Starbucks Double Chocolate Brownie Copycat Recipe
Enjoy a rich, chewy Starbucks Brownie without ever leaving your house, thanks to this easy copycat recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted (2 sticks)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks plus more for topping if you like
Instructions
- PREHEAT THE OVEN AND PREP THE PAN: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan with butter or nonstick spray and set it aside. While the oven heats, set your 4 large eggs in a bowl of warm tap water for about 5 minutes. They are ready when the shells no longer feel cool against your fingers. Room temperature eggs blend into the batter smoothly.
- MELT THE BUTTER: Place 1 cup unsalted butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until the butter is fully liquid and golden, about 60 to 90 seconds total. You can also melt it in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until the last solid piece disappears. Let the melted butter sit for 2 to 3 minutes so it is warm, with the outside of the bowl comfortable to touch, before the next step.
- MIX THE BUTTER AND SUGAR: Pour the melted butter into a large bowl and add 2 cups granulated sugar. Stir with a whisk or sturdy spoon for about 1 minute, until the mixture looks glossy and thick, like wet sand. The sugar will still feel slightly gritty against the side of the bowl, and that is exactly right.
- ADD THE EGGS: Crack the 4 large eggs into the bowl one at a time, stirring well after each one until the yellow streaks completely disappear before adding the next. After the last egg, the batter will look smooth, shiny, and pale, about 2 minutes of total stirring.
- STIR IN THE VANILLA: Add 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste) and stir for about 10 seconds.
- WHISK THE DRY INGREDIENTS: In a separate medium bowl, sift together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Sifting takes about 1 minute and breaks up the little cocoa clumps, so the mixture looks like one even, soft brown powder.
- COMBINE THE WET AND DRY: Add the dry ingredients to the wet batter in 2 or 3 additions, stirring gently after each one. Stop stirring as soon as the last streak of dry flour disappears, about 30 seconds of total mixing. The batter will look thick, dark, and glossy, like chocolate frosting. Gentle, brief mixing keeps the brownies fudgy.
- FOLD IN THE CHOCOLATE CHUNKS: Add 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks to the batter. Use a rubber spatula to fold them in with slow scoop-and-turn motions, about 5 or 6 turns, until you see chunks spread evenly through the thick batter.
- FILL THE PAN: Pour the batter into the greased 9x9-inch pan. The batter is heavy, so use your spatula to scrape the bowl clean and push the batter into the corners until the top looks level. If you like, sprinkle a small handful of extra chocolate chunks over the top so every square gets melty pockets of chocolate.
- BAKE THE BROWNIES: Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The brownies are done when the kitchen fills with a rich chocolate aroma, the top looks set and slightly crackled, and a toothpick poked into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. If your toothpick hits a melted chocolate chunk, it will look wet and shiny, so test again in a fresh spot an inch away. If the toothpick comes out coated in liquid batter, bake 5 more minutes and test a new spot. Pulling them out with moist crumbs keeps the centers fudgy.
- COOL THE BROWNIES: Place the pan on a wire rack and let the brownies cool completely in the pan, about 1 to 2 hours. The pan is ready when it feels cool to the touch all over. Cooling fully lets the centers set, so the squares slice clean.
- CUT AND SERVE: Cut the cooled brownies into 16 squares with a plastic picnic knife, wiping the blade with a paper towel between cuts for clean edges. Serve and enjoy every fudgy, chocolate-packed bite.
Notes
MAKE-AHEAD: Bake the brownies up to 1 day ahead. Cool completely, then cover the pan tightly until you are ready to cut and serve.
STORAGE: Store cut brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
FREEZING: Wrap individual squares tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
PAN TIP: Glass and dark metal pans bake hotter than light metal pans. If you use one, lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
DOUBLING: Double every ingredient and bake in a 9x13-inch pan at the same temperature for the same time.
MIX-IN IDEAS: Swap in chopped nuts or other mix-ins for some of the chocolate chunks. Keep the total mix-ins at or under 1 1/2 cups so the batter holds together.
SERVING: Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 212cal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 92mg | Sugar: 29g | Fiber: 2g | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 2mg