I did not intend to disappear for so long! In early October I was putting the finishing touches on a cake that manages to incorporate 2.5 pounds of apples (perfect for people like me who show no self-control nor willingness to learn from the previous season’s excess at orchards) when the world went to hell, our thoughts were not with food, and by the time I emerged it was November, a month I’ve spent mostly on a mini book tour when there is never enough time to come up for air. I need my sofa, some quiet, and a window with a view of the last bits of golden leaves clinging to trees to stare through, which brings me at last to today. Please know: Life gets busy, my schedule goes off the rails, but I will always come back to this space because I like it here, I like hanging out with you, and 17 years hasn’t changed this. The longer I’m away, the more delicious the backlog — it’s going to be a fantastic December.
It wasn’t all grim: I also became an aunt for the first time to the sweetest little sunbeam. She came two weeks before my sister in-law and I were able to spend a day packing the freezer with meals, but I’ve been making up for it by working some recipes for family-sized one-pot meals we’ve been bringing on weekend visits, like a pot roast with almost as many vegetables as roast (that absolutely counts as arm day when you schlep it inside). There’s a chicken and barley stew I’m going to get to you very soon because it’s cozy as can be. And now that dairy has been temporarily jettisoned, I’ve been tweaking away at an olive oil brownie that I cannot wait any longer to share.
If you’re a devotee of My Favorite Brownies, you’ll notice some similarities. This recipe starts with unsweetened chocolate (for the best chocolate depth), uses granulated sugar, can be made in one bowl, is whisked by hand, and bakes in an 8-inch square pan. But beyond that, there are some changes. This recipe is scaled up to 4 ounces of chocolate, because that’s the size bar it often comes in and I hate having random squares of mean chocolate [looks like friend, tastes like enemy] laying around. Olive oil has a deeper flavor and therefore benefits from complements like some added cocoa powder, double the vanilla, and some flecks of sea salt on top. And while I know someone or perhaps dozens of people are going to balk at the amount of sugar, I swear on a stack of cookbooks that this brownie is truly just moderately sweet. It’s simply what’s needed with the extra-bitter chocolate and cocoa in a 1-inch thick brownie. If you reduce the sugar, you reduce the moisture and will end up with a more dry and cookie-like brownie and that would be devastating. I want you to fall in love with these too.
Previously
6 months ago: Easy Strawberry Lemonade
1 year ago: Green Angel Hair with Garlic Butter
2 years ago: New York Sour
3 years ago: Vanilla Custard Slices
4 years ago: Challah Stuffing
5 years ago: Cabbage and Mushroom Lasagna
6 years ago: Endive Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs and Walnuts
7 years ago: Brussels Sprouts, Apple, and Pomegranate Salad
8 years ago: Pecan Pie and Roasted Leek and White Bean Galettes
9 years ago: Classic Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Praline Sauce
10 years ago: Apple-Herb Stuffing for All Seasons
11 years ago: Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
12 years ago: Sweet Potato and Marshmallow Biscuits
13 years ago: Creamed Onions with Bacon and Chives and Sweet Corn Spoonbread
14 years ago: Creamed Spinach
15 years ago: Meyer Lemon and Fresh Cranberry Scones and Winter Fruit Salad
16 years ago: Pumpkin Waffles and Nutmeg-Maple Cream Pie
17 years ago: Classic Grilled Cheese + Cream of Tomato Soup
Olive Oil Brownies
- 4 ounces (115 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 10 tablespoons (130 grams) olive oil, mildly flavored
- 1 3/4 cups (345 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (20 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, any kind
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup (85 grams) all-purpose flour
- Pinches of flaky salt to finish
Place chocolate and olive oil in a large bowl and melt it most of the way over gently simmering water or in a microwave in 30-second bursts. Off the heat, stir until smooth and fully melted. Whisk in sugar, cocoa, and salt until combined, then whisk in eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla. Stir in flour and scrape batter into prepared pan, spread until even, then sprinkle lightly with flaky salt. Bake for 30 minutes to 34 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out batter-free.
Transfer to a rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Then, use the parchment paper to gently yank the brownies out of the pan onto the rack. Let cool another 10 minutes if you can bear it, then cut into 16 squares. Nobody knows why, but trust me that a disposable plastic knife is the easiest way to cut brownies cleanly, even when hot.
Do ahead: I like to keep leftover brownies in the fridge for peak fudginess. Brownies will also freeze well tightly packed in an airtight container, for at least a month.
Welcome back. And I can’t wait to make these. My family loves homemade brownies and I have a recipe for delicious homemade hot fudge, so all I need is some Tillamook vanilla bean ice cream!
Tillamook lover here too!
Random aside – If you ever want to have a fun event, gather a few friends over to do a blind Tillamook vanilla ice cream tasting / judging. They have three different vanillas and it’s fun to taste them side-by-side.
I dislike the flavor of olive oil in baked goods. Would this work with vegetable oil for a dairy free brownie option?
Hi! I have been using a very light olive oil in my cakes the past few months and I can’t taste it. It works well (yellow cake, devil’s food etc) and I tried many portions of the items myself to accurately assess… it’s good!
