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Licorice-White Chocolate Brownies

By Ben Mims

Published on December 10, 2025

Time

50 minutes, plus 1 hour cooling

Yield

Makes 12 brownies

Licorice-White Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

2½ ounces (71 grams) soft black licorice ½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) white chocolate chips ¾ cup (3¾ ounces/106 grams) all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon baking powder 8 tablespoons unsalted butter 4 ounces (113 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) granulated sugar ½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs

Before You Begin

The success of these brownies relies on soft, high-quality licorice such as Wiley Wallaby Classic Black Licorice, RJ’s Soft-Eating Licorice, or any Swedish brand that makes soft licorice.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 8-inch square baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil so each is 8 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease foil.
  2. Quarter 2½ ounces soft black licorice lengthwise, then slice crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick pieces. Combine licorice and ½ cup (3 ounces) white chocolate chips in small bowl. Whisk ¾ cup (3¾ ounces) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon table salt, and ¼ teaspoon baking powder together in separate bowl. Microwave 8 tablespoons unsalted butter and 4 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate in large bowl at 50 percent power until melted, 2 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whisk in ½ cup (3½ ounces) granulated sugar, ½ cup (3½ ounces) dark brown sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until well combined. Whisk in 2 large eggs until fully combined and smooth. Stir in flour mixture until just incorporated, then stir in white chocolate mixture until evenly distributed. Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread into even layer.
  3. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of brownies comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool completely. Using foil sling, remove brownies from pan. Cut into 12 pieces before serving.
Licorice-White Chocolate Brownies
Photography by Kritsada Panichgul. Styling by Christine Tobin.

Licorice-White Chocolate Brownies

Headshot of Ben Mims
By Ben Mims

Published on December 10, 2025

Save

Time

50 minutes, plus 1 hour cooling

Yield

Makes 12 brownies

Ingredients

2½ ounces (71 grams) soft black licorice
½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) white chocolate chips
¾ cup (3¾ ounces/106 grams) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces (113 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Ingredients

2½ ounces (71 grams) soft black licorice
½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) white chocolate chips
¾ cup (3¾ ounces/106 grams) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces (113 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Ingredients

2½ ounces (71 grams) soft black licorice
½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) white chocolate chips
¾ cup (3¾ ounces/106 grams) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces (113 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) granulated sugar
½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Why This Recipe Works

Even those who aren’t licorice lovers will be won over by the complexity of these brownies. Similar to how green Chartreuse adds brightness to hot chocolate or a wash of absinthe enhances a Sazerac cocktail, licorice brings unexpected background notes that harmonize with the earthy, raisiny depth of bittersweet chocolate. To ensure that the licorice would remain unobtrusive, we used just a small handful and made sure to cut it into slim ⅛-thick slices before stirring these into the batter. Milky-tasting white chocolate chips added a smooth, creamy counterpoint. To further enhance the brownies’ flavor, we swapped half of the granulated sugar for dark brown sugar. A foil sling made it easy to remove the baked brownies from the pan.

Before You Begin

The success of these brownies relies on soft, high-quality licorice such as Wiley Wallaby Classic Black Licorice, RJ’s Soft-Eating Licorice, or any Swedish brand that makes soft licorice.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 8-inch square baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil so each is 8 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Grease foil.
  2. Quarter 2½ ounces soft black licorice lengthwise, then slice crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick pieces. Combine licorice and ½ cup (3 ounces) white chocolate chips in small bowl. Whisk ¾ cup (3¾ ounces) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon table salt, and ¼ teaspoon baking powder together in separate bowl. Microwave 8 tablespoons unsalted butter and 4 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate in large bowl at 50 percent power until melted, 2 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Whisk in ½ cup (3½ ounces) granulated sugar, ½ cup (3½ ounces) dark brown sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until well combined. Whisk in 2 large eggs until fully combined and smooth. Stir in flour mixture until just incorporated, then stir in white chocolate mixture until evenly distributed. Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread into even layer.
  3. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of brownies comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool completely. Using foil sling, remove brownies from pan. Cut into 12 pieces before serving.

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