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Packed with simple ingredients, these rich and fudgy chocolate orange brownies strikes the perfect balance of sweetness and a deep, chocolatey flavor, enhanced by the lively touch of vibrant orange zest. And they have unexpected additions that bring a nutritional boost to the mix.
Orange Chocolate Brownies
Get ready for the ultimate brownie delight where chocolate meets orange in a heavenly combo! The sweet chocolate chips blend seamlessly with the zesty citrus kick from oranges, creating a miracle dessert for chocolate orange lovers.
In addition to the chocolate chips, these brownies are sweetened with natural sugars from dates and applesauce. This sweet combination provides just the right amount of sweetness while also delivering nutritional goodness.
With minimal hands-on effort, they’re the perfect treat for holiday gatherings, school events, or tackling that sudden chocolate craving any time of the day. Plus, cleanup is a breeze.
And if you’re looking for more fudgy goodness, don’t miss out on giving my banana brownies a try!
Related: Healthy Chocolate Snacks for Babies and Toddlers
Table of Contents
Ingredients
I am highlighting just the ones that need further explanation. The complete list is in the recipe card below.
- Flour – I used all-purpose flour in these homemade brownies. See other options for flour below.
- Cocoa powder – This chocolatey goodness perfectly balances the sweet ingredients. Make sure you use unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Dates – Soften your Medjool dates in warm water before starting these brownies. This will make blending them easier.
- Applesauce – Keeps the brownies moist. Use store-bought or homemade unsweetened applesauce for this recipe.
- Peanut butter – A delicious way to add some healthy fats to this dessert.
- Eggs – Use room-temperature large eggs for best results.
- Orange zest -The fresh citrus flavor comes from orange zest. See more below in the FAQs on how to zest an orange.
- Chocolate chips – I used semisweet chocolate chips and loved how they complemented the other ingredients! You could also use other flavors of chocolate like milk chocolate or dark chocolate.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Add all the ingredients minus the chocolate chips to a food processor and blend until smooth
Step 2: Stir in chocolate chips to the brownie batter.
Step 3: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 15-22 minutes.
Step 4: Remove the brownies from the oven. Allow to cool to room temperature on a wire rack before slicing with a knife.
Tips for Success
- For softer, more fudgy brownies, bake for 15-18 minutes. For firmer, cakey brownies bake for up to 22 minutes.
- Line pan with parchment paper for easy removal and clean up.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-free – Use 1:1 gluten-free flour blend to make this delicious orange brownies recipe gluten-free. Know that changing the flour may slightly change the texture of these brownies, but they will still taste delicious. You can also use oat flour.
- Eggs – If you are avoiding baking with eggs, try chia eggs instead.
- Peanut butter – Trade in almond butter, cashew butter, or try tahini for a nut-free alternative.
- Flour – White whole wheat flour, or whole wheat pastry flour would also work in place of all-purpose flour.
- Add nuts – Chopped walnuts or pecans would be delicious in these!
Equipment
This food processor is the perfect size, powerful, and super versatile. I mainly use it to make my no-cook energy bites, like these bliss balls, apricot balls, and carrot balls, as well as chunky sauces, like pestos.
You can also make these orange brownies in a high-speed blender, although may be harder to get all the batter out. I mainly use this powerful blender to make green smoothies, smooth sauces like any of these no tomato pasta sauces, and much more!
Storage
Transfer sliced brownies into an airtight container and keep at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy cold (which my kids do!) or warm for 10 seconds or so until warmed through.
You can also freeze for up to 3 months. I recommend using the flash freeze method that I use for freezing muffins.
Frequently Asked Questions
You will want to use a zester to get orange zest for this recipe. Zest the orange peel of fresh oranges until you reach the white pulp, and then move to another orange area of the peel until you get the desired amount of fresh orange zest.
Check your brownies by inserting a toothpick into the center of your brownies. When it comes out mostly clean (moist crumbs but not wet batter) your brownies are fully cooked! It’s important not to overbake brownies, as this can result in a dry texture.
More Healthy Chocolate Recipes
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!
Chocolate Orange Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 8-10 medjool dates, softened in warm water
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (65g)
- 1/2 cup peanut butter (125g)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2-3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper for easy removal and clean up.
- Add all the ingredients minus the chocolate chips to a food processor and blend until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 18-22 minutes.
- Remove the brownies from the oven. Allow to cool to room temperature on a wire rack before slicing with a knife.
Notes
- For softer, more fudgy brownies, bake for 15-18 minutes. For firmer, cakey brownies bake for up to 22 minutes.
- Transfer sliced brownies into an airtight container and keep at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy cold (which my kids do!) or warm for 10 seconds or so until warmed through.
Oh wow Min! Brownies = weakness. Then you’ve added brown sugar and orange?! Okay, over the top weakness! Chocolate and I are BFFs so I’ll take the 80% thank you! These look sooo fabulous, rich and decadent. I’m afraid I’d eat all the corners myself! Thank you for this knee weakening recipe Min!!