I’ve found that a 1-day rest does wonders to relax out any of the more prominent olive oil flavor — Smitten’s olive oil chocolate cake is one that i always forget i like much better on day 2, for example.
I can’t speak for this recipe, but if you like the flavor of coconut, I think brownies are divine made with unrefined coconut oil as the fat.
Yes
Thank you from a fellow dairy-free breastfeeding mama!
I love avocado oil for baking. It tastes buttery and is very healthy like evoo.
“Mean chocolate” is the WORST! There’s never enough for a whole recipe, but I can’t throw it away either. I was NOT planning on baking brownies today, but now I guess I am. So happy you’re coming back in time for snuggle down weather.
Looks like friend, tastes like enemy! hahahahaha
But you can use those little chocolate bits for delicious single-serve hot chocolate!
Unsweetened chocolate?
With added sugar, sure. Just like you would with cocoa powder. And you can control the sweetness and it’s much more delicious and chocolate-y than sweetened hot chocolate mixes.
Do you have any secret tricks for getting your parchment to lie flat in that square pan? Cutting it in some tricky way? Origami? LOL.
Scrunch it up in a ball then flatten it out – stays put (learned from grossypelosi!)
I always forget about the crinkling-technique, and instead put a couple swipes of dairy-free margarine on the bottom of the pan. It’s kinda like a glue-stick.
I run water over the back of the parchment paper, that usually makes it stick to the pan
Can I do this with gf flour? I usually use Bob’s 1:1.
I’ve made this recipe twice now using GF flour. I use a UK 🇬🇧 brand called Dove’s Farm.
I don’t have unsweetened chocolate available where I live. :(
Is there a way to recreate the deliciousness we with 60% dark chocolate??
Unsweetened chocolate is very hard to find and expensive in my country as well. So instead of 115 grams, I am using 190 grams of 60% chocolate (it makes the same chocolate mass), then reduce the sugar in the recipe 75 grams (so 270 grams of sugar should be used in this recipe. I have been using this calculations for Deb’s best brownies for years and they always get high complimants
If you have unsweetened cocoa powder you can mix 3 tbsp cocoa powder with 1 tbsp oil for every ounce of unsweetened chocolate you need.
This blogger made a similar recipe from Dorie Greenspan’s “Baking with Dorie” that uses olive oil and bittersweet chocolate. It could be helpful to compare, to come up with the right ratio for you?
oops! here’s the link to the similar recipe:
https://pastrychefbaking.blogspot.com/2022/02/olive-oil-brownies.html
I run the parchment up the sides and then clip it to the top of the pan using a small metal binder clip (not the plastic ones). The metal ones are oven safe. Then it doesn’t slip down and adhere to the batter. Works great for loaf pans too.
I do the same, but once the batter (dough) is safely in the pan, I simply remove the clips before baking. The batter holds the parchment in place at that point.
Personally, I just decided that I don’t care about the paper being totally flat, seeing as my cakes are only ever for family and friends, who don’t care if the sides aren’t perfectly straight (I also rarely make frosted cakes, which might require more orderly sides). So I fold the sheet of parchment paper as best I can around the pan, pour some of the batter to weigh it down, then adjust as needed before pouring the rest of the batter.
I do the same with round pans, by the way. Just get the paper folded all around as best as I can (I absolutely refuse to bother with cutting a circle of parchment paper for just the bottom of the pan), and accept the fact that the cake will have some messy bits around the sides. Can hardly see them when you cut slices anyway, and even f you could, nobody cares. And if they cared, they’re welcome to just not eat my cakes anymore.
I just cut a piece that’s the width of the bottom and long enough to come up two sides and be clipped there. No need to worry about all 4 sides; It’s trivial to loosen the brownie from the 2 unpapered sides with a thin nylon spatula, and then the whole thing lifts out in a neat sling with no waste of paper and no wrinkly bits.
Yes! I order parchment sheets, 1/2 sheet pan size and 1/4 sheet pan size. Occasionally have to trim, but often more often, I just run the extra up the sides of the pan. With brownies and quick breads, I make a sling to pull out of pan easily. But regardless, those sheets (that come in a flat handy box with a cut-out so you can easily pull out one at a time), are the way to go!
I will give this a try – my family loves my gran’ma’s recipe too much, but it is fun to try new recipes. I also have to say, frozen brownies are the BEST! My mom always did her Christmas baking early and we learned that frozen brownies are like fudge and frozen chocolate covered peanut butter balls are fantastic – even my best friend learned to check the big freezer when she came over. Mom would have to make another batch to get us through the holidays.
Did I make these right away, even though I have many lovely dairy-free brownie recipes? Yes. Yes I did. They are cooling, so haven’t sampled them yet, but they smell divine. I can smell both chocolate and olive oil and 20 minutes is torture. A small taste of the batter told me that it was correct to follow Deb’s direction to not cut back on the sugar.
First, thank you. I have made your favorite brownie recipe (as my teenager used to say when he was a toddler) “a hundred of times.” They are the only brownies my family knows!
That teenager when small once had a peanut allergy that prevented him from having birthday cake at the parties of other toddlers. I made those brownies over and over and he’d bring one or two (straight from the freezer) to the party and enjoy while everyone else had cake.
