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Frosting & Fettuccine

Home » Recipe Search » Frosting

May 2, 2022(last updated September 30, 2022)

5 Minute Decadent Brownie Frosting

5 from 19 votes
BySam Adler
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to take your brownies up a notch, then you must try this 5 Minute Decadent Brownie Frosting recipe. This rich chocolate frosting is smooth, velvety, and absolutely delicious! It takes just 5 minutes to make, and it will add a layer of wow to your brownies that everyone will love.

Swirls of chocolate frosting

I love enjoying a good homemade brownie- especially a super fudgy one. But sometimes they need a little something extra to take them over the top.

That’s where this insanely delicious brownie frosting comes in. It’s the perfect finishing touch to any brownie recipe! Of course if you’re making brownies, you should make these one bowl brownies! This is the recipe I used for these pictures!

You could also top this icing on top of red velvet brownies, or sandwich it between chocolate brownie cookies. Ok I am drooling now!

This brownie icing will give your brownies a beautiful glossy sheen and a delicious chocolate flavor that will take them to the next level. As a trained pastry chef– trust me when I say it’s the perfect addition to any brownie recipe!

WHY YOU SHOULD MAKE THIS RECIPE

  • It’s made with just 4 simple ingredients you can find in your pantry or at any grocery store.
  • This chocolate frosting for brownies takes just 5 minutes to whip up with the help of your microwave and a whisk.
  • It truly takes a simple brownie recipe to the next level offering richness and decadence.
  • It’s perfect for brownie lovers of all ages!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

Ingredients for brownie frosting.
  • Unsalted Butter – Makes up the creamy base of this recipe and gives the frosting its rich buttery flavor.
  • Cocoa Powder – Gives the brownie icing its chocolate taste and natural brown coloring.
  • Confectioners Sugar – This fine sugar blends in easily with the rest of the ingredients making it thick and smooth.
  • Milk – Helps thin out the frosting to the perfect consistency while keeping it creamy.

HOW TO MAKE BROWNIE FROSTING in 5 minutes

  1. Prepare the butter: Add the butter to a microwavable safe bowl. Melt in 30-second intervals in the microwave until no solids remain.
  2. Mix the frosting: To the melted butter, add the cocoa powder and whisk until it’s incorporated into the butter. Then, add the powdered sugar and milk and whisk until a smooth frosting is formed.
  3. Frost: Use it to frost cooled brownies immediately. The frosting will harden on the top as it sets leaving a creamy texture underneath.
Melted chocolate in a glass bowl
Melt the chocolate
chocolate frosting in a small glass bowl
Mix the ingredients together

Cutting and Serving

Wait 5-10 minutes before cutting the brownies after frosting so that the icing hardens and you can make clean cuts.

Cut brownies stacked together on a parchment lined plate.

The best way to cut brownies is to use a large sharp knife. Dip it in hot water, then wipe off the excess and slice the brownies. Clean the knife and repeat with the water. The residual warmth of the knife from the hot water will make nice clean cuts!

TIPS FOR RECIPE SUCCESS

  • Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth the frosting on brownies
  • When melting the butter, make sure it’s not too hot. Use 30-second intervals in the microwave and whisk in between each interval.
  • If your brownie frosting is too thick, add a little more milk until it reaches the desired consistency.
  • If your brownie frosting is too thin, add a little more cocoa powder or confectioners sugar until it reaches the desired consistency.
  • Be sure to use unsalted butter in this recipe so the brownie frosting doesn’t end up too salty.
  • When frosting your brownies, make sure they are fully cooled before frosting. This will ensure that the frosting doesn’t melt off of the brownie from the heat.

STORAGE

Because this frosting hardens quickly, it needs to be used immediately. I do not recommend making this in advance.

You can store the brownies once frosted in an air tight container.

Uncut brownies slathered with chocolate brownie frosting.

FAQ

What do you put on top of brownies?

You can put frosting, icing, or even a simple glaze on top of brownies. This frosting is a great way to top any brownie recipe!

How long should you wait to frost brownies?

You should wait until the brownies are cooled completely before frosting them. If the brownies are warm, the frosting will melt right off!

What is brownie icing made of?

Brownie icing is usually made with cocoa powder, butter, sugar, and milk. This recipe uses those same ingredients to create a delicious chocolatey frosting!

