Swirled Brown Butter Frosted Fudge Brownies

These fudge brownies are frosted with delicious brown butter icing and swirled with cream cheese icing. The combo will knock your socks off. The combination of brown butter, chocolate, and vanilla makes such an amazing brownie that makes for the perfect fall treat that will please everyone in your house. 

Why you’ll love these fudge brownies: 

• Sweet: This fudge brownies recipe is perfect for that sweet tooth. It’s so chocolatey and delicious.
• Quick: Prep this recipe in only 10-minutes. Yep, that’s it!
• Brown Butter: Do I need to say more? The icing on top of these brownies is seriously something to talk about. Brown butter swirled with cream cheese = amazing!

Ingredient Notes: 

Chocolate: Use chocolate chips or your favorite chocolate bar. I use dark chocolate chips but you can also use milk chocolate. 

Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder is an unsweetened chocolate product and it adds that deep chocolate flavor into these fudge brownies. 

Icing: For this recipe, you can definitely eat it without the icing but to me, it’s one of the best parts. The swirled combination of brown butter icing, and cream cheese icing is creamy, flavorful, and so good. 

How do you make fudge brownies?

Prior to making the brownies, prepare the brown butter. 

1. In a medium-sized pot place ¾ cup of butter, stirring constantly over high heat. In a few minutes, the butter will foam up, cooking off any water content. 

2. Continue stirring, waiting for it to foam up a second time. After it foams the second time, the butter will begin to change color from golden to amber to chestnut red to brown. 

3. Once it contains mainly dark brown color, immediately transfer to a heat-safe container, and allow to cool. 

4. Allow the brown butter to completely set in the fridge to firm. 

5. Preheat the oven 350F and line an 8×8 in a pan with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking oil spray.

6. In a large bowl, measure out the sugar. Set aside. 

7. In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt.

8. In a small pot, melt butter and dark chocolate chips, mixing together over medium-low heat.

9. Once butter & chocolate have melted, pour into the large bowl with sugar and vanilla, whisking until smooth. 

10. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until smooth. 

11. Stir in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. 

12. Fold in the second amount of chocolate chips. 

13. Transfer to the baking pan, smoothing out the top with a spoon, and baking for 28 – 30 minutes. Set on wire rack until completely cooled.

14. Once the brownies have cooled, spread all of the brown butter icings over the top with a knife. (icing directions below)

15. Scoop 6-8 large dollops of the cream cheese icing on top of the iced brownies evenly spaced.

16. Using the back of a large spoon, swirl the cream cheese icing with the brown butter icing until they slightly mix together and you achieve the design you like. Have fun with it! 

17. Roughly chop the pecans, and sprinkle on top of the brownies. 

18. Drizzle any extra brown butter on top if desired.

19. Chill the brownies in the fridge for 10 – 15 minutes prior to cutting. Portion into 16 individual pieces. Serve immediately.

How do you make the brown butter swirled icing?

While the brownies are baking, prepare the icings…

1. For the brown butter icing, allow the brown butter to come to room temperature OR soften it in the microwave. 

2. In a medium-sized bowl, whip the brown butter with a hand mixer on medium/high speed for 1 -2 minutes until light.

3. Add icing sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla, whipping until light and airy. 

4. Set aside or set in the fridge, based on your environment temperature.

5. For the cream cheese icing, melt the butter in the microwave or over low heat in a small pot.

6. In a medium-sized bowl, whip the cream cheese with a hand mixer on medium/high speed for 1 – 2 minutes until soft.

7. Add the icing sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla, whipping until light and airy.

8. Slowly stream in the melted butter, continuing to whip until smooth. 

9. Set aside or in the fridge, based on your environment temperature.

Expert Tips & FAQ: 

How do I make these super fudgy? For an extra fudgy brownie, bake for 25-26 minutes.

How do I make this recipe vegan? Replace butter in recipes with vegan butter, replace heavy cream with plant-based milk, and swap out the cream cheese for a vegan substitute or don’t add the cream cheese icing at all or omit icings if desired. It’s delicious on its own!

Can I make this recipe gluten-free? Use a ¾ cup of 1:1 gluten-free flour blend instead of the 1 cup of all-purpose flour.

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How do you store these fudge brownies? Store brownies in the fridge for 1-3 days in the fridge in an airtight container, and 1-2 months in the freezer.

