These Valentine’s Day Brownies are rich with white chocolate and walnut chunks, and topped with a luscious blood orange (or regular orange) glaze ~ perfect for your Valentine or any special occasion! And by special occasion, I mean any day of the year, LOL.
So, I knew I liked chocolate and orange together, but I have to tell you, these brownies blew me away. I couldn’t stop nibbling on them! You are lucky there were any left to take photos of 🙂
Hot from the oven – note the parchment sling handles!
They are rich without being overly sweet. The walnuts and white chocolate chunks are fantastic additions to both the flavor and texture. And man, oh man, the glaze packs a huge punch of orange flavor and truly takes these over the top. If you want a less sweet glaze you could use buttermilk instead of the half and half.
Ready for the glaze
Since this is winter and the timing was right, I was able to find blood oranges. They are such a treat – one I wait for all year. They have the most beautiful deep magenta flesh and are sweeter than many other orange varieties. The juice created a naturally pinkish hue for the glaze, perfect for celebrating Valentine’s Day. If all you can find are regular oranges, just use them. The flavor will be the same.
Whether you are baking for a sweetheart this weekend or practicing a little self-indulgence, these Valentine’s Day brownies are the perfect choice. You can’t eat just one!
Make sure you check out all the recipes listed below. You are going to be thrilled with the variety!
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments and leave a star rating, I love hearing from you!
Ingredients needed for Valentine’s Day Brownies with Orange Glaze:
- Butter, bittersweet chocolate, gluten-free flour blend or all-purpose flour
- Baking powder, salt, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, walnut, white chocolate
- Orange zest, orange juice, half and half or cream, powdered sugar
PRO Tip:
You can use regular oranges for this glaze, but if they are available, look for blood oranges. Their ruby hue will give you the beautiful pinkish glaze like I got on mine. They often have a slightly darker rind with spots of darker orange. They are wonderful to eat or juice just like regular oranges.
How to make Valentine’s Day Brownies with Orange Glaze:
- Prepare the Brownies: Butter a square baking pan and line with parchment, then butter the parchment; melt the butter and sugar in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring occasionally so the chocolate doesn’t scorch, until smooth and creamy
- Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside; transfer the chocolate to the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer), add the sugars and beat until blended, then add the eggs and beat to mix in; increase the speed to medium and beat a minute or two until lightened in color and fluffy
- Scrape the bowl and beater(s) thoroughly then add the dry ingredients and beat on low until smooth; add the nuts and white chocolate, mixing just until they are evenly distributed and pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350°F (177°C) until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs
- Set the pan with the brownies onto a wire rack to cool completely, when cool, use the parchment to lift the brownies out of the pan and set on a cutting board, then cut into 16 pieces
- Make the Glaze: Combine the orange zest, juice, and 2 tbsp of the half and half in a bowl, whisking to combine, then add the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth; if too thin, add more sugar, if too thick, add a little more of the milk
- Drizzle over the tops of the brownies, let set up a bit and then serve
PRO Tip:
Be sure to fully cool the brownies before cutting and glazing. This is especially important if you are using gluten-free flour. It gives the brownies time to finish baking all the way to the center, solidify a little, and gives you perfectly moist and tender brownies!
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Grater (for oranges)
- Citrus reamer
- 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan (I used a 9-inch)
- Parchment paper
- Saucepan
- Heatproof mixing bowls
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Offset spatula
Gluten-Free Tips:
Make sure you use a gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum, guar gum, or psyllium husk powder or add the 1/4 tsp called for in the recipe. You will need one of them to help hold these moist brownies together.
You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Valentine's Day Brownies with Blood Orange Glaze - Gluten-Free
These brownies are rich without being overly sweet. The walnuts and white chocolate chunks are fantastic additions to both the flavor and texture. And man, oh man, the glaze packs a huge punch of orange flavor and truly takes these over the top. Make them today and enjoy!