WAYS TO ENJOY

  • Use it to frost the top of a delicious Banana Bundt Cake.
  • Frost the tops of these Fluffy Chocolate Chip Cupcakes for a unique twist on the frosting.
  • Slather it onto this skillet cookie
Swirls of chocolate frosting

5 Minute Decadent Brownie Frosting

If you're looking for a quick and easy way to take your brownies up a notch, then you must try this 5 Minute Decadent Brownie Frosting recipe. This rich chocolate frosting is smooth, velvety, and absolutely delicious!
5 from 19 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Frosting
Cuisine: American
Diet: Kosher
Keyword: brownie frosting, brownie icing, chocolate frosting for brownies
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 12 brownies
Calories: 119kcal
Author: Sam Adler

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter melted, 56g
  • ⅓ cup cocoa 35g
  • 2 cups confectioners sugar 227g
  • 3 tbsp milk

Instructions

  • In a large microwavable safe bowl melt the butter 30 seconds at a time until fully melted.
  • Add in the ⅓ cup cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.
  • Add in the 2 cups of confectioners sugar and 3 tbsp milk.
  • Whisk until smooth and frost right away otherwise it will harden.
  • Use it to frost these one bowl brownies!

Video

https://youtu.be/DQjMkrCI6n8

Notes

I used my one bowl brownie recipe for the brownies you see here.
Frost immediately or the frosting will harden.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
5 Minute Decadent Brownie Frosting
Amount Per Serving (1 portion)
Calories 119 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 11mg4%
Sodium 3mg0%
Potassium 43mg1%
Carbohydrates 22g7%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 20g22%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 124IU2%
Calcium 9mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I love when you share my recipes!!

886 shares

Filed Under: Frosting Tagged With: Chocolate

About Sam Adler

Sam Adler is a Le Cordon Bleu professionally trained pastry chef, Saveur Blog Award winner, food photographer, and food blogger over on FrostingandFettuccine.com. She has been featured in numerous online and in-print publications including Taste of Home Magazine, Saveur Magazine, The Feed Feed, and Food Blogger Pro. Sam lives in Hollywood florida with her husband, two young kids, and french bulldog. When she’s not baking and dancing in her kitchen you can find her at her favorite yoga spot.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Roberta says

    September 12, 2022 at 9:36 am

    5 stars
    Absolutely is decadent and real simple. I never want to lose this recipe.
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Sam Adler says

      September 16, 2022 at 10:13 am

      Aww Roberta thank you so much!! So happy you enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply
  2. Brooke says

    September 26, 2022 at 9:53 pm

    5 stars
    Wow! Printing it now to keep, it’s delicious. Thank you so much for sharing.

    Reply
    • Sam Adler says

      September 28, 2022 at 1:49 pm

      Awww YAY Brooke! So glad you love it! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a review and rating, I so appreciate you!!

      Reply
  3. Rose says

    October 15, 2022 at 10:49 am

    Can you substitute the milk for non dairy milk for lactose intolerant people

    Reply
    • Sam Adler says

      October 15, 2022 at 8:34 pm

      Hi Rose! Yep you sure can, I have used rice or soy milk as a substitute and it still works great!

      Reply
  4. Joanne says

    October 28, 2022 at 10:41 pm

    5 stars
    WOW Sam!!
    Simply amazing! Creamy, a breeze to put together and my husband said it was a keeper! I topped off the frosting with orange-colored sprinkles – for a fun and tasty Halloween with my grandchildren! Thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Sam Adler says

      October 30, 2022 at 11:31 am

      YAY Joanne! So glad your family loved this easy recipe! Thank you SO much for coming back to leave a rating and review!! Happy Halloweeen!

      Reply
  5. Megan Cofield says

    December 09, 2022 at 7:11 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely magical! Easy and delicious! Saving!

    Reply
    • Sam Adler says

      December 11, 2022 at 1:07 pm

      Wohooo! Thanks for the 5 star review and comment Megan! So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  6. Rachel Dorsey says

    December 11, 2022 at 8:51 pm

    5 stars
    Made this for my son’s 18th birthday and it was the talk of the party!! Will be making this recipe again!!!

    Reply
    • Sam Adler says

      December 13, 2022 at 9:10 am

      Wohooo! Happy Birthday! SO glad you loved this recipe. I so appreciate you coming back and leaving a review and 5 star rating. Thank you so much!

