Chocolate Chipotle Brownies
When I was a kid my mom would often put my brother and I to work in the kitchen. Under supervision we’d scramble eggs for breakfast, cook spaghetti for dinner, or, if we were particularly lucky, we’d make dessert. My brother’s specialty was sugar cookies. My mother would buy those refrigerated logs of Pillsbury cookie dough at the market, then he’d slice them up and decorate each doughy circle with red and green sugar crystals. I always tease him that, even though he’s in his 20’s now, to me he’ll always be that little boy who loved the color red and was so proud when his ruby colored sugar cookies came out of the oven.
I, on the other hand, opted for desserts with chocolate. My affair with all things chocolatey-good goes way back – as this photo of my brother and I making walnut brownies shows. Do you see that happy expression on my face? That “Heeere comes chocolate!” look of gleeful expectation? I still feel that giddy when chocolate comes to town, though my appreciation of dark chocolate and flavor combinations has certainly matured since those sunny days when warm, gooey brownies were just the thing to eat while watching an episode of Alf. (Do you remember Alf? I loved Alf.)
These days some of my favorite chocolate combinations include chocolate-lavender and chocolate-hazelnut. Dagoba sells bars with these flavors, and there is always at least one of each in my super secret chocolate stash. I also make a chocolate-lavender cake with a subtle floral aroma, chocolate depth, and the lovely look of dark brown cake flecked with violet hued flowers. Recently I’ve developed an affinity for Vosges’ red fire chocolate candy bars, which combine the flavors of cinnamon, chipotle and chocolate in one divine confection. Take a look at the ingredients for the chocolate chipotle brownies featured in this post – clearly, it was Vosges inspiration.
I have often wondered where the name “brownie” comes from, but as it turns out this simple question doesn’t have a definite answer. Most food historians claim that brownies are so called because they’re brown in color, but others claim that they’re named after “brownies”, which are mythological fairies with a thing for sugary sweets. The September 2008 issue of Saveur included a curiosity-satisfying article on the history of brownies which you can check out here. Among other things, it notes how the earliest printed recipe for brownies dates to 1896, when the first edition of Fannie Farmer’s Boston Cooking-School Cookbook was published. Modern day bakers wouldn’t recognize these brownies, which were made with molasses instead of chocolate, but soon enough someone, somewhere decided chocolate was the way to go – so in the 1906 edition of the Boston Cooking-School Cookbook chocolate was the star.
There are many brownie variations – some with frosting, some without, some with more chocolate, some with less. I won’t land on one side or the other of the ingredient list – other than to say you must use the best chocolate you can get your hands on – but I will say that I like my brownies somewhere between fudgey and cakey. I love brownie crusts that are thin and a little glossy, with a few cracks for good measure, and as you can see from the recipe below, I enjoy brownies with a bit of oomph. In the past I’ve made brownies with peppermint, which gives them a crisp, holiday vibe, or added mix-ins like sliced almonds, chopped walnuts or pecans. This time, however, I decided to make rich brownies flavored with cinnamon, vanilla and chipotle. The combination of chipotle and chocolate gives the brownies a smokey depth – when you bite into these you’ll taste the chocolate on the tip of your tongue, then feel the subtle heat of the chili in the back of your throat. It’s a balance of heat and sweetness that my husband and I both enjoy, especially with a hot cup of coffee – though I doubt the 6 year old girl shown in my childhood photo would have appreciated the assertive flavors. What can I say? Tastes, like us, change over the years.
Don’t forget about the monthly book giveaway! November’s books include one copy each of the Field Guide to Cookies by foodblogger Anita Chu; Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois; and I’m Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas by Marcel Desaulniers.
Chocolate Chipotle Brownies
Adapted from this Epicurious recipe
- Ingredients: Makes about 12 brownies, depending on how large you cut them
- 4 ounces unsweetened best-quality chocolate (I like Callebaut, Ghirardelli or Scharffen Berger)
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into four or five pieces
- 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder, according to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup best quality milk chocolate chips
- 2-3 tablespoons confectioners sugar
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, extending foil over sides.
