On Saturday mornings growing up in St. Louis, my Dad would take me to Lubeley’s Bakery & Deli near our home to get a German coffee cake or pastry. My favorite was always the Gooey Butter Cake. There are so many stories about who actually created the Gooey Butter Cake, but it is a St. Louis treat that we usually eat for breakfast, like a coffee cake. It’s a cake that is layered with a thick creamy sticky topping, which creates a gooey-goodness!

I never realized that some of the foods I loved were only available in my hometown until I moved away for college and couldn’t find them anywhere. Most of them I can’t eat anymore because of my wheat and dairy intolerances, such as toasted ravioli, Provel cheese, or Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. Since discovering my food intolerances, I thought that I would try to recreate this St. Louis tradition with a vegan, gluten-free, and chocolate twist.

If you regularly follow me on Instagram or read my blog, then you know that I’m a chocoholic. I thought why not make Gooey Butter Brownies with a chocolate gooey topping? The key ingredient to making these Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Brownies extra chocolaty is Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder for the topping. Of course, you could use unsweetened cocoa powder, but the Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder takes this chocolate dessert to a new level of chocolate decadence.