      Reply
  7. Rilla says

    January 19, 2023 at 5:08 pm

    5 stars
    Very creamy and smooth! Easiest and most delicious chocolate frosting I’ve ever made! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sam Adler says

      January 25, 2023 at 5:11 pm

      *Excitedly jumps up and down* YAY! So glad to hear that! Thank you so much for the 5 star review and your comment, it really makes my day!

      Reply
  8. Wendy Mihaly says

    January 22, 2023 at 3:35 pm

    5 stars
    I don’t frost brownies. Well……I will from now on! Delicious!

    Reply
    • Sam Adler says

      January 25, 2023 at 5:10 pm

      HAHA YAY! I leave them unfrosted sometimes too, especially if they have the crackly tops, but when they don’t I always top it with this recipe! So glad you like it, thank you so much for the comment and rating!!

      Reply
  9. Kelley Lackey says

    February 12, 2023 at 1:49 am

    I’m making your 30 minute fudgy one-bowl brownies for the first time tomorrow. Am doubling it cuz I need more. Going to also make your 5 minute decadent brownie frosting. Wondering how big of a bowl I will need to double it?
    Will rate after I make them but both recipes sound delicious & easy.

    Reply
    • Sam Adler says

      February 12, 2023 at 11:38 am

      Hi Kelley! For both a double batch of the brownies and frosting you’ll need a large bowl. The frosting needs a large one because of all the powdered sugar but it will all melt once you add the cream to it. To make sure its super smooth I would also sift the powdered sugar. Can’t wait to hear how it comes out!

      Reply
      • Kelley Lackey says

        February 12, 2023 at 6:13 pm

        Ok they’re in the oven. You would think I never made anything from scratch before. Had a few mishaps as I was mixing. I did write down all the doubled amounts. Only put in 3 eggs but remembered after the dry ingredients went in. Used my hand mixer to get it all mixed in plus I didn’t have kosher salt so used regular table salt. The batter looked thicker & not as dark as yours in the video. So we’ll see. I may be buying brownies in the morning to take to this meal several of us are providing for a family after a memorial service. In general I never do a new recipe for an event. I think doubling it made it harder to manage the heavy bowl of batter. I of course will have to taste one after they cool before I do the frosting. They may not be worthy of frosting 😜

        Reply
        • Sam Adler says

          February 14, 2023 at 9:52 am

          I hope it all worked out Kelley! I have doubled these before and it was totally fine. It is harder to manage liek you said with double the batter but it just means double the yummy-ness 😝

          Reply
      • Kelley says

        February 12, 2023 at 6:19 pm

        I also forgot to ask about increasing the bake time 😩
        They clearly aren’t done in the middle at 25 min. Will do 10 more & check. 5min after that etc

        Reply
        • Sam Adler says

          February 14, 2023 at 9:50 am

          I hope they came out ok!!!

          Reply
          • Kelley says

            February 14, 2023 at 9:08 pm

            They did turn out. I wasn’t careful enough when lifting them out with the parchment paper & had a diagonal break towards one end. Went ahead & iced & was able to cut & salvage all but a couple.
            They were not
            symmetrical but more organic in shape. If I could figure out how to add a picture I would.
            I did love the crunchy top & fudgy center. Loved the chocolate flavor of both brownie & frosting. Will be making again 😋

          • Sam Adler says

            February 16, 2023 at 11:30 am

            Glad you liked them! They need to be totally cooled before lifting them out. Next time I would even put them in the fridge to chill before lifting them out, they will hold their shape better!

  10. Leslie says

    February 13, 2023 at 5:32 pm

    5 stars
    This is a excellent frosting for just about anything, soo easy & yummy. Thank you for

    Reply
    • Sam Adler says

      February 14, 2023 at 9:50 am

      Thank you Leslie!! So glad enjoyed it!! SO appreciate your 5 star rating and review!

      Reply
  11. Debbie says

    March 02, 2023 at 8:26 pm

    5 stars
    This frosting is so Delicious and very easy. I will definitely be making it again! Thank you for sharing .

    Reply
    • Sam Adler says

      March 03, 2023 at 4:54 pm

      YAY Debbie!! Thank you so much, I’m so glad you love it!

      Reply
  12. Dana Hisle says

    March 02, 2023 at 10:11 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect! Could not have found a simpler frosting! Needed last minute batch of brownies, with frosting! Both turned out perfect! Thank you so much for taking the time to share.

    Dana

    Reply
    • Sam Adler says

      March 03, 2023 at 4:55 pm

      Thank you Dana!! This just makes my day! So glad you loved the recipes!!! Thank you for your comment and 5 star review!

