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Parsley and Icing

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Baked Banana Donuts

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Baked Banana Donuts made with warm cinnamon and nutmeg and sweet, ripe bananas and dipped in a rich dark chocolate ganache! These banana donuts are baked, not fried making them easy to make any day of the week!

Chocolate ganache covered banana donut with a bite in it on top of another donut on a rack.

Tender, moist banana donuts made right in the oven and featuring hints of warm cinnamon and nutmeg and sweet banana flavor. These banana donuts are so flavorful they’ll make you glad some of your bananas have ripened on you! If you have even more bananas leftover, definitely make my all time favorite banana bread recipe!

I’m slowly but steadily adding to my baked donut recipe collection! If you love chocolate, these Chocolate Frosted Chocolate Cake Donuts are for you! For a brighter tasting treat, I love these Lemon Blueberry Cake Donuts are the perfect treat anytime of the day or year! For a super fall flavored donut, I love Ina Garten’s Cinnamon Baked Donuts!

To make baked donuts, you’ll need a donut pan. Donut pans are basically molds with holes in the middle which give your batter a donut shape. My donut pans make six donuts, so I have two pans. Having two makes it easier to bake the whole batch at the same time!

WHY MAKE BAKED DONUTS AT HOME

  • They’re super easy to make! The batter is similar to but easier than a cake batter. No mixer is required and they bake up much faster. Also, unlike yeast doughnuts, no rising time is required.
  • There’s almost no mess to clean up. Since these are baked, not fried, there’s no messy oil to clean up or deal with.
  • They’re a little bit healthier. No oil not only makes them less messy, but also a little bit healthier.
Freshly baked banana bread donuts on a baking rack set on top of parchment paper.

HOW TO MAKE THIS BAKED BANANA DONUT RECIPE

  1. PREPARE THE DONUT PANS:  Grease the donut pans well and set aside.
  2. WHISK TO COMBINE THE DRY INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
  3. COMBINE THE WET INGREDIENTS: In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the egg, whisk together the egg and sugar til smooth and combined. Add the vanilla, milk or yogurt, mashed bananas and melted butter. Whisk this wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir til just combined. The batter will be pretty thick.
  4. FILL THE DONUT MOLDS: Use a piping bag or zip lock bag or spoon to fill the dough into the donut molds between 2/3 and 3/4 full.
  5. BAKE AND COOL: Bake donuts 8-10 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely before glazing.
  6. MAKE THE GANACHE: Make the ganache while the donuts are baking or cooling.
  7. DECORATE THE DONUTS: Dunk the donuts in the ganache or spoon/drizzle it over the cooled donuts.
Baked banana donuts cooling on a rack next to a bowl of a rich chocolate glaze.

EASY DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

I can attest to the fact that these donuts are delicious plain! That said, everything is more delicious with a chocolate glaze. This glaze is super simple and very similar to the rich, sweet ganache is from my Boston cream pie cupcake recipe. The only difference was that I used dark chocolate chips instead of semi sweet and I added a little vanilla and a pinch of salt.

To make the ganache, or chocolate glaze, simply pour hot heavy cream over a bowl of chocolate chips. Let it sit for three minutes then stir til smooth. Stir in the vanilla and salt.

A FEW SUBSTITUTION OPTIONS

One of my favorite things about this recipe is the simplicity of the ingredients and the steps! If you find you’re missing a few ingredients, check out these substitution options to see if there’s anything you can swap in before making an extra trip to the store!

  • Butter: I prefer melted butter for the flavor. Vegetable or canola oil is an easy swap for the butter.
  • Milk: Lots of substitution options here including buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream.
  • Nutmeg: I like the hint of nutmeg with the cinnamon. If you don’t have nutmeg, you can increase the amount of cinnamon to take its place.
  • Dark chocolate chips: Swap in chopped dark chocolate or chopped semi sweet chocolate. Semi sweet chocolate chips can also be used.
A plain banana donut on a rack surrounded by chocolate covered banana donuts.

Like most donuts, these donuts are at freshest and most flavorful if enjoyed the day they’re made. If you have any left after the first day, definitely store them in the fridge.

A batch of chocolate glaze dipped banana donuts on a cooling rack.

I hope you love the ease and deliciousness of these Baked Banana Donuts as much as I do! They’re tender, flavorful and so easy to make. I love them for dessert in the late summer or fall but have to admit they’re yummy any time of the day or year!

LOOKING FOR SOME MORE BANANA RECIPES, TRY MY:

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Baked Banana Donuts

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 12 donuts 1x
  • Category: Desserts
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Baked Banana Donuts made warm with cinnamon, nutmeg, and  ripe bananas and dipped in rich chocolate ganache! These banana donuts are baked, not fried making them easy to make any day of the week!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, or vegetable oil
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2–3 medium bananas)

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE

  • 1/2 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • pinch of salt 

Instructions

FOR THE DONUTS

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease donut pans well with butter (preferable- for flavor) or nonstick spray.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
  3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the egg and sugar til smooth and combined. Whisk in the  vanilla, milk, mashed bananas and melted butter.
  4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. 
  5. Use a piping bag or zip lock bag or spoon to fill the dough into the donut molds between 2/3 and 3/4 full.
  6. Bake 8-10 minutes until toothpick comes out dry or edges are lightly browned. Let cool in the pans for 5 minutes then remove from pan and let donuts cool completely on wire rack.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE

  1. Place the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan on low heat, bring the heavy cream to a boil then pour over the chocolate chips. Do not stir.
  2. Allow to sit for 2 minutes then stir till smooth. Stir in the vanilla and salt. Allow to cool slightly before using.

TO DECORATE THE DONUTS

  1. Dip the cooled donuts in the glaze or drizzle the glaze over top. Set the donuts glaze side up on a cooling rack set over a sheet of parchment or wax paper to catch any drips. Allow glaze to set or enjoy right away!

Keywords: donuts, baked donuts, doughnuts, cake donuts, bananas, ganache, chocolate, dark chocolate, icing, glaze, breakfast, dessert, fruit

Inside Out Chocolate Chip Cookies

by

Incredibly rich, perfectly chewy Inside Out Chocolate Chip Cookies made with lots of dutch process cocoa and white chocolate chips. They take only minutes to make, require no chill time, and are amazingly GOOD!