He wanted that cake though, and who wouldn’t with the bright artificial colors! When he finally was able to have it safely around kindergarten he was so happy — until he tasted it. Not QUITE as good as those brownies, no offense to the supermarket cakes. He gladly as a teenager eats all cakes and brownies, nonetheless.
I’ve got a batch in the freezer now but we’re all a lot older and why not try new things? Will look forward to this new version and see if it displaces the great original.
Welcome back Deb! I was going into SK withdrawal. Congratulations on the new family member.
I love this story!
YAY! Finally you are back. These will be fun to try. Do they taste markedly different from brownies made with butter? Thanks for your unique viewpoint and wonderful recipes!
I made them @ 5:30 this morning after waking up to Deb’s IG post & deciding these brownies needed to accompany us on a romantic weekend getaway. My Scotch Whisky-loving hubby said they are PERFECT with a wee dram (flaked salt & all); I felt the olive oil flavor was a little much for me. That said, we don’t really keep ‘mild’ EVOO in the house, so perhaps a lighter version would be the better option here. I’ve not baked sweets w/Olive Oil before, so there’s that. And a little fudgy for by brownie taste. But will definitely make again, specifically for my hubbubs sake!
Welcome back! I made your potato-chip potatoes from keepers tonight. They were great with sausage and sauerkraut… Just what I needed for my post thanksgiving cold.
“…when the world went to hell, our thoughts were not with food, and by the time I emerged it was November..” Indeed. Thank you for acknowledging this Deb. Thank you.
I so agree. We cook and eat in the real world, and the rumble of planetary distress has been hard to ignore, regardless of where one stands on any issue. But it is always good to feed our loved ones.
This looks delicious! I am wondering if it could be made gluten free with either almond flour or a 1:1 gluten free flour? My daughter just figured out gluten was causing a lot of her health problems. She feels much better but is mourning favorite sweet treats a bit. Any thoughts from Deb or others?
Brownies are very forgiving as there’s so little flour and so much else going on. I have had other brownies turn out great gluten free, either with a 1:1 or with almond flour cut with some starch. I’d say give it a try!
*I know this is heresy!*
My sister has celiac, and the betty crocker mix of brownies is usually extremely well received. Wonder if anyone knows what they use. It’s the only boxed mix my mom ever uses.
1 to 1 gf flour should work great! King Arthur is my favorite brand. I also like using white rice flour in brownies. I got that from a great book called flavor flours.
1:1 would work because it absorbs liquid the same way wheat flour does. Almond flour does not. If you want to bake with almond flour check out alldayIdreamaboutfood blog.
David Lebovitz has a recipe for gluten free brownies. Follow directions carefully and don’t overcook and they are wonderful. I’ve had both great and not so great results when I got distracted.
https://www.davidlebovitz.com/gluten-free-brownies-recipe-chocolate/
Thank you everyone for the great suggestions for gluten free!
I’ve been making Deb’s favorite brownies for over a decade now swapping the butter for oil and wheat flour for GF flour, as a couple of friends are, respectively dairy and gluten-free. So can attest they work wonderfully GF.
Love to see we now have another brownie recipe to add to the very large family :)
Funny enough, I made your chocolate olive oil cake for Thanksgiving! Always amazing.
For this recipe, I have perhaps an ignorant cooking question – why not just use semi sweet chips or chunks and lower the added sugar? What is the baking advantage to unsweetened chocolate?
Glad it was a hit! I find that the chocolate depth from unsweetened is unparalleled in even the most bittersweet chocolate with the sugar adjusted.
Can anyone tell me how deep an 8”x8” tin should be please? Mine is about 2” deep and my brownies took 1.5 hours in the oven and they are still over-gooey in the middle and a bit crispy (ok, burnt) on the edges. They look like a train wreck but taste oh so good!
The depth shouldn’t matter as the brownies are only 1″ tall. Not sure why they’d take so long unless the oven temp might not be reading correct?
Love that you’re doing more dairy free recipes! I have a family member that can eat eggs, but not any milk or cheese. And doesn’t love meat! Thank you again – will be making these they look delicious.
Any thoughts on a good egg substitute in this recipe? My son is allergic to dairy and eggs so finding safe really tasty brownies has been hard!!
I have an egg allergy. Brownies is the only baking I have been completely unable to find an egg substitute for. I can bake cookies, cakes, muffins, anything else. But brownies have always been a complete failure and I’ve tried multiple different egg substitutes.
I tried these last night using a flax egg and it was a disaster – super oily and underbaked-seeming, totally inedible. But I also halved the recipe so I’m wondering if I accidentally kept the olive oil/chocolate amounts at the original amount and that caused the issue instead. Would be curious to hear if flax egg substitute works for anyone else. I used 1.5 tablespoons ground flax + 4.5 tablespoons water for the half recipe.
I’ve tried the flax egg substitute, I’ve tried the aquafaba substitute. I have never been able to make brownies work. My advice- go find a nice chocolate cookie recipe. I found one in my America’s Test Kitchen cookbook that uses only egg whites. I substitute in aquafaba and add espresso chips into the chocolate batter. It’s a thing of beauty that handles the chocolate cravings. I gave up on brownies without eggs.
