I have something to admit… I am not a brownie person! I know, crazy, but the reason is I feel like homemade ones never taste as good as I want them to. Probably because as a kid I , like so many of you, was spoiled with the Ghirardelli boxed brownies and those are the impossible standard I have held all other brownies to my entire life. Dramatic? Yes. So I finally set out to recreate them in a homemade form and dare I say, these might even be better???
I know people can be very particular about their brownies so let me start by saying my preference is fudgy. Cakey brownies to me are too dry but I understand some people think fudgy brownies taste underbaked. If you prefer the cake-like texture, add 5-8 minutes to your baking time!
Recipe tips:
- Chocolate: I found the only way to make these taste like an exact Ghirardelli copycat is to use their products! Their cocoa powder and baking chocolate can be found in most grocery stores in the baking aisle.
- Baking chocolate vs. chocolate chips: First and foremost, you can use either baking or chocolate chips. Really it comes down to preference and texture. I like big pools of chocolate so I roughly chop the chocolate bar and add to the batter. If you prefer or just have chocolate chips on hand, use those!
- Semi-sweet vs. bittersweet: Since these brownies are pretty sweet I prefer to use bittersweet chocolate in the recipe. It’s a deeper, richer chocolate taste and really makes these brownies incredible. If you’re. a fan of another type of chocolate like semi-sweet or ever milk chocolate, you can use those too!
These brownies are seriously incredible. If you’re like me and have been searching for the perfect brownie to replicate the incredible Ghirardelli boxed mix, I’m happy to report you’ve found it 🙂 Let me know your thoughts and feedback in the comments!
Copycat Ghirardelli Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, melted
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup Ghirardelli cocoa powder
- 8 oz Ghirardelli Bittersweet Baking Bar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and grease and line a 12×8 baking pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine melted butter, oil, granulated and brown sugar. Whisk to combine. Add in vanilla and eggs and beat for 30 seconds, until the batter becomes a lighter brown.
- Sift in flour, cocoa powder and salt. Mix lightly until just combined. Roughly chop the chocolate and add in about ¾'s of it (about 1 ½ bars or 6 oz) Gently fold in the chocolate. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle on the rest of the chocolate chunks. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until the center no longer jiggles. If you want fudgy brownies, do not over bake! If you prefer cakey brownies, bake for 5-8 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting into!
[…] If you’re interested in plain brownies without frosting, check out the original version here. These are made in 1 bowl and the frosting comes together in 2 minutes. If you’re looking to […]
[…] of the most popular recipes on my website is my Copycat Ghirardelli Brownies so I wanted to give you an updated holiday rendition. Don’t tell anyone, but I may like this […]
[…] one of my absolute favorites for when I need that choco fix! These Nutella Brownies are based on my Copycat Ghirardelli Brownie recipe so they are rich, fudgy and just like the box mix we all grew up loving. A Nutella insert in the […]
[…] in a homemade form and dare I say, these might even be better??? I created that recipe with these Copycat Ghirardelli Brownies, and for this recipe decided to put a fun twist on them by making them Red Velvet and topping with […]
Delicious and easy to make! Thank you!
Incredible!!! My husband, who is a huge Ghirardelli fan, says these are way better :). I increased the recipe by 25% and made it in a 9×13. Perfection, as your recipes always are! Thank you!!
Love this! 🙂
I made this brownie recipe and it ended up coming out all raw, it’s looked cooked on the outside but on the inside it was just horrible. The brownies were straight raw, I baked these brownies exactly how u said and they came out horrible. I do not recommend this recipe
Came out spongy and like a giant lava cake, 🥺 still tasty but on the hunt for a new recipe.
These came out perfect! I started checking the brownies at 20 minutes and then every 5 until an inserted knife didn’t come out with batter. I cooked at total is 32’ish minutes. I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chips.
Glad you liked them 🙂
Love this recipe!! For people commenting that it was raw…they clearly didn’t follow the directions. Ovens vary, which is why the author said 25 to 30 minutes or until the center no longer jiggles…then stated to add an additional 5 – 8 minutes for a more cakey brownie. Clear and concise. Bravo bravo for a wonderful recipe. Thank you 😊
So happy to hear you liked it 🙂