American

Sriracha Sea Salt Brownies

by:
March 25, 2019
4
6 Ratings
Sriracha Sea Salt Brownies
Photo by Bobbi Lin
  • Prep time 5 minutes
  • Cook time 35 minutes
  • Makes 16 brownies
Author Notes

If you’ve ever tasted mole poblano or a Mexican hot chocolate, you probably already know that the combination of chili and chocolate is pure culinary magic. I first brought these brownies to a family Christmas party years ago and they were a hit with everyone, from my five-year-old niece to ninety-year-old great-aunt. The texture is somewhere between cakey and fudgy. The spice, rather than hitting you immediately, is subtle at first but slowly builds. The brownies will keep for up to 5 days at room temperature or up to 4 months in the freezer, if they don’t all get gobbled up first.

Reprinted from Red Hot Kitchen: Classic Asian Chili Sauces from Scratch and Delicious Dishes to Make With Them by arrangement with Avery, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2019, Diana Kuan. —Diana Kuan

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 4 or 5 pieces, plus more for greasing the pan
  • 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons Sriracha
  • 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, with enough extra to hang over the edges of the pan. Grease the parchment paper or foil with butter.
  2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate chips over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and whisk in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cocoa. Stir in the eggs until well incorporated, then stir in the vanilla, Sriracha, and 1/2 teaspoon of the sea salt. Stir in the flour until evenly blended.
  3. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the remaining ½ teaspoon sea salt on top. Return to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with just a little bit of batter or moist crumbs, another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Carefully use the parchment paper or foil to transfer the brownies to a cooling rack. Cool on the rack for an additional 20 minutes before slicing into 16 brownies. Once the brownies are cooled to room temperature, you may also dust powdered sugar on top.
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3 Reviews

Cappy P.
Cappy P. May 18, 2019
For nonHotties it didn't go over well but it was worth a shot.
 
gb
gb May 12, 2019
I had high hopes for this recipe, but did not enjoy the end result. For me, the flavor of the sriracha did not meld at all well with the chocolate brownie. I ate one piece and tossed the rest (and I’m not one to lightly throw out even marginally edible chocolate). If you enjoy the flavor (not just the heat) of sriracha, you might like this; for me, at most I might consider giving this one another try at some point with just the sea salt, no sriracha.
 
Brinda A.
Brinda A. May 15, 2019
Ah, sorry this flavor combo wasn't for you, gb! Yes, feel free to reduce (or eliminate) the sriracha from this recipe, or use a milder chile sauce/paste, perhaps without garlic. Or just make them without the chile at all—the brownies are super fudgy and flavorful on their own, or with a pinch of flaky sea salt.