Homemade Fudgy Brownies with Buttercream Frosting — EASY one-bowl SCRATCH brownies that are perfectly fudgy and FAST to make when you’re in the mood for chocolate!! The vanilla buttercream gives them a nostalgic taste that everyone LOVES!!
Old-Fashioned Fudgy Brownies From Scratch
In my never-ending search to find an even better recipe for brownies than my current favorites like Loaded Cream Cheese Oreo Brownies and Turtle Brownies, I gave a new recipe a spin.
I found the recipe by way of searching for a fudgy chocolate cake recipes but make no mistake, these are brownies and not cake. They’re rich and chocolaty without being super intensely chocolaty.
If you’re looking for a recipe that tastes like what you probably grew up on (which was boxed mix brownies) without being from a boxed mix, these are for you.
They’re homemade fudgy brownies but with a slight bit more lift and less density to them than many of my other brownie recipes that use this brownie base. By no means are they cakey, but they’re not the densest fudgy brownies of all time.
I used a simple vanilla buttercream frosting for the brownies that’s fast and easy to make. It’s sweet enough without being too sweet, it’s full of robust vanilla flavor, creamy, and tastes like the kind of frosting my grandma used to make.
What’s in Homemade Fudgy Brownies?
These fudgy brownies from scratch are so incredibly easy to whip up. One bowl, no mixer, and you’ll have them in the oven in no time. Just as fast as using a boxed mix.
Get out your:
- Butter
- Semi-sweet baking chocolate (I used Trader Joe’s 72% Pound Plus Bar)
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Flour
- Vanilla
- Salt
And to make the white frosting for the brownies, you’ll need:
- Butter
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Milk
- Vanilla
…(Or cheat and buy it. Although this really is the BEST frosting for brownies).
How to Make Fudgy Brownies
To make fudgy brownies from scratch, melt the butter and chocolate together in a microwave-safe bowl. Wait a minute or two before adding the wet ingredients — you don’t want to scramble the egg!
Whisk in the dry ingredients, then transfer the batter to a 9-inch, foil-lined pan. Bake just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no batter.
To make the buttercream frosting for the brownies, beat room temperature butter until light and fluffy. Then, add in the powdered sugar and vanilla. For a thinner frosting, add a splash of milk.
How to Make Brownies More Fudgy
Curious how I made these homemade brownies ultra fudgy? Lucky for you, I’m a food blogger and I love spilling my secrets!
The trick to making perfectly fudgy brownies from scratch is to amp up the fat content. You’ll notice that this recipe uses equal parts butter and flour — that’s not an accident!
There’s also 4 ounces of chocolate (1/4 pound), which also adds fudginess. And, of course, slightly underbaking the brownies keeps them fudgy!
How to Store Frosted Brownies
If you’re a fan of chilled chocolate desserts or brownies, by all means, store them in the fridge.
If you’re more of a room temp person but worry about the frosting not being refrigerated, I personally don’t worry about buttercream frosting that’s stored at room temp for a few days. Generations of grandmothers have been doing it and we’re all here, but of course to each their own storage paths.
I can go either way with this recipe as to chill them or not. In the summer, I think they’d be lovely served chilled from the fridge whereas in the winter, room temp is more to my liking.
Tips for the Best Fudgy Brownies
The brownies bake for quite awhile, about 45 minutes in a 300F oven, which is quite a bit different than the standard 350F for brownies that are generally done in 25 minutes or so.
There is no leavener (baking soda or baking powder) in the recipe. I rarely use leaveners in brownies because that makes them rise, which makes them cakier, and I don’t like cakey brownies but it’s worth pointing out since I know someone will write and ask.
I haven’t tried to make the brownies gluten-free but I imagine that you’d have pretty good success using a cup-for-cup style of gluten-free flour intended for baking.
Shortcut for those who don’t want to make frosting — buy a tub of fluffy white frosting. It will save the day and no one will be any wiser if you run out of time or energy for making brownie frosting.
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Old-Fashioned Fudgy Frosted Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 cup unsalted butter, coarsely diced or cubed
- 4 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Trader Joe's 72% Pound Plus Bar)
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted; plus more if necessary for frosting consistency
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk, or as necessary for consistency
Instructions
- Brownies - Preheat oven to 300F, line a 9x9-inch pan with aluminum foil for easier cleanup if desired, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- To a large microwave-safe bowl, add the butter, chocolate, and heat on high power to melt, about 45-60 seconds to start. Stop to check and stir. Heat in 15-second bursts until chocolate and butter have melted and can be stirred smooth.
- Add the sugar and whisk vigorously to combine; mixture will be a little granular. Wait a couple of minutes before adding the eggs if your mixture is still very warm so you don't scramble the eggs.
- Add the eggs, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour, salt, stir gently until just incorporated; don't over mix.
- Bake for about 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no batter; allow brownies to cool for about 1 hour, or until cool enough so that they won't melt the frosting.
- Frosting - To a large mixing bowl, or to the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and beat on high power to cream it, about 2 minutes or until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and beat on high power for about 3 minutes, or until very fluffy. Depending on the stiffness and consistency of the frosting, and how you prefer it, add the milk to thin it. If you accidentally add too much, you can add a bit more confectioners' sugar.
- Add the frosting to the brownies in a smooth, even layer. Serve immediately. Brownies can be stored airtight at room temp for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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great
Hi Averie
Could you double this recipe ? And I have to go get a chocolate bar because these look delicious !!!!
Yes you can double it.
I’ve been looking for a recipe to use up my baking chocolate. This may be it! Interesting about the lower temperature and extended baking time.
Well LMK if you end up making these or almost all of the options in the Related Recipes call for baking chocolate, too.