If you love the combination of chocolate and coconut, and you grew up eating Bounty candy bars, then here is a recipe you will certainly enjoy. These Coconut Macaroon Brownies have rich fudgy dark chocolate brownie with a thick layer of soft and chewy creamy coconut through the middle like a dense sweet macaroon between fudgy brownie. It really tastes like eating a more sophisticated bounty bar in brownie form! If you love brownies, check out my Perfect Shiny Crust Brownies. If you want to check out a recipe that uses cocoa powder instead of chocolate, refer to my Better Than Box Mix Brownies Recipe. For extra thick fudgy homestyle brownies, check out my Best Homemade Brownie recipe.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- No mixer – this simple brownie recipe comes together with just a bowl and a whisk.
- Easy to make – this is a very easy homemade brownie recipe and the coconut filling is also a cinch to make.
- Fudgy chocolate brownies – these are not cakey at all! They have a perfect fudgy texture.
- Chewy coconut filling – just like that classic candy bar, these brownies have a thick layer of sweet, creamy and chewy coconut through the middle. It’s a mashup of coconut macaroons and brownies.
- Creamy coconut brownies – the addition of white chocolate to the coconut filling makes them creamy and perfectly sweet.
- Rich chocolate flavor – melted bittersweet chocolate adds so much rich chocolate taste and balances the sweetness in the brownie batter.
WHAT MAKES THE SHINY TOP ON BROWNIES?
The shiny crust that forms on top of baked brownies is a result of dissolved sugar crystals that recrystallize as they dry at the surface during baking and reflect light. The crust can only form once the sugar is sufficiently dissolved, or if there is enough very finely milled sugar in the batter from melted chocolate which can dissolve very readily. This is why box mix brownies form that crust so easily: because they contain very fine sugar in addition to powdered sugar. Brownies made with melted chocolate form this shiny crackly top much easier than brownies made with cocoa powder only.
INGREDIENTS FOR COCONUT BROWNIES
Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- All purpose flour – regular all purpose flour is perfect to make fudgy brownies. Use unbleached flour which will give you that nice dense texture.
- Pure vanilla extract – vanilla is essential to enhance the flavor of the chocolate. Do not leave it out. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
- Butter – the best brownies that have a fudgy texture are made with butter and you can use unsalted or salted butter in this recipe. If you use salted butter, just reduce the added salt by ⅛ tsp.
- Granulated sugar – simple fine white granulated sugar keeps these brownies moist. If you reduce the sugar they will not be as fudgy and they are less likely to have the shiny crust.
- Egg white – 2 egg whites make the base of the coconut filling just like a classic macaroon.
- Dark chocolate – I prefer bittersweet chocolate for this recipe which has 70% cocoa solids. I use 70 and 85% cocoa solids will work. I prefer bittersweet chocolate or extra dark chocolate, and these bittersweet chocolate callets are very convenient. If you use semisweet chocolate, the brownies will certainly be sweeter and more gooey.
- Pure white chocolate – the quality of your white chocolate make a huge difference in baking. Seek out pure white chocolate (not compound chocolate) which has only cocoa butter as the fat. There should not be any other vegetable oils added in the ingredient list. This is the one I use here.
- Coconut – this recipe uses unsweetened coconut. You can use desiccated coconut or finely shredded unsweetened coconut.
HOW TO SLICE BROWNIES CLEANLY
One of the most common questions that readers ask me is “how do you get such neat slices on your brownies?”. Here are my 5 steps for cutting brownies so that you end up with clean edges. You can read this article here for the full detailed instructions, as well as watch a step-by-step video.
1) Line your baking pan with parchment paper.
2) Let the brownies cool completely.
3) Remove brownies from pan to a flat cutting surface, such as a large board or clean chopping block.
4) Use a sharp, straight, thin-bladed knife and run it under very hot water, then wipe it dry before slicing.
5) Carefully wipe the blade clean with paper towels or a kitchen cloth and repeat step 4 between each slice.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- STEP 1.) Make the brownies batter. Melt chocolate. Combine butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over very low heat and stir constantly until melted and smooth. Alternatively, melt it in the microwave in 20 second bursts while stirring after each interval.
