These Hojicha Brownies have the perfect brownie look without cocoa powder or dark chocolate. Instead, I add white chocolate and hojicha powder. The result is a brownie that combines the perfect fudgy texture of a traditional brownie with the toasty flavor of hojicha.
You might also like Hojicha Purin or Matcha Gâteau Basque.
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What is Hojicha (ほうじ茶, 焙じ茶)?
If you have never heard of Hojicha, it is a kind of roasted green tea. I have talked about hojicha and the reasons why I like hojicha more than matcha in Hojicha Viennese Cookie recipe. If you are not a fan of matcha’s herbal seaweed-like flavor, trust me, you will like hojicha.
There isn’t cocoa powder and dark chocolate, is it still a brownie?
Well hojicha makes them brown, so I certainly cannot call them blondies. Some people might disagree with me because this recipe is lack of cocoa powder and dark chocolate, all those ingredients that give brownie the chocolate flavor. BUT, there is white chocolate, which means we have some cacao butter in this recipe. No matter you agree with my naming or not, these hojicha brownies are chewy at the corner, fudgy on the inside, and they are truly delicious!
Ingredients of Hojicha Brownie
- Hojicha Powder - Choose very fine, good quality Japanese hojicha powder for the best flavor. The taste of hojicha will directly impact your hojicha brownie.
- Butter - Butter contributes to the rich, fudgy consistency of brownie. As the brownies cool, the butter solidifies, helping to set the fudgy texture.
- Sugar - There are two kinds of sugar here, light brown sugar and granulated sugar. Light brown sugar adds the chewiness and a slight caramel flavor due to its molasses content. Granulated sugar is the reason of the shiny, crackly top crust, a characteristic feature of brownies.
- White Chocolate - Just like sugar, white chocolate not only gives brownie the sweetness. When cacao butter melts and combines with butter, it creates the smooth fudgy texture. And the sugar content gives the brownie shiny crust on top.
- Oil - Not every brownie recipe contains oil, but I like to add oil in mine because oil keeps brownie moist and dense. The oil I use here is avocado oil.
- Egg - Egg is a binding agent, helping to hold the brownies together.
- All Purpose Flour - The gluten in the flour gives the brownies their shape. You want it to be just enough to hold the ingredients, but not too much or the brownies can become too chewy.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make Hojicha Brownie?
Prepare a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
Melt white chocolate and butter in the microwave.
Add oil, and mix with a whisk.
Add all the sugar and egg. Whisk the mixture until it is fully combined.
Sift the flour and hojicha powder into the mixture.
Fold and mix with a spatula gently.
Pour the batter into prepared mold and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.
Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting it.
Equipment
A silicone spatula is the most useful tool for baking. Get the seamless one so it is easy to clean.
The ideal baking pan is 7” or 8”. You can also bake these in mini brownie pan. Adjust the baking time to 15 minutes if you do.
Storage
As I said in the Recipe Tips, the best time to enjoy this hojicha brownie is after it completely cools down (room temperature) and within 8 hours. If you don’t finish them within the time period, freeze the brownies. Freeze them for up to 1 month, and thaw in the room temp for 30 minutes before eating.
You can also warm it up in the microwave for 20 seconds from frozen, but you might loose the fudgy texture if you overheat it.
Recipe Tips
Rest the brownies before you eat! I know it is hard to resist the sweet smell of hot brownies and its crinkling sugar top, but trust me, it is worth waiting. The best time to enjoy this hojicha brownie is after it completely cools down (room temperature) and within 8 hours.
When the brownies are hot, steam escapes from the batter. As brownie cools, the dissolved sugar begins to recrystallize. At this point, sugar does not totally firm up, therefore it has a very chewy texture. As the brownies are cooling, sugar starts to attract and retain moisture, keeping them from drying out. Once brownies are cooled completely, they reach their optimal fudgy texture, with a firm crust and a soft, gooey interior. This best-to-enjoy timing will continue until sugar absorbs too much moisture, and starts to melt again. Brownie looses the crispy sugar crust after that point. However, there is a way to keep brownie at the best texture for a long time, check Storage.
Recipe FAQ
Keep mixing until they become tiny dots. Stop mixing as soon as you break the flour pockets. The tiny hojicha dot will eventually disappear during the baking, so you won’t see them in your brownies.
Absolutely yes! Make some matcha brownies with this recipe is highly recommended.
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe Card
Hojicha Brownie
Ingredients
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 85 g white chocolate
- 70 g oil
- 300 g granulated sugar
- 50 g light brown sugar
- 4 g salt
- 3 egg
- 75 g all purpose flour
- 30 g hojicha powder
Instructions
- Prep: Prepare a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Mix: Melt white chocolate and butter in the microwave. Add oil, and mix with a whisk.
- Mix: Add all the sugar and egg. Whisk the mixture until it is fully combined.
- Sift: Sift the flour and hojicha powder into the mixture.
- Mix: Fold and mix with a spatula gently.
- Bake: Pour the batter into prepared mold and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.
- Rest: Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting it.
Shelly says
My friend asked me to make more!
Anonymous says
The flavour was amazing. The texture in top was nice and crinkled. The middle was almost mochi-like, I was hoping for a bit more of a brownie texture though. But knowing what it will be like, I would
make this again with different expectations