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.
I added Grand Marinier to the batter…I ate few spoons of batter before I even put it in the oven :-)
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am sure the Gran Marnier made these amazing!
If you have more of it, and want to make an equally amazing dessert (although different flavor) and trust me on this one, make THIS! It’s my favorite lemon dessert ever. https://www.averiecooks.com/lemon-olive-oil-cake/
OMG I LOVE YOUUUU
This recipe is so similar to the original that I honestly believe I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference if I was served a Starbucks brownie and these. Usually when I’ve made copycat recipes in the past, they’ve been decent but not exact. I don’t know how you did this but you just changed my life cause the only thing I’ve ever bought from Starbucks are these triple s tier brownies. Never going back to Starbucks ever again, me and my siblings loved these!!
OMG I LOVE YOUUUU
This recipe is so similar to the original that I honestly believe I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference if I was served a Starbucks brownie and these. Usually when I’ve made copycat recipes in the past, they’ve been decent but not exact. I don’t know how you did this but you just changed my life cause the only thing I’ve ever bought from Starbucks are these triple s tier brownies. Never going back to Starbucks ever again, me and my siblings loved these!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I appreciate your comment so, so, so much! Honestly I get a lot of not-so-nice comments and today I truly appreciate your glowing comment 😊
More than that though, I am glad to hear you think I nailed the brownies spot spot on, that you couldn’t tell the difference, and you don’t need to go back to SBs for these brownies ever again! YAY!!!
Hands down, the best brownies recipe I have ever used!! Made it twice and now making it for a third time tonight 🥰🥰
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.
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!
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!
made these fro my granddaughter she loved Starbucks brownies. she said they taste just like theirs,& she is hard to please.
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 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?
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!