Frosted Brownies

Frosted Brownies

"All you need is love...and maybe also brownies." 

( - unknown, though I feel like whoever said that was probably a relative of mine!)

No lies detected there! Other than those rare people with chocolate aversions, it's hard to find anyone that will turn down a good brownie!

"Brownies AND frosting? Isn't that a little over-the-top?" 

Okay; I have to preface this post a bit because it's true - frosted brownies aren't everyone's preference! Brownie purists might cock an eyebrow at me for this post. My husband has a pretty intense buttercream aversion. Straight buttercream isn't really my jam either - it gets pretty sweet for me pretty quickly. I've switched to cream cheese buttercream as my go-to recipe. But I also know my husband will push even that off to the side of the plate if I put on too much. :/ 

But I LOVE frosted brownies - and from the feedback I've gotten, so do the bulk of my taste-testers. The brownie base is super-chocolatey and rich enough to satisfy any chocoholic. And the cream cheese in the frosting does a fantastic job of keeping the whole thing from getting too overly-sweet. 

Plus - sometimes I need a crowd-pleaser dessert that’s simple and goes together quickly! (And sometimes I want something more substantial - and more fun - than cookies.)

To keep the serving process easy, I have an 'all edges' brownie pan that makes uniform brownies that are easy to decorate, festive, delicious, and can served a crowd!

I also know several in my family who aren't 'brownie edge' fans - they'd rather have the center pieces. So I sometimes just stick with a 9x13 pan and just pipe the whole pan and cut them later. (Photos above). All the options - up to you!

Recipe below!

(Of note – you have options here! If you’d rather doctor up brownie mixes, use two mixes (I usually go with Ghiradelli), substitute butter for the oil, replace the water with milk, and add an extra egg!)

(Disclosure: As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases, and my posts often contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you!) 

Frosted Brownies

Frosted Brownies

Need a dessert that's delicious but is also fun, super-simple and done quickly? Frosted brownies (with cream cheese frosting) to the rescue!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Decorating time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24 brownies
Calories 437 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Brownies

  • 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks, melted)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Decorations

  • Sprinkle mix of your choice! (I used ‘Sugar Wraith’ by FancySprinkles)

Instructions
 

Brownies

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 (or a divided baking pan) with non-stick or baker’s floured cooking spray.
  • Mix together melted butter and granulated and brown sugars. Whisk in eggs until well combined. Whisk in cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and gradually stir in all-purpose flour until combined. Stir in vanilla and chocolate chips, and pour into prepared pan.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired. (This is a great time to make your frosting!)

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

  • Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with milk until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add vanilla and salt if needed and beat until well combined.

Decorating

  • Divide your frosting in portions – as many colors as you’d like to use – and add your gel colors! I often leave one portion white.
  • Choose your favorite piping tips – I used the large open star from my large tip set and a smaller open star and oblong teardrop-shaped tip from my smaller set when I piped the frosting onto the brownies – and I usually find it easiest to start with the larger tips and fill in around them with smaller designs. Up to you!
  • Add sprinkles to your liking! I started with larger ones spaced where I thought they looked best and then added smaller ones in between them.
  • You could also skip the ‘placement’ and just sprinkle them over the top – either works! Sprinkling may result in less 'polished' looking brownies but it's usually more fun!
  • Annnd you’re done! High-five yourself –and enjoy!

Video

Notes

(Please note nutrition information is an estimate, and may not be exactly accurate. Counts will be lower in all fields if full batch of frosting is not used.) 

Nutrition

Serving: 1brownieCalories: 437kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 4gFat: 22g
Keyword Brownies with Cream Cheese frosting, Cream Cheese Frosted Brownies, Frosted Brownies
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