Chocolate Cherry Brownie Recipe

Chocolate Cherry Brownie Recipe

Today we are making a Chocolate Cherry Brownie Recipe! This easy recipe involves cherries, chocolate, whipped cream … something smells like Black Forest? Add in a touch of coffee, some sticky date caramel … my taste buds can’t keep track of all these flavors! Today’s recipe is – yes – based off of a Black Forest Brownie.

I began making the regular old raw chocolate brownies, and then added dried cherries to have both the tartness and sweetness that comes with cherries. So I had a raw brownie base with cherry mixed in … then I decided to add in instant coffee powder, which gave a hint of brownies, coffee, AND tart fruity flavors.

The flavors were really coming together at this point, so I soaked some dates and blended them to make a sticky “date” caramel. Add in more dried cherries, some vanilla flavoring, and mix in more chocolate chips, and suddenly you have a chocolate cherry caramel. I couldn’t help but to add a dollop of whipped cream on top, because really? Who would combine the ultimate cherry + chocolate combo without the whipped cream to cue that Black Forest effect?

Which, by the way, was not named after a range of mountains called Black Forest in the southwest of Germany. It was supposedly named after a special liquor from that area, known as Schwarzwälder Kirsch that’s made from distilled cherries. Cooked cherries were served with cream and the aforementioned liquor, which is where the tradition of Black Forest desserts came from. Although I wouldn’t really call this a Black Forest Brownie, it comes pretty close to that realm!

Going Natural!

So say goodbye to the cream cheese, the heavy cream, cups of flour, softened butter, brown sugar, egg yolks, cherry pie filling, sugary maraschino cherries and chocolate cake mix. No need to turn on the oven or pull out any of the common baking ingredients here (or a double boiler for that rich chocolate melt we all know you were trying to get)! We’re using a feel good, simple list of ingredients – dried fruits, cacao, coffee, nuts and oats. Some of these may already be pantry staples in your household!

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Cherry Brownie Recipe

The Best Valentine’s Combination: The sweetness of juicy cherries and the rich bitterness of the dark chocolate flavor pave the way for one of the best dessert combinations in these chocolate cherry brownies! Not to mention, these flavors are all the rage for Valentine’s Day desserts. Or just a single serving weeknight dessert for a chocolate craving, or any special occasion!

Try using vegan white chocolate drizzled on top or in the dough, for a triple chocolate recipe with white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips and cacao powder flavors. Or, top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and add fresh cherries on top!

Substitutions: Base Ingredients

Dates: Use large, soft Medjool dates. These are the best way to get in natural sugars and get the dough to stick together! I do not recommend any substitution here. If your dates are not super soft, soak them in hot water for 30 minutes. Then pat the water out with paper towels before using them in the recipe. Dates are a great source of dietary fiber as well, rather than providing only sugar with none of the fiber!

Walnuts: Use almond flour or almond meal instead.

Oats: Use quick oats or old-fashioned. If using old-fashioned, it would be a good idea to pulse them in the blender first to make them a little smaller before using in the recipe. Otherwise, they don’t blend as well and stay as whole pieces when they stick to the dough, rather than becoming a powder to help bind everything together.

Dried Cherries: Cherries are a great source of Vitamin C! I found these at a Bulk Barn, which is a bulk food chain store in Canada. You may also find these online or at a health food store, if they aren’t available at the regular grocery store. Substitute dried cranberries, which will provide a more tart flavor.

Note that store-bought dried cherries or cranberries may have added refined sugar, so check the ingredient label to make sure it is sugar-free. There are usually natural brands that are a bit more expensive but can provide sugar-free dried fruit, either at a health store or online.

Instant Coffee: Instant coffee granules are the type that dissolve readily in water. These can be found in the coffee aisle of the grocery store.

Substitutions: Chocolate

Chocolate Chips: Mini vegan chocolate chips can be found in the regular baking aisle. I found that some popular chocolate chip brands did not contain any dairy after checking the ingredients, so they were “accidentally” vegan! Although those are made of refined sugar, and there are now healthier brands of chocolate chips available in the natural aisle of the grocery store as well.

You can also find a dark chocolate bar and chop it up to make mini chocolate chunks. I recommend to use mini chips or chunks. Otherwise, the chocolate pieces will be too big to let the dough bind together well.

To keep it refined sugar free, choose a brand that uses a natural sugar alternative. Or use cacao nibs as a “raw” chocolate chip, albeit being quite bitter.

Cacao Powder: Cacao powder is the raw, unprocessed form of cocoa powder, which is commonly used in baking brownies and chocolate desserts. Feel free to substitute regular or dutch-processed cocoa powder for the cacao.

Chocolate Cherry Brownie Recipe Notes

• Looking to make chocolate cherry cookies? Shape the bars into cookie shapes instead!

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If you make this Chocolate Cherry Brownie Recipe, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!