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}
The brownies are rich, fudgy, not cakey, perfectly chewy, and so easy to make. One bowl, no mixer, and studded with chocolate chunks!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1/4 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
Adapted from The Ultimate Fudgy Caramel Brownies.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 478Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 91mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 4gSugar: 49gProtein: 5g
More Homemade Brownie Recipes:
Loaded Oreo Cream Cheese Brownies – Ultra fudgy brownies topped with cream cheese, white chocolate chips, chocolate chips, and Oreos! Easy, no mixer recipe that’s as easy as using a mix!
The Best German Chocolate Brownies – Rich, ultra fudgy brownies topped with the best German chocolate frosting! Sinfully delicious! Easy, no-mixer recipe that’s an automatic hit with everyone!
The Best Turtle Brownies – Super fudgy and loaded with chocolate, pecans and caramel! So.crazy.good!
Oreo Cream Cheese Brownies – Fudgy brownies with a layer of cream cheese and tons of Oreos! They’ll be your new favorites!
Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Brownies – Fudgy brownies with a layer of peanut butter cheesecake and topped with peanuts and peanut butter cups! Rich, decadent, and amazing! A must-make for all peanut butter lovers!
Chocolate Coconut Mounds Bar Brownies – Like eating a Mounds candy bar that’s on top of rich, fudgy brownies! Easy and oh so good!
Andes Mint Brownies – Super fudgy brownies loaded with Andes! Chocolate + mint is the best! Meet your new favorite brownies and so easy!
Salted Caramel Pretzel-Topped Fudgy Brownies – Super fudgy scratch brownies as easy as a mix and the salty-and-sweet combo is irresistible!
Fudgy Peanut Butter Cup Brownies – Easy, one-bowl, no mixer brownies with a full-size PB cup in every brownie! As fast as using mix and tastes way better!
Homemade Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies – A dead ringer for the real thing and just so good!
Peanut Butter Brookies — A soft and chewy peanut butter cookie base with fudgy brownies on top!! For peanut butter + chocolate lovers, this easy no-mixer recipe is the best of both worlds!
Originally posted February 24, 2017 and reposted January 28, 2022 with updated text.
Hands down, the best brownies recipe I have ever used!! Made it twice and now making it for a third time tonight 🥰🥰
Thanks for the 5 star review and that is wonderful that hands down they’re the best you’ve ever made and that you are on round 3 tonight! Awesome!
I have made these multiple times. My son says they are the best brownies he has ever had! Thanks so much for sharing.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad your son says they’re the best brownies he’s ever had!
I have not had much luck making tasty brownies. I decided to try this recipe and my son said they were the best he’s ever had! I haven’t had the Starbucks version to compare but this will be my brownie recipe going forward. Others who tried them also gave rave reviews. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad these were the best brownies your son has ever had and that this will be your go-to brownie recipe!
Thanks for the Copycat Starbucks Brownie recipe! I made it in a 15 x 9 pan and cooked it the shorter time listed. It’s nice to have thin brownies and these are delicious!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad these were delicious the way you prepared them!
Hi! I made this recipe EXACTLY how you described it followed everything perfectly and my brownies turned out very cakey and crumbly? I baked for 30 mins at 350 since at 25 mins toothpick was still wet. Let them cool and once I took a piece out it was crumbling and I ate a bite and it was very dense cake like? Flavor was great but wonder why it may have turned out like this? I don’t like at high altitudes or anything that could affect it?
Thanks for the 5 star review!
Cakey and crumbly (and dense) could be due to:
1. overflouring the batter
2. overstirring the batter
3. overbaking even by 5 mins. Wet is different than moist, that only you would know.
Use a lighter hand with the flour, use King Arthur brand, don’t overstir the batter next time.
How do I post your recipes on Pintrist?
Every recipe has a Pinterest button in the upper corner of each photo in the post so you can Pin where you’d like to.
These look amazing! One question – every picture has something white on the top of the brownies – powdered sugar? Glaze? Photography? I’ve never had the brownies from Starbucks, so I just don’t know, and I want to make them correctly – help please!
It’s the light reflecting on the shiny surface of the brownies.
Thanks so much – can’t wait to make them!
Made these delicious brownies. Seems like a no fail recipe. Stuck in the house because of the snowstorm today. Will be sampling them all day.I am saving this one .
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad these are a winner for you! Sorry about the snow but at least you have chocolate now!
omg these were so delicious even my family loved it.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that your family loved these too!
Hello! If doubling the recipe an using a 9 x13 pan, do you still cook for 25-30 minutes?
Thanks!
More or less, yes. Because you have double the surface area for double the recipe, so it should be about the same. Keep an eye on it though.
