Description
Chocolate Cherry Brownies are a decadent dessert featuring fudgy, moist chocolate brownies bursting with juicy cherries. This recipe combines rich cocoa and fresh fruit for a perfect balance of sweetness and intense chocolate flavor, making them ideal for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add-ins
- 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen cherries, chopped if large
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Prep Your Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Chop cherries if needed and measure all ingredients precisely.
- Melt Butter and Mix with Cocoa: Gently melt the butter in a saucepan or microwave. Whisk in cocoa powder and sugar until smooth and lump-free, creating the intense chocolate base.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Lightly beat the eggs and stir them into the chocolate mixture along with vanilla extract to add richness and tenderness.
- Fold in Dry Ingredients: Gradually sift and fold in the flour and salt gently to avoid overmixing, preserving a dense and fudgy texture.
- Incorporate Cherries and Optional Mix-Ins: Carefully fold in cherries and any optional chocolate chips or nuts, distributing evenly throughout the batter.
- Bake to Perfection: Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow brownies to cool completely before cutting.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs for smooth batter and even baking.
- Choose high-quality Dutch-processed cocoa powder for enhanced chocolate flavor.
- Avoid overmixing to keep brownies fudgy instead of cakey.
- Drain frozen cherries well to prevent excess moisture.
- Let brownies cool completely to firm up texture for clean cutting.
- Dust cherries lightly with flour to prevent sinking in batter.
- For dairy-free version, replace butter with coconut oil and use vegan chocolate chips.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie (1/16 of pan)
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 40mg