Photograph of Mexican Chilli Brownies with Cinnamon and All Spice
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Mexican Chilli Brownies with Cinnamon and All Spice

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Delicious, fudgy, intense chocolate squares infused with cinnamon, allspice, and ancho grande chilli all topped with a layer of salted milk chocolate, cinnamon and chilli flakes. These incredible brownies will blow your mind! Not literally – you can’t really taste the chilli but it adds a delicious warmth and tingle in your mouth whilst the cinnamon and all spice bring sweet and woody tones to the table. The layers of flavour and texture with the surprise zing from a flake of chilli put these brownies firmly in the ‘adults only’ category and certainly Mr Daffodil (aka ‘he who doesn’t like sweet things’) cannot get enough of them.

The flavours in these brownies make them a perfect end to a Mexican inspired meal, indeed any spicy food, but quite frankly we are happy to eat them at any time of the day! They are based on my daffodil Brownies – Core Recipe with just a few adjustments:

  • I added cinnamon, all-spice, ancho grande chilli and chilli flakes to the cake batter.
  • I topped the brownies with salted milk chocolate and sprinkled this with the spices above, extra cinnamon and sugar.
  • I used a higher proportion of caster sugar to soft brown sugar in the cake batter
  • I reduced the cocoa slightly in the brownie batter
  • Altering the sugars and reducing the cocoa, allow the spices included in these brownies to shine.

How to make Mexican Chilli Brownies with Cinnamon and All Spice

This recipe is adapted from my Daffodil Brownies – Core Recipe. For further brownie ideas and inspiration, see here.

Collect all your ingredients together and line the baking tin:

  1. In order to guarantee soft and fudgy brownies, it is important to use the correct size tin – in this case it is a 20cm/8inch square tin. If your tin is larger the depth of your cake batter will be less and the cake will cook more quickly. Equally if the tin is smaller, your cake batter will be deeper and cook more slowly.
  2. Sit the tin on greaseproof paper making sure the paper is large enough to line the tin, come up the sides and have a little overhang.
  3. Cut out the corners of the paper so it will fit easily into the tin
  4. Fold the paper from corner to corner so the size of the centre of the paper matches the base of the tin. Slot inside the tin.

Brownie Ingredients:

  • unsalted butter, in cubes
  • dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, broken into pieces
  • soft brown sugar
  • caster sugar
  • large eggs
  • fine salt
  • plain/all-purpose flour, sieved
  • cocoa, sieved
  • instant coffee powder, sieved
  • ground cinnamon
  • all spice
  • chilli flakes
  • ancho grande chilli (or cayenne pepper)
  • milk chocolate

Topping ingredients:

  • some spice mix from above
  • cinnamon
  • caster sugar
  • chill flakes

Make those brownies:

  1. Combine the cinnamon, all spice, ancho grande chilli powder and chilli flakes.
  2. Remove ½ teaspoon for the topping.
  3. Chop the butter into squares and place in a microwave safe bowl with the chopped chocolate. Melt in a microwave or a bain marie or and mix until smooth. (See Recipe Notes for details.)
  4. Meanwhile put the sugars, eggs and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until thick and creamy. This will take around 3 minutes.
  5. Pour the chocolate and butter into the eggs and sugar, whilst whisking, and mix thoroughly with the electric whisk until smooth and glossy.
  6. Put a sieve over the bowl and add the flour, cocoa, coffee, cinnamon, all-spice, chilli flakes, ancho grande chilli powder (or cayenne).
  7. Sift directly over the cake batter. Tip anything that doesn’t fit through the sieve (most likely just the chilli flakes) directly onto the cake mix.
  8. Fold until completely mixed in but be careful not to over-mix at this stage.
  9. Transfer to your baking tin and level the surface, making sure the cake batter goes all the way into the corners.
  10. Cook in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes, depending on how squidgy you like the centre to be. It will carry on cooking when you take it out of the oven so bear this in mind. (I cook mine for 23 minutes in London and 24 minutes in Switzerland.)
  11. Leave to cool before adding the chocolate topping.

This gives me a slightly crispy top but a gorgeous gooey centre. The cake will be slightly risen and cracked around the edges (see the pictures below) but the centre will feel quite soft. Remember the cake will continue to cook after you have taken it out of the oven. 

Make the salted chocolate topping:

  1. Melt the chocolate, butter and salt and mix until smooth.
  2. Tip onto the cooled brownies and level the surface.
  3. Use a fork to create a ridged pattern.

Mix the sugar and spice to sprinkle over the chocolate:

  1. Combine the sugar, cinnamon and spices (from the brownie mix) but not the chilli flakes. Stir to mix well.
  2. Sprinkle evenly over the melted chocolate.
  3. Finally sprinkle the chilli flakes evenly over the surface. Leave the chocolate to set.

Cut into squares:

Cut into squares as soon as the chocolate has hardened. (NB The chocolate will not harden to chocolate solid because of the addition of butter.)

Made this recipe?

If you make this recipe, do please tag me on instagram @daffodil_kitchen. You could also leave a comment in the box directly below the recipe.

Photograph of Mexican Chilli Brownies with Cinnamon and All Spice
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Mexican Chilli Brownies with Cinnamon and All Spice

Delicious, fudgy, intense chocolate squares infused with cinnamon, allspice, and ancho grande chilli all topped with a layer of salted milk chocolate, cinnamon and chilli flakes. These incredible brownies will blow your mind! Makes 16 (or 9 or 12!)