I love Starbucks brownies and have been trying different brownie recipes to try to get that same wonderful taste/texture. No luck. Then I tried this recipe. Wonderful! It is as good as if not better than SB. I used gheridelli chocolate chips instead of chunks and therefore only used 1 cup. Didn’t need to put any on top, but you could for extra chocolate-ness. Wonderful! Thanks for this great recipe.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that you think my recipe is as good as if not better than Starbucks!
Anxious to try your recipes. They seem to be yummy and easy. However, is there a way to save them through Pinterest? I don’t seem to find the button?
All photos have a hoovering Pin It button in the upper corner of each photo.
Do the eggs need to be room temp?
Not necessary but if they are, that’s fine.
I just tasted them and they are perfect. How do you recommend storing them?
I just tasted them and they are perfect. My first homemade brownies. How do you recommend storing them?
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad they are perfect. On the counter or you can keep them in the fridge if you like them chilled.
Found this recipe this afternoon. Made them. Then ate & enjoyed them! Simple, easy to make & so delicious…the only hard part was waiting for them to cool!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you found the recipe and right away you were able to make them!
Have you had any success with using egg substitutes in this recipe?
I haven’t tried so can’t say for sure how the results will be.
Nothing from Averie ever disappoints. Her recipes are easy and thorough. I made these as written and they were a huge hit. I let them cool the 2+ hours, and it’s so necessary – especially with chocolate chunks. Speaking of which – I used Aldi’s Belgian chocolate chunks (part dark & part semisweet to use up open bags), and they were perfect! Melted just right and looked great on top. I cut into 8 servings for a pic, and then cut into 16 to serve. Rich & delicious. I was totally amazed how fudgy they were for being made solely with cocoa powder. This recipe is a keeper!
What a lovely sentiment and compliments and thanks for the 5 star review! Glad you were impressed with how fudgy they were and that the recipe is a keeper for you!
Hi I made these today and they turned out awesome I had to control myself from eating all of em! I didn’t refrigerate what I had left over I left them on my counter in a tight sealed container.I’m checking out your other recipes cause they all look good!I rate this a 10!!!
I’m glad you loved these and would rate them a 10!
Hai Averie. For the cocoa powder, can i subtitute with the chocholate bar or cholate chips to melted it?
This recipe was tested exactly how I wrote it and if you start using melted chocolate in place of a dry powder, the results will be different and not sure how the brownies will turn out.
If you want to make brownies with melted chocolate, check the Related Recipes for countless options.
Would appreciate if you could recommend a substitute for the eggs. The recipe looks so simple will definitely try it with eggs too. Thanking you in advance.
I really have never made brownies without eggs so can’t say.
Thank you so much! They are amazing. I waited patiently….
DO you have to wai tTwo hours?
Wait until they are cool enough to slice and not ruin them. If they are too hot when you cut them they’ll rip.
Thanks YOU I waited
Glad they are amazing and that you waited for them!
How many brownies does this recipe make?
It makes an 8×8 pan so depending on the size you slice them will determine how many it yields.
What is this sorcery? I have created (thanks to you) the same brownie I crave from Starbucks! Thank you for my new go-to brownie recipe!
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you re-created your favorite Starbucks brownies!
My son said he wanted a brownie like Starbucks, so I searched it and found this recipe. I knew it would be good, because I’ve made many other of your recipes. I doubled it because we really like brownies. Turned out great as far as I’m concerned. My son hasn’t tried them yet because he went out. Hopefully he’ll love them. Took 38 min in my oven, and I forgot to try the espresso powder, next time I will add it.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad these turned out great as well as other recipes of mine that you’ve tried!
My son wants to make this for his classmates, but an 8×8 pan won’t be enough. If we are using a 9×13 pan, would we just double your recipe?
Yes that’s what I would do
Wow, these are absolutely delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Glad they came out wonderfully for you!
I make these all the time! The recipe is super quick and easy and I always seem to have the ingredients! Sometimes I add peanut butter chips instead of chocolate chunks.
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad you make these all the time! The peanut butter chips sound great!
OMG!! this are the best brownies, everyone raves about them, thank you for the recipe
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you love the brownies!
A great recipe! I love that it is made solely with cocoa powder in one bowl and doesn’t require melting chocolate. Very quick and easy and it has become my go-to brownie recipe! I have made these brownies a few times and always get lots of compliments. I have tried several recipes from avericooks.com and they always turn out very well!
Thanks for the 5 star rating and glad these have become your go-to recipe! Thanks for the compliments that my other recipes always turn out well for you!
This is my first time making brownies from scratch. Holy moly, these are SO good!! My husband LOVED them as well and said they were the best brownies he’s ever had. Thank you for the best blog!
