Chocolate Orange Brownies
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These chocolate orange brownies are fudgy, rich and utterly delicious and made with a wonderful mix of dark chocolate, orange zest, and chocolate orange chunks. They are easy to bake, and create that wonderful brownie texture with a deep flavour and citrus finish, with a crinkly top.
I have made this recipe many times now as it’s a personal favourite, and they have that ideal brownie texture. The dark chocolate base creates a better texture, more delicious flavour, and a more reliably fudgy finish to the bake.
Notes from The Patisserie
The delicious texture and moistness of a brownie is heaven in a bite, and with the addition of the chocolate orange, these are utter perfection in my opinion. I make these in the same way as the majority of my other brownie recipes.
I live in the UK, which means we have easy access to a brand call Terry’s chocolate orange, and it’s just incredible. It has the perfect balance of the orange oil flavour with the milk chocolate, and works as a dream in these brownies.
If you don’t live in the UK, there are alternatives that you could use to bake with instead. My first suggestion would be to use basic milk chocolate chunks, and add the zest of an extra orange, or use a strong orange based flavour extract over all.
After melting the chocolate and butter together, everything happens in one bowl. The brownies are packed full of flavour, because adding orange zest as well as chunks of Terry’s chocolate orange, add’s a genuine zesty hit that satisfies the taste buds.
This recipe is so similar to my classic triple chocolate brownies, just with a couple of alterations to suit the terry’s chocolate orange brownie theme, is ideal for getting ahead.
Updates to the recipe January 2026
After originally publishing this recipe in 2015, the recipe has evolved over time due to ingredient changes and more modern baking ideas for a better bake and consistency
I you are using Terry’s chocolate orange in the base like me, I recommend using 150g of Terry’s chocolate orange. The product has changed weight throughout the years, so if you find you are slightly short, simply top it up with extra dark chocolate instead
I have updated the dry quantities a little (35g cocoa powder = 50g cocoa powder) and (85g plain flour = 100g plain flour) as I prefer this version. If you liked it before, you can use the smaller quantities. The bake timings and methods remain the same.
Ingredient notes & tips
Dark chocolate is something that some bakers are a little afraid of as you don’t all necessarily love the bitter flavour that it can create. By the time you marry it with the rest of the ingredients, it doesn’t taste bitter at all. I would always recommend the 70% or higher cocoa content. I use supermarket own dark chocolate where possible, or bakers chocolate, not a brand
The Terry’s adds the orange flavour naturally with the chunks throughout the brownie mixture, as well as a little in the base brownie. If you are unlucky and you can’t buy Terry’s where you are, that is totally fine – you can use any chocolate orange based chocolate, or you can use a milk chocolate, and add in extra orange zest or orange oils.
I find the natural flavour of the orange zest best, but a valencian orange extract is my favourite alternative – they have strength, without too much acidity – it wonderfully balances with the sweetness of the brownie.
As you can see from the images, these are the fudgiest and most glorious things on the planet. You want to bake the brownies, ideally in the correct size tin like mine for the baking times/temperatures, and bake until there is a small wobble in the middle.
The wobble doesn’t meant that the brownies are underbaked, but you may think it. The entire tray shouldn’t wobble, this might mean it needs a bit longer, but once that smaller central area wobbles, let the tray cool fully and then set the brownies in the fridge. This will firm up the chocolate and butter again, and create that fudge texture.
How to get a shiny and crinkly top
The method of whipping the eggs and sugar until pale, doubled in volume and mousse like helps create that delicate top layer that people love. I tend to use my stand mixer when whipping the eggs and sugar (I find light brown soft sugar creates a wonderful flavour, as well as the natural molasses helping the top of the brownie) because it just makes it quicker.
You can whip the eggs and sugar by hand, with a balloon whisk, and it will totally work – you just need to stick at it. When you lift the whisk out of the bowl, the mixture should leave a trail for at least one full second before melting into the bowl.
How to make chocolate orange brownies
Full instructions on how to make the chocolate orange brownies can be found in the recipe card below
Starting off with a base of dark chocolate that contains at last 70% cocoa, and some chocolate orange chocolate (I use Terry’s chocolate orange – if you don’t have this, you can use a total of 200g of dark chocolate instead) and you melt with butter. A block butter creates richness, but a baking spread also works.