Other sweet recipes you’ll love: 

• Strawberry Crumble Bars
• 10-Minute Peanut Butter Almond Bars
• Vegan Cashew Chocolate Mousse Cake
• Chocolate Chunk Vegan Blondies
• Warm Apple Fritters

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Swirled Brown Butter Frosted Fudge Brownies

5 from 1 vote

These frosted fudge brownies are iced with delicious brown butter icing and are the perfect combination of vanilla, chocolate, and icing that is the ultimate treat and comfort food.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Vegetarian

Cuisine Baked Goods

Servings 16

Calories 299 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup butter or earth balance
• ½ cup mini dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
• 1 ¼ cup sugar
• 1 ½ tbsp vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup mini dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

For the Brown Butter Icing:

• ½ cup + 2 tbsp brown butter
• 1 ¼ cup icing sugar
• 4 tbsp heavy cream or plant milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

For the Cream Cheese Icing:

• 1/3 cup cream cheese regular or vegan
• 1 ½ tbsp butter melted, regular or vegan
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tbsp heavy cream or plant-milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Toppings:

• ¾ cup pecans or walnuts roughly chopped

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Instructions

 

Prior to making the brownies, prepare the brown butter. 

• In medium-sized pot place ¾ cup of butter, stirring constantly over high heat. In a few minutes, the butter will foam up, cooking off any water content. 
• Continue stirring, waiting for it to foam up a second time. After it foams the second time, the butter will begin to change color from golden to amber to chestnut red to brown. 
• Once it contains mainly dark brown color, immediately transfer to a heat-safe container, and allow to cool. 
• Allow the brown butter to completely set in the fridge to firm. 
• Preheat the oven 350F and line an 8x8 in a pan with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking oil spray.
• In a large bowl, measure out the sugar. Set aside. 
• In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
• In a small pot, melt butter and dark chocolate chips, mixing together over medium-low heat.
• Once butter & chocolate have melted, pour into the large bowl with sugar and vanilla, whisking until smooth. 
• Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until smooth. 
• Stir in the flour mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. 
• Fold in the second amount of chocolate chips. 
• Transfer to the baking pan, smoothing out the top with a spoon, and baking for 28 - 30 minutes. Set on wire rack until completely cooled.

While the brownies are baking, prepare the icings.

• For the brown butter icing, allow the brown butter to come to room temperature OR soften it in the microwave. 
• In a medium-sized bowl, whip the brown butter with a hand mixer on medium/high speed for 1 -2 minutes until light.
• Add icing sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla, whipping until light and airy. 
• Set aside or set in the fridge, based on your environment temperature.
• For the cream cheese icing, melt the butter in the microwave or over low heat in a small pot.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whip the cream cheese with a hand mixer on medium/high speed for 1 – 2 minutes until soft.
• Add the icing sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla, whipping until light and airy.
• Slowly stream in the melted butter, continuing to whip until smooth. 
• Set aside or in the fridge, based on your environment temperature.
• Once the brownies have cooled, spread all of the brown butter icings over the top with a knife.
• Scoop 6-8 large dollops of the cream cheese icing on top of the iced brownies evenly spaced.
• Using the back of a large spoon, swirl the cream cheese icing with the brown butter icing until they slightly mix together and you achieve the design you like. Have fun with it! 
• Roughly chop the pecans, and sprinkle on top of the brownies. 
• Drizzle any extra brown butter on top if desired.
• Chill the brownies in the fridge for 10 – 15 minutes prior to cutting. Portion into 16 individual pieces. Serve immediately.

Notes

For an extra fudgy brownie, bake for 25-26 minutes.

Replace butter in recipes for earth balance or vegan butter.

Replace heavy cream with plant-based milk.

Use a ¾ cup of 1:1 gluten-free flour blend instead of the 1 cup of all-purpose flour.

Omit icings if desired. It’s delicious on its own!

Swap pecans for any type of nut or preferred topping.

Store brownies in the fridge for 1-3 days in the fridge in an airtight container, and 1-2 months in the freezer.

Allow coming to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 16 | Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.9g | Protein: 3.4g | Fat: 18.1g | Saturated Fat: 5.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 51.7mg | Sodium: 114.8mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 28.5g

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