The Best Brownie Recipe With Chocolate Frosting (2024)

Let me introduce you to the best brownie recipe ever. With a creamy chocolate frosting, make a big batch of these homemade chocolate fudge brownies and you’ll make any chocolate lover’s day (or year).

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Jump to Recipe

Welcome to the best fudge brownie recipe! I use this homemade brownies recipe when I want to make a big batch of brownies all at once, as it makes anywhere from 30-40 servings. I promise that these brownies are fudgy and moist with a deep chocolate flavor. They’re finished off with the perfect spreading of creamy chocolate frosting. Although I have several brownie recipes in my personal collection, this one is a favorite of both of the men in my house.

Fortunately, these homemade brownies are super easy to make from scratch. You just have to slowly combine all of the ingredients (I bet most are sitting in your pantry right now) and then bake your brownies for about 25 minutes. Once cool, top them with the creamy chocolate frosting, which is also very quick and easy to make.

If you’re like me and think the fewer dishes the better, whip up the big batch of brownies in one large bowl and then wash that same bowl to make the icing in to lessen the mess. Aside from that, you’ll just dirty up an 18×13 baking sheet (this is a standard half-sheet size), like this. I buy these in two packs for about $15 at Sam’s Club and I have been using them for years – they are the best baking sheets I’ve ever had.

Alright, I think it’s time we make a big batch of chocolate fudge brownies, what do you think?

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Recipe Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour
  • Sugar
  • Cocoa powder
  • Salt
  • Vanilla
  • Butter (a lot)
  • Eggs (a lot)
  • A wee bit of milk

How to Make the Best Brownie Recipe Ever

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Melt your butter however you see fit to melt it and set it aside to cool a bit.

Put your eggs in a large bowl. Beat the eggs up with an electric mixer. By the way, if you have a stand mixer this batter will just fit in that bowl so go for it.

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Add in sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla extract. Beat for about a minute or until it’s good and blended.

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Add in the flour, melted butter, and milk and beat again until well combined and a good brownie batter is formed, scraping down the sides as needed during the mixing process.

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This is my finished batter. If this recipe was just for the batter, I’d call it “luxurious brownie batter”. But this recipe is not just for the batter because you don’t really eat raw brownie batter with a spoon because we live in a fallen world. And that is all I will say about that. ~sniff~

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Spread into a greased 18 x 13 half sheet pan (I just spray it with nonstick cooking spray).

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Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Make sure the middle is set and done before you remove it from the oven. I know this doesn’t seem like a lot of time but your batter is kinda thin here and spread out over a large area.

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These are my cooked brownies. Hi, brownies!!! (y’all wave at my brownies)

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How to make the creamy chocolate frosting for brownies

Now clean out that mixing bowl and make up your icing.

(I can’t believe you didn’t wash it while the brownies were baking. Okay, totally believe that. Batter bowls have gone for days in my house without being washed. It gives my sink purpose though so I don’t fret. Never a bad thing to give something purpose, right?).

For the frosting, just put everything in the bowl and beat the heck out of it with an electric mixer until it is smooth and creamy. Y’all have seen me beat the heck out of things before so I’ll spare you the pictures.

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Let your big batch brownies cool a bit and then spread the icing on them.

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Sprinkle with nuts immediately after icing, if desired.

I usually don’t use nuts because they are outrageously expensive and it seems 9 out of 10 kids are allergic to them these days, but today got the better of me, and I just *NEEDED* walnuts on top of my fudgy brownie. I gave in to my desires. Back to that fallen world thing, I am a fallen creature. But I feel better now so can we move on from this instead of focusing on my failures, mmkay?

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Here, have a taste of the best brownie recipe ever.

Storage

Because of the frosting, you’ll want to store your brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the brownies in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before serving.