Ingredients
Brownies
- 6 tbsp (85g) melted butter
- 4 oz (113g) bittersweet chocolate (70%), coarsely chopped
- 60g (1/2 cup) gluten-free flour blend with xanthan or other gum or all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum (only if your blend doesn’t contain it)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder (gluten-free if needed)
- 1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (107g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 (100g) large eggs
- 1-1/2 cups (6 oz; 170g) coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
- 1/2 cup (2-3/4 oz; 85g) white chocolate chunks or chips
Orange Glaze
- 3 tsp finely grated orange zest
- 3 tsp freshly squeezed blood orange juice, strained
- 2 to 3 tbsp half and half or cream, or as needed
- 1 cup (113g) powdered sugar, or as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9-inch (23cm) square baking pan. Line it with parchment paper long enough to hang over two sides of the pan forming two
“handles” and butter the parchment paper. - Make the Brownies: Pour about 2-inches (5cm) of water into a 3 to 4 quart (2.84L to 3.89L) saucepan. Set a bowl into the pan - it should fit snuggly but the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. Bring the water to a high simmer. Place the butter and chocolate in the bowl. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
- In a bowl, blend together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Remove the bowl with the chocolate mixture from the heat, dry the bottom of the bowl and pour into the bowl of your standing mixer.
- With the mixer on low and using the paddle attachment, beat in both the sugars until blended and cooled a bit. Add the eggs and beat on low to mix in; turn up to medium and beat for about a minute or until lightened in color and fluffy. Stop the mixer and thoroughly scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and the beater(s). Add the dry ingredients, beat on low until smooth. Add the nuts and white chocolate, mixing 30 seconds until evenly distributed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use a small offset spatula to ease it into the corners. Smooth the top. Place in the hot oven.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top is set and the sides are just beginning to pull away from pan. The center will still be soft and a toothpick inserted halfway between the edge and the center will come out with moist crumbs attached. The center will finish baking as it cools in the pan.
- When the brownies have cooled completely, lift the parchment paper and transfer to a cutting board. Make sure they are thoroughly cool before cutting into 16 pieces.
- Prepare the Glaze: In a medium bowl, combine the orange zest, blood orange juice, and 2 tbsp of the half and half. Whisk to combine. Add the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar; if it is too thick a little more half and half. You want it creamy but still thin enough to drizzle easily. Taste it and if you think it needs more orange flavor, add more zest or a few drops of essential orange oil. Drizzle over the cooled and cut brownies.
- Store, covered, in the refrigerator.
Recipe found at www.theheritagecook.com
Notes
You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup without a spout until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela's, Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 156Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 143mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 3g
The nutritional information for recipes on this site is calculated by online tools and is merely an estimate.
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Create a New Tradition Today!
This recipe is part of Food Network’s weekly Comfort Food Feast. See the links below for inspiration and great recipes!
- The Lemon Bowl: Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Creamy Cheese Frosting
- Feed Me Phoebe: Dark Chocolate Beauty Bark with Chia Seeds, Pepitas and Goji Berries
- The Heritage Cook: Gluten-Free Valentine’s Day Brownies with Orange Glaze (you are here)
- Virtually Homemade: Chocolate Covered Strawberries with Coconut
- Creative Culinary: Raspberry Boccone Dolce (Pavlova with Chocolate and Raspberries)
- Daisy at Home: Mocha Mousse Marshmallow Cake
- The Mom 100: Molten Chocolate Peanut Butter Cakes
- Dishin & Dishes: Espresso Truffles
- Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
- The Cultural Dish: Moroccan Pots de Creme
- Red or Green: Dark Chocolate Truffles- 4 Flavors
- Napa Farmhouse 1885: Chocolate-Coconut-Cashew Bark with Sea Salt
- The Wimpy Vegetarian: Chocolate and Pretzel Bark with Sea Salt
- In Jennie’s Kitchen: Fudgy, Chewy Brownies {dairy free}
- Haute Apple Pie: Mississippi Mud Pie
- Taste with the Eyes: Chocolate Mint Parfaits with Chocolate Hearts
- Food for 7 Stages of Life: Everyday Chocolate Granola
- FN Dish: Melt Hearts with Handmade Chocolate Sweets — Comfort Food Feast
Welcome! The suggestions here are not intended as dietary advice or as a substitute for consulting a dietician, physician, or other medical professional. Please see the Disclaimers/Privacy Policy page for additional details. Unauthorized use, distribution, and/or duplication of proprietary material from The Heritage Cook without prior approval is prohibited. If you have any questions or would like permission, please contact me. We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small amount from qualifying purchases without any additional cost to you. This page may contain affiliate links. This post was first shared in Feb 2015. The article was updated in 2023.