Thanks for LMK it was your first time ever making scratch brownies and glad they turned out amazingly well for you! And that hubby said they were the best brownies he’s ever had – I love hearing that!!
It was truly amazing & totally satisfying!!! but, what can we use instead of eggs for veg brownies????
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad that they were amazing!
Try an egg replacer, check on Amazon, there are tons.
I made these the other night, my family loved them. i think i still prefer Starbucks brownies personally though. I added too many chocolate chunks for my own preference. If I make them again I’ll add a bit less, and i’ll try adding the espresso powder as the other comments have mentioned above! These were also my first go at making brownies from scratch and they did turn out great! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
If you have never made homemade brownies before, it’s hard to compare that to Starbucks…baking takes some practice to perfect over time :) But overall glad your family loved them! And yes, add the espresso powder, it really helps a ton.
Made this recipe tonight for a bake off at Work. Brownies turned out just wonderful I added a teaspoon of espresso powder to bring out flavor more and also added half a cup of macadamia nuts. Y’all really have to let these cool down before cutting!! Just wondeful!!
I almost always add a tsp of espresso powder because I totally agree that it really brings out the flavor but for whatever reason, I didn’t mention it in this recipe, but yes great thinking and glad you loved these!
Amazing recipe. I’m a fan of. SB Brownies and this was better. Just didn’t like it in the fridge.. It became too hard.
Thanks for trying the recipe and glad you think they’re better than Starbucks!
At the bottom of the recipe, the nutrition is for 12 brownies, and yours says 8. Can you clarify? I’m diabetic and the nutrition numbers matter for me, especially the carbs.
THANK you!
I cut them into eight pieces to mimic how Starbucks cuts them but if you want the stats listed, then I would cut them into 12.
Brownies are still gooey batter after 25-30 minutes cooking. They have to cook for 40 minutes. Then you’ll still need to let them cool and put them in the refrigerator to firm. Starbucks sells them cold for a reason. Follow these 2 important adjustments and you’ll have brownie gold. Modify again by using 1/2 cup gran. sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar instead of just 1 cup of gran sugar and your brownies will be better than Starbucks.
I actually don’t need to cook them for 40 minutes in my oven – they would be burnt, dry, and not enjoyable. All ovens and climates vary but that would be far too long in my situation.
I love the brownies chilled and yes there’s a reason SB’s sells them chilled!
Do these brownies freeze and thaw well? Visiting a friend om Tuesday and want to bake these on Saturday for her.
Honestly if you’re baking them on Saturday and plan to give them to her on Tuesday, I wouldn’t even bother freezing them. I would under bake them by a few minutes, you definitely want to err on the side of fudgy and gooey rather than dry, wrap them very well, put them in a gallon sized Ziploc bag and you should be all set. Let me know how it goes!
These brownies were fantastic! My husband said they were too chocolate-y. What??
Haha! No such thing as too chocolaty! Glad you enjoyed them!
Hi, first time to try your recipe and finally found the perfect brownie recipe I’ve been looking for.
Thank you for sharing your time and talent. Keep it up!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
I made these today. They are FABULOUS! My family agrees. Do you think they can be frozen?
So glad you enjoyed the brownies and yes I think they will freeze just fine. Fresh is always best of course, but as desserts go, brownies freeze very well.
I made these today and they are amazing!!! One bowl + no mixer + super yummy = total winner!! I cut them into 16 pieces so I could have more to share. :) Thanks so much for this recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And nice of you to share :)
Saw your reply. That’s good to know. I’m always on the lookout for good and easy recipes. Some of my family just has to have their chocolate or they act like it’s an emergency. It’s interesting to see the post for the lemon bread. I actually made it quite awhile ago. Someone had posted it from another site and it was yummy. The site used the same recipe.
Glad you enjoyed my lemon loaf recipe (that another site reprinted) and hope you make the brownies!
I think these were the quickest brownies I’ve ever made! And they really are good! The lack of melted chocolate in the batter did not compromise the fudge-y, chocolate-y texture a good chewy brownie should have. Win-win. :)
Mine didn’t look anything like the photos, though, on the exterior at least. I couldn’t achieve that beautiful crackly top. :( Buuuuut… That may be my oven’s fault, that damn troll doesn’t hold its temperature, and the dial (mine isn’t one of the fancy ones with digital controls, sadly) never reflects the real temperature. It’s quite frustrating, and it makes me wanna throw that thing out of the window.
Okay, this wasn’t supposed to be a rant.
The brownies are delicious, quick and easy to make, and troll-oven-proof to boot. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thanks for making me laugh with your comment…I totally understand about wonky ovens. I have a super fancy 1 year old oven that doesn’t always hold its temperature and I can totally relate to the frustration!
Glad you loved these brownies and that they were the quickest you’ve ever made to boot!
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!