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Recipe Notes

  • If you want to make a smaller amount of brownies, you can half this recipe yourself and make it in a 9×13 baking dish, but I don’t recommend that. Instead, I suggest you just make this big batch brownies recipe according to my instructions and then share the brownies with folks. We have a severe shortage of people who share brownies in our society!
  • If you use self-rising flour, the brownie batter will overflow the pan and make a mess in your oven. And if you use a smaller-sized pan from what I am using, your brownie mix will overflow the pan either in a big way or small way (depends on the size of the pan) and make a mess in your oven.
  • I promise you’ll live if you use salted butter. The extra salt won’t be noticed and might even add a nice little touch. Just don’t bother adding the salt listed in the ingredients.
  • If you use skim milk, almond milk, rice milk, buttermilk, evaporated milk, goat’s milk, etc in place of the whole milk I am using, you’ll be fine in the brownies and most likely in the icing. I’d try to use the richest milk I could in the brownie frosting if I were you. I use whole milk but have used two percent before and the earth did not shift on its axis.
  • Enjoy your fudgy brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.
  • Make this brownie recipe the best for you by adding in one cup of any of the below:
    • crushed nuts: peanuts, walnuts, pecans, or almonds.
    • dried fruits: dates, cranberries, or raisins.
    • shredded coconut
    • chocolate chips or chocolate chunks (because there’s no such thing as too much chocolate flavor).
    • diced marshmallows
    • peanut butter chips

Because you can never bake too many brownies:

Tie-Dyed Cheesecake Brownies

Coffee Brownies Recipe

Recipe for Oreo Brownies

Peanut Butter Brownies with Peanut Butter Fudge Icing

Valentine’s Day Brownies With Frosting

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Big Batch Brownies

This best brownie recipe ever features a big batch of homemade chocolate fudge brownies made with a creamy chocolate frosting.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: brownies, chocolate, icing

Servings: 30 -40

Calories: 466kcal

Ingredients

  • 7 large eggs
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 2 cups cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups unsalted butter melted and cooled
  • 1/2 cup milk

Icing ingredients

  • 4 cups confectioner's sugar
  • 2/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup butter melted
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Place the eggs in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until broken and blended, about a minute.

    7 large eggs

  • Add the sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla extract to the eggs and beat until well blended.

    4 cups sugar, 2 cups cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  • Add the flour, melted butter, and milk to the brownie batter and mix until well blended, scraping down sides as needed.

    3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups unsalted butter, 1/2 cup milk

  • Spread into a greased half sheet pan (18x13) and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes, or until set in the center. Allow the brownies to cool slightly before icing.

To make chocolate frosting

  • Place all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Spread onto the cooled brownies.

    2/3 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 4 cups confectioner's sugar

Nutrition

Calories: 466kcal

Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

The world would be a better place if more people made brownies and shared them with others. ~Christy

The Best Brownie Recipe With Chocolate Frosting (2024)

FAQs

How do you make brownies even better? ›

Spices and Salts. Spices and salts can really transform the overall flavor of a brownie. Chile powder is famous for pairing well with chocolate, so you can start by adding a small amount—about 1/2 teaspoon—and adjusting to your liking. Cinnamon and cardamom are also excellent pairings (and known friends of chocolate!).

Do you cut brownies before or after frosting? ›

Cutting and Serving

Wait 5-10 minutes before cutting the brownies after frosting so that the icing hardens and you can make clean cuts. What is this? The best way to cut brownies is to use a large sharp knife. Dip it in hot water, then wipe off the excess and slice the brownies.

How much butter instead of oil in brownies? ›

Replacing Oil with Butter

It couldn't be easier to substitute butter for oil using a 1:1 ratio. This should work with olive, canola, vegetable, and coconut oils. Simply melt and cool the butter to room temperature, then continue with your recipe. (If the recipe calls for ½ cup oil, use ½ cup melted and cooled butter.)

What determines whether a brownie is fudgy or cakey? ›

Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones. So add more fat—in this case, butter and chocolate. A cakey batch has more flour and relies on baking powder for leavening. The amount of sugar and eggs does not change whether you're going fudgy or cakey.

