Coconut Oil Brownies
These Coconut Oil Brownies are super fudgy, moist, and rich. They’re easy to make, use simple ingredients, and are a great dairy-free option for those who can’t have butter. Also, no electric mixer is needed!
There are as many ways to make a brownie as there are to make a chocolate chip cookie.
A brownie can be cakey, or you can have chewy brownies, or fudgy brownies. They can be light or incredibly dense. There are a world of mix-ins and the flavor can be tweaked endlessly.
Today’s brownie is dense and fudgy in the center, but has that quintessential crackly “crust” on top that I LOVE in a brownie. You can see the distinction if you look closely at the photos.
Most brownies are made with butter, and while nothing tops butter in my book as a baking staple, these Coconut Oil Brownies are indulgent in the most worthwhile way.
While I’ve been nursing James, I’ve had to limit the amount of dairy I eat due to his sensitivity, so I’ve been experimenting more with alternatives. Baking with coconut oil is nothing new to the world, but I’ve only recently discovered the wonderful coconut flavor that the oil imparts into baked goods.
This is assuming you like coconut, of course. The flavor is subtle, but it’s there. But it’s certainly better than using a completely flavorless vegetable oil or canola oil.
Beyond the coconut oil, which has become very easy to get at any grocery store, all you’ll need are a handful of standard baking ingredients like eggs, granulated sugar, all purpose flour, etc.
To get started, in a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine all the dry ingredients, with are flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee, and sea salt:
If you don’t have the instant coffee, you can omit it, but it has become a standard practice for me to add it to most chocolate baked goods that I make. It really intensifies the chocolate flavor!
You may also add 1 tsp of vanilla extract to the liquid ingredients later, as a swap.
Set that aside, then combine virgin coconut oil (your jar of coconut oil may also say ‘unrefined coconut oil’) and semisweet dark chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl:
The coconut oil is firm at room temperature, so it needs to be melted, just like the chocolate.
Microwave in 30-second intervals until the chocolate is melted:
Add eggs and white sugar to the chocolate mixture:
You may also use coconut sugar here, but I have not personally tested using brown sugar.
Whisk for about a minute until the mixture is thick, like this:
Add the dry mixture to the bowl:
Stir with a spatula until the flour is all absorbed, then spread evenly into a parchment lined 8×8 square pan:
The parchment paper will help you lift out the brownies later with ease.
Bake for 25 minutes in a 350F preheated oven, until there’s no liquid shininess on the top, and it’s a little bit squishy when pressed with your fingertip:
In order to ensure moist brownies, make sure you do not overbake here. If you do not have an oven thermometer, make sure you use baking time as an estimate and watch closely.
Also remember that because of carryover cooking, the coconut brownies will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven, so pull them out when they look just underdone.
Let the brownies cool, with the pan on a wire rack, then cut your delicious brownies into squares.
Since the brownies are so moist, they will keep well for a few days. The below square was photographed two days later. A little drier on the edges, but still very moist on the inside, with its crinkly top:
Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Otherwise, keep them in the fridge or freezer, since there are no preservatives.
More Chocolate Desserts:
- Irish Cream Brownies with Caramelized White Chocolate Buttercream
- Chocolate Mug Cake
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Coconut Oil Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour (5 ounces, by weight)
- 1 tbsp instant espresso powder optional
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (2 ounces, by weight)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (4.5 ounces, by weight)
- 3/4 cup virgin coconut oil liquid when measured*
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, espresso powder, cocoa powder, and salt.
- In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring each time, until the chocolate is fully melted. It should take about 3 intervals.
- Add the sugar and eggs to the chocolate bowl, and whisk to combine, about one minute. Add the dry ingredients and stir until no flour streaks remain. The batter will be very thick.
- Spread the brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, until the top no longer has that liquid shininess, and is a little bit squishy when pressed with your fingertip. Let the brownies cool completely.
- The brownies will slice best after a few hours. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
29 Comments on “Coconut Oil Brownies”
Can olive oil or avocado oil be substituted for the coconut oil? I’m allergic to coconut, so I can’t use it in recipes.
i like the idea but i dont like coffee so is there an alternative to espresso powder?
Hi, I am not sure why the coconut oil will drip off the brownie and doesn’t combine. This results in me having a very dry piece of brownie. Help needed. This is my third attempt and all attempts have the same problem.
It sounds like the coconut oil is solidifying. You need to keep it warm enough that it doesn’t do that while you’re mixing. Can you share more info about how you’re heating it?
I have left the coconut oil out in the ambient temperature, around like 30 degree Celsius. And follow the steps as per your melting the chocolate in 15 second intervals using the microwave…
The recipe says it needs to be liquid when measured and to microwave in 15 second intervals. If the coconut oil is firm at room temperature, it needs to be melted first. I live in Florida and sometimes it IS liquid at room temperature here, it all depends where you live. Hope that helps.