Triple Dark Chocolate Whole Grain Brownies
Homemade chocolate whole grain brownies, with three kinds of chocolate and spelt flour or whole wheat flour. All the chewy, fudgy, decadent bits to love from classic box mix brownies, but made from scratch and so much better!
Chewy, chocolate-y whole grain brownies
You guys, I’ve done it. I’ve just checked off a maaaajor item from my baking to-do list. Chewy, fudgy, box-like, dark chocolate whole grain brownies are finally a reality in the Swoon kitchen. Triple dark chocolate whole grain brownies to be exact. And they are so. unbelievably. good.
Let me back up. I’ve been working on this recipe in earnest for months (years even!), on a quest to make the perfect homemade, from-scratch brownie. Okay, what I really mean is, the perfect homemade, from-scratch brownie to rival (and top) store-bought box-mix brownies. Growing up, my Mama baked from scratch. Birthday cakes, cookies, muffins, quick breads. Always and wonderfully.
…except for brownies. Those nearly without fail, came from a box-mix. They were perfect every time. A shiny, crackly top. A dense, moist, fudgy center. A satisfying, chewy texture. I was looking for that elusive combination of textural qualities, but with a bolder, deeper dark chocolate flavor. No small task, it turns out, to recreate in a home-kitchen.
Why you’ll love these homemade brownies
So I went through all of my cookbooks searching for brownie recipes. I scoured the internet and my favorite cooking magazines. When I read a feature on baking with alternative grains in the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living, which happened to include a recipe for dark chocolate spelt brownies, I was intrigued, and got it in my head that my “perfect brownie” should also include whole-grain flour.
A dozen or so test batches later, with lots of tweaking and taste-testing – it’s been a tough job, I assure you – I’ve arrived at just the right ratios and combination of ingredients. I found that using three types of chocolate (melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and whole chocolate chips) provides multiple layers of chocolate flavor, which a bit of espresso and vanilla only seek to enhance. Adding brown sugar helps to create a chewy texture, while granulated sugar produces an unmatched crackly top. And the whole-grain flour? Extra nutrients and fiber, and you wouldn’t even know it.
Valentine’s Day is coming up, and I’ve got a date with these brownies. Well, the Honey and these brownies. Seriously, make these for someone you love. Or, make them for yourself, just because…
Other easy and delicious chocolate recipes you’ll love:
- One bowl dark chocolate banana muffins
- Vegan chocolate cupcakes with chocolate peanut butter frosting
- Chocolate s’mores tart with marshmallow meringue
- Easy chocolate birthday cupcakes
If you make these whole wheat brownies, be sure to tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #forkknifeswoon and leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked them! ★★★★★ Star ratings are especially helpful because they help others find my recipes too. xo, Laura
PrintTriple Dark Chocolate Whole Grain Brownies
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 16 Brownies 1x
- Category: Dessert, Brownies and Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Chewy homemade whole grain brownies, with three kinds of chocolate and spelt flour or whole wheat flour. All the chewy, fudgy, decadent bits to love from classic box mix brownies, but made from scratch and so much better!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder ¹
- 1/4 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
- 2 oz unsweetened chocolate (100% cacao), finely chopped
- 1–1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1–1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1–1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 3/4 cups whole-grain spelt flour (or sub whole-wheat flour)
- 1/2 tsp fine-grain sea salt
- 1/3 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 inch metal or oven-proof glass pan with parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overlap on each side. Butter the parchment paper and two remaining sides of the pan, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the boiling water to the cocoa powder, and whisk until smooth and completely combined. Set aside.
- Place the butter, chopped chocolate, and espresso powder in a heat-proof mixing bowl. Using a microwave or a double-boiler, melt the mixture together. If using a microwave, check and stir the mixture every 15 seconds or so until melted together.
- Add the melted butter/chocolate mixture to the cocoa mixture, and whisk to combine. Add the vegetable oil and vanilla extract and continue whisking. Add both sugars and whisk until smooth.
- Add the eggs and yolk, one at a time, whisking thoroughly between each, until the chocolate mixture is completely smooth and creamy. Using a spatula, gently fold in the flour and salt. Stir until combined, but be careful not to over-mix.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, then pour into the prepared pan. Smooth out the top with a spatula. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a cake-tester inserted into the middle of the brownies comes out with few crumbs attached. Cool on a baking rack for at least an hour before removing from the pan or cutting into bars, waiting longer if possible.
Notes
¹ Brownies are all about the chocolate, so use the best-quality cocoa (I like to use a rich, dutch-process cocoa baking powder) and chocolate you can find.
Keywords: whole grain brownies, whole wheat, triple chocolate, dark chocolate, chewy, box brownies, best
Sorry it has taken me so long to thank you for these amazing brownies. I’ve been baking with whole spelt flour for a while now, and sort of gave up on being able to make delicious brownies. I served a different recipe before finding this one and they almost ruined my reputation as a good cook! With these, not even the teenagers could tell they were whole grain, and the whole (doubled) pan was demolished. I now have an excellent go-to brownie recipe I can feel good about. So thank you, thank you, thank you. I know it’s a tough job taste-testing all those brownies, and I want you to know your sacrifice if appreciated 😉
Oh my goodness, you can take as long as you’d like with a review like that! I’m so happy to hear that you and the family loved the brownies as much as we do. You actually inspired me to make a batch this weekend (another recipe-testing sacrifice…)! Thanks so much, Tess!