- STEP 2.) Beat eggs and sugar. Combine eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk vigorously until slightly pale and thick.
- STEP 3.) Combine eggs and chocolate. Mix warm chocolate mixture and salt with the egg mixture.
- STEP 4.) Add dry ingredients. Sprinkle in the flour and mix it in gently with a wooden spoon or spatula. Scrape about ¾ of the batter evenly into the prepared pan spread it out evenly. Set the rest of the batter aside.
- STEP 5.) Make the coconut layer. Whisk egg whites and salt until frothy. Add coconut and stir it in. Add melted white chocolate and mix to combine.
- STEP 6.) Layer the coconut mixture and brownie batter. Spoon the coconut mixture in big dollops randomly over the brownie batter (it doesn’t need to cover the surface evenly), then spoon the remaining brownie batter over top sort of randomly, covering some of the coconut but not all of it. Spread it out using a small offset spatula just barely in areas where there’s mostly brownie batter but don’t spread a lot because we want there to be nice distinct layers of coconut and brownie.
- STEP 7.) Bake! Bake for about 25 minutes until puffed and the surfaces look shiny and the coconut is lightly toasted. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
How to make MOIST fudge brownies from scratch:
When it comes to a moist and fudgy texture, it’s about the sugar and how it is dissolved. Dissolve sugar = syrup = bound water = moistness. Lots of recipes tell you to “dissolve” sugar in melted chocolate and butter, but I don’t care how long you stir it or how hot that butter is, sugar will NEVER dissolve in melted chocolate! Sugar dissolves in water, not fat. In addition to that…, with the amount of sugar that goes into a brownie, it is technically a supersaturated mixture so it will never be completely dissolved anyways. Brownie batter is a very low moisture batter, unlike cake batter that has a higher water content.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR COCONUT MACAROON BROWNIES
- Use a kitchen scale. For best results, weigh your ingredients according to the measurements in the recipe card below using a kitchen scale.
- Use room temperature eggs. I can’t stress this enough. Cold eggs will have a hard time dissolving the sugar, so make sure your eggs are at room temperature or even warm. I like to submerge them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before baking.
- Mix the eggs with the sugar first instead of stirring the sugar into the melted chocolate. Sugar cannot dissolve in fat, but it can dissolve in the water within egg whites.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar thoroughly. This will help encourage the sugar too dissolve. The more you whisk, the more air you will incorporate and the thinner the crust will be on top (so thin it can flake off). I recommend whisking well, but don’t try to whip if you want the crust to stick more.
- Measure flour accurately. Too much flour leads to dry brownies, especially when baking with brown butter since the moisture has been driven off, so be sure to use a scale or use the spoon and sweep method without packing the flour into the measuring cup.
- Use pure white chocolate for the best flavor. These are my favorite white chocolate chips that melt beautifully and taste so creamy.
- Let brownies cool completely. Although it might be tempting to eat them warm from the oven, the chocolate brownie and coconut macaroon filling reach their maximum fudginess and chewiness when completely cooled. This is because the cocoa butter in melted chocolate needs time to recrystallize which gives these brownies that nice fudgy, stick-to-your-teeth texture.
- Cool before slicing. If you cut your brownies while still hot, the steam will escape and the sliced brownies will dry out faster than if you let them cool before slicing.
RECIPE FAQ
Use dark chocolate to make the best brownies. I prefer anything between 60% and 70% (bittersweet chocolate) for this recipe. Do not use unsweetened chocolate which will compromise the shiny crust formation and will be too bitter for the amount of sugar used here. If you choose to use semisweet chocolate, the brownies will turn out well, but just note that they will taste much sweeter and be slightly softer.
Yes, you can use salted butter. In this case just reduce the salt in the brownie batter by ⅛ tsp.
