This easy to make, 6-ingredient recipe for The Best Brownie Frosting makes enough thick chocolate icing for a 9×13 pan of your favorite brownies!
In our home, we LOVE brownies! Typically I make them from scratch (see my recipe here), but occasionally I make them using a box mix, if I find an incredible SALE! Then I purchase a few boxes to keep around… in case of “must have chocolate” emergencies!
Once I make brownies, I love to put yummy chocolate frosting on them for a perfect finishing touch! My husband likes his brownies without frosting… NOT ME! How can he possibly not like more creamy chocolate spread all over the top of a chocolate brownie? I suppose that is one of life’s great mysteries. But I digress… so… back to the recipe.
Well, THIS recipe for the best brownie frosting is my favorite, because it’s super easy, only has a few ingredients, and needs no special equipment to make. Just stir the ingredients up, and you’re done! Spread it on a pan of freshly made brownies, and enjoy! Here’s how to whip up a batch, which is enough to frost a 9×13″ pan full of brownies!
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How To Make The Best Brownie Frosting
Place softened, room temperature butter (NOT melted), unsweetened cocoa powder, light corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a medium sized bowl. Honey can be substituted for the corn syrup, if desired.
Stir these ingredients well with a spoon. That’s right, there’s no need for an electric mixer! Just keep on stirring until it comes together into a thick dark brown mixture.
Now add the powdered sugar into the bowl, along with 2-3 Tablespoons of milk. Give the frosting a good stir until this also is completely mixed together. You will want the best brownie frosting to be thick, creamy and spreadable. If you find it is too thick, add a couple drops more of the milk. If you get it too thin, simply add just a bit more powdered sugar.
Spread The Frosting Out On A Pan Of Brownies
Once you’ve made your pan of brownies, whether they are homemade or a box mix, remove the brownies from the oven, and LET THEM COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE FROSTING. Don’t frost while the brownies are warm, because that will end up making the softened butter in the frosting melt, which then changes the texture of the frosting. NO good.
Once the brownies are completely covered with the best brownie frosting, let them rest for about 15 minutes. This gives the frosting time to slightly firm up just a bit. Once they have “rested” (it’s so exhausting being a brownie, right?), slice and serve your brownies!
Hope you enjoy this wonderful creamy chocolate topping on your brownies! I’ve tried lots of homemade and canned frostings, and honestly still feel like this is the best brownie frosting ever! Enjoy… and have a GREAT day!
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Original recipe source: Unknown. Wrote recipe down 30+ years ago, w/out author’s name.
This easy to make, 6-ingredient recipe for The Best Brownie Frosting makes enough thick chocolate icing for a 9x13 pan of your favorite brownies!
- 6 Tablespoons butter (softened) , room temperature (not melted)
- 6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup , or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons milk , plus a few drops more, if necessary
Place softened, room temperature butter (NOT melted), unsweetened cocoa powder, light corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a medium sized bowl. Stir until fully combined.
Add the powdered sugar, along with 2-3 Tablespoons of milk. Give the frosting a good stir until this is completely mixed together. You will want frosting to be thick, creamy and spreadable. If too thick, add a couple drops more of the milk. If too thin, simply add a bit more powdered sugar.
Once you've made your brownies, whether homemade or box mix, remove brownies from oven, and LET THEM COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE FROSTING. Spread frosting over top of brownies. Once completely covered with frosting, let them rest for 10-15 minutes. This gives the frosting time to slightly firm up. Slice and serve your brownies, and enjoy!
NOTE: The recipe calculation is for the entire batch of frosting. Since a 9x13 pan of brownies is typically cut into 24 servings, the caloric calculation for each serving of frosting averages out to about 74 calories (per serving of frosting).