These perfectly fudgy orange chocolate brownies are packed with flavor. They use vibrant orange zest and chopped orange chocolate, packed inside a rich and fudgy brownie base.

a fudgy bitten brownie with slices of orange in the background.

These brownies are thick, decadent, and very chocolatey. They use cocoa powder and real chocolate. The rich chocolate pairs really well with orange. I’ve only used the peel from the orange because I found adding fresh orange juice changed the texture too much in the brownie. The main orange taste comes from the peel anyway!

What You Will Need

Find the ingredient amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here is a rundown of what you will need.

Butter- Melted butter adds fat, chewiness and flavor to these brownies. This can be salted or unsalted
Semi-sweet dark chocolate – Choose good quality chocolate with cocoa butter (don’t use compound chocolate which uses vegetable oils.) I love using Whittakers dark chocolate for these.
Sugar – Both granulated white sugar and soft brown sugar are used. There’s lots of sugar in brownies because this helps create a fudgy texture and a shiny top. Soft brown sugar brings moisture, while granulated sugar makes a chewier brownie.
Large eggs
Salt – A pinch of salt enhances the flavor.
Orange zest – The zest of a whole orange is needed, finely grated.
Vanilla – Chocolate’s best friend. Choose a good quality pure vanilla extract or a vanilla paste.
Cocoa powder – provides intense chocolate flavor! The type of cocoa powder can be Dutch process cocoa powder or natural cocoa powder.
All-purpose flour – Only a small amount of all-purpose flour is used for some stability.
Orange-flavored chocolate – Adding chopped orange chocolate to the batter adds a great texture of real chocolate chunks and another hint of orange. You could also use chocolate chips.

close up of a brownie faced on its side.

Method

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C) and line an 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper.
In a small heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring each time. Alternatively, melt it in a small saucepan over low heat. In a small heatproof bowl, melt butter and chocolate in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring each time. Alternatively, melt it in a small saucepan over low heat.

Add the granulated white sugar and finely grated orange zest to a large bowl. Use a fork or fingers to rub the zest into the white sugar.
After this, add in the brown sugar and stir to combine.

Add in the melted chocolate mixture and whisk well for 40-50 seconds. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk well again for at least 40-50 seconds until thick and glossy.

Whisk the cocoa powder and salt into the chocolate mixture until well combined, followed by the flour.

Fold through chopped chocolate, then pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the brownies for around 28-32 minutes. Use a cake tester or toothpick to check if they’re cooked, it should have no wet batter but lots of moist crumbs stuck to it. The cooking time will depend on your oven.
Leave the warm brownies cool on a wire rack before lifting them from the pan and slicing them. Sprinkle with some flaky salt for a delicious sweet and salty combo. For cleaner slices, chill the brownies in the fridge before slicing.

Serve the brownies as they are, or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a decadent dessert.

Variations

Spiced brownies– Add a little ground cinnamon and cardamom for spiced orange brownies.
Chopped Nuts – Chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans can bring some crunchy texture.

Storage

Any leftover brownies can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. Brownies freeze very well too. Wrap them up tightly in plastic wrap or a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. They’re super delicious to eat frozen too because they stay chewy.

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