Ultimate Double Chocolate Brownies - The way brownies are SUPPOSED to be!
Originally posted July 7, 2011. Updated 12/5/2020
These Double Chocolate Brownies are brownies the way they’re SUPPOSED to be - Dense, chewy - not cakey - and super rich. I have *opinions*!
You may have gathered by now: I'm kind of opinionated.
Ok, more than kind of - REALLY opinionated.
When it comes to brownies, it's no different. There's a lot of stuff out there that passes itself off as "brownie", when it's just... not. Let me preach for a moment...
You see, brownies aren't cake. They're not supposed to be cake.
I'm not even big on chocolate, but am constantly disappointed when "brownie" ends up being just sort of a chocolate cake. Brownies should be relatively thin, rich, moist, and dense.
DENSE IS A REQUIREMENT.
Leavening ingredients don't belong in a proper brownie recipe. Disagree? Too bad, this is my blog! 🙂
Brownies are about the easiest baked good you can make - you don't even need a mixer, just stir the ingredients together in a bowl and you're done.
No whipping, creaming... nothing. Stir it, dump it in a pan and bake it. Done. Love it.
This recipe makes a 9 x 13" pan worth of chocolate, gooey, awesome brownies.
While these brownies are fantastic on their own, there are ALWAYS options!
Ultimate Brownie Variations
Double Chocolate Walnut Brownies
Swap out half of the chocolate chunks / chips for walnuts.
Candy Brownies
Swap out half of the chocolate chunks / chips for a candy coated chocolate - Smarties, M & Ms, Reese’s Pieces, etc.
Coffee Chip Brownies
Use a mortar and pestle to rough crush ⅓ cup coffee beans of your choice. Add to the batter along with the chocolate chunks / chips.
Black Forest Brownies
Swap out half of the chocolate chunks / chips for chopped, well drained maraschino cherries.
Once brownies are cool, drizzle with melted white chocolate.
Cookies N Cream Brownies
Inspired by my Cookies N Cream Cake recipe...
Cut Chocolate chunks / chips down to 1 cup. Add 1 ½ cups crushed up Oreo cookies, along with the chocolate chips.
Optionally, drizzle cooled brownies with melted white chocolate.
Peanut Butter Pretzel Brownies
Swap out the chocolate chips/chunks for peanut butter chips. Add 1 ½ cups of broken pretzel pieces to the batter, along with the peanut butter chips.
Optionally, drizzle the cooled brownies with melted peanut butter chips or caramel.
Smores Brownies
Cut Chocolate chunks / chips down to 1 cup. Add 1 ½ cups broken up graham crackers, along with the chocolate chips.
After baking, follow “Rocky Road Brownies” directions, below.
Swap half of the chocolate chunks / chips out for chopped pecans. Add 1 cup soft caramel pieces into the batter. (You can sometimes buy these as little balls, otherwise just cut up unwrapped Kraft type caramels)
Drizzle baked brownies with melted caramel and sprinkle with more chopped pecans. Optionally, drizzle melted milk chocolate over top of the caramel and pecans.
Brownie Frostings & Toppings
Easy Brownie Icing
3 tablespoon butter
¼ cup heavy cream or half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons cocoa
2-3 cups powdered sugar
Melt butter together with cream in small saucepan.
Add vanilla and cocoa to cream mixture, stir until smooth.
Gradually stir in powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. Spread over cooled brownies.
Mocha Brownie Icing
3 tablespoon butter
½ cup heavy cream or half and half
3 tablespoon coffee beans
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons cocoa
2-4 cups powdered sugar
Melt butter together with cream in small saucepan.
Add coffee beans. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat. Allow coffee beans to steep for 5-10 minutes. Strain.
Add vanilla and cocoa to cream mixture, stir until smooth.
Gradually stir in powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. Spread over cooled brownies.
Rocky Road Brownies
Mini Marshmallows
Chocolate chips
Chopped walnuts or pecans
Allow freshly baked brownies to cool for 15 minutes or so.
Sprinkle mini marshmallows over the top, completely covering the surface with a single layer of marshmallowy goodness.
Sprinkle chocolate chips and chopped walnuts over the marshmallows, using as much or as little as you'd like.
Return brownies to the oven, broiled for a few minutes, until the top is nicely toasted. Be sure to keep a CLOSE EYE on it, they will burn easily!
"Jacked Up" Rocky Road Brownies
"Jacked Up" Rocky Road Brownies was a recipe / serving suggestion we'd do with my "Jacked Up Java" Caffinated Brownie Mix, back in the day.
Follow the directions for Rocky Road Brownies (Ideally with the Coffee Bean variation in the actual brownies), but with one small change:
Before making the brownies, rough crush a couple tablespoon of coffee beans with a mortar and pestle.
Sprinkle the crushed coffee beans over the marshmallows, along with the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.
More Chocolate Recipes
Looking for a tasty ways to indulge your inner chocoholic? I've got you covered!
Chewy Black Forest Cookies
Chocolate Dessert Ravioli
Chocolate Fondues and Fountains
Cookies N Cream Cake
Creme de Menthe Nanaimo Bars
Dark Chocolate Coffee Truffles
Grownup Hot Chocolate & Hot Cocoa
Homemade Deep N' Delicious Cake
Milk Chocolate Chai Truffles
Peppermint Patties
Puffed Wheat Squares
Share the Love!
Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @CelebrationGenerationCA - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!
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Well, the published nonsense, anyway!
Ultimate Double Chocolate Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup cocoa
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup butter melted
- 2 cups chocolate chunks Or chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare 9 x 13 pan ( or two 8 x 8” pans) with pan spray or shortening.
- In large mixing bowl, combine first five ingredients. Add beaten eggs and melted butter, stir until dry ingredients are well incorporated and wet.
- Add chocolate chunks, stir until evenly distributed in the batter.
- Spread batter into prepared pan(s), Bake for 20 – 25 minutes for 8 x 8” pans, or 30-35 mins for 9 x 13” pan. Brownies are done when knife inserted into center comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before cutting into squares. Enjoy!
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