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Fudgy Sea Salt Brownies

May 23, 2012 by Audra 50 Comments

FudgySeaSaltBrownies 

This is another installment of- “Take old posts and make them even better.”  I’ve been in love with these brownies for a couple years, but felt that the recipe could afford a couple changes so here we are!

Since starting this blog,  I seem to analyze every dessert item I put into my mouth. In any given meal I think- “Could I recreate this?” “Is that dark chocolate?” “How is this cake so fluffy?” (More often than not, I try to not eat sweets when I’m out because I always eat so many at home.)  Sometimes though, I come across something so delicious that I have to keep buying it out until I figure out how to recreate it. What am I talking about you may ask? Well yes- the Sea Salt Brownie Bites from Trader Joes. I’m obsessed. I always throw a container into my cart and often times have made a serious dent in them before I even get to checkout. (Oops.) So you are probably not surprised that I had made it my mission to recreate something as similar as possible.

FudgyBrownies2

I didn’t really think I could make a version of my favorite bite-sized treats that I loved more than the original, but boy was I wrong. These are in a whole other league from the store bought ones. Really they are just amazing, dark chocolate, fudgy brownies that are kicked up a notch with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt. Originally these were made in a mini-muffin tin, but after a few batches, I found that sometimes they didn’t pop out as easily as I’d like. So- this go around I just made them in an 8×8 pan which allows for cutting them into whatever size portion you want. (I had planned to make them bite-sized, but I couldn’t resist.)

These brownies have perfectly crisp edges, fudgy centers, and just enough bits of flaky sea salt to make them truly out of this world.  They come together in no time and are super easy to throw into a ziploc and bring to any outing or get together. (A summer picnic maybe?) I can’t wait to make these again!

Print
Fudgy Sea Salt Brownies
Yield: 16 brownies
 
Ingredients
  • 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chopped into cubes
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 ounces 70% cocoa chocolate bar, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, cold
  • ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
  1. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 325°F with a rack in the bottom third of the oven.
  2. Place the butter in a large heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water (makeshift double boiler). When it begins to melt, add the sugar, cocoa powder and chocolate bar. Stir occasionally until the butter and chocolate have completely melted and mixture is homogenous and glossy–it may still appear a bit grainy.
  3. Remove the bowl from the pot let it cool slightly.
  4. Add the vanilla and stir. Then add each egg, one at a time, mixing well with a whisk after each to completely incorporate it.
  5. Sprinkle the flour, cornstarch and salt over the batter, and mix until they are completely combined. Continue to mix for another minute to ensure the mixture is smooth, but don't over mix. The batter will be very thick but glossy & smooth.
  6. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle generously with sea salt. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out covered with a few moist crumbs. Mine took about 35 minutes.
  7. Allow the brownies to cool slightly then lift the sides of parchment to remove the brownies from the pan. Slice and serve warm, room temperature or cold- they are amazing every way!
3.5.3251

Recipe adapted from: Chasing Delicious

Filed Under: Brownies, Recipes Tagged With: Chocolate, Sea Salt

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Comments

  1. Nicola Quinn says

    May 23, 2012 at 10:38 am

    These brownie bites look so dense and fudgy – love it!

    Reply
  2. Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says

    May 23, 2012 at 12:32 pm

    Yum!! These look so fabulous!

    Reply
  3. Ashley says

    May 23, 2012 at 1:06 pm

    Looks like I have to go get some flaky sea salt. I’ve seen these at my Trader Joe’s and never picked them up, but holy smokes these look fantastic.

    Reply
  4. carolyn bradford says

    May 23, 2012 at 1:57 pm

    WOW!! These look amazing! I can’t wait to try them! I’ve missed reading all of your great posts! So glad I saw this one!
    Carolyn Bradford

    Reply
  5. Mi Vida en un Dulce says

    May 23, 2012 at 2:04 pm

    Yes, these are really fudgy brownies, loo dense and decadent…!!!

    Reply
  6. Siri says

    May 23, 2012 at 2:43 pm

    Um, I can’t even handle that picture – the center looks so FUDGY OOEY GOOEY! Must make.

    Reply
  7. Cassie Laemmli says

    May 23, 2012 at 3:28 pm

    Ooo, now I want to go to TJ’s and try these brownie bites. Haven’t had them yet but your version looks amazing!