Brownies can be chewy or fudgy, or a blend of both. Brownies get their chewiness from the right amount of sugar, and a higher ratio of sugar:butter, as well as a higher ratio of chocolate:butter. More butter gives a softer fudgier texture, while more chocolate and more sugar gives a chewier texture thanks to the hard cocoa butter content. Cocoa butter is harder than butter at room temperature so it will give more resistance to the bite, creating the perception of chewiness. More butter will make brownies soft and melting for a fudgier texture.
Again, it’s about dissolved sugar. Whisk the sugar into the eggs first. This will help it dissolve some, and also the bonds between sugar and egg proteins is what creates the thin tissue like crust. To help this along, always use room temperature (not cold) eggs. The warmer temperature helps sugar dissolve. The longer you whip the eggs with the sugar, the thinner and shinier the crust will be.
TIP: to bring eggs to room temperature quickly, submerge them in warm water for 10 minutes.
This recipe requires melted chocolate. Melted chocolate gives a fudgier texture because of the cocoa butter content that has a higher melting point. If you prefer to make brownies with cocoa powder only, then check out my Better Than Box Brownie Mix recipe which have a chewier texture.
If your brownies turn out dry, then it is most likely because they are over-baked. These low sugar brownies are ready when a skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist sticky crumbs attached – not wet batter, and NOT clean. If the skewer is clean then the brownies are over-baked and if the skewer has wet batter then they are still raw.
The number one reason why these would turn out dry is if they are over-baked. Check on the brownies at 25 minutes. Also, take care to measure the flour accurately because too much flour will certainly make these brownies dry.
These brownies keep really well at room temperature as long as they are stored in an airtight container to prevent drying out. If you plan to keep them for more than a couple of days, then store them in the fridge.
To get neat clean squares when you slice the brownies, run a sharp knife under hot water and wipe it clean between each slice. See this post here for my 5 steps on “How to slice brownies cleanly”.
If you love brownies, check out these recipes!
Triple Chocolate Brownies
Fudgy Grain Free Brownies
Olive Oil Brownies with Date Fudge Frosting
Fudgy Buckeye Brownies
Outrageous Fudgy Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies
The BEST Small Batch Fudge Brownies
Homemade Cosmic Brownies Recipe!
Looking for more brownie recipes? Try these:
Love baking with chocolate? Check out these decadent desserts:
Coconut Macaroon Brownies
Fudgy dark chocolate brownies with a thick layer of sweet, chewy coconut filling. These taste like a Bounty Bar candy bar, except WAY better and they taste even better the next day.
Ingredients
Brownie batter:
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp (175g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoon (84g) unsalted butter
- 5 oz (142g) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (71g) all-purpose flour
Coconut layer:
- 2 large egg whites
- pinch of salt
- ⅔ cup (65g) unsweetened shredded or desiccated coconut
- 4 oz (113g) pure white chocolate, melted
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F and Line an 8×8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang at each side and secure the sides down on the edge of the pan with ¾-inch binder clips.
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Make the brownies. Combine butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over very low heat and stir constantly until melted and smooth. Alternatively, melt it in the microwave in 20 second bursts while stirring after each interval.
-
Combine eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk vigorously until slightly pale and thick. Add warm chocolate mixture and salt then whisk until evenly combined, smooth and glossy. Sprinkle in the flour and mix it in gently with a wooden spoon or spatula. Scrape about ¾ of the batter evenly into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Set the rest of the batter aside.
-
Make the coconut layer. Combine egg whites and salt in a medium bowl and whisk vigorously until frothy. Add coconut and stir it in. Add melted white chocolate and mix to combine.
-
Spoon the coconut mixture in big dollops randomly over the brownie batter (it doesn’t need to cover the surface evenly), then spoon the remaining brownie batter over top sort of randomly, covering some of the coconut but not all of it. Spread it out using a small offset spatula just barely in areas where there’s mostly brownie batter but don’t spread a lot because we want there to be nice distinct layers of coconut and brownie.
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Bake for about 25 minutes until puffed, the surface looks shiny and the coconut macaroon is lightly toasted. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely then slice and enjoy! I love to enjoy these cold from the fridge.
