These homemade brownies are so chocolatey, fudgy, and simple to make, you’ll never need a brownie box recipe again!
Heart Beet Valentine’s Day Homemade Brownie Recipe
Let me start by saying I am not a baker. For years I refused to bake anything, even pre-cut cookies and boxed brownies. So if I can successfully create a delicious brownie recipe and make it several times without ruining it, you can definitely make these homemade brownies. And they’re perfect for Valentine’s Day!
While I may not have done a lot of brownie baking in my life, I have certainly done a lot of brownie tasting and I can tell you these are the best brownies I’ve ever had. Anyone who knows me personally also had a hard time believing that—until they tried them. A few qualified taste testers confirmed that they are in fact the best brownies they have every had.
My definition of the perfect brownie might be different from yours. In my opinion, these are the three qualities that make up the perfect brownie:
- Thick
- Chewy
- Slightly crispy on top
Are you team chewy or team cakey?
Like I said above, everyone has a different opinion when it comes to brownie composition and what they like best. I prefer chewy brownies over cakey brownies and that’s exactly what these homemade brownies are. Chewy, chocolatey, and nearly impossible to stop eating. If you’re like me and prefer chewy brownies, this homemade brownie recipe is for you!
Now let’s talk specifics. I used olive oil from Filippo Berio’s collection because it’s my favorite. And I’m so excited to announce that this is the first in a series of posts we’re doing together this year. Filippo Berio is such a fantastic company, and I couldn’t be more proud to work with them in 2019. Stay tuned for more awesome recipes together 🙂
How much oil should I use?
To make these brownies, I used one tablespoon of Filippo Berio Extra Light Olive Oil, which is much less than most other recipes call for. It worked perfectly because it didn’t add too much weight to the brownies and didn’t compromise the coveted crust on the top that everyone strives to achieve. They turned out fudgy but not too dense where you feel like you are biting into a chocolate brick.
Most of the ingredients are in your pantry
I laughed as I wrote that because I feel like it’s something most bloggers say. But really, who doesn’t have butter, flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, chocolate chips, and salt in their pantry? The beetroot powder and flaky salt might not be in most pantries but can easily be picked up from the store.
One bowl brownies
Guess what! These brownies are all made in one bowl. With this homemade brownie recipe you won’t have to worry about messy melted chocolate and dirtying up multiple bowls and pans. These homemade brownies only require an easy 10 minute ingredient prep and the clean up is even easier. Really, it’s not a huge time commitment.
Beetroot powder health benefits
Have you been wondering what to do with beetroot powder? It’s is often used in smoothies, hummus, salad dressings, among other recipes. But what about brownies? I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate healthy ingredients and this is an easy way to give your picky eater a dose of veggies. They’ll never even know it’s in there!
Beetroot powder may help:
- Regulate blood pressure
- Fight inflammation
- Support brain health
Where can I buy beetroot powder?
I found beetroot powder at my local Harris Teeter and also at Whole Foods. At Harris Teeter it was in the baking section and in Whole Foods I found it near the protein powders.
While the beetroot powder adds a lot of health benefits to these brownies, it also adds a nice pop of pink for Valentine’s Day! I garnished half of my brownies with beetroot powder and half with flaky salt. You can choose to garnish them however you please, or serve them naked!
Recipe notes
- Do not over beat or over mix the batter. This will affect the texture of your brownies!
- If you are testing the brownies with a toothpick, it will come out dirty and gooey because this is a fudgy brownie recipe.
- The best way to test for doneness is to gently press on the center with one finger. If it feels pretty firm, they are done.
- Do not cut the brownies until they have completely cooled! If you cut them too early they won’t set properly.
Make these brownies for your Galentine’s Day party or for your special Valentine who deserves something sweet! Or have the entire batch to yourself because let’s be real, homemade brownies are better than any boyfriend you’ll ever have.
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HeartBeet Valentine's Day Homemade Brownie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbsp Felippo Berio extra light olive oil
- 1 cup superfine sugar
- 1/8 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup unbleached flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp beetroot powder, extra for garnish if desired
- 1/4 tbsp salt
- flaky salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Lightly grease an 8x8 baking dish with cooking oil spray. Line with parchment paper, spray, and set aside.
- Combine melted butter, oil, and sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl, then add eggs and vanilla, and beat for about 1 minute, until lighter in color. Do not over beat!
- In the same bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, beetroot powder, and salt into the wet mixture. Gently fold in the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until JUST combined. Do not over mix or the texture of your brownies will be affected. Next, gently fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour brownie batter into greased baking dish, smoothing the top out evenly.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center of the pan no longer jiggles and is just set to the touch. If testing with a toothpick, it should come out dirty because these are fudgy brownies.
- Sprinkle flaky salt over brownies and allow them to cool completely before slicing into 16 squares.
- Optional: sift more beetroot powder over brownies for an extra pop of color.
While this recipe was made in partnership with Filippo Berio, all views stated are my own.
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These look amazing! Thank you for sharing
Those look like great brownies! Nothing says “I love you” like chocolate.
Couldn’t agree more!
What an interesting recipe! I’ve never seen beetroot powder before. I may have to try this for myself 🙂
There are a lot of health benefits to it, and you can’t even taste it in the brownies so it makes you feel a little less guilty about eating 2 🤗
Yes to brownies all the way!!! This recipe looks so delicious, gonna try it next week for sure. Thank you.
Chad
http://www.mosaicslab.com
That’s great! Let me know what you think.
As if I needed any help justifying eating a brownie. Now, you’re telling me they’ve got health benefits! Sold!
Hmmmmm yum! These brownies looks so delicious. Can I take a bite?!
Wow, your brownie homemade recipe looks really delicious and look so easy to make. I would love to try to make this for my kids and friends on this weekend and I am sure they are going to like it.
The kids will never know there are veggies inside 🙃
I would say I’m both team chewy and cakey omg! Looks really good!
Try them out and let me know what you think ☺️
Wow! something unique and delicious to enjoy my valentines with!
These look delicious! I prefer gooey brownies, but I love the crispy edges; it’s my favorite part!
Those brownies look so gooey soft and delicious. I love that you’ve hidden veggies in them too, a great way to get your child to eat some without them knowing, haha
Exactly! And for an extra dose of veggie you can dust the powder on top too
Team chewy all the way! Loveeee the touch of beetroot and they sound so easy to make – can’t wait to try these out!
Let me know what you think!
Your brownies look absolutely delightful! I wish I could have one right now…the beetroot is a great way to sneak in nutrients too!
Thanks Catherine! I’ll be sneaking beetroot powder into lots of other recipes.
i see beets sneaking into a lot of recipes lately. these look yummy!
Wow these look and sound absolutely amazing! I love the little bit of salt for garnish too! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I’m looking to get into baking so I’ll definitely be looking back at this recipe. Those brownies look so good
If I can do it, you can do it. I’m not much of a baker but also trying to get more into it and these are super easy!
How interesting. I would never think to put beetroot powder on brownie . I love everything about this recipe. I can’t wait to try it.
Thank you! I discovered it while looking for something naturally pink for Valentine’s Day 😊 you can’t even taste it and I bet you could use 2 tbsp for more health benefits and still not taste it!
Mmmm my mouth is watering. Let’s just add a little gooey caramel to the center and I’d die of bliss!
I am such a sucker for brownies and these look so yummy! I love that they have veggies in them, what a great idea!
XOXO
Elizabeth Keene
https://akeenesenseofstyle.com
Interesting way of making brownies. Never heard of beetroot powder before. Thanks for sharing
It’s an easy way to get a dose of veggies!