What does adding an extra egg to brownie mix do? ›

If you opt to add more eggs, say double the amount, something interesting happens. Even though you are adding more moisture, the air bubbles that you catch in the extra eggs add volume, which decreases the density of your final product. This makes your brownies rise and gives them a much more cake-like texture.

What can I add to brownie mix to make it taste better? ›

Six Sneaky Ways To Make Brownie Mix Taste Homemade
  1. Use melted butter instead of oil.
  2. Use milk, flavored creamers, or brewed coffee instead of water.
  3. Add extracts or flavorings.
  4. Add mix-ins like cookies and candies.
  5. Underbake, just slightly.
  6. Toppings.
  7. My Favorite Mix-Ins and Toppings.
Jan 19, 2021

Do brownies with frosting need to be refrigerated? ›

Do Brownies Need to Be Refrigerated? Brownies don't need to be refrigerated, but they'll hold up a few more days if they are. Unless your brownies include more perishable ingredients like fresh fruit or cream cheese frosting, they'll be fine at room temperature as long as they're stored in an airtight container.

Do you have to refrigerate brownies with frosting? ›

A cheesecake swirl or frosting or a ganache frosting should not be kept at room temperature. Store brownies in the fridge if they contain add-ins that are normally refrigerated.

Should I let brownies cool before frosting? ›

Room Temperature Cooling: Allow your brownies to cool at room temperature on the wire rack for at least an additional 30-60 minutes. This gradual cooling process helps to achieve that coveted fudgy texture without becoming a gooey mess.

Can you put too much butter in brownies? ›

Sadly, more butter is not always better. When too much fat is incorporated, brownies become extremely fudgy, in a seriously bad way. They're slick and greasy, two traits you never want to hear when you're talking about baking.

Do brownies taste better with butter or oil? ›

Oil Brownies: These were chewier with crunchier edges and a crunchier topping. They were more matte on top with a far less crinkly shiny brownie 'skin. ' They tasted more like box mix brownies. Butter Brownies: These were much fudgier, softer, and had a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Did I put too much butter in my brownies? ›

How can you tell if you've used too much? Too much butter in your baked goods would give them different texture (flat, greasy..).

Should brownie batter be runny or thick? ›

The ideal consistency of brownie mix is thick and gooey, similar to a thick cake batter. When you mix the ingredients together, the batter should be smooth and free of lumps, with a slightly sticky texture. This consistency is important for achieving moist and fudgy brownies that are rich in flavor.

What are the three types of brownies? ›

Brownie textures fall into three general camps… Cakey, fudgy and chewy. Cakey brownies, like the name implies, are light, moist and airy, with a slightly fluffy, cake-like interior. Fudgy brownies are moist, dense and gooey, with almost the texture of fudge, but not quite as compact.

Why do my brownies taste more like cake? ›

Achieving a fudgy brownie is all to do with the ratio of fat to flour. A fudgy brownie recipe will use more fat than flour. Generally this is achieved by adding more butter or real chocolate to your brownie recipe. A cakey brownie recipe on the other hand will call for more flour in the ratio of fat to flour.

What not to do when making brownies? ›

Common Brownie Fails
  1. Too Cakey: over cooked, or too much flour.
  2. Too Gooey: under cooked, or not enough flour.
  3. Too Bitter: wrong balance of chocolate and fat.
  4. Too Greasy: too much fat or fat didn't melt with chocolate sufficiently.
  5. Lack flavour: not enough sugar or chocolate, too much flour.

How do you keep brownies soft and chewy? ›

Using airtight wrappings (including using plastic wrap right against the brownies) is key to keeping your brownies fresh, whether you're keeping them at room temperature for short-term storage, or planning to freeze them so you can have a fresh brownie ready whenever you need it.

How do you keep brownies soft and moist? ›

Airtight Containers

Use parchment paper to layer brownies into an airtight container for best results. Tip: When storing brownies in an airtight container, add a slice of bread in with them. The moisture from the bread will help keep your brownies fresh and soft for a couple more days.

References

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