These super easy Dark Chocolate Orange Brownies are deliciously fudgy and decadent. They are packed with fresh Orange and intense Dark Chocolate flavours to create an irresistible treat.
This recipe was first published in September 2019 and updated in September 2022.
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Why we love this recipe
If you love the combination of fresh, citrusy Oranges and intense Dark Chocolate, you will love these Dark Chocolate Orange Brownies. They have an incredibly fudgy texture and decadent taste. Trust me, you will keep coming back for more!
This recipe is great because:
- It is super easy to make in one bowl - no hand mixer or stand mixer needed.
- The brownies are made with dark cooking chocolate, not cocoa powder, so they are a delicious and intense chocolate flavours with super fudgy texture.
- The cake is packed with fresh orange flavours with both the orange zest and fresh orange juice used inside the brownie batter and the thin slices of oranges used as a topping.
If you love Chocolate and Orange together, also try my Chocolate Orange Cheesecake, Chocolate Orange Mousse and Chocolate Orange Tartlets!
Ingredients
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- Chocolate: 70% Dark Chocolate recommended. Make sure to use proper cooking (or baking) chocolate such as a cooking chocolate bar; not chocolate chips or a chocolate candy bar that will not melt well.
- Butter: Unsalted Butter. It can be used straight from the fridge as it will get melted with the chocolate.
- Sugar: an equal mix of Brown Sugar and White Caster Sugar for the perfect combination of slightly chewy and shiny brownies that are also deliciously fudgy. If preferred, you can use only brown sugar or only white sugar.
- Eggs: medium to large eggs, at room temperature.
- Orange: fresh Orange Zest and freshly squeezed Orange Juice are both used inside the brownies batter. Optionally, you can also top the cake with thin slices of oranges to finish it.
- Flour: Plain / All-Purpose Flour, mixed with Salt and preferably sifted before use to avoid any lumps.
Optional Additions
You can add more chocolate chunks inside the brownie batter for those gooey pools of chocolate. For a stronger orange flavour, add a few drops of Orange Extract to the mixture.
For more complex flavours, you could also use some Vanilla Extract and / or Instant Coffee Powder (melted with the chocolate).
How to make Orange Brownies
- Preheat your oven on 180 degree Celsius / 350 degree Fahrenheit. Prepare a 20cm (8-inch) Square Baking Pan by greasing it with a little bit of butter or oil and lining it with baking paper / parchment paper.
- Start by preparing all of your ingredients, including zesting and juicing the oranges.
- Photo 1: Finely chop the Cooking Chocolate Bar and place it in a heatproof bowl along with the cubed Butter.
- Photo 2: Melt the chocolate and butter over a double boiler or in the microwave (in 30 seconds increments). When completely smooth, set aside to cool down.
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To make a double boiler, place a small saucepan with a little bit of water at the bottom on the stove. Turn on low to medium heat and place the heatproof bowl with the chocolate and butter over it. Make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Gently stir until the ingredients have melted.
- Photo 3: in a separate large mixing bowl, combine the Brown Sugar, Caster Sugar, Eggs and Orange Zest.
- Photo 4: Whisk for a couple of minutes or until you can see small bubbles on the surface.
No need to whisk for long here. You want to avoid adding too many air bubbles into the batter which would make the orange chocolate brownies rise in the oven and turn less fudgy.
- Photo 5: Stir in the melted Chocolate Mixture (make sure it isn't too hot anymore) and Orange Juice. Mix until smooth and shiny.
- Photo 6: add the sifted Flour and Salt. Mix until just combine, stopping as soon as the flour has been incorporated to avoid over-mixing the batter.
Optionally, you could also fold in some extra chocolate chunks for a more gooey brownies.
- Photo 7: Pour the brownie batter over the prepared tin and gently spread it around.
- Photo 8: optionally, place some thin slices of oranges cut in half over the raw batter.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the centre of the brownies is just set.
- Place on a wire cooling rack and leave to cool down completely before lifting out of the pan. Cut into 9 slices.
The chocolate orange brownies will be quite soft when they just come out of the oven. It might break apart if you try to remove it from the baking pan while still hot.
Recipe FAQs
The use of high fat (coming from more butter and chocolate) and more moisture (from brown sugar) will make your brownies more dense and fudgy.
Chewy brownies are usually made with white sugar (instead of brown sugar) and have a little bit more flour and egg. They often use cocoa powder instead of chocolate) and eggs. These brownies are a bit less dense and have more of a bite than fudgy brownies.
My personal favourite is a 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate, which will give you a super intense chocolate flavour. You could use a slightly less dark chocolate if preferred, but I don't recommend using Milk Chocolate for this recipe.
For the best results, make sure to use proper Cooking Chocolate (either coming in the form of a chocolate bar or chocolate drops / callets). Not chocolate chips or a candy bar that will not melt properly and will give you a grainier texture.
Although a freshly juiced orange will give you the best fresh flavours, you can also use store-bought orange juice if preferred. Make sure to use an orange juice that is 100% oranges, without any added sugar.
Tips for Success
- If using a Chocolate Bar, finely chop the chocolate before melting it. This will help the chocolate melt more quickly and decrease the risk of burning it.
- For extra fudgy chocolate orange brownies, substitute the caster sugar for more brown sugar. For more chewy brownies with a shiny, crackling crust, replace the brown sugar with more white sugar.
- Top the brownies with Candied Oranges instead of fresh orange slices for a sweeter treat. You could also finely chop candied orange peels and add them inside the brownie batter.
Storing & Freezing
These chocolate orange brownies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They will actually become more and more fudgy as the days go by! They can be stored in the fridge if preferred but will be more dense and hard.
To freeze, leave the brownies to cool down completely. Wrap in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminium foil and freeze on a flat tray until hard. Leave at room temperature overnight to thaw.
More Brownies Recipes
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Recipe
Chocolate Orange Brownies
Ingredients
- 200 gr (7 oz) Dark Cooking Chocolate - 70% Cacao
- 120 gr (1/2 cup) Unsalted Butter
- 80 gr (1/3 cup) Brown Sugar
- 80 gr (1/3 cup) Caster Sugar
- 3 Eggs - medium size, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoon Orange Zest - about 2 medium oranges
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) Orange Juice - about 2 medium oranges
- 100 gr (2/3 cup) Plain / All-Purpose Flour
- 1/3 teaspoon Fine Salt
- 1 Orange - optional, for the topping
Disclaimer
I highly recommend using the measurements in grams & ml (instead of cups & spoons) for more accuracy and better results.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven on 180'C / 350'F. Line or Grease a 20cm / 8-inch Brownie Pan.
- Start by preparing all of your ingredients, including zesting and juicing the oranges.
- Finely chop the Dark Cooking Chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl with the Butter. Melt over a double boiler or in the microwave in 30 seconds increments until smooth. Set aside to cool down.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the Brown Sugar, Caster Sugar, Eggs and Orange Zest until slightly bubbly (see note 1)
- Add the Orange Juice and melted Chocolate / Butter mixture. Mix until combined.
- Sift in the Flour and Salt and mix until just combined (see note 2). Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan
- Optionally, thinly slice an orange and cut each slice in half. Place over the brownie batter.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the top of the brownies is set and shiny.
- Leave to cool down completely before removing from the pan and slicing (see note 3).
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Notes
- No need to whisk for long here. You want to avoid adding too many air bubbles into the batter which would make the orange chocolate brownies rise in the oven and turn less fudgy.
- Stop as soon as the flour has been incorporated to avoid overworking the cake batter, which would make the brownies more tough and dry.
- The brownies will be very soft when still warm and will break if you try to move or slice it before it has had time to cool down.