      Reply

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Do you love this recipe? If so, I would be so grateful if you left a star rating with your comment! Star ratings help other people find my recipes so they can make them too. Thank you for your support!

XO, Sam

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Hi! Im Sam Adler,

I'm a professionally trained pastry chef and food photographer.
This is a place where you will find easy yet impressive looking desserts. I also share a ton of food photography resources too! What can I say, I love pretty & delicious baked goods! Learn more about me!

As Featured In:

Logo images of media places Sam Adler has been featured in
Saveur Blog award winner for best food Instagram

samadlerphotography

👋🏻 2022! Will be celebrating this year on th 👋🏻 2022! Will be celebrating this year on the couch with this in my lap. No sharing allowed! Those 3 spoons are all mine 😂😂 

🍾🥂HAPPY NEW YEAR 🍾🥂
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Recap of all the cookie boxes!!! This year’s @ta Recap of all the cookie boxes!!! This year’s @taylorswift theme has got to be my fave (see my last reel for the explanation of each cookie!) but I have so much fun every year making these! Which one is your fave?! 

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ARE YOU READY FOR IT?! 2022 Cookie Box is @taylors ARE YOU READY FOR IT?! 2022 Cookie Box is @taylorswift themed!! 
1. “Like a rainbow with all of the colors” sprinkle cookies 
2. “Lover” heart sugar cookies 
3. “Lavender Haze” shortbread (made with lavender and a pearly shimmer powder)
4. “Midnight” cookies AKA my chocolate brownie cookies 
5. “Red lip classic” sugar cookies 
6. More midnight cookies- (dusted with powdered sugar to look like the midnight cloudy sky)
7. “Bejeweled” sugar cookies (Navy bc black fondant was out of stock)
8. @taylorswift famous chai cookies 

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#ad This year for Chanukah we’re switching it up #ad This year for Chanukah we’re switching it up from classic sufganiyot to make these fun donut fries! Puffy, golden, and delicious, dip your “fries” into melted chocolate or raspberry jelly and celebrate all week long! @aldiusa makes it super easy with their amazing selection of high quality products at seriously unimaginable prices. Run to your nearest @aldiusa to find all the ingredients you need to make these and have a Happy Chanukah!
Find the recipe below!

#ALDILove
Prep time: 1 hr 45 mins
Cook time: 1 min
Yield: 40 donut fries
2 pack Baker’s Corner Active Dry Yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water
1/3 cup Sugar
2 Simply Nature Grade A Organic Cage Free Brown Eggs
2 tbsp Stonemill Pure Vanilla Extract
1/3 cup Carlini Pure Vegetable Oil
5-6 cups Baker’s Corner All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Kosher salt
½ cup Baker’s Corner Powdered Sugar
For Dipping:
1 cup Baker’s Corner Dark or Milk Chocolate Morsels
Simply Nature Organic Raspberry Preserves
Method:
•Mix the yeast with water in a mixer bowl and let stand for 10 mins until frothy. Add the
sugar, eggs, vanilla, and oil to the bowl and mix until well combined.
•Start adding only 5 cups of flour and salt, and knead/mix on medium speed in a stand mixer
fitted with the dough attachment for 5 minutes until a soft, non-sticky dough forms. If the
dough seems sticky, add ¼ cup flour to the dough until it no longer sticks to the bowl when
mixing.
•Let the dough rest in the bowl for an hour to double in size. 
•Punch down the dough and remove it from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Using a
lightly floured rolling pin, roll it out into a rectangle. About 18”x 15” and 1/2 of an inch in
thickness. 
•Using a pizza cutter, cut in half vertically. Then slice thin strips horizontally. You want them
thin as they will puff up while frying.
•Let the fries rest for another 15 mins. 
•Meanwhile, using a deep fryer or a large pot, heat your oil to 350 degrees F. Fry the donut
fries 30 seconds per side, then drain on a paper towel.
•Dust the donut fries with powdered sugar and set aside.
•Microwave 1 cup of dark or milk chocolate for 30 seconds at a time until melted. Scoop
jelly into another bowl. Dip the fries in the chocolate or jelly!
Happy birthday @taylorswift 👸🏼 hope it feels Happy birthday @taylorswift 👸🏼 hope it feels like a perfect night and you’re not weepin in a party bathroom. IYKYK
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I sure do like these gingersnap cookies babe 😂 I sure do like these gingersnap cookies babe 😂 

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