Chocolate Frosted Brownies
These frosted brownies start with fudge brownies and are topped with a luscious chocolate buttercream frosting (that includes a secret ingredient!).
Raise your hand if you were a teenager during the ’90s. I know there have to be oodles of you out there. Ahh, the 90’s. When jeans were pegged. When flannel shirts were worn because grunge was the latest fad. When alt rock was the most popular type of music. When Beverly Hills 90210 was can’t-miss-TV. Before smartphones. Before social media. Before a completely wired world. Simple times!
During my teenage years in the mid-90’s, I belonged to our church’s youth group. We’d get together a couple of Sunday nights a month and do youth group-y types of things. Sometimes it was serious and church-related. Sometimes it was flag football. Sometimes it was a service project. No matter what activity was going on, there was one constant – Judi’s chocolate-frosted brownies. They showed up every week, without fail. Sometimes, though, Judi showed up late; when that happened, she was immediately accosted by a mad throng of teenagers needing an immediate sugar fix. My brain will always and forever link together youth group Sunday nights and frosted brownies.
Pretty much all of my life before and after those high school youth group years has been devoid of frosted brownies. You’d think that since I loved them so much, I would have taken it upon myself to bust open a box of brownie mix and a can of frosting and make it happen. (Those most certainly would have been the steps taken by 18-year-old me; I had yet to appreciate the joys of baking everything from scratch.) It never happened. Even after I began baking regularly, and through all of the brownie recipes that I made, a light bulb never went off.
It wasn’t until I was flipping through the Joy the Baker Cookbook and landed on the page with this recipe that my mind raced back nearly 20 years (ouch, that makes me feel really old). I was immediately taken back to Sunday nights in the church basement, with a throwaway tin foil pan of frosted brownies sitting on a table, being devoured square by frosted square.
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I first made this recipe nearly five years ago and had all but forgotten about it, however I have been craving them like mad since seeing frosted brownies pop up on Jessica’s Instagram feed multiple times over the last few months. After seeing them again on New Year’s, I saw that I had everything I needed for them in my pantry, and that was that.
Brownies, done. Frosting, done. One VERY happy belly.
Aside from the memories they evoke, I can’t tell you how utterly amazing these are. The brownie itself is rich and wonderfully moist, definitely fudge-like. And the frosting? It’s chocolatey, sweet, smooth, creamy, and perfect in every possible way. Joy says that it’s her very favorite chocolate frosting. It might be mine now, too.
This is the ultimate combination for anyone who’s a fan of brownies or chocolate frosting. And if you’re a fan of both? You’re in for one amazingly indulgent treat!
One year ago: Ground Beef Tacos
Two years ago: Banana Muffins
Five years ago: New England Clam Chowder
Six years ago: Peanut Butter Cup Bars
Seven years ago: Maple-Oatmeal Scones
Chocolate Frosted Brownies
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- ¾ cup (93.75 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 3 ounces (85.05 g) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (90 g) semisweet chocolate chips
For the Frosting
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (21.5 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- 1¼ cups (150 g) powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (59.5 ml) heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons Ovaltine chocolate malt powder
Instructions
- Make the Brownies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch-square baking dish and line with parchment paper, letting the excess hang over the edges. Butter the parchment paper; set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- Bring about an inch of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Place a medium, heatproof bowl on top of the saucepan (do not let it touch the water) and add the butter and unsweetened chocolate. Stir occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and whisk in the granulated and brown sugars. Whisk in the egg, the yolk, and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture all at once, and fold it into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Allow to cool completely; meanwhile, make the frosting.
- To Make the Frosting: Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, cocoa powder, and salt on medium speed for about 3 minutes (mixture will be thick).
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the powdered sugar. Mix on low speed to incorporate the sugar, and while the mixer is running, slowly add the milk and vanilla extract. Gradually increase the mixer speed to medium-high, beating until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- In a 1-cup measuring cup, or in a small bowl, stir together the heavy cream and the Ovaltine. Reduce the mixer speed to medium, and pour the cream mixture in a slow, steady stream and mix until thoroughly combined. (This recipe produces a soft frosting; you can add more powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time, if you would like a stiffer frosting.)
- Spread the frosting onto the cooled brownies, and cut into squares. Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on April 26, 2012.
