How to Make Chocolate Frosted Brownies

These Fudgy Chocolate Frosted Brownies topped with a thick layer of Chocolate Buttercream Frosting are the ultimate brownies for chocolate lovers! I’ve included dairy-free options making them perfect for vegans! Share these Chocolate Frosted Brownies on all occasions: birthdays, the holidays, and Valentine’s Day!

We love making and sharing brownies with a thick layer of frosting! If you love chocolate frosted brownies with a minty twist, try my Chocolate Mint Andes Brownies, and my Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting is one of my favorite recipes on chefsavvy.com!

These Chocolate Frosted Brownies are DANGEROUS! They are extremely rich, fudgy, and chocolatey. Just how a brownie should be. I frosted the brownies with an amazing chocolate buttercream. It’s rich, fluffy, creamy, and smooth.

To get a fudgy and chewy brownie I used as little flour as possible. More flour makes for a cake-like brownie. Firm around the edges but soft on the inside was what I was after, and that’s precisely how these homemade brownies with frosting turned out! Another tip for making the best Chocolate Frosted Fudgy Brownies: brown sugar. I added brown sugar for an extra caramel-sweetness and to give the brownie extra moisture. I made the brownies with chocolate chips instead of traditional cocoa powder for a fudgier brownie.

These old fashioned brownies with frosting are really great anytime! You can make them a day or two ahead, and hit the spot on special occasions like birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Valentine’s Day! Serve these Chocolate Frosted Brownies with a tall glass of ice-cold milk!

Ingredients for Chocolate Frosted Brownies

Brownies:

• Butter: You can use either dairy or plant-based butter here. They both add a delicious buttery richness to the brownies!
• Sugar: This brownie recipe calls for both brown and white sugars. The white sugar adds sweetness, and the brown sugar adds a hint of caramel, as well as sweetness and moisture for fudginess.
• Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips melt really easily and make these brownies ultra-rich!
• Vanilla: Vanilla brings out the best level of sweetness, and adds a delicate warmth.
• Salt: Salt is added to compliment the sweetness and create the perfect balance.

Chocolate Frosting:

• Butter: Again, you can use either dairy-free or plant-based butter, depending on whether you want vegan brownies or regular! Both make a delicious buttercream!
• Cocoa Powder: Plenty of cocoa is added to make this buttercream extra chocolatey.
• Confectioners sugar: Confectioners sugar melts very easily and adds the right amount of sweetness to this chocolate frosting.
• Milk: You can use either plant-based for vegan, or regular for non. The milk binds everything together and adds a hint of creaminess.

How to make Chocolate Frosted Brownies

Brownies:

1. Prep the pan: Firstly, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and then line a 9 x 9 or 8 x 8 pan with aluminum foil. Lightly spray with cooking spray or grease with butter. Set aside.
2. Melt the butter, sugar, and chocolate chips: Secondly, add butter and both sugars to a medium saucepan and stir until melted. Take off the heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted.
3. Mix the eggs and vanilla: Next, add the eggs and vanilla to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
4. Temper the eggs: After that, stir 1 teaspoon of the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture to temper the eggs, and then add the rest of the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine.
5. Prepare the dry ingredients: In a large bowl add flour and salt.
6. Fold in the wet ingredients: Add chocolate mixture to the dry ingredients and fold gently. Do not over mix.
7. Bake! Add batter to the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is set and a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool: Take out of the oven and allow the brownies to cool completely before taking them out of the pan.
9. Frost: Finally, frost the brownies with the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. Cut into 9 brownies. (If you are having trouble cutting the chocolate frosted brownies place them in the fridge for the icing to harden up. This will make them easier to cut.)

How to make brownie frosting:

1. Beat the butter: Firstly, add butter to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat until fluffy.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients: Next, add in the cocoa powder, confectioners sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Beat until thick and creamy. If frosting is too thick add more milk. If it is too runny add more powdered sugar.
3. Set aside: Set the chocolate buttercream frosting aside until ready to frost brownies.

Should Frosted Brownies be refrigerated?

These Chocolate frosted brownies will keep well on the counter for up to 3 days in an airtight container, if you’re using dairy products. If you opt for a vegan, plant-based version they will keep for up to 5 days, possibly longer!

Do you ice brownies hot or cold?

The brownies should be completely cooled before adding buttercream icing to them! If the brownies are still warm, the icing will just melt into them, or off of them. If you need your brownies to cool quicker, pop them in the fridge or even the freezer for 5-10 minutes.

More Brownie recipes to try and love!

• The BEST Brownies
• Peppermint Brownies
• Mocha Cream Brownies
• Brownie Bites
• Zucchini Brownies
• Samoa Brownies
• Copycat Cosmic Brownies

Chocolate Frosted Brownies

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Thick and Fudgey Chocolate Frosted Brownies topped with a thick layer of Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

Servings: 9 brownies

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 45 minutes mins

Ingredients 

Chocolate Frosted Brownies

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, use dairy free if on a plant-based diet
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• 1½ cups semi sweet chocolate chips, use dairy free if on a plant-based diet
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• 8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (use dairy free if on a plant-based diet)
• 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/4 Silk Soy Milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions 

Chocolate Frosted Brownies

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line a 9 x 9 or 8 x 8 pan with aluminum foil. Lightly spray with cooking spray or grease with butter. Set aside.
• Add butter and both sugars to a medium saucepan and stir until melted.
• Take off the heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted.
• Add eggs and vanilla to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
• Stir 1 teaspoon of the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture to temper the eggs.
• Add the rest of the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine.
• In a large bowl add flour and salt.
• Add chocolate mixture to the dry ingredients and fold gently. Do not over mix.
• Add batter to the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is set and a toothpick comes out clean.
• Take out of the oven and allow the brownies to cool completely before taking them out of the pan.
• Frost the brownies with the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. Cut into 9 brownies. (If you are having trouble cutting the brownies place in the fridge for the icing to harden up. This will make them easier to cut.)

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• Add butter to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat until fluffy.
• Add in cocoa powder, confectioners sugar, milk and vanilla extract. Beat until thick and creamy. If frosting is too thick add more milk. If it is too runny add more powdered sugar.
• Set aside until ready to frost brownies.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 581kcalCarbohydrates: 81gProtein: 4gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 87mgPotassium: 241mgFiber: 4gSugar: 68gVitamin A: 534IUCalcium: 37mgIron: 3mg

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