    Reply
  8. Averie Cooks says

    May 23, 2012 at 4:57 pm

    fabulous looking bites and I love any of those little “bites” that TJs sell..those little plastic cartons are dangerous :)

    Reply
  9. Becca says

    May 23, 2012 at 5:11 pm

    I’ve never been to Trader Joe’s but I keep reading about it. It kind of makes me jealous, haha. But because I’ve never been there, I’ve never heard of these brownies. But just looking at your pictures makes me want to eat several. I love fudgy insides! :D

    Reply
  10. Me And My Sweets says

    May 23, 2012 at 9:50 pm

    WOW! This is something I’ll put on my to-do list! !Thanks for sharing

    Reply
  11. Erin says

    May 23, 2012 at 10:18 pm

    I love mini brownies! Brownies are my all time favorite dessert, and if they are mini, I can eat more!

    Reply
  12. Lisa @ Sweet 2 Eat Baking says

    May 23, 2012 at 10:41 pm

    No Trader Joe’s here in the UK but I keep hearing about it too. These look so fantastic. The photos look amazing, loving the sea salt popping out. Can’t wait to try these so I know in some ways what you’re talking about.

    Reply
  13. Allison @ bunandbiscuit says

    May 24, 2012 at 2:34 am

    I love salty and sweet combinations plus mini-sized desserts (I don’t feel as guilty). I can’t wait to try these out!

    Reply
  14. Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious says

    May 24, 2012 at 5:58 am

    Bite-sized foods are always more fun to eat! Although I’m sure it’s just as dangerous. I could eat a million of these and not feel full.

    Reply
  15. Georgia The Comfort of Cooking says

    May 24, 2012 at 6:21 pm

    Haha! I so know what you mean about the analyzing of baked goods, but since I cook so often I do the same thing with EVERYTHING I eat. It’s bittersweet. But, I’m going to Spain and France soon so it will be doubly hard to control with all the amazing food options! Thanks for sharing these brownie bites – Love the sweet saltiness of them!

    Reply
  16. Grubarazzi says

    May 24, 2012 at 6:48 pm

    Wow. These look incredible! Way to recreate!

    Reply
  17. Jen Laceda says

    May 28, 2012 at 7:43 pm

    GENIUS! This one’s a keeper! Bookmarking these delicious brownie bites now..,hallelujah!

    Reply
  18. Stelly Jalai says

    May 28, 2012 at 7:49 pm

    hey Audra, it’s Stella!!!!!! Love what you make, and miss you!!!!!

    Reply
  19. Lani says

    May 28, 2012 at 7:53 pm

    I made these yesterday to bring to a cookout. Wow!! They are delish, and easy. Glad for the warning that things will look a little grainy. I got concerned when I started adding the eggs since the batter looked “broken”, but I pushed through. Things smoothed out as soon as I added the flour. They were a big hit, and I love the fact that every single one has crispy chewy edges. I don’t think I’ll ever make a pan of brownies again. This is my new go-to brownie recipe! Thanks for all your wonderful ideas!

    Reply
  20. 20somethingcupcakes says

    May 30, 2012 at 5:19 pm

    These look so easy and perfect! Love sea salt on just about everything lately.

    Reply
  21. Becca Looney says

    June 11, 2012 at 6:25 pm

    I made these about a week ago and they were really good. I ended up only making 1/3 of the recipe because I didn’t need 36 brownie bites, but 12 was the perfect number. The only thing is I don’t think I have your affinity for salty/sweet combos. I took a bite and it was much to salty for my prefrence, but the brownie itself was really nice! :)

    Reply
  22. sheri says

    July 7, 2012 at 4:24 pm

    Yummmm! Made these yesterday. Got rave reviews and had three people ask for the recipe!
    Thank you!

    Reply
  23. wendypie says

    August 16, 2012 at 2:41 am

    Have you ever tried to add caramel to them?

    Reply
  24. Guest says

    November 28, 2012 at 4:29 am

    I just came upon this recipe and it looks delicious. How much salt do you add to the batter?

    Reply
  25. emi says

    December 17, 2012 at 10:30 pm

    okay, these look AMAZING! we must have the same taste, because i love those at traders and now i can make them!! can’t wait to try them. thanks!
    xo
    http:www.chaseandem.blogspot.com

    Reply
  26. Hannah says

    May 16, 2014 at 2:00 pm

    I just wanna say, I came across this recipe awhile ago and have made it many, many times (never in bite-size form, though), and they’re the BEST brownies EVER. I haven’t even tried any other recipes since I found this one because it is perfection. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!

    Reply
    • Audra says

      May 18, 2014 at 9:44 pm

      Thanks Hannah- I love it too!!

      Reply
  27. Vickie S. says

    June 18, 2014 at 9:01 am

    I’m kind of new to your fantastic blog, so this is the first time I’ve seen this recipe and I will definitely make it. But I have a question – why should the eggs be cold? All my life I’ve made sure all the ingredients are at room temp. I know there must be a good reason for the cold eggs, just can’t figure it out!