Omg! All I can say is Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! These brownies are AMAZING!!
Thanks so much, Tionna!! 🙂
These look absolutely fabulous, I was just searching for spelt brownies which is how I found these, I think I’ll be giving them a go this weekend 🙂
Thanks so much, Gavin! Enjoy the brownies!!
Pingback: Peppermint Bark Brownie Bites - Fork Knife Swoon
These turned out great! Brownies are some of the hardest baked goods to get right, and I typically end up dumping every batch. The triple chocolate and the extra yolk seems to be the difference.
I’m so happy to hear that, thanks Diana!!
I MUST not keep silent about this. These brownies. Are.insanely.good. As in, they might just have to lock me up due to the chocolate-induced euphoria that embodies these brownies. THANK YOU for posting a whole-wheat, triple chocolate piece of heaven.
Thank you so much!! I’m pretty obsessed with these myself! 🙂
I made these today and they were amazing. I baked them in 9×9 pan for 30 min. I used apple sauce instead of oil and cut white sugar in half and they were still sweet. I used pure mint extract instead of vanilla. These were to die for. I will have to double the recipe next time as there were none left. Thank you. 🙂
★★★★★
Thanks, Adriana! So glad to hear you enjoyed them! Did you end up making a double batch?
No yet, but I will make double batch soon for sure.
★★★★★
I’ve been baking my own WW bread for months and now I try do this brownie recipe. White flour clogs my intestines so I’m anxious to feel the results!!!!!!!!
★★★★★
Pingback: Dark Chocolate Espresso Panna Cotta - Fork Knife Swoon
I made these for my son’s birthday. They were incredible! I used light olive oil instead of vegetable oil, and didn’t use the espresso powder. This is my new favorite Brownie recipe!
★★★★★
Hi, I’d love to try these but I’m on a low-glycemic diet. The whole grains get my halfway there, but has anyone tried these swapping out the butter for applesauce and swapping out the granulated sugar for stevia?
These. Turned. Out. Amaaaazing.
I did swap out some of the granulated sugar for more brown sugar, and the recipe doubled so easily into a 9×13. You were so right, no way anyone could tell this was made with whole wheat flour. This will probably be my go-to brownie recipe from now on. Could flavorings be easily added? Like, if I wanted to do mint brownies, maybe a tsp of extract?
★★★★★
Hi, Yen! I’m so glad you loved the recipe – it’s now my go-to brownie recipe too. I’ve found it’s pretty flexible… I’ve used different flours, chocolates etc, with great results, so I would think adding flavors/extracts would be perfectly fine. If you try a new version please let me know how they turn out!
Hi Yen, how long did you bake the brownies when you doubled the recipe? Thank you.
★★★★★
Oh my, it has been a little while…I think I started off with 20 minutes, then maybe an additional 10 minutes after that. I honestly can’t remember. I just knew I wasn’t sure, so I started off with a shorter time then added more as necessary. Sorry, that probably isn’t helpful.
Is the espresso powder necessary?
I can’t speak for Laura, but in my experience, espresso powder serves to deepen/enrich the chocolate flavor. If you omit it, I don’t think it will ruin the brownies, but you’ll just miss that richer chocolate flavor.
Yen, I completely agree! 🙂
Absolutely love the sound of these brownies! Chocolate with whole grains… wow!
Thank you, Annalise!! 🙂
Oh lord, these look so so good. Isn’t it funny how it seems to be such a common mission among so many of us to beat the box-mix brownie with a from-scratch version? Yours definitely look like a major contender (and whole grain, too??) I’ll have to give them a try sometime. Thank you so much for sharing, and so glad I found your blog through IG just now! 🙂
Oh, I’m so glad we connected via IG too! Let me know if you make these 🙂
I am literally drooling. Those brownies look absolutely gorgeous: rich, chewy, fudgy, and chocolately. Everything I could hope for in brownies! I’m guilty of normally using a box mix for them too (they always come out great and are so easy!). But this… I need to try this recipe! And since it has whole grains in it, it’s healthy, right? So I could… let’s say, eat an entire batch?! 🙂
Thanks, Chris! Most of my life we used a box mix. There is something to be said for easy/convenient/knowing what you’ll end up with. But it’s also pretty darn satisfying to be able to make something even better from scratch. And I’m right with you on the whole grains! 🙂
Congratulations! Isn’t it great when a recipe you have worked on for a long time is finally ready to share with the world? Vanilla and espresso powder just the things to perfect that chocolate flavor, and these look in the photos to have just the right shiny tops and chewy centers. I’m saving this one to treat my kids sometime.
Thank you, Mary! I hope your kids love these! 🙂
Wow! If the batter is any indication, I’m going to have a very happy hubby & son! Yum so far!
Suzy, you’re a woman after my own heart… So hard to resist a little batter taste check! It’s even more tortuous waiting for the brownies to cool and get nice and fudgy after coming out of the oven! I can’t wait to hear how they like these… 🙂
My mom always made brownies from scratch (I’m not sure I’ve ever purposefully eaten a box brownie), but she’s never used whole grains, which can only make things better, in my opinion. These look like perfection!
I love sneaking whole-grains into traditional recipes… in this case it makes me feel better about all that chocolate! 🙂
My youngest son would live off brownies if I let him. I’m definitely making these today. These brownies look so decadent!
I hope you and your son love them! 🙂