Halvah Brownies

Name: Halvah Brownies with Dark Chocolate
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 2 sticks unsalted butter; 4 oz high-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped; 1 tsp instant espresso powder; 1 cup granulated sugar; 3 tbsp light brown sugar; ¾ tsp kosher salt; 2 large eggs; 2 large egg yolks; 2 tsp vanilla extract; ⅔ cup all purpose flour; ⅔ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder; 1 cup halvah, crumbled

Halvah Brownies are dense, fudgy chocolate brownies topped with crumbled halvah, deepened with espresso powder and dark chocolate for complex, intense chocolate flavor.

🥗Vegetarian 🏷️Halvah 🏷️Brownies 🏷️Chocolate 🏷️Dessert 🏷️Bake mode

Total

1h 20m

Servings

12

Difficulty

Medium

Est. Cost

$23–$38

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From Recette Magazine

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter
4 oz high-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 tsp instant espresso powder
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp light brown sugar
¾ tsp kosher salt
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
⅔ cup all purpose flour
⅔ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 cup halvah, crumbled

12 Ingredients

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Instructions

1
Spray a suvie pan with cooking spray and line with parchment. In a medium saucepan, melt 2 sticks unsalted butter over medium-low heat (if desired, brown butter for even more flavor). Remove from heat and whisk in 4 oz finely chopped dark chocolate and 1 tsp instant espresso powder.
2
In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup granulated sugar, 3 tbsp light brown sugar, ¾ tsp kosher salt, 2 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks, and 2 tsp vanilla extract until smooth. Slowly whisk in melted butter mixture until well combined.
3
Sift ⅔ cup all purpose flour and ¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder into the chocolate mixture. Stir with a spatula until combined. Pour batter into a Suvie pan and sprinkle halvah over the top. Cover pan with foil and insert into top of your Suvie. Input settings and cook now.
4
When there are 20 minutes left on the cook, remove foil from brownies, return to Suvie, and continue to bake.
5
After the cook, remove pan from Suvie and allow brownies to cool completely; the brownies will appear cakey and puffed immediately out of Suvie, but will become dense and fudgy once cooled. Remove brownies from pan with parchment sling, cut into pieces, and serve.

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Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Use finely chopped dark chocolate and melt it gently with butter over low heat or a double boiler to prevent seizing and ensure smooth batter.
Don't overmix once flour is added—fold gently until just combined to avoid tough, dense brownies.
Add halvah topping immediately after brownie batter hits the oven or sprinkle on warm brownies straight from the oven so it adheres slightly.
Chill baked brownies for 2 hours before cutting—this sets the crumb and makes clean slices easier.

Substitutions

Unsalted butter → salted butter (reduce added salt to ½ tsp)
All-purpose flour → cake flour (reduces toughness, may need 2 tbsp less for same texture)
Dark chocolate → semi-sweet chocolate (flavor will be less intense; increase cocoa powder to 1 tbsp)

Storage & make-ahead

Store covered at room temperature up to 4 days or refrigerate up to 1 week. Reheat individual brownies in a microwave for 15–20 seconds to restore fudginess.

Common Questions

Can I make these brownies without espresso powder?

Espresso powder amplifies chocolate depth, but you can omit it. The brownies will be less complex but still rich; increase vanilla to ½ tsp to compensate.

What type of halvah works best for topping?

Sesame halvah (tahini-based) is traditional and crumbles easily over warm brownies. Avoid very soft or oily varieties that won't hold texture.

How do I know when brownies are done?

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center has a few moist crumbs—not fully clean. Overbaking dries them out; fudgy brownies are slightly underbaked.