I also have never had success trying to veganize brownie recipes that call for eggs. My only successes have ever been with vegan brownie recipes, which are typically more cakey than fudgey. If anyone else has input, I’m all ears.
I’ve used this recipe to make vegan brownies and they’ve been a hit with my vegan friends. https://web.archive.org/web/20150323185529/http://bread-and-honey.blogspot.com:80/2008/04/best-vegan-brownies-i-swear.html
Last year I wondered if they could be improved, so I added 1/4 cups vegan chocolate chips into the pot after the roux was made so it melted in, and I added one flax egg (1T flax plus 2.5T water) when I mixed it together. I’m not sure how much of a difference it made, though.
Meera sodhas miso brownies use chia seeds to replace egg and they are the best brownies I have ever tasted.
I’m sure these ones are delicious too!
I also haven’t had luck with eggless brownies, but the chocolate cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World with and extra tablespoon of cocoa and some chocolate chips are a decent stand-in. No crackly brownie top, but a good flavor and texture. Olive oil is a good change to those, too.
There’s another SK recipe, olive oil chocolate cake, that I could eat with my bare hands, which I think makes it count as a brownie. It’s egg free and so good I’ve made it 4 times since Valentine’s Day <3
Deb, can I use normal sunflower oil too?
Yes.
Could I make these with a sugar like substitute?
I haven’t tested it with one, so I cannot be sure. If it’s worked in other brownie recipes, it will probably work here too.
Baking brownies was not on my Bingo card for this evening, but what the heck… 11 more minutes of cooling to go!
I love you, I truly do.
This times 100,000 from all of us who love you and care for you and worry about the world too.
3rded!
As boy who grew up in Brooklyn who’s father was a baker, they only used talow or lard and never any oils in there deserts. Oils are un-natural and man made however they did use it to grease the machines 🤣.
Cooking oils are made from plants that certainly grow in nature—olives, sunflowers, corn, avocados, soybeans, etc. They have to be processed by people, but fat from animals, like cattle and hogs, also has to be processed by people.
Olive oil as been around for a very, very, very long time and was produced in antiquity by squishing the fruit in woven mats. Bit less complicated than slaughtering an animal and disassembling it. Cold-pressed oils (like extra virgin olive oil) are just more expensive because the yield is less.
You are so right: all seed oils are heated at very hight temperatures and oxidase easily. They are really bad for humans. Olive oil is ok if you find one that hasn’t been adulterated.
So easy! So delicious! A bowl, a scale, a whisk, a spatula. I used Callebaut 72% which is bittersweet, because that’s all we had. These will definitely go into rotation!
Ah thank you for posting this! I was thinking it should work, I have no unsweetened in the house but always bittersweet, I will try it.
So glad you are (mostly) ok Deb, and so happy about the new little person. I was a little concerned when we didn’t hear your charming blog voice for a while. Brownies are a great comeback!
They were a titch on the sweet side with the bittersweet, but they’re brownies so it’s ok. I would absolutely do it again!
You should commit to this blog or not.
Oh, Shar! Your comment made me laugh so hard. I don’t know if you were trying to be funny or trying to be mean, so I’ll go with funny… Deb, we love you and your nearly two decades of lack of commitment to this space.
Perfect response.
Rebecca, I wish I could heart this comment!
Please tell me you were “trying” to be funny? Deb has every right to take a break from posting for a while. She has a family, and an extended family, and she was on a cookbook tour as well. I, for one, appreciate her so much. I miss her when she is away, but then she comes back and says something most of us have been thinking and feeling, and shares another wonderful recipe. I don’t think we can seriously question her commitment to this space.
Dearest Deb, never apologize for taking care of yourself and your family. Please know this family Stands with You. And yes, I will make these brownies and share with friends and family.
Hope all is well. You are missed and we worry but know that you will always be back. And you always come back with a show stopper. Thank you and happy window staring.
Welcome back, dear Deb! Everything you said in your post resonated.
EVERY. SINGLE. THING.
I am your forever fan. And, can’t wait to makes these scrumptious sounding brownies!
💙🤍💙🤍💙
Came here to post… exactly what Olivia said. Mazel tov on the new sunbeam and does it get any better than having YOU as a sister-in-law who shows up and stocks the freezer in those crazy first few days?!
Thank you for all you do and say and stand up for. Your recipes and stories are ALWAYS worth the wait.
Did I want to be the first to post, yes. Even though I have no feedback based on taste.
Welcome back and I can’t wait to make these. Am hosting my mahjong group on Monday and guess what the girls are going to get! Hubby will be super happy too because there will be leftovers :). Thanks Deb!
345 grams of sugar????!!!!????!!!!
For 16 brownies
Which I think I correctly googled is 2tbsp. – which lots of folks would consume in 2-3 cups of coffee!
We missed you, Deb! Good to have you back.
For some time now, I have been making your Belgian Brownies Cakelets (https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/02/belgian-brownie-cakelets/) with 2/3 c. olive oil instead of the butter, but this will be a welcome addition to my brownie rotation.
The brownie cakelets are to die for!
Love your writing. I’ve been living under a rock so why is dairy temporarily jettisoned?
Oh I was wondering the same exact thing!!
Me three. I love having options but also love dairy so hoping it really is temporary for Deb!
