Brownie Bread: A Fudgy and Sliceable Chocolate Loaf

Brownie Bread

Brownie bread is exactly what the name promises: a chocolate quick bread with the dense, fudgy character of a pan of brownies, baked into a loaf you can slice and share. The chocolate flavor is deep and intense, not light and cakey, and the crumb stays moist for days.

I started baking this loaf for book club because it travels better than a tray of brownies. It slices cleanly, stacks neatly in a container, and nobody has to hunt around for a fork.

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It also works as a birthday option when you want something deeply chocolatey that is not a full layer cake, and it is just as welcome in the middle of summer as it is in December.

The recipe is straightforward and not overly complicated. If you like this style of chocolate quick bread, the same kitchen has a One Bowl Chocolate Zucchini Bread and a Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread worth trying next.

If you would rather have a classic brownie, look at the Better Than Boxed Mix Fudgy Brownies, the Double Chocolate Mint Brownies, or the Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Brownies.

Serve it slightly warm with a cold glass of milk, or let it cool completely and dust the top with a little powdered sugar before you carry it to the table.

Ingredients

Two items carry almost all of the chocolate flavor here: semi sweet chocolate and Dutch process cocoa powder. Everything else is pantry support, so it pays to choose those two carefully before you start measuring.

Semi sweet chocolate. Use a bar when you can. A 60 to 78 percent cacao Lindt Chocolate Bar or a Ghirardelli Premium Baking Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar is recommended because bar chocolate melts to a thinner, more manageable consistency for the batter.

Chocolate chips will work, but choose a higher quality brand such as Ghirardelli or Guittard for a cleaner chocolate taste.

Dutch process cocoa powder. This is what gives the loaf its deep, rich chocolate flavor alongside the melted chocolate. Unsweetened cocoa powder can be substituted 1 to 1, though it will affect the bread’s richness and how chocolatey the finished loaf tastes.

Whole milk. The recipe calls for whole milk. You can use 1 percent, 2 percent, or full fat buttermilk instead. Non dairy options such as oat, almond, or soy milk were not tested in this recipe, so I cannot promise the same texture if you swap them in.

You will also need all purpose flour, baking soda, salt, two room temperature eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and melted unsalted butter. Quantities and the full method live in the recipe card below.

One small extra: a handful of semi sweet chocolate chips scattered over the batter just before baking adds little pockets of melted chocolate on top without changing the structure of the loaf.

How to Make the Recipe

The full printable recipe is available in the recipe card in US customary or metric measurements. Here is the flow so you know what you are getting into before you start.

Prepare the pan first. Coat an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan with flour based baking spray and line it with a parchment paper sleeve. That sleeve is what lets you lift the loaf out later instead of wrestling with it.

Melt the chocolate and the unsalted butter separately, then let both cool while you handle the rest. Do not skip the cooling step, since warm chocolate can scramble the eggs.

1. Whisk the dry ingredients. Combine the all purpose flour, Dutch process cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Beat the eggs and sugar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium high speed, beat them until the mixture is light in color, fluffy, and almost doubled in size, about 4 to 4.5 minutes.
3. Add the chocolate, milk, and vanilla. Mix the slightly cooled melted chocolate, whole milk, and vanilla extract in until combined.
4. Fold and finish. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spatula, then add the melted butter.
5. Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin, scatter a few semi sweet chocolate chips on top if you like, and bake at 350°F for 55 to 60 minutes.
6. Cool. Leave the bread in the loaf tin for 15 to 20 minutes, then move it to a cooling rack.

The step most people rush is beating the eggs and sugar. Give it the full four minutes. That aeration is a big part of the tender crumb that holds all of that melted chocolate without turning heavy.

Cooling in the tin matters too. The loaf is still setting as it sits, and moving it too early is how you end up with a crack down the middle and a soft spot in the base.

Ingredients

• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate, melted
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

That makes 8 servings, so plan on a fairly rich slice.

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep the pan. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch metal loaf tin with flour based baking spray, then line it with a parchment paper sleeve to help remove the brownie bread after baking.
2. Melt the chocolate and the butter. Add the 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate to a medium microwaveable bowl and microwave in 1 minute increments until melted and smooth. In a separate microwaveable bowl, melt the 1/2 cup of unsalted butter in 30 second increments until melted. Set both aside to cool down slightly.
3. Whisk the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt.
4. Beat the eggs and sugar. In a separate large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the 2 room temperature eggs and the 1 cup granulated sugar on medium high speed until light in color, fluffy, and almost doubled in size. This takes about 4 to 4 1/2 minutes.
5. Mix in the chocolate, milk, and vanilla. Mix in the melted chocolate, the 3/4 cup whole milk, and the 2 tsp vanilla extract until mostly combined.
6. Fold in the dry ingredients, then the butter. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a spatula, then add in the melted butter.
7. Fill the tin and bake. Pour the brownie bread batter into the prepared loaf tin. Optionally, top with a few semi sweet chocolate chips. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes at 350°F, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
8. Cool, then store or freeze. Allow the brownie bread to cool inside the loaf tin for about 15 to 20 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Pull the loaf when the toothpick shows a few moist crumbs and no wet batter. A slightly fudgy center is the goal here, not a dry, fully set crumb.