In the top of a double boiler set over simmering, not boiling, water, melt the chocolate with the butter, stirring until smooth. (I used a medium-sized metal bowl over a pot of simmering water. The pot should be big enough for half the bowl to fit inside it, but small enough so that the bowl can’t fall in. Also, make sure the bottom of your bowl is not touching the water – there should be at least 3-4 inches of space.)
Once the chocolate and butter are melted, remove the bowl from the heat. Using a whisk, mix in the brown sugar, cinnamon, chipotle and salt. Add the eggs, mixing after each addition, then the vanilla. Continue to whisk until the batter is smooth, about 2 minutes, then add the flour and mix until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into the pan, tilting the pan to ensure that batter reaches every corner of the pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Cool completely, then use the tin foil to lift the brownies out of the pan for slicing. Dust with confectioners sugar.
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106 Responses to “Chocolate Chipotle Brownies”
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I MUST make these for my dad who can’t resist anything chocolatey or spicy…this will be a perfect combo for him! Thanks!
Loooove the spice!!
VeggieGirl´s last blog post -> A Weekend of Blogger Meets & Blogger Treats
Great spicy cookies…. i would surely make these..
I love the spicy factor. I’m all about the fudgey, slightly undercooked brownie. I’m going to look for the chocolate and lavender bar, a combination I have yet to try, thanks for sharing!
Reeni´s last blog post -> "Alita Dolcia"
yum! these sound like they’d be great!
Delish! Can’t wait to try. Am a huge fan of chocolate and heat
The TriniGourmet´s last blog post -> Iced Lemon Ginger Tea (recipe)
These sound interesting & pic looks scrumptious. But I would love to try the recipe for the chocolate-lavender cake you mentioned. Would you share?
These sound amazing, I never would have thought of the flavor combination..
KH » I’d be more than happy to share! I’ll put it on my list of posts to write in the next month or two.
I bet this brownie is delicious! Cinnamon makes most things better IMO. CUTE picture of you and your brother!
claire´s last blog post -> Banana Bread a la Jenna
What a wonderful combination, chipotle and chocolate!
Whoa. I’ll bet these are out of this world! Love chocolate and chili together like this.
+Jessie
a.k.a. The Hungry Mouse
Jessie´s last blog post -> 8-Cheese Macaroni & Cheese
GREAT call on the Chipotle Brownies… I made some last year and I STILL dream about it sometimes.
These would be a great to bring along to Thanksgiving.
Lilly´s last blog post -> Diabetic coma? Puh-lease.
These brownies look so delicious! I love combining chocolate, cinnamon, and chili powder together.
Chocolate-lavender sounds heavenly! Chocolate-chipotle sounds… interesting. I hadn’t considered it before now, but I see how it could work. I’ll have to try this with my next batch of brownies!
By the way, I made the molasses spice cookies (with the one addition of chocolate–I can’t seem to leave recipes alone), and my roommates raved about them! They also got high praise from other tasters.
I love how you always manage to cede to my every demand.
Thanks for not doing apple. I’ve got major chocolate on the brain lately!! And I’m going to check out those chocolate makers you mentioned.
Nancy » Ha, glad I could make you happy.
You weren’t the only one who wanted chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! I was surprised so many folks were done with apples.
These look and sound sinful!
Stephanie´s last blog post -> The Cake Slice: Sweet Potato Cake
Brownies! I’ve been daydreaming about them for ages. Never tried chilli with chocolate but this combination certainly sounds promising! (:
I have been trying to appreciate the spicy and sweet combination in one bite. It is an evolving process.
This Brownie recipe is interesting! I love that wonderful spice combo! Delightful!
Cheers,
Rosa
It’s like a brownie for grown-ups! I don’t like spicy food, but I’ve been really into some of the spiced chocolates that have been coming out the past few years too.
Culinarywannabe´s last blog post -> Meatballs and Mushrooms over Egg Noodles
I was about to make scones made of chocolate, chipotle and cinnamon! Great minds think alike!
Brownies are always a good idea! I also love to add a little zam! to mine, especially during the winter months!
Shellyfish´s last blog post -> The incredible disappearing meatlessballs & Shower me with awards why don’t you!
I adore Voseges chocolates. Great interpretation in your brownies!
And these are a few of my favorite things…
Going to go make morning brownies, right now!
