These Mexican Brownies are rich and fudgy with gooey chocolate, seasoned with cinnamon, cayenne powder, and my favorite seasoning, ancho powder. Brownies are the best dessert. Here is my recipe.
Mexican Brownies Recipe
I don't make a lot of desserts in the Madness household kitchen, but when I do, THIS is the kind of dessert that I make.
Here we have lots of chocolaty goodness and lots of seasonings, and the recipe even includes a bit of heat from the blast of cayenne powder and cinnamon, with a huge flavor addition of ancho powder.
We're talking Mexican Brownies, my friends, and it's a recipe you're going to want in your recipe box.
I made an extra large batch of these Mexican Brownies recently and gave some to my neighbor. The next day he brought two slices to work, where his coworkers fought over them and demanded the recipe. They even bribed him with hot sauce to bring more in.
These brownies are in DEMAND, my friends! Don't they look awesome?
Let's talk about how to make Mexican brownies, shall we? They're super easy. Here goes.
Mexican Brownies Ingredients
The full ingredients list with measurements are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Dark Chocolate. Unsweetened.
- Butter.
- Light Brown Sugar.
- Spices. Cinnamon, cayenne, ancho powder, salt.
- Eggs.
- Vanilla Extract.
- Flour.
- Milk Chocolate.
How to Make Mexican Brownies - the Recipe Method
Heat your oven to 325 degrees F. and lightly oil an 8x8 baking dish.
Add the dark chocolate and butter to a large microwave-safe dish and microwave it on HIGH for 1 minute. Remove, stir, and microwave another 30 seconds, or until the chocolate is melted completely through.
Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne, ancho powder, and salt.
Vigorously stir in the eggs and vanilla, then stir in the flour a bit at a time until the mixture thickens up nicely.
Stir in the milk chocolate chunks, then pour the mixture into the baking dish.
Smooth it out on top.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the center is still slightly moist when tested with a toothpick.
Cool slightly, cut it into squares, and serve!
Are Mexican Brownies Spicy?
Mexican brownies can be spicy, but that spice factor is something you can easily control with your choice of seasonings.
This particular recipe does have a bit of heat from the cayenne powder, though it isn't heat that jumps out at you. It is much more of a blooming heat that warms the mouth and tongue the longer you eat them.
You can easily omit the cayenne powder for milder heat, or add in extra or spicier chili powder, such as ghost pepper powder, for hotter brownies.
The real key here, though, in my opinion, is the ancho powder. Ancho powder is made from ground and dried poblano peppers, and they offer an earthy, almost chocolaty, rich flavor, which is a perfect pairing with chocolate.
Don't worry, these Mexican brownies don't taste like chili. The chili powders completely enhance the flavor of the chocolate.
Just beware. They are very addictive.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Allow brownies to cool completely before cutting: This will make slicing/cutting into the brownies much easier. This can take up to five hours, but they must set as much as possible before slicing.
- Adjust the amount of cayenne pepper based on your heat preference: If you find they’re spicier than intended, serve with whipped cream to help with the heat.
- Don’t overmix the batter: Overmixing your brownies will make them dense and less fudgy.
Try Some of My Other Popular Dessert Recipes
- Mexican Hot Chocolate
- Spicy Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
- Chocolate Covered Jalapeno Peppers
- Spicy Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Candied Jalapeno Peppers
- Homemade Chamoy Sauce
Storage Information
To store your Mexican brownies, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll keep on the counter for up to 4 days, but are best enjoyed within 1-2.
You can also store them in the fridge for 7-10 days to prolong the life of your brownies, though they might not last that long without being eaten!
To freeze your brownies: First, make sure they’ve cooled completely. Once cool, wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in a sealed container or bag in the freezer. They will keep for up to 3 months.
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Mexican Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate chopped
- 1 stick butter 8 tablespoons
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cayenne powder
- 1 teaspoon ancho powder
- Pinch of salt
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk chocolate chopped (chips are good)
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8x8 baking dish.
- Add the dark chocolate and butter to a large microwave-safe dish and microwave it on HIGH for 1 minute. Remove, stir, and microwave another 30 seconds, or until the chocolate is melted completely through.
- Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne, ancho powder and salt.
- Vigorously stir in the eggs and vanilla, then stir in the flour a bit at a time until the mixture thickens up nicely.
- Stir in the milk chocolate chunks, then pour the mixture into the baking dish. Smooth it out on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the center is still slightly moist when tested with a toothpick.
- Cool slightly and serve!
Notes
Nutrition Information
Shirley says
Have now made these 3
Times since coming across the recipe! They are the best brownies ever & I will never make brownies any other way!! My friends think I’m crazy with chiles in my brownies but I love them! In my opinion life is too
short for bland food!!
Mike Hultquist says
Outstanding! Glad you enjoying them, Shirley!
Sara says
Great recipe! Perfect amount of heat! It was a family favorite and will make again.
Mike Hultquist says
Excellent! Glad you enjoyed them, Sara! I need to make another batch!
DarkRose70 says
Thanks Mike, just made them this morning using dark chocolate chips & dark brown sugar plus diced peanuts to the top. So good! A perfect, fudgey texture. I found the cayenne a little too overpowering on the chocolate flavour so will just add the delicious, smokey ancho powder next time. A winner.
Mike Hultquist says
Yay!! Glad you enjoyed it!
Belvia says
Can Almond Flour be used vs AP flour? Thanks.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Belvia, I've never made these with almond flour, but I do believe it will work just fine for you. Let me know how it goes if you try it.
Vivian says
Hey Mike, just found this recipe and cant wait to make it. Have a question: Can this recipe be adapted to make in a mug? Would luv it if you can come up with a few recipes for cake or brownies in a mug.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Vivian. I have made brownies in a mug before, but not this particular recipe. I'll have to play around and see how it would work, but I personally would try maybe 1/4 to 1/2 cup in a mug to see how it turned out.
Catherine Pasquinucci says
Do you think these can be made in muffin cups? I really want to gives these a try but only have silicone muffin cups and an air fryer in my RV. I no me and hubby would love these!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Catherine, yes, I think that would be great. You might need to bake them a bit longer to make sure they cook all the way through, but I see no reason why it wouldn't work. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Ronda Barnow says
Is cayenne powder the same as cayenne pepper?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Ronda, cayenne powder is the crushed dried cayenne pepper in powder form. You'll find dried cayenne flakes that are sometimes just called "cayenne pepper", which you can use, but the powder is best for this recipe. You can usually find it in the spices section of your local grocer. It's pretty common.
Ronda Barnow says
Thank you for answering so quickly!! I have some dried cayenne peppers I dehydrated this past summer. I'm guessing I can just use those if I don't find powder in our tiny town!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
That would be great, Ronda. Good luck!