    Reply
    • Audra says

      June 18, 2014 at 9:07 am

      I am not exactly sure why they need to be cold, but I’m guessing it is because the chocolate mixture is still warm at that point, and mixing the eggs in cold helps neutralize the batter.

      It was a selling point in the original recipe I adapted from and I never changed it because these were so perfect :)

      Reply
      • Vickie S. says

        June 18, 2014 at 9:08 am

        Ok then! Thanks so much and I appreciate your quick reply! Happy baking!

        Reply
  28. NRS says

    June 18, 2014 at 12:22 pm

    Audra, which cocoa and chocolate do you like to use in these? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Audra says

      June 18, 2014 at 4:43 pm

      Hi! I used 70% dark chocolate and Dutch process cocoa powder :)

      Reply
      • NRS says

        June 18, 2014 at 4:47 pm

        Thanks! Droste is my go-to Dutch-processed so will use that. But as for the chocolate, do you use a baking bar like ghirardelli or eating chocolate? Do you mind saying which brand of 70% you like for this?

        Reply
        • Audra says

          June 18, 2014 at 7:10 pm

          I used Green & Black 70% dark choc for these but usually use whatever I can find ;)

          Reply
  29. Kayla sanders says

    June 18, 2014 at 2:49 pm

    Hey where do you buy your flaky sea salt?

    Reply
    • Audra says

      June 18, 2014 at 4:44 pm

      Kayla I got this stuff from Trader Joes! In the past though- I’ve used Maldon brand a lot! :)

      Reply
  30. sf says

    June 19, 2014 at 10:56 pm

    Audra – Quick question: how could I substitute 60% bittersweet chocolate for the 70% listed in the recipe?

    Reply
    • Audra says

      June 19, 2014 at 10:59 pm

      I really think that would be fine :)

      Reply
  31. Mary says

    June 26, 2014 at 9:59 am

    Although they are a bit harder to “pry” out of the mini muffin pans, I have always thought that idea was ingenious. I will probably continue to make them that way because I pop them out, throw them in a freezer bag, and always have a stash ready to defrost. We take them to the lake all the time.

    Reply
  32. Kris says

    November 10, 2014 at 4:14 pm

    I made these the other day. I found them to have too much butter in them, which is something I’ve never said about a baked good, ha! My batter had an oily texture, and once the brownies were cool, they were tongue-coatingly buttery. If I made these again I might just use 1.5 sticks of butter, or maybe even 1.

    Reply
  33. Jenna says

    January 24, 2016 at 8:08 pm

    I made these today and they are incredible! Sooooo chocolatey and luscious. My only issue was mine came out a bit too crumbly and fell apart more than I would like. Any idea why that might have happened?

    Thank you for the recipe – it is sure to become a favorite!

    Reply
    • Audra says

      January 25, 2016 at 10:36 pm

      Hmm- maybe you over-baked a bit? Or over mixed the batter?

      Reply
  34. fiorella says

    April 4, 2016 at 3:42 pm

    I had brownies pregnancy craving!! Made them on saturday! omg!!! they get better everyday! loved them!!

    Reply
  35. eva says

    July 14, 2016 at 5:16 am

    This is by far the best brownies recipe I’ve ever made! Thank you so much for the recipe!

    Reply
  36. Hannah says

    March 21, 2017 at 1:59 pm

    These sound amazing!

    I was wondering a couple of things, 1) is these away I can melt the chocolate another way with out the double boiler or make shift double boiler? Can I just melt the chocolate in a pot or even in the microwave? 2) Die you use regular or dark coco powder?

    Reply
  37. Julia says

    November 7, 2017 at 9:44 am

    Do you think it’s possible to sub most of the cocoa powder with the baking chocolate since I don’t have powder on hand? Thanks!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Sea Salt Brownie Bites | With Amour says:
    September 9, 2013 at 8:17 am

    […] to transport, and I figured the leftovers would freeze well. Not to mention, it’s from the Baker Chick, and she never really steers me wrong. Plus, it’s really all about the chocolate, so for this […]

    Reply
  2. Baby Shower! says:
    December 8, 2013 at 10:51 pm

    […] to*, but I couldn’t resist helping with the dessert table, and made Pumpkin Cupcakes and Fudgy Sea Salt Brownie Bites. A friend of mine brought that lovely ombre […]

    Reply
  3. Bake Sale Favorite: Sea Salt Brownies | spontaneous creativity says:
    September 25, 2014 at 12:00 pm

    […] Recipe:  Fudgy Sea Salt Brownies […]

    Reply
  4. Fudgy Brownies with Sea Salt | The Last Course says:
    November 19, 2015 at 12:40 pm

    […] Author: Recipe adapted from The Baker Chick  […]

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