Steps
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8 by 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides for easy removal. In a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt the 6 ounces of dark chocolate with the butter, stirring until completely smooth. Remove from heat.
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Stir the coconut sugar into the melted chocolate mixture until dissolved. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract. Sift in the cacao powder, tapioca starch, and sea salt, then fold gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until the top is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. The brownies will firm up as they cool. Let them cool completely in the pan.
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Make the ganache by heating the coconut cream in a small saucepan until it just begins to simmer. Pour it over the 3 ounces of chopped dark chocolate in a bowl. Let it sit for 2 minutes, then stir until glossy and smooth. Pour the ganache over the cooled brownies and spread it into an even layer with an offset spatula.
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While the ganache is still wet, scatter the naturally colored candy chips evenly over the surface, pressing them down lightly so they stick. Refrigerate the pan for 15 minutes until the ganache is set.
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Use the parchment overhang to lift the brownie slab out of the pan. Cut into 12 rectangular bars using a sharp knife.
Why It Works
Melting real dark chocolate into the batter rather than relying on cocoa powder alone produces the signature ultra-fudgy, dense texture that sets these apart from cakey brownies. The high ratio of fat from both butter and chocolate to starch from tapioca keeps the crumb moist and chewy for days. Coconut sugar provides caramel depth while having a lower glycemic index than the refined sugar and corn syrup in the commercial version. The ganache topping sets into a firm, glossy shell at fridge temperature, mimicking the waxy chocolate coating of the original but using real cacao butter instead of hydrogenated palm kernel oil. The naturally colored chips deliver the playful rainbow look using plant-based pigments from beets, turmeric, and spirulina instead of Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue 1.
Tips
- Do not overbake. These brownies should be slightly underdone in the center when you pull them from the oven. They continue cooking from residual heat and set up as they cool. Overbaked brownies lose their fudgy texture entirely.
- Ganache troubleshooting. If the ganache is too thick to spread, warm it gently for 10 seconds. If too thin, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to thicken.
- Finding clean candy chips. Look for naturally colored chocolate chips or candy-coated cacao nibs at health food stores. You can also use chopped freeze-dried fruit for color and crunch.
- Parchment sling. The parchment overhang makes it easy to lift the whole slab out for clean, even cuts. This small step makes a big difference in presentation.