I believe she is saying dairy is jettisoned for her sister-in-law! Many babies have a dairy sensitivity in infancy that they (hopefully) grow out of; if mom is breastfeeding and consuming dairy (even if mom has no dairy issues), it can still affect the baby. Source: all three of my kids!
That’s what I thought too. I remember crying into the pasta I made because I couldn’t put parmesan cheese on it. Had new respect for vegans/lactose intolerant/anyone who didn’t or couldn’t eat dairy. Thankfully mine outgrew it at 9 months and now loves cheese even more than I do!
One of the many things I appreciate you is how you anticipate questions. I’m reading and thinking “I only have dutched cocoa, I need to Google whether it matters again because I can never remember the difference.” But hey ho right there in the ingredients list “cocoa, any kind.” I’m thinking my kids get brownies after school today.
Congrats on becoming an auntie! Such a special role. I had to eliminate dairy for at least 6 months with all three of my kids – where were my brownies then?! (kidding, of course) – but they all grew out of their dairy sensitivities! Thank goodness, since we live in Wisconsin, where cheese isn’t optional. :)
Welcome back. We missed you and our hearts, thoughts, and prayers are with you.
For those interested in using less sugar: you’d have to change ingredients to retain moisture. It’s possible to swap for a liquid sweetener but results will be different. Honey will be more bitter and dense. Maple syrup would allow you to use 1/2 as much and still be fairly sweet, but it will taste of maple (one of the better options). There are also products like “vita fiber”, which is neutral but considerably less sweet.
Beyond that you’re looking at more drastic changes, and basically a different recipe. See recipes that use apple sauce, pumpkin, banana, sour cream/yogurt, mayo, black bean, avocado, etc. It’s possible to get a rich and sweet result without being ascetic. I tend to mix and match between substitutes and SK-level richness, but you have to be careful.
Have mercy! I randomly purchased a bar of unsweetened chocolate yesterday… and here you come with the recipe I need! And about life going off the rails… same here from mid October to now. Will be all good with these babies! Thank you ! And congrats Auntie!
I don’t always have unsweetened chocolate on hand (who wants mean chocolate in the house? Ha) Could I try using other dark chocolate (I have a 55% bar) and perhaps increase the amount used (eg 7 oz not 4) and decrease the sugar a little?
Or is that risking catastrophe?
I usually make Marcy Goldman’s olive oil cake for Chanukah, but this may be a new holiday dessert for us to enjoy as the candles burn. Mazel tov on becoming an aunt; it sounds like you take your new position quite seriously!
Has anyone doubled this? If so how did it turn out?
Thank you
I’m wondering this too. Deb, can this be doubled and baked in a 13x9x2 pan? What would the baking time be adjusted to? Thanks!
Yes and yes. But it’s not a lot longer; I’d check at 35 and 40.
Deb you’re a gem. Thanks for providing us with culinary delights. It makes my days better to even just gawk at these foods.
Your commitment means a lot.
Best wishes ~ <3 matty
Deb I loved reading this update and recipe so much! I hope your guilt wasn’t because of me- I’m the one from Southern California who told you on your book tour that I habitually check your blog every.single.day looking for a new post. But I never mind there not being one (I usually hit Surprise me). I must not have checked yesterday bc I saw this new post from your newsletter!! Congrats on being an auntie and I’m so glad you’ll never stop coming to your blog! Xoxo
Omg omg these look so straightforward and yummm — can’t wait to see—I mean taste!— them.
Oh my gosh, these look so wonderful! Thank you and welcome back!
I made it with avocado oil
Are you mad at me 💕😂💕😂
Its really good
I truly think it’s the best oil for baking. 😊
Wow. Delicious. Deep chocolate flavor. I tried the half-recipe in a loaf pan tgat someone else mentioned, but forgot and still did 3 eggs. Even with the off-texture, it is a winner. If anyone is hesitant, try a “light” olive oil, they work really well until you figure out how muck EVOO flavor works best for you. Thank you Deb!
These are wonderful. They’re so velvety and rich, and the sugar level is just right for me.
Well, I made these within 24 hours of reading the recipe. They were rich, gooey, chocolatey, and I cannot stop eating them. At 34 minutes they were still gooey in the center, so I pushed it to 37 minutes. I only had 3oz of unsweetened chocolate so I added an oz of dark chocolate, great.
Hi, I am gluten-free and would like your suggestion about which of your cookbooks has the most gf recipes. Also, for the olive oil brownies, can I switch to gluten-free flour without disasterous results. Many thanks
None of my three cookbooks have a gluten-free section but almost all have recipes easily adapted with gluten-free baking flours and/or gluten-free pasta.
I recommend SK keepers! I’m allergic to wheat and everything I have tried from Keepers has been great. I sub with King Arthur measure for measure gf flour.
I made these a couple of days ago with GF flour, a 1 for 1 swap. They came out gorgeous, really fudgy and moist.
Completely off topic, but I dreamed the other night that you had a store in NYC called “Smitten Kitchen Home” and it was your opening day and the lovely antique wicker furniture that you were going to sell was sitting outside the store in a pile around the corner and PEOPLE WERE RUNNING OFF WITH IT! I took matters into my own hands and went all vigilante justice, screaming my head off, chasing thieves, calling 911, chasing them through buildings, up stairs, in and out of apartments, finding out the police were in on it, the mafia was involved… but I was COMMITTED. Nobody was going to ruin Smitten Kitchen Home while I was around.
