Why have a plain old brownie when you can indulge in a Homemade Chocolate Frosted Brownie?! Let the cares from the day melt away as you bite into these fudgy brownies smothered in a thick layer of fluffy chocolate frosting – just be careful because one brownie will quickly turn into two!
Fudgy Homemade Brownies Topped With Fluffy Chocolate Frosting
I firmly believe that brownies make for the best blank canvas in the dessert world! From brownies with a pecan pie layer to brownies covered in a no bake cookie layer, there’s almost nothing I wouldn’t smother on a homemade brownie.
This why these Fudgy Homemade Brownies with a chocolate frosting finish were a no-brainer for me. First of all, chocolate on chocolate? Yes please, sign me up.
Second of all, I knew I couldn’t just frost ordinary brownies and call it good. Everything about them needed to be decadent! Therefore, it was an easy choice to use my one-pot stovetop brownie method to serve up insanely fudgy brownies as the base and then top them with my homemade fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting!
Rebecca’s Recipe Review
Taste: Decadent layers of chocolate. Not too sweet, not too bitter.
Texture: Dense fudgy brownie with a whipped silky chocolate frosting on top.
Ease: 5/10
Pros: An easy way to dress up traditional brownies!
Cons: Allowing the brownies to cool before frosting, it’s hard to wait for something this good!
Would I Make This Again? Yes, these are so good and easy to decorate for any holiday!
Ingredients For Chocolate Frosted Fudge Brownies
This Chocolate Frosted Fudge Brownie Recipe begins with pantry staple ingredients such as granulated sugar, canola oil, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt. They’re then combined with unsalted butter and large eggs.
I also opted to make these brownies with malted milk powder to enhance their overall flavor profile. Though this doesn’t impact the structure of the brownie I do find that it delivers a tastier treat! However, feel free to omit malted milk powder if you don’t have it on hand or just prefer not to use it.
Once the brownies have been baked and cooled, they receive a thick layer of homemade chocolate frosting that’s made with salted butter, salt, powdered sugar, heavy cream, unsweetened cocoa powder, and vanilla extract.
How To Make Chocolate Frosted Fudge Brownies
- Preheat the oven and then line your baking pan with parchment paper. Afterward, spray the parchment paper lightly with cooking spray.
- Melt unsalted butter over low heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Next, stir in granulated sugar until the mixture becomes smooth and the sugar has begun to emulsify with no separation between the butter and sugar. Then remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool, stirring often to release the heat.
- Beat canola oil and vanilla extract into the butter and sugar mixture until fully combined with no separation between the ingredients.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
- Sift the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, malted milk powder, and salt into the butter and sugar mixture. Stir the brownie batter gently until almost all the dry streaks are gone.
- Fold the mini-semi-sweet chocolate chips into the homemade brownie batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake them in the preheated oven. Afterward, allow the brownies to cool completely before removing them from the pan and frosting them.
- Prepare the chocolate frosting by beating salted butter with salt in a stand mixer that’s fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Mix in powdered sugar and heavy cream a little at a time, mixing after each addition.
- Add unsweetened cocoa powder and vanilla extract to the frosting mixture and mix until just combined.
- Increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high speed and whip the frosting until it becomes smooth and fluffy.
- Spread the chocolate frosting over the cooled brownies and then slice with a large plastic knife (<< this one works great for brownies) or chef knife to serve!
- This brownie recipe can be baked in an 8×8, 9×9 (pictured), or 9×13-inch pan. A 9×13-inch pan will yield about 1-inch thick brownies, while a smaller pan will deliver about 2-inch thick brownies. Just so you know, the baking time will need to be adjusted based on the size of the baking pan.
- When preparing the baking pan with parchment paper, allow some of the parchment to hang over the edge of the pan. This will allow you to effortlessly remove the pan of brownies for easier and neater serving!
- The brownies need to be completely cooled before frosting them, or the heat from the brownies will negatively impact the frosting.
- To easily cut the brownies neatly, you can first chill the frosted brownies before slicing them with a sharp knife. Wipe the knife off with a paper towel in between cuts. I recommend allowing the brownies to come to room temperature before serving and enjoying! I love these plastic knives for slicing brownies because they cut a lot cleaner!
- If you prefer, you can slice the brownies first and then pipe the chocolate frosting onto them.
How To Store Frosted Fudge Brownies
Store Frosted Fudge Brownies at room temperature in an airtight container. The brownies can then be enjoyed for 3 to 4 days.
