Chocolate Orange Brownies are homemade soft chewy double chocolate brownies with sweet orange zest.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE BROWNIES

Where are my chocolate orange lovers? Every Christmas we buy a chocolate orange and eat a slice every single night as we read Christmas stories. The flavors of chocolate and orange go together so perfectly. These dark chocolate orange brownies are made with two kinds of chocolate -- cocoa powder and real chocolate chunks. This makes them sinfully good. The citrus zest compliments the rich dark chocolate.

I recently picked up some orange olive oil and decided to experiment. I made my homemade Better than a Boyfriend Brownies with an orange twist. The plan was to deliver them to some friends. I made a 9 x 13 pan, covered them tightly in foil, and left to run errands. Big mistake. Ha!

The kids and hubby came home while I was gone and I started to receive texts from my kids saying, "what are those brownies? They are so good." By the time I came home, two brownies remained. The next morning I had to whip up another batch to take to my girlfriends. This time I made sure the kids knew that these orange brownies were hands off! They are already begging for another batch of Chocolate Orange Brownies.

Can you use olive oil in brownies?

Absolutely! The results were incredible. Using olive oil in brownies creates a soft chewy texture. Did you know you can put olive oil in brownies? I have been so amazed at the versatility and how olive oil can transform my dessert recipes. You can even substitute olive oil for vegetable oil in brownies. These olive oil brownies are outstanding!

How to make Chocolate Orange Brownies:

Cream butter, olive oil, sugar, and brown sugar for 4 minutes. This creates a smooth texture and whips air into the brownie batter. Using both butter and olive oil is the best of both worlds.
Add eggs one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to fully incorporate ingredients.
Add fresh orange zest. This gives these brownies that fresh citrus flavor. You can also use orange olive oil. I used the Blood Orange Olive Oil from the Queen Creek Olive Mill. It has a heavenly citrus flavor.
Use high-quality cocoa powder. Since it is the star ingredient, use good unsweetened cocoa powder.
Use a combination of cake flour and all-purpose flour. Cake flour provides a tender crumb so it is a nice compliment to the all-purpose flour.
Stir in chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, or chopped chocolate orange bar. I love a combination of all three. I topped each brownie with a square from a Lindt chocolate orange bar and added chocolate chunks to the batter.
Bake just until a toothpick comes out clean. These are chewy gooey brownies so don't overbake them.
The items that are essential for making these brownies are -- an inexpensive ZESTER (this ensures that you only get the vibrant orange part of the orange instead of the bitter white), my favorite standard baking pan, and of course a Kitchenaid.