A giant chocolate chip cookie on top of other cookies and topped with lots of flaky sea salt.

There’s nothing not to love about these Inside Out Chocolate Chip Cookies. They’re soft, chewy and totally satisfy any craving for something sweet and chocolatey. The rich dark cocoa filled dough is studded with white chocolate chips and is a must make for any chocolate lover!

Fall flavors have been on my mind lately and since chocolate is always on my mind, I started thinking of my Double Chocolate Cookies with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. They feature warm cinnamon in the dough (cinnamon and chocolate are amazing together btw) and crunchy toasted pumpkin seeds. I used these cookies as the inspiration and the base of these inside out cookies.

WHAT ARE INSIDE OUT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES?

These are not just any chocolate chip cookies….these are inside out cookies. They’re called that because, instead of the typical lighter looking cookie with darker semi sweet chocolate chips, these cookies are made with a cocoa filled dough and white chocolate chips.

I love classic chocolate chip cookies, but it’s fun to mix it up and make a different type of ccc (ccc= chocolate chip cookie). 🙂 For another FUN ccc, definitely check out my sprinkle and chocolate chip filled Birthday Cake Cookies!

A rich chocolate chip cookie with a bite in it revealing lots of white chocolate chips.

In addition to providing that black and white color contrast, having both dark cocoa and white chocolate makes these SUPER chocolatey! Chocolate cookies are just the best and I’m totally drooling over these Double Chocolate Cookies from New York Times Cooking!

A close up of large, very chocolatey cookies with crinkle tops.

THESE INSIDE OUT COOKIES ARE:

  • EASY TO MAKE: They take just minutes to make and require zero chilling!
  • CHEWY: The centers are perfectly chewy and doughy while the edges are very slightly crispy. The brown sugar lends itself to that chewy texture and the recipe can be made with light brown or dark brown sugar. For that hint of molasses, definitely go with dark brown sugar!
  • LARGE: Instead of the usual rounded tablespoon size, these cookies are about 1/4 cup of batter each! 
  • FULL OF FLAVOR: I will get to the chocolate in a minute, but they also feature hints of warm cinnamon and sweet vanilla.
  • CHOCOLATEY: It’s worth mentioning again how chocolatey these are! I love the contrast of the dark cocoa with the ultra sweet white chocolate!
Inside out cookies filled with white chocolate chips in a stack with cocoa powder in the background.

HOW TO MAKE INSIDE OUT COOKIES

  1. Start by combining all of the dry ingredients in a bowl (flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt). Just whisk them to combine then set aside.
  2. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the room temperature butter and sugars on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until fluffy.
  3. Add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla. Reduce speed to low and slowly beat in the dry ingredients.
  4. Stir in 1 cup each of the chocolate chips, reserving the remaining ¼ cups to add to the tops.
  5. Use a large cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop to measure the batter or eyeball it. No need to roll or flatten the balls, just scoop them and place Place balls on prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Top each ball with a few of the reserved chocolate chips and a sprinkle of sea salt.
  6. Bake 13- 15 minutes until tops are just set. Remove from oven and transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Freshly baked double chocolate cookies packed with white chocolate chips.
A batch of super chocolatey cookies on top of each other and topped with white chocolate chips and flaky sea salt.

A FEW MORE TIPS FOR MAKING THESE COOKIES

  • USE AN ICE CREAM SCOOP: I use an ice cream scoop to measure and shape the dough balls. It makes scooping the dough less messy and they all come out the same size.
  • STICK SOME EXTRA CHOCOLATE CHIPS ON TOP: The dough is packed with chocolate chips and you’ll taste them in every bite! That said, I like to literally stick at least 3 chocolate chips (or more!) in the top of each dough ball. This will make sure people can see what’s inside each cookie.
  • TOP THEM WITH FLAKY SEA SALT: Top them with sea salt before or right after baking them. Why? That little sprinkle of salt gives your taste buds that super pleasurable salty-sweet contrast! Also, the salt balances out the sweetness from the chocolate chips. Need another reason? I think and I’ve heard it said that the salt brings out the chocolate flavors even more!

These Inside Out Chocolate Cookies are super chocolatey, loaded with flavor, and have a super indulgent texture. The hint of cinnamon make these my go to fall chocolate cookie but when is it not a good time for chocolate?!

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Inside Out Chocolate Cookies

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 14 minutes
  • Total Time: 34 minutes
  • Yield: 10 large cookies 1x
  • Category: Desserts, Baking, Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

These inside out chocolate chip cookies are chewy, flavorful and deeply chocolatey! Dutch process cocoa and lots of sweet white chocolate chips make for a rich chocolate taste and warm cinnamon and sweet vanilla make them even more flavorful!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup dutch process cocoa or natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups white chocolate chips, divided

TOPPING

  • flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

  3. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until fluffy.

  4. Add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla. Reduce speed to low and slowly beat in the dry ingredients.

  5. Stir in about 1 cup of the chocolate chips, reserving the remaining ¼ cup to add to the tops.

  6. Form dough into balls about ¼ of batter each. Use a large cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop to measure the batter or eyeball it. Place balls on prepared baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Top each ball with a few of the reserved chocolate chips and pumpkin seeds and a sprinkle of sea salt.

  7. Bake 12- 14 minutes until tops are just set. Remove from oven and transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Keywords: chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, chocolate chip, chocolate, cocoa, soft cookies, chewy

Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes

by

And the best way to kick off the weekend is…. with these easy, delicious Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes, of course! Made with melted chocolate, rich olive oil and studded with chocolate chips, you won’t know what chocolatey deliciousness hit you! Best part? These fudgy cupcakes are naturally gluten free.

ABOUT THESE FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Made with both melted chocolate and chocolate chips, these cupcakes are a chocolate lover’s dream. I used lots of dark chocolate in mine and my husband, who is a huge dark chocolate fan, loves them! These cupcakes are the same recipe as my Flourless Chocolate Olive Oil Cake. Rather than pouring it into a 9 inch pan, I turned it into 12 cupcakes! 

I love the chocolatey olive oil base. The olive oil adds a rich and fruity flavor and so much moisture! I also use olive oil in my Blood Orange Olive Oil Cake. The olive oil makes for such a tender, delicious texture in both cakes!

