These hot chocolate brownies are rich and fudgy with a crackly top and mini marshmallows. They're a classic decadent dessert that's easy to make!
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Notes from the baker
These hot chocolate brownies are everything you would want in a good brownie. They have a soft and fudgy texture that's underdone just enough to be perfectly moist or fudgier if you keep them in the fridge.
The sought-after crackly top is dotted with mini marshmallows to embody the feeling of a mug of hot chocolate. Use milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate for more of a classic hot chocolate mix kind of flavour!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Soft and fudgy brownies.
- Crackly brownie top.
- Marshmallow topping.
Tools
- Electric hand mixer - You'll need a hand mixer to whip the eggs and sugar together for long enough to achieve the crackly crust on top of the brownies. It's possible to do it with a whisk but it'll just take longer.
- 9x9" pan - This recipe is scaled for a 9x9" pan but an 8x8" pan would also work and just give you thicker brownies.
Ingredient notes
As always, the full recipe card with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the bottom of this post! Keep reading for more details on each ingredient or skip ahead to the recipe.
- Semi-sweet or dark chocolate - I prefer using dark chocolate to offset the sweetness but using semi-sweet or milk chocolate will give you a lighter and sweeter flavour that's closer to the taste of hot chocolate mix. Finely chop the chocolate so that it melts evenly and quickly.
- Natural cocoa powder - We're using natural cocoa powder (the most common kind) for the slightly lighter colour. Some hot chocolate brownie recipes use actual hot chocolate mix but since it contains other additives, it doesn't really work as well or yield much flavour.
- Unsalted butter - We're going to be making browned butter so we're starting off with more butter than needed since the water will evaporate out of it as it cooks. Different brands and batches of butter contain different amounts of water content so be sure to use exactly 125g of browned butter and top it up with extra butter if needed. Roughly cube the butter so that it melts evenly.
- Eggs - These should be at room temperature so that they don't cause the butter and chocolate to harden on contact.
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Mini marshmallows - You can't have hot chocolate without marshmallows! These are a must-have addition to add to the feeling of a mug of hot chocolate.
Tips for making the best hot chocolate brownies
- Weigh the browned butter. The water content in the butter will be cooked off during the browning process. Different brands and even batches of butter contain different amounts of water so you may end up with more or less browned butter than I did. To ensure you're still using the same amount of browned butter, weight it and top it up with a bit of extra butter (the heat will melt it quickly) if you're short.
- Whip the eggs and sugar for a full 5 minutes. The crackly top of these brownies is created by whipping the eggs and sugar together until the sugar dissolves into the eggs which will then rise back up to the surface of the brownies during baking. Make be sure to whip it for long enough for this to happen!
- Let the brownies cool completely before slicing. The brownies will be very soft and gooey straight out of the oven and when warm. It's important to let it cool completely before slicing so that it has time to firm up otherwise they will just fall apart. You can pop it in the fridge to speed up the process. If you want to enjoy them warm, just reheat individual slices afterwards.
Storage
These hot chocolate brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For a firmer and fudgier texture, store them in the fridge.
They can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature or reheat until warm before eating.
Frequently asked questions
Baking by weight is much more accurate than volume. When using US standard cups, ingredients like flour and sugar can easily be overpacked into the cup causing you to add too much of certain ingredients. Recipes with weight measurements are also easier to scale to smaller or bigger batches without dealing with weird fractions. To measure by weight, you simply need a kitchen scale which you can usually pick up for less than $20.
Small measurements are given in tablespoons and teaspoons because most kitchen scales are not accurate under about 10g. Tiny amounts like a ¼ teaspoon may not register accurately unless you have a drug scale. Mixing these measurements is a common practice among other recipe sites and commercial kitchens.
More brownie recipes to try
Recipe
Hot Chocolate Brownies
Equipment
- 1 9x9" pan
Ingredients
- 100 g semi-sweet or dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 60 g natural cocoa powder
- 150 g unsalted butter, roughly cubed
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 50 g brown sugar
- 80 g all-purpose flour
- 30 g mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9" pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Chocolate mixture: In a small mixing bowl, add the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder. Set aside.
- Brown the butter: In a small pan, heat the butter on medium heat, stirring often, until the butter has melted and the white milk solids start separating out. The butter will start sizzling. When the sizzling slows down, the surface starts getting foamy, and the milk solids sink to the bottom of the pan, stir it constantly and watch for the milk solids to turn golden brown. Remove it from the heat the moment they have browned to prevent them from burning.
- Melt chocolate: Pour the browned butter into your bowl of chocolate and cocoa powder. You should have 125g of browned butter. If you have less than that, top it off with a bit more butter to make it 125g. Let the mixture sit undisturbed for about 2 minutes before stirring it until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
- Whip eggs: In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Use an electric hand mixer to beat together on medium-high speed for 5 full minutes until it's pale in colour and doubled in volume.
- Combine: With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the melted chocolate mixture. Mix until combined. Add the flour and use a spatula to fold together until just combined.
- Fill pan: Transfer the batter to your lined pan. Use an offset spatula to smooth the batter into a flat layer.
- Bake: Bake brownies for 23-25 minutes or until the edges are set and the middle is just slightly jiggly. Remove the pan from the oven and scatter the mini marshmallows on top. Return it to the oven to bake for another 1-2 minutes just until the marshmallows have puffed up slightly and the heat helps them stick.
- Cool and slice: Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before slicing into squares. Dust the top with a bit of extra cocoa powder (optional). When slicing, rub a knife with a bit of cooking oil before each cut to prevent the marshmallows from stick to the knife.
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