These Decadent Chocolate Orange Brownies are everything a good brownie should be. With 3 types of chocolate, you know this will be rich and delicious. The added orange flavor brings this to a whole other level! They are topped with rich ganache and candied orange zest.
If you love brownies as much as I do, let me suggest a couple of other recipes you will really love. These spelt brownies are whole wheat brownie that is so fudgy and yummy! Fresh mint brownies are another tasty recipe with dark chocolate and fresh mint. Or, if you are looking for a higher protein option, how about these Peanut Butter Protein Brownies?
What Makes These Brownies So Good?
These are fudgy brownies. If you are looking for a cake brownie, this is not the recipe for you. These are dense and loaded with 3 types of chocolate.
I always think a good brownie needs to be rich and decadent. This recipe is developed with those 2 things in mind.
The orange undertones add a little brightness and perfectly compliments the rich chocolate. Chocolate orange combos have been around forever. This recipe makes good use of this combo.
Ingredients
- Semi-sweet chocolate chunks- You can also use dark chocolate here.
- Unsweetened Chocolate- I used Baker's chocolate for this recipe.
- Unsalted Butter- This does not need to be room temp as you will melt this with the chocolate.
- Eggs
- Brown sugar- I love the depth of flavor in dark brown sugar.
- Granulated sugar- brown sugar for the brownie batter, granulated for the candied zest.
- Vanilla
- Flour- I use a combination of both all-purpose flour and whole wheat pastry flour. I love the nuttiness that whole wheat flours create.
- Cocoa powder- I love Hershey's special dark cocoa powder.
- Orange zest- This will be used in the brownies and on top of the candied orange zest.
- Heavy cream- optional. This is if you are adding ganache to the top as I did.
How To Make
Prep your pan- Start by lining your pan with parchment paper. This is the easiest way to quickly remove the brownies once they are baked. Cut the parchment paper the size of your 9x9 pan with a few inches of overhang.
Melt the butter and chocolate together- This is the unsweetened chocolate and half of the semi-sweet chocolate. Melt in 30-second intervals as you don't want to heat this too much. Mix until the chocolate is fully melted. Let it cool.
Beat eggs and brown sugar- This can be done with a stand or hand mixer. You can also mix this by hand, but it takes a lot of arm strength. Then add in the vanilla.
Add in melted chocolate- Pour in the melted chocolate and mix well.
Sift in dry ingredients- I like to sift them in as it keeps those annoying flour chunks out. I like to fold this in.
Pour into the pan and bake- One of the keys to getting a perfectly baked brownie is to NOT OVERBAKE.
Remove and cool- you will want the brownies to cool completely before topping. Gently lift the parchment paper from the pan and set it on a cooling rack.
Make candied orange zest- This is a pretty simple process. Cook the zest in a simple syrup (part water, part granulated sugar). Once they are cooked, dredge them in more granulated sugar.
Make ganache- Heat your heavy cream and pour it over the semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. Let this sit for a few minutes, then mix until it is smooth.
Garnishing The Brownies
It is time to finish off the brownies. You can leave them just like they are, but adding the ganache and candied orange zest adds another dimension you will love!
I cut my brownies into 12 pieces. They topped each with a small dollop of ganache.
Notes
- I used whole wheat pastry flour. If you do not have it or prefer not to use it, just use 1 cup of all-purpose flour.
- On the flip side, if you want to use all whole wheat flour, you can do that too. If you are using all whole wheat flour it is really important not to overbake. Wheat flour absorbs a lot of moisture and this will really affect the brownies as they bake.
- The ganache and candied orange zest are optional but really good!
- You can make the candied orange zest up to 3 days in advance- as long as you don't live in a humid climate.
- With the ganache topping, these brownies should be stored in the fridge. I like to store them in an airtight container. They will hold well for up to 3 days, but just know the candied zest will soften.
- You do not have to use parchment paper in your baking pan, but it really helps when removing the brownies from your pan.
2 factors really contribute to this. The first is the fat-to-flour ratio and the second is baking time. Baking time is often overlooked, but if they are overbaked they will dry out.