WHAT’S IN THIS FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES RECIPE

I’ll start by what’s not in it: flour. I know…flourless cake sounds a little weird, but it is soooo good! Flourless makes these cupcakes naturally gluten free. This olive oil dessert is also dairy free. For a flourless and sugar less chocolate cake recipe, check out this 3-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake from Gimme Some Oven!

As far as what’s in it, it’s a simple list of ingredients that most people probably have on hand. You can make mini substitutions with what you have on hand.

ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS:

  • Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil. Melted butter can be substituted for the olive oil.
  • Chocolate: I recommend dark chocolate but bittersweet or semisweet also work.
  • Eggs: Use 4 large.
  • Sugar: I found that 3/4 cup is the perfect, just right amount.
  • Cocoa Powder: 1/3 cup
  • Vanilla: 2 1/2 teaspoons which surprisingly brings out the chocolate flavor.
  • Espresso powder: This is the ingredient that you might not have on hand. It also works to bring out the chocolate flavor. It can usually be found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. You can definitely leave it out if you don’t have it. In that case, I’d suggest bumping the amount of vanilla up to a tablespoon.
  • Chocolate chips Semisweet, bittersweet, dark or milk chocolate chips all work.
  • Salt: Salt also enhances the chocolatey flavor and rounds out some of the sweetness.

HOW TO MAKE THESE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Start by melting the chocolate and olive oil in a medium bowl in the microwave. I like to first chop the chocolate since chopping it will help it melt faster. Melt the chocolate and olive oil in the microwave in about two twenty second intervals. Stir it really well after each interval. The chocolate will melt more as you stir it.

You want to keep the chocolate nice and shiny so make sure not to heat it more than necessary in the microwave. Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the olive oil and set mixture aside.

THE REST OF THE INGREDIENTS

Next, you’ll add most of the other ingredients to a large bowl. Stir or whisk together the sugar, salt, espresso powder, cocoa powder and vanilla. Pour in the melted chocolate and olive oil mixture then stir in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the chocolate chips. That’s it. So easy!

BAKING THE CUPCAKES

Grease or line a cupcake tin and distribute the batter among 12 cups. I prefer greasing my tin rather than using cupcake liners. Using cupcake liners typically leaves little liner marks. Although these are cupcakes, I prefer them to have the look of mini cakes, so I just grease the tin really well. Once baked, the mini cakes, or cupcakes will pop right out!

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a cupcake. Cool for about ten minutes in the muffin tins and then remove to a rack.

ENJOYING THE CUPCAKES

I love and can’t resist this cake warm, but it can also be eaten warm, at room temperature or cold. These cupcakes are delicious as is since they’re very brownie-like.

If you want to add toppings, which I highly recommend, these sweet but not too sweet chocolate cupcakes are the perfect blank slate for all your favorite toppings!

WHAT TO TOP YOUR CUPCAKES WITH

WHIPPED CREAM

Since there is chopped chocolate, cocoa powder and chocolate chips in this flourless espresso cake, I like to top it off with a dollop of chocolate whipped cream! It only takes four ingredients and five minutes to make. You can also make the whipped cream without the cocoa.

I love folding fresh raspberries into either plain or chocolate whipped cream. I love the freshness that the berries add to an otherwise rich dessert. Chopped strawberries would also work. I like raspberries because you don’t need to chop them. Just lightly mash them with a fork and they fold in nicely. They add a pretty pink color and little bits of fruit!

MORE TOPPING SUGGESTIONS

  • GANACHE: Rich, chocolatey ganache is the perfect sauce to drizzle or pour over the cake! Here’s the easy two ingredient ganache recipe I use for my Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes.
  • ICE CREAM: A scoop of vanilla, chocolate, or coffee ice cream is AMAZING but really any flavor ice cream works!
  • POWDERED SUGAR: A simple dusting of powdered sugar makes the cake extra pretty and adds a touch more sweetness!
  • CARAMEL: My chocolate caramel recipe comes to mind first, but this maple caramel would be delicious too!

These flourless chocolate cupcakes are the perfect combination of a piece of chocolate cake and a brownie. They have the fudgy, gooey texture of brownies and are super easy to make! Perfect for when the chocolate urge strikes or for having friends over.

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Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 12 cupcakes 1x
  • Category: Desserts, Cupcakes
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

These easy flourless chocolate cupcakes make the best fudgy, rich treat! Gluten free and perfect for weekdays or company. Top with ice cream or homemade whipped cream!

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE CUPCAKES

  • 6 ounces semisweet, dark, or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or melted unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

FOR THE CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM*

  • 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa 

Instructions

  1. Generously grease a muffin tin. Preheat oven to 350 F. 
  2. Melt the olive oil and chopped chocolate together in the microwave in two 20 second intervals. Stir very well in between intervals. Set aside and let cool for a few minutes while you assemble the rest of the ingredients. 
  3. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, salt, espresso, cocoa and vanilla. Pour in the melted chocolate and olive oil mixture. Stir in the eggs and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour mixture into prepared pan. Spread evenly and bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

FOR THE CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM

  1. For best results, chill the bowl and beaters or whisk attachment in the fridge or freezer for 15- 20 minutes before using. In the bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the whipping cream on high speed for 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and pour the powdered sugar and cocoa in followed by the vanilla. Turn the mixer back up to high and continue mixing until you have medium to stiff peaks, about 3 more minutes.

Notes

*Alternatively, you could add raspberries to the whipped cream. Keep it chocolate flavored and add raspberries or omit the cocoa powder and add raspberries. Lightly crush the raspberries with a fork before folding them in. 

Keywords: espresso, chocolate, chocolate chips, dark chocolate, cupcakes, mini cakes, whipped cream, raspberriese

Chocolate Cherry Popsicles

by

Healthy chocolate and vanilla yogurt popsicles with cherries and drizzled with melted chocolate.

Chocolate Cherry Popsicles: creamy, chocolately, fruity and made with all natural ingredients. This cherry popsicle recipe is proof that dessert can be both healthy and delicious. Simple to make and a super refreshing and satisfying treat on a hot summer day!

ABOUT THESE CHOCOLATE, FRUITY POPSICLES

My Chocolate Cherry Popsicles really have everything you could want in a cool summer treat. They are:

  • Creamy: Milk, Greek yogurt and a little bit of cream cheese make these ultra creamy. So creamy, your family might mistake them for ice cream!
  • Chocolatey: Mixing cocoa into the base gives these perfect chocolate swirls and dark chocolate is the perfect decadent topping!
  • Perfectly sweet: Sweetened with your favorite natural sweetener and to taste! I usually make mine with honey but maple syrup is also delicious. You can decide how sweet to make them so that aren’t overly sweet and are still slightly tangy and refreshing.

