Chocolate Orange Brownies
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These chocolate orange brownies are fudgy, rich and packed with real orange flavor! Made with just 10 simple ingredients and all in one bowl, no mixer required!
Based on my recipe for the gooiest brownies ever, these chocolate orange brownies are made with just cocoa powder. No need to melt any chocolate, and fewer dishes is always a win for me!
These brownies are loaded with real orange flavor thanks to orange zest. Plus adding chocolate chips makes these brownies are extra chocolatey!
I love making chocolate orange brownies around the holiday season but you can easily make them all year round!
Why You’ll Love These Chocolate Orange Brownies
- These chocolate orange brownies are made with dutch cocoa powder, giving them a rich chocolatey flavor!
- The brownie batter is mixed with fresh orange zest, giving you that citrusy taste.
- You don’t need a mixer to make these brownies, just a bowl and a mixing utensil!
Ingredients Needed
- Orange Zest: feel free to use whatever type of oranges you have on hand! Just make sure when you’re zesting the orange you don’t get any pith in the brownie batter (the white part) since that can be bitter.
- Butter: you can use regular butter or dairy free butter.
- Cocoa Powder: I prefer to use dutch processed cocoa powder, but you can also use unsweetened natural cocoa powder in a pinch!
- Flour: I recommend using all purpose flour here.
- Chocolate Chips: I like using semisweet chocolate chips here but you can use whatever type of chocolate you like! You can also chop up a chocolate bar.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°Fahrenheit and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. Make sure you leave some parchment paper hanging over the sides, this will make it easier to remove the brownies!
Step 2: Melt the butter in the microwave or in a small pan on the stove. Pour the melted butter to a medium bowl.
Step 3: Add the white sugar and light brown sugar and whisk them with the butter. Keep whisking until the mixture looks like a paste and starts to pull away from the bowl. This is going to give you that crinkly top!
Step 4: Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk again. Then mix in the orange zest.
Step 5: Pour in the cocoa powder, flour and salt and whisk until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Step 6: Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan.
Step 7: Bake for 28-40 minutes. I recommend having a look at the brownies at 28 minutes and inserting a toothpick in the middle. The brownies should be crinkly on top and the toothpick should come out with wet crumbs (but not wet batter).
Step 8: Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before taking out and slicing.
Expert Tips
- I always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out your flour and cocoa powder. It is super easy to add too much flour and cocoa powder, giving you dry brownies!
- If you want more of an orange flavor you can chop up a Terry’s chocolate orange and use that instead of chocolate chips! You can also sprinkle over extra orange zest on top of the brownies before eating.
- When whisking the butter with the sugars, make sure you whisk until it forms a thick paste! This is going to help give you that crinkly top that we all love.
- Let these chocolate orange brownies cool completely before slicing. If they’re still warm they will fall apart when slicing!
Storage Instructions
Store the unsliced brownies in their pan covered with tinfoil for 3-4 days. Once sliced, store them at room temperature in an airtight container.
You can also freeze the brownies. Wrap them tightly then place in a freezer bag. Thaw at room temperature.
More Recipes You’ll Love
If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Chocolate Orange Brownies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (158 g) butter, melted, (regular or dairy free)
- 3/4 cup (150 g) light brown sugar
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons orange zest
- 3/4 cup (64.5 g) cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons (79 g) all-purpose flour, SEE NOTES
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate, (regular or vegan)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper. Leave parchment paper hanging over the sides of the pan so that you can easily remove the brownies from the pan later.
- Melt the butter in the microwave or in a small pan over the stove. Transfer the melted butter to a medium sized bowl.
- Add in both the sugars and use a whisk to whisk the butter and sugars together. Keep whisking until the mixture resembles a paste that pulls away cleanly from the side of the bowl when you mix it. (this contributes to the crinkly top in the brownies)
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix again. Mix in the orange zest.
- Pour the dry ingredients (cocoa powder, salt, and flour) into the bowl and mix with the whisk until just combined (it should only take about a minute). Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the lined baking pan using a spatula to scrape all the batter out of the bowl.
- Bake for 28-40 minutes*. Begin checking the brownies at 28 minutes by inserting a toothpick in the middle. The top of the brownies should be crinkly and the toothpick should not come out clean (over-baking the brownies will make them tough). The brownies are ready when the toothpick has a few wet crumbs, but not wet batter.
- Let the brownies cool completely before slicing (they need time to set and if you cut them too early they will make a gooey mess). Sprinkle more orange zest on top if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
Hi Gabby,
Thank you for this recipe l! Since I think chocolate and orange are a magical combination, I’m sure I will love these. However, I’m trying to cut back on sugar. Will it adversely affect the recipe if I cut back on the white sugar?
Yes, I developed this recipe with those exact sugar measurements so I can’t recommend changing it, but if you give it try, let us know how it worked for you!
When you write, “Store un-sliced in the pan, covered tightly with tinfoil 3-4 days,” store where? On the counter? In the refrigerator? Thanks.
Under the storage instructions section, you’ll find more details: they can be stored at room temperature or frozen.
Chocolate oranges are a holiday staple in my family and these brownies were a game changer! Everyone who tried them kept going around telling everyone else they had to go give them a try. They were a huge hit and will be in my recipe collection for the rest of time! Thank you so much!
Love to hear this! Thank you Hannah!
Great!
This looks very yummy! I wonder if I could freeze it for later? If so, how to serve it after freezing? TIA
Hi Anna! You can freeze them, yes. To freeze, wrap the them tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap again in tinfoil and place in a large freezer ziploc bag. Bring to room temperature to thaw before serving. Enjoy!