I f**king love brownies. I mean seriously, I’ve made so many brownie recipes and I still want to make more. And that doesn’t even include the countless Costco-sized boxes of Ghirardelli’s double chocolate brownies I’ve made at home. And the occasional Pillsbury. Jeeeeze, I’m getting hungry just thinking about them…
And here’s the best part of it all: these butterscotch cocoa brownies are my new favorite. Better than plumb good brownies. Better than Nutella brownies. Better then every brownie recipe prior to this. They’re so gooey and fudgey and I just love the addition of the butterscotch chips. So basically: go make these. Now. No, not in an hour. Not tomorrow. Now.
Tips for making butterscotch cocoa brownies
Use unsalted butter — I know it doesn’t seem like using unsalted vs salted butter makes a huge difference in your baking, but unsalted butter is the way to go here. Using unsalted butter gives you more control over how much salt is going into the batter to offset the rich cocoa brownies.
Use unsweetened cocoa powder — You want to use unsweetened cocoa powder here so these butterscotch brownies are as rich and fudgy as they can possibly be. Don’t try and substitute hot chocolate mix or anything crazy like that. It won’t work. (Ask me how I know).
Slightly under bake the brownies — The trick to making the fudgiest brownies possible is to bake them slightly less than you think they need. Remember that these cocoa brownies will continue cooking in the hot pan as they rest on your counter, so they can be taken out a little early.
Let the brownies cool before cutting — I know it sucks having to wait for brownies to cool, but that cooling period is crucial in achieving the perfect butterscotch brownie. The brownies won’t set right if you cut into them right away, not to mention you’l burn the roof of your mouth if you eat one straight out of the oven.
How to store brownies
These cocoa brownies should keep in an airtight container on your counter for about a week (not that they’ll last that long!). You can also freeze these brownies once they’ve cooled completely. Just store them in a freezer-safe baggie and then reheat them in a warm oven when you’re ready to dig in.
3/4cup + 2tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, cold
1/2cup all-purpose flour
2/3cup butterscotch chips
Instructions
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides.
Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl and microwave for 90 seconds. Remove and stir until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside briefly until the mixture is only warm, not hot. It looks fairly gritty at this point, but don’t fret — it smoothes out once the eggs and flour are added.
Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula.
Stir in the butterscotch chips, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.
Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack before cutting and serving.
This is my go-to brownie recipe. It’s bulletproof, and produces the most luxurious, delicious brownies. I sometimes add half a cup of nuts to cut the texture, but it’s good without as well. Seriously, thank you for this – I get asked for the recipe almost every time I make them.
I’m usually very lazy about submitting reviews, but I owe it to you to let you know how amazing these brownies are. I’ve made them at least six or seven times over the past couple of years, and it’s my “go to” brownie recipe. I figured I have plenty of time to post a review right now since I have a batch of them cooling at the moment.
My teenage daughter absolutely LOVES these brownies. I follow your directions exactly, and take them out of the oven after about 30 minutes just to be sure they’re completely done. They have come out very moist and chewy every time.
My husband and I are on a low carb diet so I make them for my daughter. Since she’s the only one eating them, I cut them and freeze them individually to put in her lunch for school. Of course, I always have to sample a small portion for quality control purposes each time. Ha ha!
Love the recipe, but I lost a very nice bowl trying to follow the directions.
Microwaving sugar can be dangerous if it gets too hot, and that seems to be what happened to me. I pulled the bowl from the microwave and set it on the counter. I grabbed my spatula and stuck it into the bowl, and as soon as I started to stir the bowl shattered . The rim and top part of the bowl stayed intact, but the lower half that had the sugar/cocoa/butter mix was in pieces all over the counter.
After cleaning up the mess I started the recipe again by melting the butter in a pan over low heat, and then added the sugar and cocoa. I followed the recipe from there, putting the mixture into a bowl before adding the eggs.
It may be a good idea to offer that as a procedure to use if one has older bowls or are not sure if their bowls will withstand the microwave.
Hey Mark! I’m SO sorry to hear about your bowl! Was your bowl microwave safe? I’ve lost a few bowls that I thought were microwave safe to the microwave too and I know how upsetting it is. Happy that it worked for you in a pan!
Leave a comment and rate this recipe!
This is my go-to brownie recipe. It’s bulletproof, and produces the most luxurious, delicious brownies. I sometimes add half a cup of nuts to cut the texture, but it’s good without as well. Seriously, thank you for this – I get asked for the recipe almost every time I make them.
★★★★★
Just made these. It’s late at night and didn’t want to go out, so I ended up 1Tbsp short on butter, but they turned out amazing. Thanks!
Sorry, I just posted a review but realized I forgot the star rating! Five stars for sure!
★★★★★
I’m usually very lazy about submitting reviews, but I owe it to you to let you know how amazing these brownies are. I’ve made them at least six or seven times over the past couple of years, and it’s my “go to” brownie recipe. I figured I have plenty of time to post a review right now since I have a batch of them cooling at the moment.
My teenage daughter absolutely LOVES these brownies. I follow your directions exactly, and take them out of the oven after about 30 minutes just to be sure they’re completely done. They have come out very moist and chewy every time.
My husband and I are on a low carb diet so I make them for my daughter. Since she’s the only one eating them, I cut them and freeze them individually to put in her lunch for school. Of course, I always have to sample a small portion for quality control purposes each time. Ha ha!
Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Hi Lisa! Thank you so much for this sweet review! You made my week 🙂
Love the recipe, but I lost a very nice bowl trying to follow the directions.
Microwaving sugar can be dangerous if it gets too hot, and that seems to be what happened to me. I pulled the bowl from the microwave and set it on the counter. I grabbed my spatula and stuck it into the bowl, and as soon as I started to stir the bowl shattered . The rim and top part of the bowl stayed intact, but the lower half that had the sugar/cocoa/butter mix was in pieces all over the counter.
After cleaning up the mess I started the recipe again by melting the butter in a pan over low heat, and then added the sugar and cocoa. I followed the recipe from there, putting the mixture into a bowl before adding the eggs.
It may be a good idea to offer that as a procedure to use if one has older bowls or are not sure if their bowls will withstand the microwave.
★★★★
Hey Mark! I’m SO sorry to hear about your bowl! Was your bowl microwave safe? I’ve lost a few bowls that I thought were microwave safe to the microwave too and I know how upsetting it is. Happy that it worked for you in a pan!