolatey thanks to bittersweet chocolate and black cocoa powder! I should have called them Midnight Madeleines!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 12 minutes mins
    Chill Time 1 hour hr
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Madeleines
    Servings 36 madeleines
    Calories 97 kcal

    Equipment

    • Standard Madeleine Pan
    • Medium (1.5 Tbsp) Cookie Scoop
    Prevent your screen from going dark while you bake!

    Ingredients
     
     

    Dark Chocolate Madeleines:

    • 10 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used 60% cacao)
    • 1½ cups powdered sugar
    • ½ cup flour
    • ½ cup black cocoa powder (see note)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 6 egg whites, at room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon chocolate extract (see note)

    Garnish (optional):

    • 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used 60% cacao)

    Instructions
     

    For Madeleines:

    • Grease a standard madeleine pan (see note). Set aside.
    • Combine butter and chocolate in a medium, heatproof bowl. Microwave on 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst, until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
    • In a medium bowl, sift togther dry ingredients (powdered sugar, flour, black cocoa powder [see note], and salt). Set aside.
    • In a large bowl, whisk egg whites and chocolate extract (see note) until frothy. Add dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
    • Add the melted chocolate mixture and stir with a spatula until combined.
    • Portion batter into pan. I used my medium cookie scoop (see note) for each madeleine. Once portioned, place the pan and the bowl with the remaining batter in the refrigerator. Chill for one hour (see note).
    • After chilling, preheat oven to 375° F. Bake madeleines for about 12 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Cool in the pan for 1-2 minutes, then turn the madeleines out onto a wire rack to col completely.
    • Since the remaining batter was already refrigerated, there is no need to chill the batter in the pan after portioning the next batch. Just be sure to keep any unused batter in the refrigerator so you don't have to wait another hour. For best results, chill the pan between batches!

    For Garnish (optional):

    • If desired, melt another 2 oz. of chocolate in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst, until smooth. Dip each madeleine in the chocolate or drizzle the chocolate over the top. I chose to add some festive sprinkles to mine, too. 🙂
      Enjoy!

    Notes

    Note on black cocoa: Black cocoa gives you that deep, dark chocolate color and flavor. If you can't find black cocoa in your local grocery store (I never can), you can find it here or use dutch-process cocoa to substitute.
    Note on chocolate extract: I highly recommend this (sometimes overlooked) extract! It lends amazing depth of flavor to chocolate baked goods! If you can't find it in your local grocery store, you can find some here. Even better, make yourself some Homemade Chocolate Extract for next time!
    Note on madeleine pan: If you're in the market for a madeleine pan, this is the one that I use here. It's a standard size madeleine pan. If you choose to make mini madeleines you'll need to reduce the baking time.
    Note on cookie scoop: I use my medium cookie scoop to portion out the batter. This helps me to keep them more uniform in size and to keep my hands clean. If you're using a spoon, you'll want about 1.5 tablespoons of batter for each madeleine.
    Note on chilling madeleine batter: Don't skip this step! Chilling the batter before use helps the madeleines hold their beautiful shell-like shape and to form their signature "bump" on the back!

    Nutrition Estimate

    Serving: 1 madeleineCalories: 97kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 1gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 27mgPotassium: 74mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 100IUCalcium: 8mgIron: 1mg

    Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate.

    Tried this recipe?I'd love to hear all about it! Leave a review below, then snap a pic and tag me on Instagram!
    Text "Click to shop my Amazon storefront" with images of baking tools and ingredients.

    More Madeleine Recipes from Scratch

    • Lemon Lavender Madeleines

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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    1. Gwen

      October 16, 2022 at 9:58 pm

      5 stars
      We just loved how dark these are! Fantastic chocolate flavor.

      Reply
      • Amee

        October 17, 2022 at 9:05 am

        That black cocoa really makes a difference! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, and thanks for your review, Gwen!

        Reply
    2. CathyT

      January 03, 2023 at 7:47 am

      5 stars
      Made these for Christmas, need to make them again soon!

      Reply
      • Amee

        January 04, 2023 at 7:09 am

        So happy to hear you enjoyed the madeleines, Cathy! Thanks so much for your review!

        Reply

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