Is there anyway to make this without the unsweetened chocolate?(not on hand) I think I have regular sweetened chocolates, and all kinds of cocoa powders? or would using normal chocolate make them too sweet?
So tasty! I’m a sucker for spicy chocolate. I miss this coffeeshop back in my home town that has “Aztec drinking chocolate.” So yum.
Judith´s last blog post -> Blog Party Holiday Party: Indulging in a Little Holiday Nostalgia
How adorable! Me and my brother used to help in the kitchen as well when we were kids but it was my grandma that put us to work – such wonderful memories. I’m not much of a chocolate person but these spicy brownies sound super!
Suzana´s last blog post -> 5 Books + 10 Images
I am definitely going to try these. I’ve made some spicy Mexican hot cocoa with those ingredients and it was pretty tasty. I hadn’t thought to move it over into a brownie.
Anna´s last blog post -> Tryouts
I love those red fire bars! I’ve made a cake with the chocolate chipotle flavor and a truffle. But a brownie? Oh yum. On my list!
Oh my chipotle brownies. Yum! I was just thinking about creating a chilli chocolate mousse after I heard from a friend how delicious it is. Oh I can’t wait for the lavender cake recipe. I’ve some precious little lavender and would like to make good use of it.
my mom wasn’t much of a baker but she made a good brownie. I think it was a classic betty crocker one. Good memories
Ooooh, yummy. I love that chile and chocolate mixture. I’ll definitely be making these. And I agree, I can generally eat waaaay more brownies than sugar cookies.
These sound great! I’ve never thought of adding chipotle to brownies but is sound like an awesome idea.
Oh my..I wouldn’t have thunk of this combination at all. Sound so exciting. I love Vosges as well but haven’t tried this flavor. You picture with your bro is too cute. We’re lucky to have happy memories to look back upon.
Bharti´s last blog post -> Eggless Brownies (AB’s Cocoa Brownies)
This is an interesting looking recipe. Almost as good as hazelnut (I’m not a fan of lavender, even just as a flower; chive flowers, on the other hand, are great to cook with!). I’m more a fan of unfrosted brownies, though I’m not sure why. Probably because the frosting tends to be too sweet.
I love spice in chocolate so these sound delicious to me! I love how your mom included you in the baking/cooking process.
I have not yet gotten up the nerve to try chili with chocolate, but this just looks so good maybe I’ll give it a try!
I think I’m the only one out there that hasn’t tried the chocolate/chili combination. This sounds like a great place to start!
Deborah´s last blog post -> Chicken Tamale Casserole
Lots of chocolate, I see. They not only look fantastic, I bet they taste awesome too. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Ari.
Specs´s last blog post -> The first time…
I love brownies, they are my favorite treat. I will have to try these ones…I love that they have a kick!
I’m another one who keeps seeing the chocolate+chili combo but hasn’t tried it yet. These look fantastic. Always looking for a reason to use my Edge pan!
Oh wow these sound wonderful, chocolate and chili go so well together. I love the dusted sugar on top too, it looks almost liek fallen snow.
Holy shisa, those look amazing!
DD´s last blog post -> decoupage holiday boxes
Wow– I was skeptical at first about the idea of spices in my brownies, but these looks so dark and gooey…. I can’t really resist that. Plus, I love the powdered sugar on top. These look awesome!
These sound yummy! I made something similar using Saigon cinnamon..I wonder how that would fare in this recipe? Instead of the cinnamon and the chipotle, one could add the specialty cinnamon? Something to try (maybe for Valentine’s) but I look forward to testing this recipe out as well…
I’m a chocolate girl myself. and I am obsessed with Mexican hot chocolate right now. every day before I leave the cafe, I steam some milk and whisk it with a shot of espresso and the Mexican hot cocoa. So yummy. Would lvoe to make brownies with the Mexican cocoa.
And that photo is adorable!
alexandra’s kitchen´s last blog post -> Honey-Buttermilk Dinner Rolls, Poached Pears & Aunt Vicki’s Salad Dressing
I’m not certain these would go over well with my family, which would leave me to eat the entire pan on my own (not the best plan), but they look ever so tasty! Kudos!