These are my third popsicle recipe, but first one to feature chocolate! For other fruity, healthy frozen treats, try my indulgent Mango Raspberry Popsicles and these simple, super fruity Fruit Yogurt Popsicles! These easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches are a less healthy but super indulgent frozen dessert and are not to be missed!

A tray with delicious yogurt chocolate cherry popsicles drizzled with dark chocolate.

WHAT’S IN THESE CHOCOLATE CHERRY POPSICLES?

  1. Vanilla Greek yogurt: I love using Greek yogurt any time I get the chance. It’s thick, creamy and slightly tangy. I wanted these popsicles to be decadent and creamy while still on the healthy side. Greek yogurt definitely helps give these popsicles an almost ice cream like creaminess.
  2. Cream cheese: Combined with the Greek yogurt, the little bit of cream cheese used in this recipe adds to the indulgent texture of these popsicles. 
  3. Milk: I used whole milk to get the milk and cream cheese the right consistency. For a nutty alternative, almond milk can also be used.
  4. Vanilla: Vanilla extract adds so much flavor to these popsicles. I love using it in addition to the vanilla yogurt.
  5. Honey or maple syrup: Use your favorite natural sweetener to round out some of the natural tanginess of the yogurt and bitterness of the dark chocolate. After mixing the yogurt, cream cheese, milk and vanilla, give the mixture a taste and add sweetener until you achieve the degree of sweetness you like.
  6. Cocoa Powder: I recommend using Dutch processed, but regular natural cocoa powder can be used as well. The cocoa gets mixed in to a cup of the yogurt mixture.
  7. Fresh Cherries: There is nothing like enjoying these creamy, chocolatey treats and biting into a plump cherry half! Cherries and chocolate are so good together and really are the secret combination that makes these popsicles SO good!
  8. Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate is melted and drizzled over these popsicles. It’s a healthy choice but still gives these treats a decadent finish!

HOW DO YOU MAKE CHOCOLATE CHERRY POPSICLES?

These popsicles are simple and only take a few minutes to mix up.

Start by mixing the yogurt, room temperature cream cheese, milk and vanilla in a food processor. Sweeten to taste.

A food processor filled with a cream cheese yogurt mixture next to a white bowl filled with cocoa

Next, pour one cup of the yogurt mixture into a bowl and mix in the cocoa powder until completely combined and smooth.

A yogurt cream cheese mixture and a chocolate cream cheese mixture in a bowl.

Carefully spoon, pour or pipe some of the yogurt mixture and chocolate mixture and cherries in alternating layers into 10 popsicle molds. I poured a tablespoon of chocolate to every few tablespoons of the vanilla since we have more vanilla than chocolate filling. You can start with the chocolate or the vanilla.

Add the cherries throughout and use a popsicle stick or knife to push them down. Keep in mind that the cherries and the popsicle stick will increase the volume, so try not to fill the molds completely full before adding cherries.

Fill all the popsicles in the same style or make them each different. Either way they’ll be delicious! You can use the popicle sticks to swirl the mixtures around a little, if you like. This will give you a cool design and will mix the flavors together nicely.

Finally, place the cover on the popsicles, insert the sticks and then let them freeze until solid, 6 hours or overnight.

Delicious homemade chocolate popsicles made with fresh cherries on a baking sheet.

HOW TO REMOVE POPSICLES FROM THE MOLDS

The popsicles will be frozen and therefore pretty stuck inside the molds. To make removing them easier, run each individual popsicle mold under hot water for about 20 seconds then try to pull on the stick.

DIP OR DRIZZLE WITH CHOCOLATE

The last step in making these delicious frozen treats is arguably the best part: chocolate! Once the popsicles are frozen, melt the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave. Melt it in 10 second bursts, giving it a stir in between bursts. To help the chocolate stick longer, add a little coconut oil or shortening to the chocolate. This is optional. They’ll still be yummy if you don’t use it.

A baking tray lined with parchment paper and ten popsicles made with chocolate, yogurt and fresh cherries.

The amount of chocolate the recipe calls for will give you enough to lightly drizzle each popsicle or to dip just the tips into. If you want to dip them all, simply melt a bit more chocolate.

Place the popsicles on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Drizzle the chocolate over top or dip the popsicles and lay them flat on the baking sheet. Freeze until chocolate sets (a few minutes).

A batch of chocolate cherry popsicles drizzled with chocolate on a baking sheet.
Healthy chocolate and vanilla yogurt filled popsicles covered in melted dark chocolate.
Two chocolate cherry popsicles drizzled with chocolate and a fresh cherry cut in half.
A chocolate cherry popsicle with a bite taken out of it and a fresh cherry half next to it.

These Chocolate Raspberry Popsicles are the perfect summer treat for for both kids and adults! They totally hit the spot when you want something chocolatey and fruity on a hot day. Creamy and decadent and also guilt free since they’re made with all natural ingredients! If you’re like me, you’ll be making them all summer long.

FOR MORE FROZEN DESSERTS, TRY MY:

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Chocolate Cherry Popsicles

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 10 popsicles 1x
  • Category: Desserts, Ice Cream, Popsicles
  • Method: Freezer, No Bake
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This recipe for Chocolate Cherry Popsicles is super easy and makes creamy, refreshing and naturally sweet frozen treats! Sure to be a hit with kids AND adults!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 5–6 tablespoons honey, maple syrup or sugar
  • 1/4 cup cocoa, preferably Dutch processed cocoa
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup cherries, pitted and halved or quartered

FOR THE CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE

  • 1/3 cup dark chocolate
  • 1 tablespoon shortening or coconut oil (optional)*

Instructions

  1. Pulse the yogurt, cream cheese, milk and vanilla, and sweetener of your choice in a blender or food processor until combined and smooth. Test/adjust sweetness. Pour one cup of the mixture into a medium sized bowl and whisk in the cocoa. 
  2. Spoon the mixtures into the popsicle molds. as you like. You can make some of the plain vanilla mixture and then a little chocolate or vice versa. Add 3-4 cherry halves to each mold. Place the cover on and sticks inside and freeze 6 hours or overnight. When ready to serve. run the molds under hot water for about 20 seconds or leave them out at room temperature for about 5 minutes to make it easier to remove them. 
  3. Melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil or shortening (if using). Dip the popsicles in the melted chocolate or drizzle them with chocolate. Freeze a few minutes until chocolate hardens then enjoy! 