I love when brownies are topped with chocolate buttercream, nothing makes chocolate better than some extra butter in top! :)
These look amazing!!!!
oh wow ! Its Mouth watering I wish I could take This :-) when will you invite for this delicious cake :p
Oh, the 90’s! These brownies used to be a staple in our house growing up! I might have to make them soon to bring back all those high school memories :)
I make brownies all the time but have never made them with frosting – these look luscious!
The 90’s were awesome and so are these brownies! Man, I wish I had one or 3 of them right now!!
Ohhh the 90s! I remember actually getting really excited to go through my dad’s closet and borrow his clothes… mostly his flannel shirts. Um, why I wanted to wear men’s clothing that was 10 times too big for me is beyond me, but I guess that was what the 90s were all about!
You know, I honestly don’t think I’ve had a frosted brownie since the 90s either. What happened to them?? These look incredible!
Those look so yummy and the serving platter is beautiful. I printed this so I can make it . Thank you for sharing your memory and this yummy recipe.
These look amazing! Nothing wrong with adding a little frosting to a brownie :)
I was also a teenager during the 90s, but most of my favourite memories are from the 80s in Prep school when my best friend was a chubby Asian boy who could cook and always shared his lunch with me. Needless to say but my Mom’s wholesome packed lunch was either discarded or forgotten in my bag. He inspired me to love cooking and baking and whoever is in charge of kharma made sure that during high school my lunch was stolen by my friend daily.
I hit teenagerhood in 1997 and I went to youth group too! Sadly there were never any homemade brownies that I recall. I do recall that my fashion icon at the time was Joey from Dawson’s Creek.
These brownies look SO ridiculously amazing. I’ve never made brownies with frosting because it seems like brownies are so indulgent on their own!
Someone hold me. Chocolate chocolate chocolate – all topped with more chocolate! This is a perfect recipe for PMS Brownies if ever I did see one. :-)
Great recipe Michelle! I love your presentation and photography. You have a way of making a very simple recipe look exquisite! On another note. I would very much like to make a recipe you have recently pinned and am having trouble with the quantity conversions. Wondering if you would consider a blog post on it, or if you could just let me know if you have tried it and had success. Any help would be greatly appreciated!ttp://greedygourmand.blogspot.com/2011/08/salted-caramel-vanilla-baked-cheesecake.html
Hi Jeri, I have not tried that one yet, but I will put it on my “to make ASAP” list, and share it here soon!
Thanks Michelle…I love that you always respond to me so quickly. I look forward to seeing what you think of that recipe!
Nothing beats a classic. Fantastic!
These look truly amazing! I could swim in the frosting. Great idea using Ovaltine! Wish I could say I was a teen in the 90’s, more like the 80’s. Had chuckle at pegged jeans! Brings me back.
These sound so yummy!! I love a good brownie.
You must have a sweet tooth, two delicious dessert recipes in a row! These brownies look amazing!!! Yum!! I need me some chocolate!!
Chocolaty chocolate with chocolate on top. Drooling..
That frosting is so dang good – the perfect topping to some amazing looking brownies!
The 90s were amazing, pegged pants and all. I wish I’d had these brownies back then! ;)
Wow that looks so good, I wish I could take a piece!
Do not read this post in the morning, it will make you hungry for the rest of the day! But seriously, looks and sounds great!
Ahhhh the days of church youth group and being a teen in the 90’s :) this recipe made me smile because everytime I had friends over when I was a teen my mom would bake a box of brownies and put canned chocolate frosting on top – my friends were always so impressed. Haha!
Why must you do this too me? I swore I was going to be good today…
I too have been eye-balling this recipe in Joy’s cookbook! They look great!
I was in a youth group as a teenager also…we didn’t have chocolate-frosted brownies, but one of the moms always brought brownies with mini-Reese’s cups pressed into them. Sooo delicious.
Wow, another great recipe to try!! Thanks for sharing! :D
I am also wondering if I can substitute cocoa for the ovaltine powder.. Thanks :)
Hi Samantha, I think that would probably work, but you might want to add an extra bit of sugar (go by taste), as the Ovaltine has sugar in it, but cocoa powder does not.
Mmm, the only way to make brownies better is to put buttercream on top! I want one.
I was at an event with Joy and other bloggers a month or so ago and she made that frosting and we had a cupcake dipping/tasting party and it’s so good. I love chocolate buttercream and I bet your brownies are great!
I was a teenager in the 90s, but I actually long for the 80s. And now I’ll long for brownies with frosting until I have some. :)
Brownies are amazing as is, but adding a buttercream frosting? You are a genius!