Delectably fudgy, my Mexican hot chocolate brownies are brimming with the delicious flavors found in a cup of rich, Mexican hot chocolate. Filled with lots of cocoa and bittersweet chocolate chips, warming spices such as cinnamon and cayenne, plus and a touch of orange zest, this Mexican hot chocolate brownies recipe is an indulgent treat with a delicious twist, fit for chocolate lovers!
Brownies with a Mexican Hot Chocolate Twist
Rich, decadent chocolate treats are not something that I ever have to be talked into indulging in, being the bonafide chocoholic that I am.
And while Valentine's Day is a terrific time to indulge in all things chocolate, I like to enjoy just a little bit of good quality chocolate (73% dark is my favorite!) every day. Filled with antioxidants and flavanols, I like to consider it a bit of a treat with health benefits!
And when I'm craving something a little more decadent and indulgent, something baked, I love to prepare homemade brownies with that dense, fudgy texture as a little pick me up...
One of my husband's and my favorite brownies that I prepare are these Mexican hot chocolate brownies, a bit of a novel twist on classic brownies, with more of a “kick”. These are filled with all of those deliciously earthy and spicy flavors we just love in a yummy cup of Mexican hot chocolate!
My Mexican hot chocolate brownies recipe is brimming with both cocoa and semi-sweet chocolate for extra chocolatey flavor, plus a sprinkle of cinnamon for warmth and cayenne to awaken the tastebuds, as well as a kiss of orange zest for that ever-so-slight citrus note.
These Mexican hot chocolate brownies are always a hit whether we enjoy them ourselves or share them at a gathering, providing a deliciously unique and mouthwatering alternative to regular ol' brownies.
Dense, fudgy, irresistible…I bet you can't eat just one!
My Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies Recipe
In order to create that rich, fudgy texture that we love in brownies, I like to go a little “all out” with the chocolate...
For my recipe for these Mexican hot chocolate brownies, I use good quality cocoa as well as a hefty scoop of bittersweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli 60% chips) so there's more chocolate flavor with a little less sugar.
This offers a slightly more sophisticated flavor that's a bit deeper than you would find in traditional brownies.
I also use both brown and granulated sugar, some cinnamon and cayenne for mildly spicy heat, and orange zest for that sweet citrusy zing. I even add a teeny amount of instant espresso coffee for more depth, but this is optional, and you can leave it out if you prefer.
Here's a sneak peek at how I make my Mexican hot chocolate brownies recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)
- To get started, I whisk together my dry ingredients and set those aside. Then, I melt together my butter with my chocolate chips, and scrape that into a large bowl.
- I add to this my sugars and instant espresso, followed by my orange zest, eggs and vanilla, and whisk to blend. I add in my dry ingredients, and whisk those to fully incorporate.
- I spoon my brownie batter into my prepared baking dish, and bake for roughly 55 minutes, or until the Mexican hot chocolate brownies are baked but fudgy. I allow the brownies to completely cool before cutting into squares (either regular or bite-size brownies), and serve.
Recipe
Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies
by Ingrid Beer
Rich and fudgy, these Mexican hot chocolate brownies are brimming with warming cinnamon and cayenne, plus sweet orange zest!
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Yield: 18 brownies
Nutrition Info: 331 calories per brownie
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 55 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder (Dutch-process if possible)
- 1 ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less depending on taste)
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli brand 60 percent)
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup, packed, brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee granules (optional)
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ (slightly heaping) teaspoon orange zest
- Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
- Preheat your oven to 350°, and line a 11 x 7 x 1 ½ inch glass baking dish (or comparable) with parchment paper or foil so that there is a slight overhang, and lightly mist with cooking spray. Place the prepared baking dish on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper, and set aside these dry ingredients.
- Place the butter and the chocolate chips into a small to medium-size glass bowl, and place the bowl over a pot of very gently simmering water (double-boiler method). Allow the butter and chocolate to melt together, stirring occasionally to blend.
- Once the butter and chocolate is melted, carefully pour it into another large bowl, scraping ever last bit of it out, and allow it to cool slightly for about 5 minutes.
- Next, add both of the sugars, plus the instant espresso coffee granules, into the melted butter/chocolate mixture, and using a whisk, gently whisk those in until well blended.