Notes

*The shortening or coconut oil can be omitted. The chocolate will stick better with it, but it can be omitted.

Keywords: popsicles, popsicle, cherry, cherries, chocolate, cocoa, dark chocolate, greek yogurt, fruit

Caramel Popcorn Dark and Milk Chocolate Cookies

by

Caramel Popcorn Dark and Milk Chocolate Cookies. Soft, chewy, and packed with caramel popcorn, and a mix of dark and milk chocolate. Topped off with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Delicious, easy, and fun to make and eat, these cookies will have you anticipating every bite until the cookie disappears!

CARAMEL POPCORN

Have you ever had a food just drop into your life that you never knew you needed? That happened to me recently with Caramel Popcorn! I saw a recipe for it in one of my grandmother’s old cooking magazines and instantly felt the need to make it.

It took a few attempts to get it just right since I wanted to make a recipe without corn syrup. Brown sugar and honey made the perfect healthier (er…less unhealthy) substitute!

I used 3 cups of my caramel popcorn recipe for these cookies. It’s the best option, in my opinion, because you can make the caramel popcorn as a treat to enjoy and still have enough to add to these cookies!

Caramel popcorn couldn’t be easier to make! You just mix up a simple caramel, mix it with fresh popcorn, and bake it for about 20 minutes.

OTHER POPCORN OPTIONS

  • Store bought caramel popcorn: I haven’t used store bought, but I think it’d be fine.
  • Cracker Jacks! Since Cracker Jacks are basically caramel popcorn with nuts, this would definitely work especially if you like nuts.
  • Plain or buttered popcorn. I haven’t used buttered popcorn yet, but I’m so curious to try it in these cookies! Buttered popcorn chocolate chip cookies, anyone?!

Popcorn Cookies

I came up with the idea for these cookies because, honestly, I just wanted another way to enjoy this caramel popcorn! Popcorn and cookies sounded fun together and I knew the textures and flavors would be DELICIOUS!

DARK AND MILK CHOCOLATE

Dark chocolate = GOOD! Dark and milk chocolate = EVEN BETTER! I happen to love both and I also like how they taste together. Also, since my husband prefers dark and I prefer milk chocolate, there’s something for everyone.

If you love combining milk and dark, check out my Brown Butter Toffee Cookies with Mixed Chopped Chocolate. If you love white chocolate, you could even add some chopped white chocolate!

I used more dark chocolate here since I’m using caramel popcorn which is already pretty sweet. I usually use Lindt bars and just chop them up. I usually get the 70% dark bars. Use all of one type of chocolate, or combine them to make 1 cup like I did.

OTHER CHOCOLATE OPTIONS

  • Chocolate Chips: Instead of the cup of chopped chocolate, you could use 1 cup of chocolate chips! Use dark, semisweet, or even white chocolate! (By the way, I have so many chocolate chip cookie recipes for you to try! I’ll start by recommending two of my most popular which are these Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cookies and Shortbread Cookies with Mini Chocolate Chips!
  • Chocolate Chunks: These would also be delicious and I think would be amazing texture-wise!

FLAKY SEA SALT

Speaking of chocolate, I should mention that these chocolatey cookies are finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Why did chocolate remind me of sea salt? Because salt intensifies the chocolate flavor! It also balances out the sweetness from the milk chocolate and caramel popcorn.

Add the sea salt to the dough balls just before they go into the oven or sprinkle it on as soon as you take them out.

Ok…that was a lot about the add ins! The caramel popcorn and chocolate are so important and so GOOD in this recipe, so I had to be sure to share all the details.

HOW TO MAKE POPCORN COOKIES

The cookie dough itself doesn’t need as much explaining since it’s pretty much your standard chocolate chip cookie…butter, sugar, eggs, and flour.

I like to use dark brown sugar and some granulated sugar. The dark brown sugar helps the cookies get their nice chewy middles and adds a tasty molasses flavor! I prefer dark, but you can also use light brown sugar.

Once the dough is mixed, fold in the popcorn and chocolate. The popcorn will break a little but that’s okay! You’ll end up with some whole pieces and some smaller pieces of popcorn.

These are definitely MONSTER popcorn cookies which is how I like my cookies these days. To scoop them onto the cookie sheet, I use a large ice cream scoop (size 16). You can also measure out 1/4 cup of dough and form it into balls. If you prefer smaller cookies, be sure to reduce the baking time by a few minutes.

No need to flatten the dough and no chill/rest necessary with this dough. Bake until the edges are golden brown.

I have never seen a cookie more fun or delicious tasting than these Caramel Popcorn Dark and Milk Chocolate Cookies! They’re made with lots of vanilla and brown sugar, packed with caramel popcorn, dark chocolate and milk chocolate and topped with flaky sea salt. When you taste how good they are, you’ll realize why they needed to be monster sized!

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Caramel Popcorn Dark and Milk Chocolate Cookies

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Total Time: 32 minutes
  • Yield: 1 dozen 1x
  • Category: Desserts, Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Made with homemade caramel popcorn and both dark and milk chocolate, these Caramel Popcorn Dark and Milk Chocolate Cookies have a soft, chewy texture and are full of flavor!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar (preferably dark), packed
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups popcorn caramel popcorn (or buttered or plain popcorn, air popped or microwave)
  • 1 cup chocolate (dark and/or milk, chopped or chocolate chips)
  • flaky sea salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars, and vanilla on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat an additional minute. Gradually beat in the dry ingredients. Stir in the popcorn followed by the chocolate.
  4. Use a large ice cream scoop or 1/4 measuring cup, scoop out the dough and place balls onto prepared baking sheets. Top with flaky sea salt and bake Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until edges turn golden brown. Allow to cool for five minutes on baking sheet before eating or transferring to a rack to cool completely. 

Keywords: popcorn, cookies, caramel popcorn, chocolate, chopped chocolate, dark chocolate, popcorn cookies, chocolate chip cookies

Peanut Butter Stuffed Salted Brownie Cookies

by

salted chocolate cookies with crackly tops and peanut butter in the middle.