The texture of the eggs and sugar without whipping is quite thick, and whilst a lot of brownie recipes use this method, the air that you create by mixing them together for a few minutes creates the crinkly top you all adore on the top of a brownie.
Folding in the dry ingredients helps maintain that texture, you can sift the dry ingredients if you are worried they are lumpy, and then also add in the orange zest. I like to use a finely grated zest for better distribution, but chunky bits of zest also works.
Baking in a 9″ square tin creates the best bake and size of piece for me – and the timing is designed for this size tin. I always recommend cooling the brownies fully, and then setting the tray in the fridge for a few hours before slicing for the perfect portion.
FAQs
Yes, you certainly can. I like to use 1-2 large oranges, and would recommend 1-2 tsp of high strength orange extract to replace it
Generally, I would say no. I would recommend using at least 150g of 70% dark chocolate in the base for the fudgy texture.
Brownies that turn out cakey generally are over baked. Ovens can vary in time/temp, even if you think they are on the correct setting, so you likely just need to bake for less time.
Bake the brownies until there is a small wobble in the middle (the skewer test does not work because of the chocolate content) and then let it cool fully. Set in the fridge for firmness.
Yes, you definitely can! They freeze very well, in an airtight container, for 3+ months.
Generally I wouldn’t recommend using all milk chocolate as the cocoa content is too low. This can sometimes cause texture and bake problems.
Definitely! The brownies have a wonderful base if you don’t want to have any chunks of chocolate throughout – the texture is lovely, smooth and fudgy.
Chocolate Orange Brownie Recipe
Ingredients
- 150 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa content or higher)
- 150 g Terry's chocolate orange (or other brand)
- 200 g unsalted butter (or baking spread)
- 4 medium eggs (or 3 large)
- 275 g sugar (light brown or caster)
- 100 g plain flour
- 50 g cocoa powder
- Zest of 1-2 oranges (or 1-2tsp orange extract)
- 300 g chopped chocolate orange (I used Terry's)
Instructions
- Preheat the your oven to 180ºc/160ºc fan and line a 9″ square baking tray with parchment paper.
- Melt together the butter, dark chocolate and chocolate orange in a heatproof bowl over a pan of boiling water, on the microwave for 1-2 minutes until melted.
- Leave to the side to cool to room temperature
- Whisk together the eggs and sugar for a few minutes until the colour has turned pale, is very mousse like, and is double the original volume
- When whisked, pour the cooled chocolate mix over eggs and fold together carefully, making sure to not knock out the air
- Once completely combined, add the cocoa powder and plain flour on top of the chocolate mix (sift if lumpy), add the orange zest, and then fold together again
- Once combined well, fold through the chocolate orange chunks and pour into the prepared tin
- Bake in the oven for 25-30+ minutes, until there is a small wobble in the middle of the tin and the edges of the brownie have set
- Once baked, leave to cool in the tin completely. Set the brownies in the fridge for a couple of hours for best results.
Notes
- These brownies last for 4-7 days, at room temperature, or in the fridge.
- You can freeze these brownies for 3+ months
- I use this 9″ square tin in my traybake recipes
Storage and freezing
These brownies last for 4-7 days, at room temperature, or in the fridge. If you like them cold and fudgy like me, I keep them in the fridge. They also freeze very well for 3+ months
Related recipes
It’s not secret that I adore chocolate orange – I already have oodles of other chocolate orange recipes on my blog, so I think that says it all really… One of my first recipes to get seriously popular was my chocolate orange cookies, which are amazing by the way, like I have no joke made them over 50 times.
Also love this flavour combination?! I have other delicious recipes such as my no-bake chocolate orange cheesecake, my chocolate orange drip cake and even my six-ingredient no-bake chocolate orange tart.
Made these a couple of times and everyone loves them. Am trying all the recipes slowly.
Tasted absolutely amazing! Made half the quantity but still zest of a whole orange, was divine.