I’ve got to try these brownies … they sound delicious!! Chocolate and lavender sounds like a lovely combination as well. I need to search for that candy bar. Chocolate is one of my favorite things too… great choice and thanks for sharing those wonderful memories from your childhood.
Brownies are one of the greatest desserts ever invented. Thanks for expanding my brownie repertoire even further!
And that picture of you two kids is one of the cutest things ever. I cannot WAIT to bake with my lil’ Cash!
Mmmm, they look yummy! I love chilli with chocolate – I have a wonderful recipe for wasabi brownies.
I loved alf, he was awesome!
Those brownies look so good!
those brownies look awesome. what a great new recipe to try!
megan´s last blog post -> steal vs. splurge
Ari, you are making me go to the kitchen and bake!
sounds very original to me !!! just love the idea Ariela !!!
chocolate and chipotle–two of my favorite words. these are simply decadent.
Sounds like a fabulous combination! I love the chocolate-chili combo in desserts
Wow this sounds amazing! i love love love chocolate and love chocolate mixed with cinnamon, so the addition of chilli powder is soooooooooooo temptingly delicious!
These sound devin, though personally i’m not a fan of chocolate chips in my brownies, weird i know, but i prefer to focus on the fudgy/cakey texture without any interruptions.
p.s. i just read an amazing book that perhaps you might enjoy, it’s quite short. Ian McEwan’s “On Chesil Beach”. He writes beautifully.
These sound divine! My hubby and I really like chipotle (though I am a bigger fan of chocolate than he is).
I’ve tried chocolate with peperoncino in Italy and it was amazing!
Nice post… as usual
Wow, I had no idea there was such a thing as chipotle chili powder! So THAT’s the reason I love the spicy hot chocolate at Escazu. Now I want to try it myself in hot chocolate as well as these brownies.
I’m the brownies would go down well with champagne. Mmm.
Lisa Creech Bledsoe » Chili and cinnamon are two of the key ingredients in Mexican hot chocolate, I love the combo of spice and heat!
Sil BsAs » Ooo, what a unique combination!
Aislinn » The good news is that the chocolate chips melt completely and contribute to the fudgy texture – no interruptions, which I agree, might be distracting from the gooey goodness. (p.s. Thank you for the book recommendation!)
Polaw » Mission accomplished.
Natasha » Wasabi brownies? Get outta here! Never would have thought of that combo.
Vic » Haha, I like the way you think! (Sometimes I make desserts I love but aren’t my hubby’s fav, more for me!)
alexandra’s kitchen » Mexican hot chocolate is so satisfying with it’s combination of warmth and warming flavors. Perfect for this time of year, and yes, brownies with Mexican cocoa would be incredible.
Jan » If you like the flavor of the cinnamon you have on hand, why not give it a go?
Malak » You can use other kinds of chocolate, but you’ll need to adjust the recipe since semi-sweet, bittersweet, etc, all have added sugar. I wouldn’t go the cocoa powder route though – you’d miss out of the fudge factor!
Jennifer A. Wickes » For sure! Let me know when you post that scones recipe, I’d love to see it.
Did you just say Alf?!? I loved that show. My latest favorite in the brownie family is the turtle brownie. mmm…
This brownie combination sounds interesting with the chipotle. I do love the other combos you mentioned (with lavender, hazelnut, etc). My latest craze and experimenting is with Chocolate and Tea – mainly in the form of truffles, like chocolate and earl gray – but I’m thinking it would work well in the brownies as well.
P.S. I remember Alf too! It was one of my faves. =)
Peppercorn Press´s last blog post -> Cheese Makes a Comeback!
Oh why do you tempt us so Ari?
Have to email you soon about something.
I love brownies, It’s a especial dessert that We always can probe at restaurants and bars. Your spicy recipe seems perfect, that touch of cinnamon is great!. Amazing!
These sound sooo good, although I’m hesitant to try the spicy with the chocolate… I love pure, unadulterated chocolate, but those look SO good I might have to try! I just discovered your website and I love it!
I love brownies at any time….and yours seems to be delicious!!!
These look amazing. Happy Thanksgiving!
Oooh, what a great combination! Yum.