- Add one egg at a time into the mixture, gently whisking until it is blended in. Add in the vanilla and the orange zest, and whisk those in.
- Next, add the dry ingredients into the mixture, and gently whisk those in until they are incorporated, taking care not to over-mix.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan, and bake for about 55 minutes (or if using a larger 9 x 13 pan, start checking at around 25 to 30 minutes), or just until a toothpick inserted comes out fairly clean (you still may get a little batter, but it shouldn't be too raw looking or wet.)
- Allow the Mexican hot chocolate brownies to cool in their baking dish for about 10 minutes, and then using the overhanging foil or parchment, lift the brownies out and allow them to completely cool and set (which can take 3 to 5 hours) before cutting.
Tips & Tidbits for my Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies recipe:
- Dutch process cocoa for more intense, chocolatey flavor: While you can use whichever brand or type of cocoa you prefer for these brownies (even substitute raw, organic cacao which has health benefits and great flavor), I opt for Droste Dutch process cocoa these days for my baking needs. I find it a bit more intense and rich, and it offers and nice, deep chocolatey color as well.
- Bittersweet chocolate chips for depth: If all you have on hand is traditional semi-sweet chocolate chips then feel free to use those in a pinch. They contain a little more sugar, so the brownies will be sweeter. I love the bittersweet chocolate chips (Ghirardelli 60%) for this particular brownie recipe, as they add a deeper chocolate flavor and aren't quite as sweet.
- Spices and orange zest for that Mexican hot chocolate flavor: What I love about a cup of Mexican hot chocolate is the spices and the hint of orange which makes it so deliciously aromatic and unique! To recreate that flavor in these brownies, I'm adding those in. You can use a more or less of the cayenne according to how “kick-y” you like these, but I'm keeping things mild for purpose of the recipe so all can enjoy.
- Bake these brownies until done, but still fudgy: Because these brownies are so dense, they do take a little longer to bake (about 55 minutes), depending on the baking dish you use. I use an 11 x 7 x 1 ½ inch glass dish, so that can take a little longer. Start checking them around 50 minutes, using a skewer. It will never come out completely clean because they're fudgy, but the skewer shouldn't be too wet with raw looking batter on it. (If you use a 9 x 13 inch pan, then adjust baking time, checking the brownies roughly 25 to 30 minutes into baking, knowing that the brownies will not be quite as thick.)
- Allow to completely cool before cutting the brownies: To make slicing/cutting this into brownies easier, wait until things are completely cool before doing so. This may take 3 to 5 hours (I know, I know, that's hard!), but they really do need to set as much as possible before slicing. You can even bake these the day before you plan on serving as I like to do, and then cut them the next day before serving.
- Don't cut the brownies too large: Because these brownies are so very decadent, I like to keep the size of each to a few bites, so I typically get about 18 brownies from a batch. (I even like to cut them into “two-bite” size brownies often times, which yields a lot more!)
Craving more sweet and cozy chocolatey recipes? Check out this Chocolate Bark, these Chocolate Truffles, this Brownie Cake, these Snickers Brownies, these Chocolate Chip Cookies with Roasted Hazelnuts, or this Chocolate Pudding!
Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2015, and has been updated with even more love!
Emily Riggan
Yummy !!!!
I made them and they are so amazing ! !
The Cozy Apron
Emily, thanks for taking a moment to comment on your experience! I'm so glad you enjoyed these. 🙂
Karen L.
Wow! So good! I only had a 9x13 metal pan, but the tips on cooking time & the tin foil were spot on! Just enough of a kick. Lol - couldn't wait for them to completely cool! (3 hours!)
The Cozy Apron
Karen, thanks so much for sharing—so glad you enjoyed them!
Ashley
I made these following the recipe exactly with FABULOUS results. I brought these to a friend's Taco/Game Night covered in powdered sugar mixed with a pinch of cinnamon, cayenne, and cocoa powder just to bring out the flavor of the brownies and everyone loved them! Thank Pinterest and your awesome pictures!
The Cozy Apron
Ashley, so glad you shared that with me! Super excited that you and your friends enjoyed these!
