Fudgy Orange Brownies
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Orange Brownies are the perfect crowd pleasing dessert! Can’t decide between a fruity or chocolate treat? With this recipe, you don’t have to! A dash of orange concentrate, a bit of extract, and a spoonful of zest adds the perfect amount of citrus flavor. Walnuts add some texture, and a whipped orange icing ties the whole thing together! And I didn’t even mention just how fudgy and chocolatey these brownies are… They’re chewy, gooey, and ridiculously yummy!
Even the best dessert recipe requires a bit of patience. Chocolate orange brownies take just over an hour to make, prep and bake time included. But it’s so worth it!
Orange and chocolate are a true match made in heaven: neither are too sweet, and they come together for the perfect balanced dessert.
Orange Brownies
I’m a bit of a brownie fanatic. What can I say? They’re easy to make, easy to store, and easy to eat. Everything I want in a dessert!
Keep it classic with my Fudgy Brownie Recipe, or spice things up with these Double Chocolate Pecan Brownies!
But don’t get me wrong – orange desserts are also my favorite!
Check out these Orange Amaretto Citrus Bars for a taste of something completely new that your friends will absolutely rave about.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Unsweetened Chocolate – Be patient when melting your cocoa. Don’t microwave for longer than 20 seconds at a time, or you might burn it!
I really recommend using unsweetened chocolate, or else your orange brownies will come out super sweet. - Orange Concentrate, Extract, & Zest – These three work together for just the right level of orange without being too overpowering.
Not enough for you? Add some more extract and zest! Those two will give you the most flavor without watering down the batter. - Walnuts – These little nuts add some great toasted texture and a bit of nutty flavor! If you don’t like them, you can leave them out altogether.
Almonds are a fantastic substitute, too. - Sweetened Condensed Milk – Let the milk chill in the fridge for at least a couple of hours so that you can easily fluff up your icing.
If you don’t have any laying around, a mix of heavy cream and sugar will also do the trick!
Tips for the Best Chocolate Orange Brownies
- Chill the Milk, Not the Butter – Don’t get these two confused! You want room temperature butter and chilled milk.
Butter fluffs up easier when room temp, while milk is easier to whip when chilled. This is good for all of our dessert masters to keep in mind for future recipes! - Let Cool Before Icing – If you try slathering on the frosting while your dessert is still warm, then you’ll end up with a melty mess. Impatient?
Stick the pan in the fridge for a bit to help them cool off faster! - Use the Middle Rack – Place your pan right in the center rack to bake evenly on all sides.
- Not Chocolatey Enough For You? Add some cocoa powder or extra melted chocolate! You can also drizzle some chocolate syrup on top.
Storing and Freezing
Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to a week in the fridge.
I know it’s tempting to leave brownies out on the counter for easy snacking, but the icing here will make that super messy super quick. Plus, they last longer in the fridge!
Freeze the brownies pre-sliced and already iced for up to 3 months. As always, if you think you’re going to want to eat just a couple at a time, store and wrap them separately so you only have to thaw a few at a time without melting the rest.
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Stand mixer or large mixing bowl with hand mixer for the batter and the frosting
- 8×8 Pan – This pan comes with a lid, making for super easy storage!
- A sturdy silicone spatula can be used for scraping, stirring, and smoothing and is easy to clean too.
Orange Brownies FAQ
You can! Of course, you need to have a light hand with it so your brownies don’t end up really runny.
In this recipe, I actually use a combination of orange concentrate, extract, and zest — not fresh orange juice — because you get more of an orangey flavor without needing a lot of liquid!
Using a little more butter and a little less flour makes a lot of difference in how fudgy your brownies are! These are particularly fudgy, so you don’t need to add any more fat to make them denser.
If you prefer a cakey brownie, then you can use a bit less butter or add a bit more flour.
It’s kind of hard to tell, isn’t it? You can use the toothpick test – stick a toothpick into the center of the pan. It won’t come out completely clean, since they’re fudgy, but shouldn’t be coated with batter.
Don’t wait until the toothpick is totally clean! That actually means your brownies are overdone!
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other Brownie Recipes
Fudgy Orange Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 1/2 cups butter
- 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 6 large eggs
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, approx. 1 large orange
Frosting
- 1 cup salted butter, room temperature
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk, cold – chill for at least 2 hours
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 1/4 cup chocolate curls, for topping garnish (optional)
Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Line an 8 x 8 x 3 inch baking pan with parchment paper; let edges extend 2 inches over each side. Grease exposed sides with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, microwave chopped unsweetened chocolate in 20-second increments until melted; Stir chocolate between each interval.
- Add eggs to a large bowl; Use an electric mixer to beat eggs until frothy. Without stirring , add in the sugar, walnuts, orange juice concentrate, and zest. Pour chocolate mixture over the top and blend in flour. Mix well to combine. Pour batter into the lined and greased 8″ pan.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the sides start to pull away and a toothpick inserted into the center of brownies comes out mostly clean. Brownies are very moist, so it will not come out completely clean.
- Allow brownies to cool completely in the pan before removing and frosting them.
- Spread the frosting over cool brownies and garnish with chocolate curls and/or orange zest if desired.
- Cut into bars for serving. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat butter until light and fluffy.
- Slowly whip in sweetened condensed milk and orange extract until thoroughly combined and thickened.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published November 2023
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Orange and chocolate, the greatest combination ever! I made these brownies for a work party and everyone asked for the recipe! They were gone in no time, next time I may need to make more 🙂