Combine all the things you love about brownies and cookies and you get these delicious peanut butter stuffed salted brownie cookies! They’re cookie shaped and have cookie-like crispy edges and have the crackly tops and fudgy, chewy middles you love about brownies. A hefty pinch of flaky sea salt brings out all the chocolate flavor and the peanut butter middles takes these into dessert territory. They’re easy to make and are just so good!

ABOUT BROWNIE COOKIES

Who doesn’t love brownies?! Based on the the number of brownie recipes here on Parsley and Icing, my love for them is obvious! There are my creamy tahini brownies, avocado brownies (I know it sounds weird, but they’re sooooo good), and most recently these insanely good banana brownies!

Recipes for brownie cookies already exist, but I felt compelled to make my own for a couple of reasons. The first being that maybe some of my friends have not tried brownie cookies and I wanted to spread the word and share how to make them.

The second reason for this recipe was because I had to try stuffing brownie cookies with peanut butter! So glad I did! Since peanut butter and chocolate go so well together, the peanut butter only makes these cookies even more intensely flavorful!

Brownie cookies stuffed with peanut butter and chocolate chips and topped with salt.

INGREDIENTS FOR BROWNIE COOKIES

  • Butter: With salt added to the batter and sprinkled on top of the cookies, it’s best to use unsalted butter.
  • Chopped chocolate: I both chopped dark chocolate and semisweet chocolate. Use all of one or some of both like I did.
  • Chocolate chips: In addition to the melted chocolate, I like to add some semisweet chocolate chips to the dough. These add nice little chocolatey bites to the cookies once baked.
  • Cocoa powder: You can use regular unsweetened cocoa powder and or Dutch processed.
  • Baking powder: Use one teaspoon as a leavening agent.
  • Flour: I am running low on flour these days, so luckily these only take one cup!
  • Sugars: I used both granulated sugar and dark brown sugar. I like dark brown for the extra molasses flavor, but light brown can be used too. Alternatively, you can also simply use all granulated sugar.
  • Eggs: Use two large room temperature eggs.
  • Sea salt: A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top of each cookie helps balance out the sweetness of the cookies. Sprinkle it on either just before or right after baking.
  • Peanut butter middles: Since peanut butter and chocolate are an amazing flavor combo, stir together some peanut butter, melted butter, powdered sugar and a pinch of salt for the yummiest stuffed cookies. These definitely remind me of my old fashioned peanut butter balls, but are a little less work. Cookies can be made without the peanut butter middles, but I highly recommend making them with peanut butter!
A batch of big chocolate monster cookies topped with flaky sea salt.

HOW TO MAKE BROWNIE COOKIES

In order to get those cool crinkly tops, you want to make sure to have all your ingredients ready so that the cookies can get formed and baked as soon as the dough is mixed.

The first thing you’ll do is prepare the peanut butter stuffing. Fix this first so that it has time to chill in the fridge. Chilling the little peanut butter ball mixtures easier to pick up and stick inside the cookie scoop.

Next, take care of the other usual items: preheat the oven, line baking sheets with parchment paper, whisk to combine the dry ingredients and melt the butter and chopped chocolate. I even like to measure out my chocolate chips so that I have them ready to mix in and don’t have to measure them out mid-mixing. Have your eggs at room temperature and within reach of your mixer.

Once you’ve got everything prepped, get your eggs, sugars and vanilla going in the mixer. Definitely let them mix for the full five minutes. After five minutes, fold in the butter and chocolate mixture, followed by the dry ingredients. Lastly fold in the chocolate chips (if using) til just combined.

Fill a large cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop half way with batter then drop a peanut butter ball in and fill the rest of the scoop with the brownie cookie batter. Drop the cookies on your baking sheet and top with a sprinkle of sea salt. Bake until the edges are set and the tops are crinkly. Let the cookies cool a bit (10-15 minutes) on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Salted brownie cookies cut in half with peanut butter in the middle.

These peanut butter stuffed salted brownie cookies are definitely bakery style looking and tasting! Enjoy them while they’re still warm or at room temperature. Either way, you’ll get crinkly, fudgy, chocolately, peanut buttery chewiness in every bite!

FOR MORE COOKIE RECIPES, TRY MY:

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Peanut Butter Stuffed Salted Brownie Cookies

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Total Time: 42 minutes
  • Yield: 17 cookies 1x
  • Category: Desserts, Cookies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Fudgy, chewy, chocolatey brownies in cookie form: these easy, peanut butter stuffed salted brownie cookies have a crackly brownie like crust and are full of chocolate and peanut butter flavor! 

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE COOKIE DOUGH

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 5 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
  • 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark)
  • flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER FILLING

  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened 
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER FILLING

  1. In a small bowl, soften butter for a few seconds in the microwave. Ideally, the butter should be softened to the point that it’s easy to stir and mix in with the powdered sugar.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, stir together the peanut butter, softened butter, powdered sugar and salt. Mixture will be sticky, but you should be able to form it into balls. If it’s too sticky or liquidy, place it in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes until it becomes thicker and easier to work with.
  3. Form 17 balls the size of 1 teaspoon and place them on a small wax paper lined baking sheet. Place the balls in the fridge while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Chilling the peanut butter balls will make them easier to work with.

FOR THE COOKIE DOUGH

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Add the butter to a medium saucepan and heat it over medium low until it’s melted. Remove pan from the heat. Add the dark and semisweet chopped chocolate and stir until it’s melted and combined. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk to combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a handheld mixer on medium high speed, mix the eggs, sugars and vanilla for 5 minutes, until mixture thickens.
  5. With the mixer on low speed, pour in the melted chocolate-butter mixture and mix until combined and smooth. Remove bowl from mixer stand and use a spatula gently fold in the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix. Add in the chocolate chips.
  6. Fill an ice cream scoop half way with batter. Place one peanut butter mixture ball in the scoop and fill the rest of the scoop with cookie dough. Drop the cookies onto the cookie sheet. Place them 3″ apart.
  7. Sprinkle the cookies with flaky sea salt and bake 10-12 minutes until the center is just set. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes before then transferring them to a rack to cool.

