These triple chocolate brownies are everything a brownie should be -- gooey, fudgy, and impossible to stop at one. Choose your level of decadence: without frosting, frosted, or embellished with EVEN MORE chocolate.
Having a go-to brownie recipe in your arsenal is always a good idea. So having a triple chocolate brownie recipe means you are armed and ready for any fudgy brownie craving that may come your way.
This is a classic brownie recipe, adapted from a recipe on the back of a box of Nestle cocoa powder. The frosting recipe, is too. Since the only thing a chocolate brownie topped with decadent dark chocolate frosting needs is more chocolate (and a glass of cold milk), I converted these into triple chocolate brownies by adding a crunchy layer of chopped milk chocolate and a drizzle of white chocolate. Because, why not.
I use dark cocoa powder for its deep, dark, rich flavor. I also add espresso powder to intensify the chocolate flavor even more, and cinnamon because I’m obsessed with the flavor combo.
You're going to LOVE these
- You can make these in 10 minutes. Really, they come together quickly. Because chocolate cravings wait for no one, amirite?
- You probably already have all the ingredients. These are simple ingredients you can find in any grocery store and that may already be in your pantry.
- They have THREE kinds of chocolate. Three kinds of chocolate. Three. Dark chocolate (chips and cocoa powder), milk chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips (I know, I know, white chocolate isn't really chocolate, but you know what I mean).
Ingredient Notes
Cocoa powder. I prefer dark chocolate powder because it gives a richer, more intense chocolate flavor. Something I have been searching for my whole life. But regular cocoa powder will be great, too.
Espresso powder. Nothing intensifies the flavor of chocolate like espresso powder. But you can omit if, if you like.
Cinnamon. I love the flavor combination of cinnamon and chocolate, so I add it all the time. This ingredient is totally optional.
Nuts. I didn’t include nuts in this recipe because I don’t like nuts in brownies. But I do like crunch, which is why I add the chocolate chips. Go ahead and do one or both! Walnuts are a classic, but any nut would be great in these.
"Healthier" Substitutions
If you're watching your intake of certain ingredients, you can make some or all of these substitutions. If you do all, you may end up with a cakier result, but it will still be chocolatey and fudgy and totally satisfy your chocolate cravings. Definitely lean toward underbaking to keep them nice and gooey.
- Replace the sugar with 1 ¼ cup maple syrup and reduce water by 1 tablespoon
- Substitute ¾ cup pumpkin for 1 stick of butter and reduce water by 1 tablespoon
- Substitute egg whites for whole eggs
- Substitute 1 cup chocolate chips for ½ cup mini chocolate chips. The smaller chips ensure maximum chocolate distribution -- which is very important!
- Substitute milk with almond milk.
Recipe Tips
To ensure fudgy centers in your brownies, check doneness a few minutes before the earliest recommended baking time. Your toothpick should come out with moist crumbs on it. If your toothpick has wet batter on it, give it a couple more minutes and check it again.
Sifting flour and cocoa powder are a sure-fire way to avoid lumps in your batter. But really, if I’m sifting one or two dry ingredients, I sift them all. Because I don’t want lumps of baking powder either.
How to Make Triple Chocolate Brownies
Start by mixing the sugar, butter, and water together in a large bowl. Add eggs and vanilla. You don’t have to use your mom’s vintage Pyrex bowl from 1967, but brownie points (terrible pun intended) if you do.
Sift flour and cocoa into a large mixing bowl. Add the cinnamon, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt.
Stir the flour mixture into the sugar mixture until thoroughly combined. Add the dark chocolate chips.
Spread into pan. Bake for 18-25 minutes. Check for doneness at around the 16-minute mark. For the fudgiest brownies, underbake them a tad.
Let cool on wire rack until completely cool.
Make the frosting. Sift 1 cup powdered sugar with the cocoa powder and espresso powder and cinnamon, if using. Add butter, 2 tablespoons milk, and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Add remaining sugar and milk gradually, mixing until smooth.
Frost the brownies. I don't have an offset spatula because my little appetizer/butter knife works just perfectly!
For extra decadence, chop ½ cup milk chocolate chips and sprinkle over the frosted brownies.
As long as you're going for it, you might as well go all the way and add a 4th kind of chocolate!
Melt ¼ cup white chocolate chips with ½ teaspoon coconut oil in microwave for 15 seconds. Stir. Continue to microwave in 10 second intervals until melted. Drizzle over brownies.
Triple Chocolate Brownie Recipe with Dark Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
Triple Chocolate Brownies
- 1 ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 ½ sticks butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cups flour
- ¾ cup baking cocoa, dark or regular
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon (optional)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Dark Chocolate Frosting for the Brownies
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 stick butter, softened
- ⅔ cup baking cocoa, dark or regular
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 5-6 tablespoons milk
- ¼ teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
EVEN MORE Chocolate Toppings
- ½ cup milk chocolate, chopped
- ¼ cup white chocolate
- ½ teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
For the Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.
- Combine sugar, butter, and water in large bowl. Add eggs and vanilla, stir. Sift flour and cocoa into another large bowl. Add cinnamon, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt. Stir flour mixture into sugar mixture. Add chocolate chips, if desired. Spread into pan.
- Bake 18-25 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness. For fudgy brownies, it should have some moist crumbs on it, not wet batter. If the toothpick is clean, the brownies are overdone.
For the Frosting
- Sift 1 cup powdered sugar with cocoa and espresso powder and cinnamon, if using. Add butter, 2 tablespoons milk, and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Add remaining sugar and milk gradually, mixing until smooth. Frost the brownies.
For the EXTRA Chocolate Topping
- Chop ½ cup milk chocolate and sprinkle over the frosted brownies.
- Melt white chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave for 15 seconds. Stir. Continue to microwave in 10 second intervals until melted. Drizzle over the brownies.
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