It’s pretty sad to have boxed fudge brownies as my comparison point, huh? But I used to love those dumb boxed chocolate brownies and haven’t had them in years. Do you know that besides the preservatives and other nasty ingredients, they all still have trans fats in them?! (I just checked again recently!)
These easy homemade chocolate brownies are adapted from the back of a Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate bar. By the way, there’s no vanillin in their chocolate but there is soy lecithin… 
I used a natural sugar, cut the sugar back a little, and also doubled it to make a 9×13. These really do taste as good as boxed!
Homemade Fudge Brownies
- 1 c. butter (or you could use palm oil shortening)
- 8 oz. semisweet chocolate baking bar (2 Ghirardelli bars)
- 1 2/3 c. palm or coconut sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder (I use aluminum free)
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 3/4 c. flour (I used part unbleached white and part whole wheat)
- 2/3 c. chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli)
Preheat oven to 350*. Butter and dust with flour around a 9×13 glass or stainless steel baking pan. (Or halve this recipe for an 8×8.) In a heavy large saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring as it gets smooth. Remove from heat and cool. Stir in sugar, vanilla and eggs and mix well. Add in flour, salt and baking powder and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter evenly into the pan and bake for 25-40 minutes (depends on how much oven temps might vary), until the middle is set but not too firm or they’ll be dry. (Less time for an 8×8.)
Let me know what you think when you try them! If you have a different homemade brownie recipe, please share it with us in the comments.
We had these brownies with homemade vanilla ice cream, and homemade real whipped cream, yum!- These other homemade brownies that I posted previously are really good, but more cake-like and with a cream cheese filling.
- More homemade dessert recipes that are at least a little better for you…
- Have you tried the baked oatmeal recipe yet? It’s like dessert for breakfast!
- Check out the comments at this Valentines Day/Organic Chocolates post for loads of information on anything you ever wondered about chocolate!
$40 worth of Safe Sexy Stainless Steel!
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
Yum! My kids will be so happy to have their beloved brownies back!
Since I don’t have palm sugar on hand, is it okay to substitute organic sugar?
Any sugar will be fine, I just like to use the more natural sugars when I can.
i recently made a brownie recipe with coconut flour so it was gluten free. it had that typical coconut flour texture to it, but they were good. i’d eat them daily if they were around. not as good as regular brownies, but i don’t complain about moist chocolate treats.
did i miss the post where you explain why you’re down with palm oil products? what’s the big fuss over palm oil and ruining animal habitats and how do you justify your use of these products the rest of the “green” world is having a tantrum about?
Jenna,
I’m not very ‘green’, to tell you the truth. The only stuff I’m “greenish” on are those things that relate to nutrition, although I did finally start recycling a few years ago! Pretty sad, huh? If you’d like to point me to a post to educate me on this, feel free.
Kel
I do think butter is a better choice.
I wrote a Q & A post a while back and answered this question about palm oil — you can read it here:
http://www.cheeseslave.com/2011/01/23/cheeseslave-q-a-january-23-2011/
Kel- Have you tried making these brownies with 100% sprouted flour (sifted)? I bet they would be just as good. I prefer sprouted flour. Unsoaked white or wheat flour gives me gas!
Yes, I used butter, so I prob wouldn’t switch unless I was out!
I’m down to my last flour and have to sprout and grind more this week. The problem is, I think I’m drying my grains too long after sprouting or something, because the flour gives my baked goods an ‘off’ taste, sort of like burned but not that strong. I’m going to order sprouted flour from our sponsor and try that next! (OR dry them in my dehydrator that my friend gave me!)
Wow, kelly…these are sooo pretty.
I was going to ask you…no worries, no hurry….how about macarooms?? I saw some in a magazine and for the life of me couldn’t figure out “how do I translate this into a WP recipe?” Can one use Stevia, too?
You make it look easier than I thought.
Hugs.
Karen
Hi Karen!