Keywords: brownie cookies, peanut butter, stuffed, chocolate, sea salt, cookies

Flourless Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

by

This flourless chocolate olive oil cake is so elegant and decadent, you won’t believe how easy it is! Filled with cocoa powder, melted chocolate and chocolate chips, it’s got a rich, fudgy center and a perfect crispy yet tender crust! Leaving out the flour makes it naturally gluten free. So easy to make and perfect for any occasion.

INGREDIENTS FOR THIS FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

I’ll start by what’s not in it: flour. I know…flourless cake sounds a little weird, but it is soooo good!

As far as what’s in it, it’s a simple list of ingredients that most people probably have on hand. You can make mini substitutions with what you have on hand.

ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS:

  • Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil. Melted butter can be substituted for the olive oil.
  • Chocolate: I recommend dark chocolate but bittersweet or semisweet also work.
  • Eggs: Use 4 large.
  • Sugar: I found that 3/4 cup is the perfect, just right amount.
  • Cocoa Powder: Use 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.
  • Vanilla: 2 1/2 teaspoons which surprisingly brings out the chocolate flavor.
  • Espresso powder: This is the ingredient that you might not have on hand. It also works to bring out the chocolate flavor. It can usually be found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. You can definitely leave it out if you don’t have it. In that case, I’d suggest bumping the amount of vanilla up to a tablespoon.
  • Chocolate chips Semisweet, bittersweet, dark or milk chocolate chips all work.
  • Salt: Salt also enhances the chocolatey flavor and rounds out some of the sweetness.

HOW TO MAKE THIS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Start by melting the chocolate and olive oil in a medium bowl in the microwave. I like to first chop the chocolate since chopping it will help it melt faster. Melt the chocolate and olive oil in the microwave in about two twenty second intervals. Stir it really well after each interval. The chocolate will melt more as you stir it.

You want to keep the chocolate nice and shiny so make sure not to heat it more than necessary in the microwave. Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the olive oil and set mixture aside.

DRY INGREDIENTS

Next, you’ll add most of the other ingredients to a large bowl. Stir or whisk together the sugar, salt, espresso powder, cocoa powder and vanilla.

A mixing bowl filled with espresso powder, cocoa, sugar, salt and vanilla.

THE REST OF THE INGREDIENTS

Pour in the melted chocolate and olive oil mixture then stir in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the chocolate chips. That’s it. So easy!

BAKING IT

I like to use a springform pan because it makes it so much easier to take the cake out when serving it, but a regular round cake pan works too. Make sure to grease then line the pan with parchment paper to prevent it from sticking. The cake will take 25-30 minutes at 350 F.

A rich chocolate cake on a white cake stand topped with powdered sugar.

ENJOYING THE CAKE

I love and can’t resist this cake warm, but it can also be eaten warm, at room temperature or cold.

To get nice, clean slices run a large, sharp knife under hot water or dunk it in a glass of hot water and wipe it dry. Make sure to wipe the knife clean in between slices and dip the knife in hot water in between each cut. It adds a little time, but it gives you some nice, sleek slices!

WHAT TO SERVE WITH YOUR CAKE

Since there is chopped chocolate, cocoa powder and chocolate chips in this flourless espresso cake, I like to top it off with a dollop of chocolate whipped cream, of course! It only takes four ingredients and five minutes to make. You can also make the whipped cream without the cocoa.

MORE TOPPING SUGGESTIONS

  • GANACHE: Rich, chocolatey ganache is the perfect sauce to drizzle or pour over the cake! Here’s the easy two ingredient ganache recipe I use for my Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes.
  • ICE CREAM: A scoop of vanilla, chocolate, or coffee ice cream is AMAZING!
  • POWDERED SUGAR: A simple dusting of powdered sugar makes the cake extra pretty and adds a touch more sweetness!
  • CARAMEL: My chocolate caramel recipe comes to mind first, but this maple caramel would be delicious too!
Slices of chocolate cake on plates topped with chocolate whipped cream.

This flourless chocolate olive oil cake is my new favorite chocolate cake! I love it because it has the fudgy, gooey texture of brownies, a lovely crust and is super easy to make! Perfect for when the chocolate urge strikes or for having friends over.

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Flourless Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
  • Category: Desserts. Cake
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This easy flourless chocolate olive oil cake makes the best fudgy, rich treat! Gluten free and perfect for weekdays or company. 

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

  • 6 ounces dark, semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or melted unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

FOR THE CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM

  • 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon natural cocoa

 

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

  1. Butter then line with parchment paper the bottom of a 9″ springform pan or the bottom of a round 9″ cake pan. Preheat oven to 350 F. 
  2. Melt the olive oil and chopped chocolate together in the microwave in two 20 second intervals. Stir very well in between intervals. Set aside and let cool for a few minutes while you assemble the rest of the ingredients. 
  3. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, salt, espresso, cocoa and vanilla. Pour in the melted chocolate and butter mixture. Stir in the eggs and mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour mixture into prepared pan. Spread evenly and bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

FOR THE CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM

  1. For best results, chill the bowl and beaters or whisk attachment in the fridge or freezer for 15- 20 minutes before using. In the bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the whipping cream on high speed for 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and pour the powdered sugar and cocoa in followed by the vanilla. Turn the mixer back up to high and continue mixing until you have medium to stiff peaks, about 3 more minutes.

Keywords: cake, espresso, chocolate, flourless, dessert, gluten free

Chocolate Brownie Meringue Cake

by

A rich, fudgy piece of chocolate brownie cake topped with toasted meringue.

When you want an extra special chocolatey brownie treat, this chocolate brownie meringue cake is the dessert to make! Featuring a moist, gooey, slightly cakey brownie base and topped with homemade toasted meringue and chocolatey ganache, it’s the ultimate finish to any meal.

There are typically two types of brownies: gooey and cakey. Most people tend to prefer one type over the other. This chocolate brownie meringue cake is firmly situated in the middle of type gooey and cakey. Densely fudgy and chocolatey yet moist and slightly fluffy.

Can these brownies get any better?! They can when you top them with homemade meringue, toast it and drizzle chocolate ganache over top!

MAKING THE BROWNIES

To make the brownies, start by buttering and lining an 8 inch pan with parchment and preheating the oven to 350 F. Next, melt the chocolate and butter so that it has time to cool slightly before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. melting the chopped dark chocolate and cubed butter. You’ll want to chop the chocolate and cube the butter so that it melts faster. Melt the chocolate-butter mixture on the stove top or in the microwave.