I did put the recipe into MyFitnessPal however it came out with very different nutrition, I triple checked it was right, any ideas on why it was SO different to your posted nutrition?
It depends on your serving sizes and also brands that you have used, and what is on the app. This is only an estimation and is calculated automatically
I am a huge chocolate orange fan so I decided to make these yesterday and they were so delicious!
I followed Jane’s instructions and they came out beautifully. Mine took around 1 hour to bake but I just popped some foil on to after 35 mins as mentioned.
They went down a treat with my family. Another fab recipe X
so so good
Would you need to freeze the Terry’s chocolate orange pieces before you put them in the brownie mix or are they okay to go in at room temperature?:)
They’re fine as they are!
Would it work to use stork (or supermarket own substitute) instead of butter for this or any other of your brownie recipes or does it have to be butter? Thanks!
For brownies you can indeed use baking spread!
Yes i use stork 😊
I made these last weekend and they were delicious. I used bourneville for the dark chocolate but i’ve spotted orange bourneville in the shops this week. Do you think that would work as the base chocolate?
Personally I wouldn’t recommend bourneville as it’s only about 54% cocoa content and you should always use 70%+ x
Hi Jane! Just wondering if it’s possible to make white chocolate orange brownies and how I would do this, thank you xx
Unfortunately it’s not a straight swap at all – I will be doing one soon (but they are called blondies), but for now you can look at a blondies post, or you can just use this recipe as it is, but add in the chunks folded through of the white Terrys x
I love this recipe. I baked them for my colleagues a few months ago and they’re still talking about them to this day!
I bought an extra bag of the mini chocolate orange segments and inserted one into each cooled brownie.. they looked fantastic! I will be baking these again over the weekend 🥰
Made these for a get together with friends. They are amazing.. Definitely will be making them again.
Hi Jane,
I have a couple of questions.
1) Are we meant to use dark chocolate Terry’s chocolate orange, or milk chocolate Terry’s chocolate orange?
2) Would you recommend orange zest or orange extract?
Thank you!
So preferably you’d use dark, but as you already have the other dark in there (which must be used) you can use the milk one if it’s easier to find! And honestly it doesn’t matter as both work well! generally I have orange extract all of the time xx
Aw no!! Disaster! After an hour the toothpick kept coming out totally wet!! I ended up leaving them in for about 1 hour 20 mins and whilst not wobbly any more the pick was still on the wet side. Once cooled, the brownie is like rock on the edges and bottom by soft in the middle. Obviously I cooked them too long but was following the advice to keep going if the pick was coming out wet?? How do I know when to take them out next time if I want a soft fudgy brownie not a cakey one?
Did you substitute any ingredients? Such as using all milk chocolate instead of the dark? As that can often cause a problem. Other than that, you really need to make sure the ingredients are mixed together correctly, this can cause problems when baking and often makes it take longer. Brownies aren’t the best thing to test with a skewer because of how they contain chocolate, I usually bake until there is an ever so slight wobble and then leave to cool fully in the tin!
Thanks Jane. No, I didn’t substitute any ingredients. I will look for wobble next time and not test with the skewer. Thanks for the tip! They were still delicious, I just warmed them to serve which helped to soften them a bit. 😁x
The best brownies ever! Love them so much!
Love! And I can’t stand dark chocolate and have always ignored that instruction in brownie recipes; I did as I was told and it worked a treat.
Would I be able to substitute the normal dark chocolate for a Terry’s dark chocolate orange? Or does the oil in it tamper with the recipe?
Thank you!
Amazing!! As far as I am aware the cocoa content of the dark chocolate orange is only about 40% which is why I recommend still using a dark chocolate (70%+)! x
My brownies turn out to be cake-like sponge rather than fudgy.I baked it for 23 mins. What should I do?Should I add more dark chocolate and orange zest ?Should I increase the baking time?
That sounds like your oven is too hot if it did it that quickly – lower the temp by 20C, and keep everything else the same!
I’ve forgotten to put the orange extract in and the brownies are already in the oven… would this matter? If so, is there anything I can do? Thanks
There is nothing you can do now, but it should still be yummy! x