There’s a coconut macaroons recipe in Nourishing Traditions!
These sound too good!!! I am going to try it using gluten free sourdough. Our family does so much better on sourdough than conventional flours.
Carolyn
My favorite fudge brownie recipe comes from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. It calls for 2 oz unsweetened chocolate, which I have always substituted with cocoa. Here is the recipe as I make it. It could be improved by WAPF standards, I’m sure!
These brownies really are the best I’ve tasted. They have the right amount of moisture. I once gave a china platter as a wedding present, topped with a double batch of these covered with fudge as a frosting. The guests preferred them to the wedding cake.
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
6 T cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts and or choc chips – optional
dash salt – my addition
Whisk flour, cocoa and salt together. Heat up butter until liquid. Mix butter with sugar to cool it off. Mix eggs and vanilla into butter-sugar mixture. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix well. Pour into 8×8 pan. Bake @ 350F for 30 minutes. Let cool in pan. Invert onto plate and cut into 16 squares.
It just occurred to me that posting that recipe might have been rude. I apologize.
Not at all, I asked for your recipes! I like to see how people make things differently.
Are your brownies Kal approved? I still LOVE that video, he is so familiar, like one of my kids! But your brownies really do look delish, really delish. I just might have to show my oldest daughter. She wants to bake something for Easter. Have a happy Easter, Kelly!
Melissa, yes, they ARE Kal approved, LOL!
Happy Easter to you, too.
Why is vanillin bad? I guess I don’t know what it even is, just fake vanilla flavor?
I can’t remember exactly why it’s bad, I only know that Jane from the Feingold Association said to avoid it (other options aren’t too tricky to find) because it’s a fake additive/ingredient that causes issues in a lot of kids.
I made these the other day and they were really wonderful.. my gluten, completely non traditional eating bible study ate them up w/o a blink of an eye. I had to have my husband get one out for me because there was not going to be any left..
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2006/01/dark-chocolate-brownies.html
jen
I hate how chocolate chips have soy lecithin in them! I have found soy free chips before, but can we just chop up chocolate bars to use? Though would need a GF recipe anyway.
My chocolate bar of choice is Equal Exchange 71% dark chocolate. One of the best bars out there.
You reminded me to add a link to another post with lots of good info (mostly in the comment section) about chocolates and which are best, etc…
http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/02/chocolates-for-valentines-day-that-you-can-feel-good-about-fair-trade-organic-and-no-gmos.html
But yes, you could chop up a chocolate bar for “chips”!
BIG SIGH, Kel! I have been doing well giving up refined sugar for Lent and am hoping to keep it going afterwards. Considering my deep, abiding love for boxed brownies (that is completely blind to the ingredient list), you’re killin’ me here! :>) My birthday is Saturday, though, so I might whip these up and stick a candle in them…
[and I gotta admit, this has been the best Lent yet, even though I had lots of doubts about my ability to give up my treats. I knew I'd need help from above!]
Thanks for sharing! I’ve been using whole wheat pastry flour for all my non-bread baking with excellent results…just thought I’d share.
A blessed Easter to all! ~Lisa
I just made these to take to our church’s ladies meeting tonight and they were a HUGE hit! Everyone raved about them! What a great recipe! I’m going to try them with sprouted flour next!
I made these yesterday and I’m sorry to report they turned out very dry. I checked them at 30 minutes and they were definitely fully baked. I let them cool a few minutes before trying a small piece and was surprised at how dry and airy and crumbly they were. 30 minutes was way too long, so I’m attributing that as at least one factor. I’m disappointed, but trial and error is how I’ve learned to bake and cook thus far. The next step is to figure out what else I did wrong. This would have been my first attempt and baking with coconut sugar, and I won’t stop trying. I’m on a mission to find that perfect chewy brownie made without processed sugar. Unfortunately this recipe wasn’t it
Thank you for telling me! I’ll adjust the recipe in case oven temps vary even more than I thought they might!
Kelly