Annie Garza
Going to try these for our dinner party this week. I'm not a big fan of orange & chocolate, is the orange flavor very noticeable? I enjoyed the reading introducing this recipe! I loved how you used real life to describe the "sweet heat" in this recipe. Bravo!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Annie! I'm excited you plan on making these! As far as the orange flavor, I wouldn't say it's super strong, more of an essence, complimenting the spices in the brownies. But feel free to leave it out completely, if you'd prefer that. And I really appreciate your words on the post itself—I love trying to find the food/life parallels whenever possible! 🙂 Hope you enjoy...
Brielle
I made these tonight for my boyfriend's game night. I followed another commenter's suggestion and dusted powdered sugar on top. Big hit!! Thank you. 🙂
The Cozy Apron
Hey Brielle, that's great! So glad they were a hit, and thank you for sharing your experience!
Julia
These were great! I made them for my son's teachers for their cinco de mayo celebration at school. I added a glaze that I drizzled over the brownies before I cut them: confectioners sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch and heavy cream. Very good!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Julia, how wonderful! Glad these turned out so well for you, and your glaze sounds delicious, too! Thanks for sharing your experience.
Sharon Nash
Made these today, Couldn't wait for them to cool down, they are amazing!! I was planning to take some to work tomorrow but have decided that I don't like my co-workers enough to share.
The Cozy Apron
Haha! You naughty gal, you, Sharon! Actually, I’m super touched that you enjoyed these enough to keep ‘em for yourself this time; and maybe, just maybe, if your coworkers “behave”, lol, they’ll eventually get a batch! Thank you so much for your comments.
Karen
I am going to try tonight after work. Wondering on a subsistute for butter. Avocados, applesauce, coconut oil??
Thanks!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Karen, so excited to read you're planning on preparing these spicy and delicious brownies!
As far as a substitute for the butter goes, that's a tough one for me to recommend, as I have not prepared these with a substitution.
Each of the possible substitutions you listed have a very different texture and/or consistency from butter, and the coconut oil will actually impart a very different flavor (which may conflict), so that's my concern.
If you've baked using these items and have had good results, I'd say go for it! But if you're looking for the results that I had with the recipe—thick, fudge-y texture—nothing will be the same as the butter. To be completely candid, I'm not certain how they would turn out using anything else.
Perhaps the closest thing would be something like "Earth Balance" non-dairy buttery spread (you could melt this down), but again, not sure.
Whatever route you choose to go, I hope these turn out well for you, and that you can enjoy them!
Janene
Comments on the brownies included: "OMG" and "Lifechanging". So, I think they are a hit. Thanks much for a great recipe
The Cozy Apron
I love it, Janene! 🙂
Glad these were such a success, and thank you for taking a minute to share the experience with me.
Erica
These are the best brownies I've ever had!! Theyve ruined all other brownies for me! Everyone is obsessed with them- thank you!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Erica, that makes me so happy! (I'm must say that I'm thrilled that I've "ruined all other brownies" for you with this recipe, lol!) 😉
So glad that you and the folks you've shared these with enjoyed them so much—I very much appreciate you letting me know they were a success for you.
Lauren
Thanks for this recipe. Just made a double batch for an outdoor party. They came out great and I'll definitely make them again. I left out the orange, purely because I was too lazy to deal with it, I cut the sugar back a little, and I mixed cayenne and ancho chili (I'll actually up the chili and cinnamon a little next time — and there will definitely be a next time). Great to have a fast, easy dessert recipe that goes well with Mexican food.
The Cozy Apron
That's fantastic, Lauren! Thanks for sharing your experience with me.
Glad this chocolatey treat was a hit for you at your gathering, and that it was easy to prepare. (And yes—"up" that heat and spice even more next time! It'll give these even more "oomph". 😉 )
Paula Mathewson
The best brownie I've ever had. Didn't have an orange so added 1/4 teaspoon extract. Lovely and exotic.
The Cozy Apron
Paula, thrilled to read you enjoyed these! Your extract substitution is terrific by the way...subtle yet with that citrus essence.
Thanks for taking some time to comment—happy baking to you!
Sonya
Hi! I would love to try this recipe; could I just use regular instant coffee instead of the espresso?
The Cozy Apron
Hey Sonya, so excited to read you're thinking of preparing these yummy brownies! I just made them again a couple of weeks ago myself, and they're soooo good...I think you'll really enjoy 'em. 😉
Absolutely, if you have the instant coffee on hand already, feel free to use that. It'll work just fine.
Happy baking to you!
Sonya
Thank you so much! I can't wait to try them 🙂