How To Freeze Frosted Fudge Brownies
For longer storage, these brownies can be made ahead of time and then stored in the freezer without the chocolate frosting. To do so, make and bake the brownies according to the recipe instructions but stop when you get to the frosting.
Transfer the cooled brownies into an airtight, freezer-safe container, or a Ziploc freezer bag, or you can individually wrap each brownie in plastic wrap and then again in aluminum foil. The stored brownies can then be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy or serve the brownies, transfer them from the freezer onto the counter to thaw at room temperature. Once thawed, prepare the chocolate frosting and frost them!
How To Serve Homemade Fudge Brownies With Chocolate Frosting
These decadent brownies are a tasty treat to enjoy throughout the week at home or as a mid-week office pick-me-up! If frosting on brownies isn’t for you then feel free to omit the frosting since the brownies can easily stand on their own.
Here are other delicious ways to serve these Fudgy Brownies:
- Other Frosting Choices – Swap the chocolate frosting out for Nutella Frosting or Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting for a tasty variation!
- Toppings – Sprinkle crushed candy or your favorite cookies over the frosting layer!
- Holidays Or Special Occasions – Serve these brownies up on a holiday or special occasion simply by adding sprinkles that match! For example, red and pink sprinkles for Valentine’s Day and shades of green sprinkles for St. Patrick’s Day!
- Potluck – Whip up a 9×13-inch batch of these brownies to slice and serve a gourmet-style treat for potlucks!
More Homemade Brownie Recipes:
- Sheet Pan Brownies – A fudgy large batch dessert that’s made with simple ingredients!
- Peanut Butter Crunch Brownies – Gourmet style brownies that are out-of-this-world!
- S’mores Brownies – Complete with a graham cracker crust and a perfectly toasted marshmallow top!
- No Bake Cookie Brownies – Two delicious desserts collide into one decadent treat!
- Coffee Brownies – Dense, fudgy brownies filled with a delicious, sweet coffee flavor!
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Chocolate Frosted Fudge Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 cup unsalted butter 227g, I use Kerrygold
- 2½ cups granulated sugar 500g, I use Domino
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs I use Vital Farms
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 130g, I use King Arthur
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder 80g, I use Ghirardelli
- 2 tablespoons malted milk powder 20g, optional
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 4 ounces chopped baking chocolate or ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Frosting
- 1 cup salted butter 227g, softened, grass-fed recommended
- ⅙ teaspoon salt
- 2⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a metal 8×8, 9×9, or 9×13-inch cake pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Make sure some of the parchment is over the edge of the pan for easy removal. This may require two sheets, one going in each direction for a 9×13-inch pan – make sure the one that goes across the shorter distance is under the one that goes along the full length of the pan.
- Melt 1 cup unsalted butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat. Add 2½ cups granulated sugar and stir until smooth, the butter and sugar have started emulsifying, and no butter is separated from the sugar. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool for 5 minutes, stirring often to release heat.
- Add 2 tablespoons canola oil and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract to the butter and sugar and beat them in with a rubber spatula until fully combined and there's no separation between the ingredients (no oil resting on top).
- Beat in 5 large eggs one at a time, beating with the spatula or a fork after each one. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Sift the 1 cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons malted milk powder, and ¾ teaspoon salt into the butter and sugar mixture, stirring gently with a rubber spatula just until almost all the dry streaks are gone.
- Fold in the 4 ounces chopped baking chocolate.
- Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes for a 9×13-inch pan or 40 to 45 minutes for an 8×8 or 9×9-inch pan.
- Cool before removing from the pan and frosting.
Frosting
- While the brownies are cooling, beat 1 cup salted butter and ⅙ teaspoon salt in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Add the 2⅔ cup powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons heavy cream a little at a time, mixing on stir speed between additions just until combined.
- Add ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons vanilla extract and mix on stir just until combined.
- Increase speed to medium-high and whip until smooth and fluffy for about 3 to 4 minutes. The frosting should be a pale brown (it will darken as it rests).
- Spread the frosting over the cooled brownies and slice with a sharp or large plastic knife. You can chill the brownies once frosted for cleaner cuts, but I recommend letting them get to room temperature before serving. You can also slice the brownies first and then pipe the frosting on.
Notes
- Nutritional information is an estimate based on a 9×9 inch pan that makes 16, very thick brownies. You can bake in a 9×13 to make 24 brownies that are a little thinner. This makes the brownies around 350 calories each.
Nutrition
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