Of course in my real waking life I’d been listening to true crime podcasts, watching Get Gotti on Netflix, and making your carrot cake cupcakes for the third time in three weeks, so I can see how this nightmare came about. Whew! I woke up tired.
I hear you on the mean chocolate. Been there. Can’t wait to see what you’ve got for December.
Thank you for this absolute joy of a comment, which I just read aloud to Alex and it made our Friday. I pause at the wicker furniture (is it Scandinavian at least??) but do not doubt that the ferocity SK readers shouldn’t be underestimated.
I would buy everything I don’t already own from Smitten Kitchen Home
Delightful texture, however, very much tastes like olive oil:) I didn’t expect it despite them being non-dairy olive oil. After a few bites my mouth adapted, but flavor profile is not for me. Will stick to regular brownies but plan to freeze these for dairy free visitors.
Deb, can this recipe be doubled and baked in a 13x9x2 pan? What would the baking time need to be adjusted to? Thanks!
Yes and yes. But it’s not a lot longer; I’d check at 35 and 40.
I was skeptical if the olive oil being acceptable with my family. Big hit though. These come off as brownies with more depth and sophistication. People should not skip the flaky sea salt. It brightens the finish.
Easy weeknight treat for sure!
I halfed the recipe and baked in a loaf pan for ~30 min at 350- followed the recipe pretty much exactly except I bumped up the salt a bit (scant half tsp diamond crystal kosher, no salt on top). 1 egg plus eyeballed a beaten half egg. I was skeptical about the sugar, but this is perfect at the listed sugar amount; I find that the my favorite brownies recipe comes out too sweet for me, not sure if it’s the inclusion of the olive oil or the cocoa powder that makes the difference here. I also don’t love olive oil in baked goods and still really enjoyed this (it does have the olive oil flavor but is also intensely chocolaty). It ended up with really crispy edges and top while still being fudgy in the center, loved the texture! now I want an updated butter brownie that has this flavor and intensity :)
When it comes to baked goods, the flavor of olive oil is something that I do not feel comfortable with. Would you be able to use vegetable oil in place of dairy in this recipe if you wanted to make a brownie that does not include dairy?
The Olive Oil measurement is grams – by weight, correct?
Can you be my sister in law?
But seriously, we missed you here.
Made these last night! Super quick and easy. We didn’t have enough olive oil so I ended up using a bit of our usual cooking oil (canola) and it still tasted great. The texture was a bit wet, not so much fudgy but wet, and my skewer did not come out clean at 30 min, but I pulled it out anyway (overbaked brownies are the worst!). Everyone loved it!
I will make these with a boatload of walnuts.
Did I see this recipe and think it was perfect because I was in the mood to make dessert for Friday night? Yes. Did I think it was even more perfect because I used all of the butter in the house for Thanksgiving and I’m also lactose intolerant? Yes. Did I immediately make a batch using bittersweet chocolate and black cocoa powder? Yes. Do I currently have a stomach ache from cutting them as soon as they cooled down? Also, yes. 85 stars, these are amazing. They may replace my regular brownie recipe.
Could these be marbled with the peanut butter batter from the peanut butter swirled brownies? Can’t wait to try!
Not to be weird, but I was really starting to worry about you and your family and hope you were all okay. Glad to hear that you are 💙 and that you have been busy with good things!
These look delicious! I love olive oil in baked goods.
I just happen to have a few bottles of freshly pressed olive oil from Passo del Palomba in Monte Castello di Vibio Italy and think I’ll make these to take camping in Alabama.
These are divine. I had 92% baking chocolate so I lightened up the sugar by 80g and the sweetness level was spot on. Also used avocado oil as that’s my go-to in the kitchen. Decadent and rich and a big hit for my DF family!
Can’t wait to try these! If making for a crowd, does it scale up well? I’m thinking 1.5 times in a 9×13 pan. The egg would be an issue, but I’d use the scale and just halve the extra. I welcome your thoughts!
You can double it in a 9×13.
Lol! “mean chocolate [looks like friend, tastes like enemy]”
I have made your brownie recipe many times with my six year old son, since he was around three. One of his chosen tasks is to taste-test the ingredients to make sure they are good before we use them (bits of butter, sugar, etc).
I told him I didn’t think he’d like the unsweetened chocolate but let him try some and to my surprise, he thought it was really good. Then I thought maybe I misremembered, so I also tried a little bit… nope! For me, the “mean chocolate” is not good : )
The thing about “how sweet something tastes” is that it really varies depending on how much sugar you usually consume. I remember when I started drinking peppermint tea with sugar in it – I had to constantly add more. I finally got to the point where it was a saturated solution (no more sugar could dissolve in the water) and handed it to a friend to ask why it didn’t taste sweet. They nearly fell over with how sweet it was! (This wake-up call was when I stopped putting sugar in drinks entirely.) All that to say, it would be great for SK recipes to have a range of sugar levels that will all work with the right moisture outcome. In reference to another SK recipe where Deb talks about the sugar level being high, I’ve made the pumpkin bread many times with as little as ~.5c sugar and it’s worked wonderfully — doesn’t seem like that will work here though sadly!
