Palm Beach Brownie Recipe from Maida Heatter

Name: Palm Beach Brownie Recipe
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces unsweetened chocolate, (roughly chopped); 8 ounces plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, (cut into cubes, divided); 5 large eggs; 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon almond extract; ¼ teaspoon salt; 2½ tablespoons instant espresso powder; 2¾ cups granulated sugar; 1⅔ cups all purpose flour, (sifted)

Aug 5, 2019 · by Valentina · 40 Comments

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The Palm Beach Brownie recipe from Maida Heatter is the best. Just ask any of my Palisades besties -- they were one of our favorite desserts in the 80's and today. These brownies are rich, creamy and smooth on the inside, and the outside is crisped to perfection.

A few Palm Beach Brownies on a white cloth with pink flowers

My mom started making this Palm Beach Brownie recipe when the Book of Great Chocolate Desserts by Maida Heatter first came out in 1980.

These brownies are somewhat legendary in my family and in the close circle of friends I grew up with. (You know who you are!)

You know how in every group of friends (especially as a kid/teen), there's that one friend's house that was sort of the 'hub' where all the friends always gathered, the house you knew almost as well as your own, where their family felt like your family? That was Aimée's house for my group.

Aimée's sister Julie was almost always in their kitchen making either a show-stopping mud pie or Palm Beach Brownies. Perhaps that was part of the draw. 😉

My mom, a self-proclaimed chocoholic, also made this recipe on the regular. (That's a picture of her book below.)

There are a few baking recipes that I can't make without thinking about lazy care-free days growing up in the Palisades, and this brownie recipe is definitely at the top of the list!

I just love how tattered and chocolate-stained most of the pages are in my mom's book, clearly cherished and loved.

Palm Beach Brownie Recipe by Meaida Heatter

Simply put, this brownie recipe is amazing! I think the espresso powder, almond extract, and the length of time the eggs are blended are the keys to its deliciousness.

The espresso powder intensifies the chocolate flavor.
The eggs are blended (with the sugar, salt, vanilla, almond and espresso), for 10 minutes. This helps create the rich and creamy texture.
The almond flavor makes the brownies interesting without tasting like almond. It leaves one thinking there's a unique flavor in them, but they can't quite put their finger on it.

There are three small changes I made to the original Palm Beach Brownie recipe...

1. I lower the oven temp to 375° F from 425° F. I did this because my mom had long ago penciled in this change in her book.

2. I omit the 8 ounces of walnuts. Only because I prefer my brownies without nuts. Add them if you like them. 🙂

3. The amount of sugar in the original Maida Heatter recipe is quite high -- 3 ¾ cups! I lower it to 2 ¾ cups and it's just as good. 🙂 (You could probably lower it even more if you're so inclined.)

How to Make Them

- Adjust the rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan with foil. Grease the foil with the 1 tablespoon of butter.

Recipe Tip. The easiest way to do this is to add the butter to the foil-lined pan and place it in the hot oven for a minute or so. Then use a pastry brush -- or the butter wrapper -- to make sure the butter evenly coats the bottom and sides of the foil.

- Melt the chocolate and 8 ounces of butter together in the top of a large double boiler over hot water on moderate heat -- or in a heavy saucepan over very low heat. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are melted. Stir to mix, remove from the heat, and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Recipe Tip. I like to melt the chocolate and butter together at least an hour before I'm ready to make the recipe. It has to be cooled before it's mixed with the other ingredients, so this way, it's totally ready when I am.

Brownie batter in a pan with baking beaters above it.

- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs with the vanilla, salt, espresso, and sugar at high speed for 10 minutes. On low speed, add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat only until mixed. Then add the flour and again beat only until mixed. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top.

Brownie batter in a bowl with a spatula.

- Bake for about 35 minutes, reversing the pan front to back as necessary during the baking to ensure it bakes evenly. Cover loosely with foil for about the last half of the baking time to prevent over-browning. At the end of 35 minutes, the brownies will have a thick, crisp crust on top, but if you insert a toothpick into the middle, it will come out wet and covered with chocolate. And that's exactly what you want. They're done!

Recipe Tip. Be patient after they're baked and let them cool completely. They'll be much easier to slice and will look much prettier.

Baked Palm Beach Brownie recipe in pan with foil.

- Remove the brownies from the oven and let them cool for at least a few hours. If you can, refrigerate them them overnight before cutting. A serrated knife will cut them easily.

Can you freeze these brownies?

Yes! They freeze and thaw beautifully. I would freeze them for no longer than a month, if possible.

Short stack of square brownies on blue and white cloth napkin.

"These are the biggest, thickest, gooiest, chewiest, darkest, sweetest, mostest-of-the-most chocolate bars with an almost wet middle and a crisp-crunchy top." -- Maida Heatter

And what could be better than that?!

Other Amazing Brownie Recipes

Oh, and if you're interested in the best gluten-free brownie ever, you will love my Brownies made with coconut flour.

Enjoy every last crumb of my version of this delectable Palm Beach Brownie recipe.