I don't recommend anything more than 25-30 minutes. If they overbake, they will dry out.
They are used for 2 things- first, they add structure when baking and secondly they work as an emulsifier.
Dark Chocolate Orange Brownie
Ingredients
- 4 ounces semi sweet chocolate, coarse chop
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarse chop
- ½ cup butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar I prefer dark brown for a little more intense flavor
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup all purpose flour If you prefer, you can skip the whole wheat flour and use 1 cup of all-purpose flour instrad.
- ½ cup whole wheat pastry flour I prefer the whole wheat pastry to a regular whole wheat here as it is lower in protein and give a softer crumb and texture. This is more desirable in baked goods like brownies.
- ¼ cup cocoa powder I love the Hershey's special dark. The color is just so beautiful!
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
Candied Orange Zest
- ¼ cup orange zest
- ½ cup water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar divided ½ cup for the simple syrup, and ¼ cup for the dusting.
Ganache
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Prep your 8x8 pan. I like to line with parchment, then spray. It is a little bit of an overkill, but I really like to know my baked goods will come out of the pan!
- Now, add your butter, unsweetened chocolate, and half the semi-sweet chunks to a microwavable bowl. I like to reserve half the semi-sweet to add in the last so you have chunks in your brownies. If you don't care about that, add them all at once. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Mix carefully and continue to microwave in 15-second intervals until the chocolate is mostly melted. Make sure and mix for about 30 seconds after each interval. Once it is mostly melted, a few small chunks are great, set aside to cool.
- While it is cooling add eggs and brown sugar to a medium-sized bowl. Beat on high, or use your arm muscles and whisk, for several minutes. You want them to be kind of light. Add vanilla, salt, and melted chocolate mixture. Mix again until incorporated.
- Now, sift your cocoa powder and flour into your bowl. Fold this in. Be careful not to over-mix. This shouldn't take very long. Last is the orange zest, fold this in as well.
- Pour into prepared pan and place in oven.
- Mine took about 30 minutes to bake. This is a thicker brownie. You will see the top will be dried out, and slightly cracked and brownies will pull away from the edges of the pan just a bit.
- Remove from pan and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, if you can stand it, to cool. Carefully lift brownies from the pan if you used parchment. Place on a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least another 10 minutes, then remove the parchment as well.
- Top each brownie with a tablespoon or so of the ganache, then add some orange zest as well.
Candied Oranges
- Add water and sugar to small sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add orange zest and boil over medium low for about 7-10 minutes.Remove zest with a fork or tongs and add to reserved sugar. Mix to coat. Set aside to cool.It's ready to use at this point.
Ganache
- Place chocolate in a small bowl. Heat butter and milk over medium heat on the cooktop in a small saucepan. You will want to bring this to just under a boil. Pour the milk mixture over the chocolate.
- Allow this to sit for about 5 minutes. Once it has set and the chocolate is starting to melt, whisk. Get it nice and smooth. You might need to throw it in the microwave for 10-20 seconds. Get it nice and smooth. It is ready to go at this point. I let mine cool just a touch, so it was a little thicker when I spread it on.
Notes
- I used whole wheat pastry flour. If you do not have it or prefer not to use it, just use 1 cup of all-purpose flour.
- On the flip side, if you want to use all whole wheat flour, you can do that too. If you are using all whole wheat flour it is really important not to overbake. Wheat flour absorbs a lot of moisture and this will really affect the brownies as they bake.
- The ganache and candied orange zest are optional but really good!
- You can make the candied orange zest up to 3 days in advance- as long as you don't live in a humid climate.
- With the ganache topping, these brownies should be stored in the fridge. I like to store them in an airtight container. They will hold well for up to 3 days, but just know the candied zest will soften.
- You do not have to use parchment paper in your baking pan, but it really helps when removing the brownies from your pan.
Victoria says
Delicious !!!
Love the recipe. It is definitely a keeper!!!
admin says
Thank you so much! I am glad you liked them. It has quickly become a favorite in our house as well!