Olive Oil Fudge Brownies #PantryInsiders

Olive Oil Fudge Brownies are an easy from scratch brownie recipe made with heart healthy olive oil instead of butter.   

I have a thing for brownies.  I also have a thing for doing things to brownies, such as making them with bananas, or zucchini, or s’mores.   So while olive oil may not be a natural transition from those goodies, it seemed like a good idea.  It ended up being a tasty one too!  

Olive Oil Fudge Brownies have that perfect crackly top, a fudgy middle and are studded with chocolate chips throughout.  They are simple brownies to make from scratch, using heart healthy olive oil instead of butter.  They are also made with a little brown sugar, which is always so good in brownies.  Espresso powder further enhances the chocolate taste, but is definitely optional.  There is plenty of chocolate from the cocoa powder and chocolate chips!  And the distinct flavor of olive oil?  I didn’t notice it!

Olive Oil Brownies

 

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Yields: 16 to 20 brownies

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup Pompeian Classic Pure Olive Oil
• ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with baking spray and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the eggs and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add brown sugar, espresso powder and vanilla, continue to beat until combined. Slowly pour in the olive oil while continuing to beat, and then beat for another 2 minutes to combine.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, folding gently until combined. Fold in ¼ cup chocolate chips.
5. Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle top with remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs. (Be careful not to over bake to ensure a moist, fudgy brownie!)

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What prompted the idea for making these Olive Oil Fudge Brownies?  I recently had the pleasure of participating in an Olive Oil 101 tasting with Pompeian.  It was a webcast guided by Dr. Luisito Cercaci (Pompeian’s Vice President of Product Quality and Research & Development). He is an expert in olive oil and ensures that Pompeian olive oils are of top quality.    It was fascinating to learn the history of Pompeian and explore the different olive oils and varietals. I had never realized there were so many distinct differences among olive oils!

We tasted six different varieties and then were supposed to select one of them for a recipe.  Dr. Cercaci offered suggested uses for each oil.  However he was so passionate about experimenting with the flavors, that I left feeling empowered to try something different.  I left wanting to make a delicious dessert with olive oil, in this case these Olive Oil Fudge Brownies.  I chose to use Pompeian’s Classic & Pure Olive Oil because it was smooth, balanced and seemed like it would be a great flavor enhancer.  Pompeian’s Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil would also be great in this recipe, as it is very neutral tasting and a good all-purpose olive oil.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Pompeian as part of their Pantry Insiders program. All opinions are my own.