Storing leftovers. Brownie bread keeps at room temperature for up to 3 days, wrapped in plastic wrap and optionally an extra layer of aluminum foil. A slice warmed for ten seconds in the microwave tastes like it just came out of the oven.

Freezing. Let the bread cool completely, then slice it. Wrap each individual slice in plastic wrap once or twice, then keep the wrapped slices in a freezer safe container. That way you can pull out one slice at a time instead of thawing the whole loaf.

One practical note on timing: ovens run hot and cold, so start checking at 55 minutes. If your oven runs cool, the loaf may need the full 60 minutes or a few minutes more, and if it runs hot, pull it as soon as the toothpick test is clean.

Notes

Best chocolate to reach for. A 60 to 78 percent cacao Lindt bar or a Ghirardelli Premium Baking Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar melts to that thin, smooth consistency the batter wants. If you are working with chocolate chips, choose a higher quality brand such as Ghirardelli or Guittard.

Cocoa substitution. Unsweetened cocoa powder can replace the Dutch process cocoa, but the finished loaf will be less rich and less chocolatey. If deep chocolate flavor is the whole point for you, stick with Dutch process.

If the loaf sinks in the middle while it cools. The usual suspects are overmixing the batter, measuring ingredients inaccurately, especially too much leavening agent, an expired leavening agent, an oven that is not at the temperature it claims, or an underbaked batter that had too much liquid.

Weighing your flour and checking the date on your baking soda solves most of these before they happen.

Recipe details

Nutrition per serving: 430 calories, 53g carbohydrates, 6g protein, 23g fat, 13g saturated fat, 4g fiber, 35g sugar, 244mg sodium, and 76mg cholesterol.

Serving idea: cut thick slices and serve them with coffee, or warm a slice and top it with vanilla ice cream for a dessert that feels like a brownie sundae.

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Brownie Bread Brownie bread is exactly what the name promises: a chocolate quick bread with the dense, fudgy character of a pan of brownies, baked into a loaf you can slice and share. The chocolate flavor is deep and intense, not light and cakey, and the crumb stays moist for days.

• Total Time: 80 min
• Yield: 8 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
0.5 cup Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder
0.5 tsp Baking Soda
0.5 tsp Salt
2 Large Eggs, room temperature
1 cup Granulated Sugar
0.75 cup Whole Milk
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
0.5 cup Unsalted Butter, melted

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Instructions

1-Adjust the oven rack to the middle: Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, preheat the oven to 350°F, then spray an 8 1/2-4 1/2-inch metal loaf tin with flour-based baking spray. Line the loaf tin with a parchment paper sleeve (to help remove the brownie bread after baking).
2-Add the semi-sweet chocolate to a medium,: Add the semi-sweet chocolate to a medium, microwaveable bowl, then microwave at 1-minute increments until melted and smooth. In a separate microwaveable bowl, melt the unsalted butter as well, but in 30-second increments until melted. Set both aside to cool down slightly.
3-In a medium bowl, whisk together the: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, dutch process cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
4-In a separate large mixing bowl, using: In a separate large mixing bowl, using your hand mixer (or stand mixer), beat together the eggs and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light in color, fluffy, and almost doubled in size (takes about 4-4 1/2 minutes).
5-Mix in the melted chocolate, milk, and: Mix in the melted chocolate, milk, and vanilla extract until mostly combined.
6-Fold in the dry ingredients to the: Fold in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with a spatula, then add in the melted butter.
7-Pour the brownie bread batter into the: Pour the brownie bread batter into the prepared loaf tin. Optionally, you can top with a few semi-sweet chocolate chips. Bake for 55-60 minutes at 350ºF, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownie bread comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
8-Allow the brownie bread to cool inside: Allow the brownie bread to cool inside the loaf tin for about 15-20 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Leftover brownie bread can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, wrapped in plastic wrap and (optionally) an extra layer of aluminum foil. To freeze, let the bread cool completely, then slice. Wrap each individual slice in plastic wrap 1-2 times, then keep it in a freezer-safe container.

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• Prep Time: 25 min
• Cook Time: 55 min
• Method: bake

Nutrition

• Calories: 430
• Sugar: 35
• Sodium: 244
• Fat: 23
• Saturated Fat: 13
• Carbohydrates: 53
• Fiber: 4
• Protein: 6
• Cholesterol: 76