Chocolate Orange Brownies {Fudgy}

Quick and easy chocolate orange brownies recipe with chocolate frosting, homemade from scratch with simple ingredients. Rich, fudgy and decadent. Loaded with fresh orange zest, extract and orange slices.

When I was developing this recipe, I was a little worried that the use of oranges might give them a medicinal aftertaste but thankfully, that did not happen. The cocoa flavor compliments the citrus flavor perfectly. These are just as delicious as my Easy Orange Cake (With Marmalade) and Easy Orange Cookies (With Cake Mix) and even these Easy Orange Cupcakes.

Jump to:

• Key ingredients
• Variations
• How to make easy chocolate orange brownies recipe from scratch?
• Citrus brownie add-ins
• Tips and techniques
• Recipe FAQs
• Storage
• More homemade brownies
• Recipe

Key ingredients

• Orange- Used for decorative slices on top.
• Chocolate chips- To add more chocolatey, fudgy goodness.
• Butter- Melted with chocolate in the microwave.
• Sugar- For this recipe, granulated sugar is best.
• Eggs- Be sure they are at room temperature.
• Extracts and emulsion oil- You will use vanilla and orange extracts. Or you can use my preference of orange emulsion oil.
• Cocoa powder- The higher quality, the better the flavor.
• Flour- Use all-purpose for best results.
• Baking powder- Acts as a rising agent.

Variations

• Use semisweet or milk chocolate chips- For this recipe. I don't recommend using dark chocolate chips since it's too bitter and over-whelms the overall flavor.
• Enhance the citrus flavor- Pair with my Easy Orange Frosting (Buttercream Icing) instead of chocolate frosting.
• White chocolate version- Stir in about ⅓ cup white chocolate chips in the batter and top off the brownies with this White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
• Instead of fresh orange slices- You can decorate with my Candied Orange Peel and Slices.
• Add a dusting- Of powdered sugar or cocoa powder instead of topping with icing .
• Increase tanginess- With something that has sour cream or cream cheese like this Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting, or this Easy Vanilla Sour Cream Frosting, or even this Cream Cheese Frosting.
• Use blood oranges- That are a darker color, so beautiful, and juicy.
• Substitute vanilla- For a different extract, such as maple, coconut, or almond to try a different flavor profile.

How to make easy chocolate orange brownies recipe from scratch?

Start by melting the butter and chocolate chips together in a microwave-safe bowl. Then use a mixer to blend in sugar, eggs, extracts, and zest. Once that becomes a smooth consistency, add in the cocoa powder, flour, and baking powder. Spread in a pan, bake, allow to cool, then decorate.

Citrus brownie add-ins

• Nuts- Such as roughly chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds, macadamia nuts.
• Coconut- Use shredded coconut that can be sweetened or unsweetened.
• Candies- Including chopped up candy bars, Reese's Pieces, or M&Ms like these Cake Mix Chocolate M&M Cookies.
• Chocolate chips-
• Espresso powder- This goes really well with chocolate and actually works to bring out its natural cocoa flavor. That's part of what makes these Coffee Cookies (Espresso Mocha Cookies) so delicious.
• Nutella- Add some of these chocolatey hazelnut butter or just make these Easy Nutella Brownies (3 Ingredients).
• Biscoff- Using this cookie butter in brownies is a game changer.
• Caramel- This can be in form of my Homemade Caramel Sauce swirled in the batter or caramel bits mixed into the batter.
• Dulce De Leche- Swirl some of this on top of the batter before baking.
• Cookies- Such as crushed Oreos or Biscoff cookies.
• Orange marmalade or jam- This increases the orange sweetness of these brownies and makes them even more fudgy.

Tips and techniques

• Don't omit- Cocoa powder or chocolate chips in this recipe. They are both required for the perfect fudgy brownie texture.
• I prefer using orange emulsion oil- Since it's stronger and doesn't evaporate while baking. However, if you don't have that, you can easily use orange extract instead.
• Don't omit the orange zest- Because it adds a wonderful fresh aroma to these brownies.
• Don't use wax paper to line the cake pan- Because the brownies stick to it and make a big mess. I suggest lining the pan with aluminum foil and spraying it with a little bit of oil. That makes it very easy to remove the brownies once they have cooled down completely.
• I prefer really fudgy brownies- To the point where they almost seem under-cooked. But if you are not fond of that, you can bake for a little longer.
• Brownies are ready when- A toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean with some crumbs. It should not be dripping with batter. If your inserted toothpick comes out dry, you have over-baked your brownies and they will have a more “cake-like” texture. If you enjoy this kind of texture and flavor, try my Texas Sheet Cake (From Scratch) too.
• Don't over-mix batter- Or else you will get dense, rubbery brownies.
• Careful not to over-bake- Because then they are dry and crumbly. 
• They are done when- An inserted toothpick in the center comes out with a few sticky crumbs. 
• Cut up the butter- Into cubes before melting to make it easier to handle and help it melt quicker.
• Use eggs that are room temperature- Because this helps all the ingredients mix together more smoothly.

Recipe FAQs

Storage

• Room temperature- These can be stored in a sealed container for 6-8 hours.
• Refrigerate- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
• Freeze- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container for up to 1 month.
• Make ahead- These can be made up to 3 days before serving if kept in a sealed container in the fridge or for up to 1 month if kept in a sealed container in the freezer. Then thaw and serve.

More homemade brownies

• Coffee Brownies (Mocha Espresso Brownies)
• Cake Mix Brownies (Fudgy)
• Nutella brownies (3 Ingredients)
• Black Bean Brownies
• Brownie Bowls

Recipe