To me, that’s the job of the SK community of commenters: we show up with our own experiences so others can take what they need and leave the rest. :) The cumulative hours I have spent reading comments since, maybe, 2008…!
Currently off dairy while breastfeeding myself- elated to see this recipe!
Made exactly as written and they are divine. Was a little skeptical of the flavor when I tried the batter, but the finished brownies are just so good. I used my regular olive oil and really don’t pick it up. Don’t skip the flaky sea salt on top!
I made these an they are amazing. My new favorite brownie, and I have made them all….Katharine Hepburn’s, Ina’s, Nigella’s, and every other one under the sun. They are perfectly balanced in texture and flavor.
So glad you’re back!
As soon as I read this I scanned the recipe and realized ‘I have all these ingredients… AND the requisite 45 minutes!’ The family was surprised to have (amazing) brownies on a Thursday. I was happy to use up an olive oil I didn’t care for – I personally didn’t notice it in the brownies, but taste sensitivities can be different. I followed everything in the recipe except the vanilla – a full tablespoon seemed unusual enough for such a small amount of batter that I assumed it was (maybe?) a typo. I went with a standard teaspoon (but now I’m wondering if I could really notice the vanilla or not. Heh.) I also forgot to set my timer and so probably erred on the side of under baking. They set up as they cooled and were really fudgy, especially the second day.
These were an absolute hit! Decadent, not overly sweet and a snap to make. Trader Joe’s Imported Olive Oil is very mild tasting and what I used here.
Why did you jettison dairy?
Not me!
Brownies were fantastic. Also love this post. Hugs.
It’s great that you’re back, Deb. We like it here, too. :-)
Made these on Friday. They are perfect, and I don’t miss the butter at all. Thanks for always bringing the baking (and cooking) joy!!
These were so delicious. Surprisingly, I found they were even better the next day.
are these considered “dairy free”? My unsweetened chocolate says “may contain milk”. I have a friend with alpha-gal who cannot tolerate dairy and I am always looking for things she can eat.
I made these to bring to my last choir rehearsal before Christmas. I made a couple of minor changes. I used coffee essence instead of vanilla, plus a teaspoon of espresso powder, a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of Lebkuchen spice I got in Germany. I also half remembered a technique of putting the pan in the fridge to cool completely more or less straight from the oven.
The result was such a delicious, fudgy and Christmas spiced treat. They went down well with my fellow choir singers. Thanks for the recipe Deb, it’s a keeper.
I made these today. I didn’t have any unsweetened chocolate, so used 1/2 a large Special Dark Hersey bar. After 35 minutes the center was still raw and had to bake another 15 minutes. Because these are soooo fudgy, I don’t think the toothpick will ever come out clean. After letting cool for an hour, they were still not the consistency I was expecting. However, after coming back to the comments to find if other readers had this problem, I put them in the fridge overnight and Voila! They became the crisped-topped/edged, fudgy brownies that were promised. My grandson says they taste like a Cosmic Brownie. I warm them and serve with a scoop of ice cream. I will admit that the chocolate I used wasn’t as deep flavored as I want, but they are still chocolatey delicious.
These are delicious brownies and everyone at the brunch where I brought them commented about how good they are. Go easy with the flaked salt! A little goes a long way. I’ll be making them again tomorrow!
I have no idea what happened, but these were a bust for me. They came out of the oven with the olive oil sort of separated and simmering around and on top of the brownie. And they were very sweet. I used the weight measurements (e.g. grams, rather than tbs / cups), so I don’t know if those measurements are off, or my scale was off or if it was something else completely. Just too much sugar for my taste and way too much oil. I usually love olive oil desserts, so I’m bummed this one didn’t work out. If anyone has any ideas of what I might have done wrong, I’m all ears! In case it matters, I used Lindt 100% cacao unsweetened bars for the chocolate (I live somewhere in Europe that doesn’t have a lot of regular unsweetened baking chocolate around).
Welcome back Deb. The heart-wrenching complexities of life may take over, but know that the legions of supportive fans you’ve gained over the years (decades!) will always be here to welcome you back, whenever you’re ready. Certainly the brief lack of new content hasn’t kept me from making old favourites from here on like a weekly basis!
And now this! I have 3 more days of work until my mat leave starts, and you’d better believe this is going on the list of “things to stock my freezer with before the baby comes”.
Thank you, as always, for your hard work here, and wishing you and your loved ones (near and far) warmth, safety, love, and comfort this holiday season.
I loved it! Although I reduced the sugar I could have reduced even more but I like things less sweet.
I also added frozen raspberries because I love that combination.
Microwaving the oil and Choco for 30 secs worked like a charm.
Perfect timing as I was hoping to make brownies and was unexpectedly out of butter. Only had EVOO but it doesn’t seem to affect the flavor in a negative way.
Love the intensity of the chocolate flavor here. Needed a second glass of milk to go with it.
I’m eating these right now. They are amazing. Delicate, deeply chocolatey. They are still warm from the oven. The pan may be gone before they are entirely cool.