MELTING THE BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE

Chop the chocolate and cube the butter so that it melts faster. Melt the chocolate-butter mixture on the stove top or in the microwave.

To melt it on the stove, place the butter and chocolate in a medium saucepan and stir until melted and smooth.

To melt it in the microwave, melt it with the microwave on 50% power for 20 second intervals. Stir well in between. Continue until melted and smooth.

THE DRY INGREDIENTS

In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, and salt. The recipe calls for dutch-processed cocoa. You can substitute regular cocoa powder if you don’t have dutch-processed. I love the rich, chocolate color dutch-processed gives and find it a bit less bitter than regular cocoa powder, so recommend using that if possible.

whipped eggs and sugar in a bowl next to melted chocolate and other dry ingredients.

EGGS AND SUGAR

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugars in a large bowl for about two minutes or until mixture becomes pale and creamy. The eggs will give these brownies the bit of cakiness they have. Two minutes might feel like a long time, but switch arms if you get tired or recruit someone to whisk for part of it.

COMBINING THE INGREDIENTS AND BAKING THE BROWNIES

Whisk in the vanilla. Use a spatula to stir the melted butter and chocolate mixture then use a wooden spoon or a spatula to gently stir in the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined then pour into the prepared pan. Be careful not to overmix!

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place it on a rack in the middle position of the oven. Bake 20-23 minutes. Check the for doneness at around 18 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let the brownies cool completely in the pan. Cooling will take at least two hours at room temperature or about an hour in the fridge.

A pan of brownies with billowy homemade meringue spread on top.

HOW TO MAKE MERINGUE

If you’ve never made meringue, I know it can sound difficult and intimidating. It’s really not that hard and we might have this idea that it’s hard because it’s not something people make often.

You will need a candy thermometer to make it. It tells you exactly the mixture is ready to get added to the egg whites. It’s too hard to know when to add it without the thermometer.

A stand mixer makes making meringue a lot easier, but is not required. I’ve made meringues before using a hand held mixer.

HERE ARE THE STEPS FOR MAKING MERINGUE

  1. Combine the water and sugar to a pan over medium heat. Clip a candy thermometer to the pan or have it handy.
  2. With the water and sugar on the stove, place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer) with a whisk attachment and whisk on medium low.
  3. When the water-sugar mixture reaches 250 F and the egg whites have begun forming soft peaks, carefully and slowly pour the hot water-sugar mixture into the egg whites while the mixer continues to whip. Add the salt and vanilla and continue whisking for 5-7 minutes or until stiff peaks form. 
A pot with water and sugar with a candy thermometer next to it.

HOW TO TOAST MERINGUE

To toast the meringue topping, start by spooning the meringue mixture on top of the cooled brownies. You can spread it completely over the brownie mixture using an offset spatula. I leave the edges of the brownies bare because I like to leave a little of the chocoaltey color. Use the spatula to create little spikes in the meringue. These will look especially cool toasted!

The meringue can be toasted under the broiler or with a kitchen blow torch. I used the broiler since I seem to have misplaced my blow torch during my move from Boston to Ottawa.

Next time I make them, I hope to have picked up a new blow torch. The broiler works fine, but I find the blow torch more fun and gives me more control on how toasted I want them.

A chocolatey brownie cake topped with toasted meringue.
Chocolate brownie meringue cake with a spoon filled with ganache next to it.

EASY CHOCOLATE GANACHE

The ganache is so easy and really completes this dessert. I wasn’t planning on topping this dessert with chocolate sauce, but decided it’d be that perfect finishing touch.

To make the chocolate sauce, just pour some hot heavy cream over a bowl of chocolate chips. Let is sit for a minute then give it a stir. Let it cool slightly before drizzling it over the meringue. 

Try not to let it sit too long or it will thicken up and won’t be liquidy enough to fall in a nice drizzle. If it does thicken up too much, just reheat it for a few seconds in the microwave and stir it again.

Sliced gooey, cakey brownies with meringue and chocolate ganache on top.

AN AMAZING DESSERT

So excited for you to try this Chocolate Brownie Meringue Cake! Whether you eat them with a fork or with your hands or serve them on a special occasion or not, this recipe takes brownies from a delicious treat to an extra special dessert!

FOR MORE BROWNIE RECIPES, TRY MY:

Delicious chocolate brownie squares topped with meringue and drizzled with ganache.
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a brownie topped with thick toasted meringue and chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Brownie Meringue Cake

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 9 to 16 servings 1x
  • Category: Baking, Desserts, Brownies
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This chocolate brownie meringue cake is fudgy, chocolatey, and moist and topped with  a gooey toasted homemade meringue and a rich ganache.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
  • 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons vanilla

FOR THE MERINGUE

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • one pinch of salt

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

  • 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Instructions

FOR THE BROWNIES

  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter the bottom of an 8″ baking dish and line it with parchment paper. Let the paper overhand on two sides.
  2. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate and butter. Alternatively, the mixture can be melted in a microwave. Stir until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Sift together the flour, cocoa, and salt. Set aside.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugars for about 2 minutes or until mixture becomes pale and creamy. Whisk in the vanilla. Use a wooden spoon or a spatula to gently fold in the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined then pour into the prepared pan.
  5. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick, when inserted in the middle, comes out with a few crumbs. 

FOR THE MERINGUE  

  1. Combine the water and sugar to a pan over medium heat. Clip a candy thermometer to the pan or have it handy.
  2. With the water and sugar on the stove, place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer) with a whisk attachment and whisk on medium low.
  3. When the water-sugar mixture reaches 250 F and the egg whites have begun forming soft peaks, carefully and slowly pour the hot water-sugar mixture into the egg whites while the mixer continues to whip. Add the salt and vanilla and continue whisking for 5-7 minutes or until stiff peaks form. 
  4. Spoon the meringue over the cooled brownies and spread/swirl it using a spatula. Place it under the broiler for about a minute or use a blow torch to toast it. 

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

  1. Place the chocolate chips in a bowl. Heat the heavy cream for about 20 seconds in the microwave or in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour hot heavy cream over the chocolate chips and let stand for a minute. After a minute, give the mixture a stir. Let cool slightly before drizzling it over the meringue. 

Keywords: Chocolate, Brownies, Desserts, Sweets, Meringue, Dark Chocolate