Course afternoon tea, Cake, Dessert, Morning Coffee, Snack, treat
Keyword allspice, brownies, chilli, Cinnamon, mexican
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Author Susan

Ingredients

Brownie Mix:

  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
  • ½ teaspoon allspice
  • ½ teaspoon ancho grande powder (or cayenne pepper)
  • ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
  • 200g unsalted butter
  • 200g dark chocolate, 74% cocoa solids, broken into pieces
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 50g soft brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 100g plain/all-purpose flour
  • 20g unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon instant coffee powder

Chocolate Topping:

  • 200g milk chocolate, broken into squares
  • 20g unsalted butter
  • ⅛ teaspoon fine salt

Cinnamon and sugar topping:

  • 2 teaspoons granulated or caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon from the spice mixture above
  • ⅛ teaspoon chilli flakes

Instructions

  1. Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.

  2. Preheat oven to Fan Oven 170°C /190°C/375°F/Gas 5

  3. Prepare and cook the brownie mix: combine the cinnamon, all spice, ancho grande chilli powder and chilli flakes.

  4. Remove ½ teaspoon for the topping and set aside.

  5. Chop the butter into squares and place in a microwave safe bowl with the chopped chocolate. Melt in a microwave or a bain marie or and mix until smooth. (See Recipe Notes for details.)

  6. Meanwhile put the sugars, eggs and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until thick and creamy. This will take around 3 minutes.

  7. Pour the chocolate and butter into the eggs and sugar, whilst whisking, and mix thoroughly with the electric whisk until smooth and glossy.

  8. Put a sieve over the bowl and add the flour, cocoa, coffee, cinnamon, all-spice, chilli flakes, ancho grande chilli powder (or cayenne).

  9. Sift directly over the cake batter. Tip anything that doesn’t fit through the sieve (most likely just the chilli flakes) directly onto the cake mix.

  10. Fold until completely mixed in but be careful not to over-mix at this stage.

  11. Transfer to your baking tin and level the surface, making sure the cake batter goes all the way into the corners.

  12. Cook in the oven for 20 – 25 minutes, depending on how squidgy you like the centre to be. It will carry on cooking when you take it out of the oven so bear this in mind. (I cook mine for 23 minutes in London and 24 minutes in Switzerland.)

  13. Leave to cool before adding the chocolate topping.

  14. Make the salted chocolate topping: melt in a microwave or a bain marie and mix until smooth. (See Recipe Notes for details.)

  15. Tip onto the cooled brownies and level the surface.

  16. Use a fork to create a ridged pattern.

  17. Mix the sugar and spice to sprinkle over the chocolate: combine the sugar, cinnamon and spices (from the brownie mix) but not the chilli flakes. Stir to mix well.

  18. Sprinkle evenly over the melted chocolate.

  19. Finally sprinkle the chilli flakes evenly over the surface. Leave the chocolate to set and cut into 9, 12 or 16 squares.

Recipe Notes

Equipment

  • Large microwave safe jug or heatproof bowl
  • Electric whisk and mixing bowl
  • Kitchen scales and measuring spoons
  • Sieve
  • Chopping board and knife
  • Fine grater
  • 20cm/8inch square baking tin lined with baking parchment

Be very careful melting the chocolate. Chocolate can be very difficult to work with. You can overheat it very easily and the mixture will go grainy. When this happens, there is no way to resolve it I’m afraid!

Microwave: I give the chocolate and butter a minute in the microwave, take it out and stir it well, then let it sit for a few minutes to see if it continues melting sufficiently to melt all the chocolate. If not, I then continue with the microwave but in 10 – 15 second bursts.

Bain Marie: if you do not have a microwave, put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water. Heat until the chocolate and butter are very nearly melted then take it off the heat and take the bowl off the saucepan. Be very careful not to burn yourself as the bowl will be hot and steam will escape from the saucepan. Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes for the residual heat to melt the remainder of the mixture. Again, be careful not to over-heat.

5 Comments

  • Jennifer Heath

    I am about to make this for a Cinco de Mayo party that’s happening tomorrow. I see that you mention instant coffee in your notes but don’t see it as an ingredient in the actual recipe. Help!

    • Susan

      Hi there Jennifer. I have just seen your message. Thank you so much for pointing this out! I have corrected the recipe now – you need 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee which you add at the same time as the flour and cocoa. I hope you receive this message in time. Have a great weekend. Best wishes Susan 💛🌼

      • Jennifer Heath

        Thank you, Susan! Unfortunately, I didn’t buy the instant coffee (I’m a bit of a coffee snob and don’t know what I’d do with the rest of the package!). May see if I can borrow from a neighbor (or just make it without). I’ll post again after I’ve made it…very excited! Thanks again.

  • Jennifer Heath

    5 stars
    Hi again, Susan, the brownies were a huge hit…everyone was talking about them! Didn’t miss the coffee ;-). Thank you for sharing your devishly delicious recipe. It wasn’t easy, but it was worth it!

    • Susan

      Hi Jennifer
      Thank you so much for your feedback. I really appreciate it. I am new to blogging so really enjoy getting feedback. I’m so glad you enjoyed them and thank you for taking the time to let me know. Susan 💛🌼

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