Copycat Starbucks Double Chocolate Brownies — The brownies are rich, fudgy, not cakey, perfectly chewy, and so easy to make. One bowl, no mixer, and studded with chocolate chunks!
Copycat Starbucks Double Chocolate Brownies
Recently, I was waiting in a long Starbucks line, peering into their bakery case, studying it actually, to see what I could remake at home. Remaking restaurant recipes and coming up with homemade copycat versions is what I do for fun.
‘Fun’ may not be the right word, but after 8+ years blogging about food, self-imposed challenges like this inspire me. In fact, my copycat Starbucks Lemon Loaf is one of the most popular recipes on my site.
I personally have been partial to this brownie recipe I created in 2014. I’ve remade it umpteen times, but it relies solely on melted chocolate.
However, when I was reading the Starbucks site it says their brownies are made exclusively of cocoa powder, which is a twist I wasn’t expecting. So I turned to a brownie recipe I made in 2013, courtesy of Alice Medrich, doctored it up, and voila we have copycat Starbucks Double Chocolate Brownies. My family raved about these.
They’re rich, fudgy, not cakey, perfectly chewy, and so easy to make. One bowl, no mixer, and studded with chocolate chunks.
You can save yourself the $2.45 per brownie and when it’s homemade the calories don’t count either.
iPhone photo of the real thing that inspired this recipe
What’s in These Double Chocolate Brownies?
These cocoa powder brownies require very few ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make copycat Starbucks brownies:
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chunks
How to Make Chocolate Brownies
To make this brownie recipe with cocoa powder, you’ll first need to whisk together melted butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Then, stir in the dry ingredients before folding in the chocolate chunks.
Turn the batter into a greased 8×8-inch baking dish that’s been lined with foil. Sprinkle more chocolate chunks on top, then bake the double chocolate brownies until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
These chocolate chip brownies will need to cool for 2 hours before you can slice and serve them. Trust me, the wait is worth it!
Can I Double This Recipe?
Yes, you can double the ingredients for these copycat Starbucks chocolate brownies and bake them in a 9×13-inch pan.
Can I Make These Gluten-Free?
I haven’t tried it myself, but if you have a gluten-free flour blend that you trust, I say go ahead and try it in this chocolate brownie recipe!
Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Brownies
If your cocoa powder is lumpy, you may want to sift it before adding it to the brownie batter. You don’t want lumps in your chocolate brownies!
Also, if you don’t have chocolate chunks on hand you’re welcome to use chocolate chips instead. Stick with semi-sweet though so these brownies aren’t too sweet.
I haven’t been able to make perfectly fudgy, chewy brownies with canola oil, which is why I always use melted butter. As such, I don’t recommend subbing oil for the butter in this recipe.
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Starbucks Double Chocolate Brownies {Copycat Recipe}
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil for easier cleanup and spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- To a large, microwave-safe bowl add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute.
- Add the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
- Add the cocoa powder and stir to combine (Note – If your cocoa powder is particularly lumpy, you may wish to sift it before adding it).
- Add the flour, salt, and stir to combine.
- Add 1 1/2 cups chocolate chunks and stir to combine.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan (it will be thick) and smooth the top lightly with a spatula.
- Evenly sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chunks on top, lightly tapping them down so they adhere.
- Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
- Allow brownies to cool in pan on a wire rack for about 2 hours before slicing and serving. I sliced them into 8 generous rectangles similar to how Starbucks does it. Store in an airtight container at room temp or in the fridge if you like your brownies chilled.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Originally posted February 24, 2017 and reposted January 28, 2022 with updated text.
Is that 1/2 cup flour measurement right? Most from scratch recipes use more than this amount. The recipe looks delicious. I just wondered if that effects how the brownies turn out.
Yes; and it does depend on the pan/batch size. This is a pretty small batch, thus a small amount of flour. Plus all that extra flour would just make them cakey.
Made these today with Dutch processed cocoa. Super yum! Thanks for another great recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you with Dutch processed!
Hey girl- these look so yummy!
I love making copycat versions, especially from places like Starbucks because homemade will be so much better. These look perfect!
As a blogger I know you can appreciate the satisfaction when you can make a copycat recipe at home!
Brownies for breakfast? Absolutely– guilty as charged! I made these yesterday, and was cutting them up to freeze them this morning, and well– you know. Thank you, Averie, for sharing this super easy and most awesome brownie recipe. It’s MY new favorite! Thanks for your wonderful blog!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Glad this is your new favorite recipe!
Hi, I have actually tried the recipe that you had originally had posted a couple years back. That was one of the earliest recipes I tried from this site. I made this one today and my husband said it was one of the best things I ever made. And so you know what, he loves your choc cake recipe the most too! Can you pls post a biscoff recipe this year or something that has a strong almond extract flavor?
Glad that these were a big hit and that your husband said it was one of the best things you ever made! Sounds like you loved the recipe from a few years back, too.
As for Biscoff things, googlge Biscoff Averie Cooks. Or Cookie Butter Averie Cooks. Quite a few things will pop up. I used to do lots with it in like 2011-12 range when Biscoff/CB was really trending but haven’t in the past few years but my archives are ripe.
https://www.averiecooks.com/2014/11/almond-cream-cheese-shortbread-bars.html for almond extract flavor!
Can I use a 9×9 circle pan? I don’t have a square pan. Or, if I double it, a 9×13 pan?
Haven’t tried it in a circular pan, probably would be fine if it’s a 9-inch round. If doubling, use a 9×13.
These look AMAZING!!!!!! Do you think gluten free all pourpose flour would work? Thanks!
If you have success with that particular flour in other baking recipes, it would probably be safe to give it a whirl here.
They look great! I always loved their brownies and will have to try your recipe.
Thanks!
Yum! I love brownies. The thing is although I always have chocolate chips in the house, chocolate chunks are not likely to be lurking in my cupboard.
Can’t wait to try this! I love the Starbucks brownie!
These brownies look so tempting! I might just have to make a batch for this weekend!
Thanks :)
These look great! Do you store them room temp or in the fridge? Absolutely love love your Homemade Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies (which I like to store in the fridge as you recommended); looking forward to trying these as well!
You can store either at room temp or chilled. Glad you love the Cosmic Brownies!
Why does your recipe use butter when the starbucks site shows canola oil?
I’ve never been able to get scratch brownies (not a boxed mix) taste as good with oil as they do with butter which is why I used butter. Oil is cheaper than butter and I can see why Starbucks would do that to save costs.
I think they look better than Starbuck’s, but then again, I generally prefer homemade to bakery case.
Thanks for the compliment and I prefer homemade too!
Those do look like they came out of the Starbucks case (all of your brownies make me swoon though)!!☺ I would imagine the whole pan costs less to make than buying 3 of them.
Thanks for the compliments :) and yes I totally agree about the cost factor!