For 17 years I’ve been coming to your blog for inspiration, entertainment, and fantastic recipes that always get the best compliments. Thank you for always being here.
I made these for a holiday party on Friday and they turned out great! I was afraid they would taste a lot like olive oil but they didn’t at all. Everyone loved them.
Made these with my 11 yo daughter who was craving brownies and it was a simple recipe (one bowl, few ingredients) with huge returns! We had a couple before bed then refrigerated them overnight and they’re even better today. New standby brownie recipe!
“I will always come back to this space because I like it here, I like hanging out with you, and 17 years hasn’t changed this.” Deb, who’s cutting the onions?? 😭 I have been following your blog since the early days — I was still in high school and teaching myself to cook, and now I’m in my 30s. I have also been gleefully reading your cookbooks as they come out. But I still come back to this blog too, so I’m really happy to hear it’s a comfort place for you as well. :) We love you around here!!
Not related to cooking, but as someone else who also felt the world fell apart early October, I just wanted to send you a hug. I’m a NY girl now in NC and have followed your blog for years- your recipes grace our Rosh Hashanah, Thanksgiving and Passover tables. Your cakes help us celebrate our birthdays and your cookbooks give us weekday dinners. Your food and your stories have brought us so much joy and flavor over the years, so I wanted to send some love your way too.
These are divine and dangerous for my budget. I overbaked them and immediately wanted to try again, but I’m going to force myself to wait a few weeks and keep some of my eggs and olive oil for other things.
Delicious!!! And so easy! I’ll make these again for sure. Very rich and fudgy.
Oh my gosh these are delish!! Not too cakey and not too fudgy! My husband and 8 year old daughter made them together so the recipe must be easy enough ;) Will definitely make these again!
Made these today. Followed the recipe to a T but I couldn’t help myself. I added chocolate chunks. These got rave reviews!! #debneverfails. Deb, you are the best!!!!
Made these this evening! Small adjustment to the method – I beat the eggs together with the sugar and salt, separately, before adding in the vanilla, cocoa/oil/chocolate mixture, and flour (in that order). Delightful! I was dubious about the amount of sugar (my usual brownie recipe for this size pan only uses 1 c) but they’re really not too sweet – they almost have a savory richness to them. The salt on the top is a very good touch. The olive oil taste is not overwhelming or even very present (which is a good thing). They’re not greasy, although they are incredibly dense and fudgy, and I’m beginning to realize I prefer a cakier brownie (I know, I know, it’s heresy). I could have baked them a little longer, I think (I did 32 minutes). I really like that it uses a whole bar of chocolate. Perhaps next time I will add a bit of coffee extract instead of/in addition to the vanilla, really amp up the bitterness. I think a little more salt would also be good.
I halved the recipe and baked in a 9×5 loaf pan for about 30 minutes. I only had “jumbo” sized eggs, so I just used one. Added a couple more tablespoons of sugar than the recipe called for (not on purpose) and it turned out just fine, although perhaps a bit more candy-like than intended. These are really nice!
These are SO GOOD. Don’t bother halving them like I did, because it will not yield enough brownies to satisfy.
Adjustment notes:
– To halve the recipe: I don’t have an 8×8, just a loaf pan, so I used 1 egg and added a splash of oat milk (could probably have done espresso as well).
– I also did not have unsweetened chocolate, so used semi-sweet chocolate chips and only 25% of the sugar recommended.
Thank you Deb! This recipe is my new favorite brownie recipe! I don’t think you can taste the olive oil at all, and the texture is incredibly smooth. That coupled with the deep chocolate flavor and tiny hint of saltiness is genius. You knocked it out of the park with this recipe.
My vegan friend needed brownies REALLY BAD today, and with Bob’s Red Mill egg substitute I got to give her a truly delicious batch! Thanks!
Yummers. I used king Arthur gluten free 1:1, coconut sugar, guittard unsweetened in the small brown box & 2/3 strong olive oil, 1/3 avocado oil. Slightly under baked them. Inside was rich and fudgy and the outside crunchy. No one would ever know these are gluten-free. Super rich, so good. So. Good.
I made an absolute mockery of this recipe. I was wary of using my very grassy EVOO, so I used half avocado oil/half coconut oil. Ran out of white sugar and subbed some dried out lumpy brown. Used a mishmash of bittersweet chocolates, including one that was certainly past its prime. And guess what?? The result was incredible- insanely fudgy with crackly tops and the perfect amount of salt. Thank you for this adaptable and decadent gem!
I’ve made these multiple times now – each time to raves – and my only comment is that even with an extra 15-20 minutes in the oven the toothpick never came out clean. But as another commenter said, a couple of hours in the fridge gets them to the right consistency.
Do you think I could use rye flour instead of all purpose flour?
I haven’t tested it with rye so maybe try a 1/3 or half-swap first before doing a full one? It’s probably delicious but risks a more dry or brittle brownie.
These are the ultimate in fudgy. I decided to make them for Passover and substituted 1/3 cup almond flour and 1/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill 1 for 1 GF flour for the all purpose flour. They are rich and wonderful. I can see chilling them, then using a small round cookie cutter to make circles and calling them truffled brownies. I love how people think round brownies are so much more elegant than squares!