My mom was over for thanksgiving tonight and I was showing her photograzing and some of my favorite food blogs… yours was definitely the one she liked the best. Thanks for writing!
Oh, that has to be a winner! Have to try those.
thank u so much – these spicy treats are gonne go great with my friend’s white wine party
Hmmm…. chocolate and chipotle: not two flavors that I would think go together, but your redipe sounds interesting.
Chile with chocolate I adore, but I have mostly stuck with the ancho-cayenne mixture (depth with a little bit of kick). I’m not sure I would like the chipotle combination, but you never know until you try, right? So, we are going to try. Thanks for the inspiration!
Lydia » That’s right! Maybe you won’t like it, maybe you will, but either way at least you’ll know. Go with the lesser amount of chipotle though since this will be your first time trying the chocolate-chipotle combo.
Sara Tyska » Oh my gosh, your comment is too sweet! Thanks for sharing some of how you spent your Thanksgiving, I’m honored you chose to show my site to your mom. You should see the big smile on my face right now.
My husband would die for these brownies…he loves chocolate and hot spices! I would love the chocolate-lavender combo you mentioned!
I can’t wait to try out some of your recipes.
just made these brownies- i have been looking for an excuse, and my boiler went out tonight, so i needed to bake to heat the apartment! they taste great… my only complaint would be that they’re *slightly* too cakey (as opposed to fudge-y)… it’s possible i overcooked them, but they’re very moist, so i don’t think so. still, the chocolate and chipotle is a great combination…
anita » So glad you tried the recipe and liked the chocolate+chipotle combo! If the brownies were somewhere between cakey & fudgy then you didn’t overcook them, that happens to be the way I personally like them.
But it’s easy to change the texture – you can remove some of the flour (up to 1/4 cup) and bake for the same amount of time, or reduce the baking time. Either option will make the brownies more fudgy. Hope this helps! I really appreciate your taking the time to send feedback my way.
These look soooo delicious! In fact, all of your recpies do, and I tried both the autumn apple bread and the yeasted pumpkin chocolate chip bread this month, to great success! I am in school, and have realized that yeasted breads are a perfect project for a weekend study day…I make the dough, and let it rise/bake while I learn
Anyway, I will definitely give these brownies a try over the holidays. Thanks for all the great recipes!
Allison » For sure, yeasted breads are the perfect study food! There’s no better way to break up a long day of learning than by kneading dough and smelling the sweet scent of baked goodness in the kitchen.
Wow, these brownies sound divine! I have always loved the chocolate chipotle flavor combo, and these look really delicious.
I just found your blog through random stumbling around on the interwebs – I’m glad I did. Looks like you have some delicious stuff on here!
Micha´s last blog post -> Giving Thanks…
Micha » Glad you like the brownies and thank you for stopping by! I’m happy you found me.
I can’t seem to find chipotle powder! it’s all over the blogs!!! I am so frustrated!! It looks fabulous, but I can only imagine what the addition of chipotle does for brownies…. loads, I’m sure
Colloquial Cook´s last blog post -> Pear and almond tart
Colloquial Cook » Where are you located? You can buy chipotle powder (and many other fabulous things) at Kalustyans.com.
Micha » I’m glad you found me! Always thrilled to meet a fellow chocolate+chipotle lover.
Visiting my favorite site on Artisan Bread in 5, I clicked on the link to your site and love it. I may also forward this wonderful sounding recipe to my sister whose husband LOVES hot and chocolate. And he may not have to share since it heat will keep sis and kids away. He will be very happy. Expect to visit your site more often. Thanks for another great food site.
I don’t know what is happened but they are a little too hard.
I didn’t bake too much. But I have a question: there is no baking powder or baking soda in that receipe?
Have a nice day.
Clairette » Some ovens get hotter than others, so that may be why they seem to have overcooked – next time you try the recipe begin testing the brownies 8 minutes before they “should” be done, in 3 minute increments. I know it’s frustrating but having lived in 5 apartments in the past few years – each with a different oven with its own quirks – I’ve been there & empathize. Another modification you could try, if you’re after a fudge-y brownie, is decreasing the flour by up to 1/4 cup. As for the baking powder/soda, nope there is none in the recipe.