Let’s make homemade strawberry brownies! This recipe uses freeze dried strawberries in the batter for ease and texture, semisweet chocolate, and cocoa for plenty of flavor, and then the brownies are topped with a layer of chocolate ganache. Thick, decadent and delicious — exactly how a homemade chocolate brownies should be!
I don’t know about you but when I hear strawberry brownies– I think CHOCOLATE. When I was developing this recipe, I noticed that most of the strawberry brownie recipes out there didn’t have any chocolate in them at all! They are really more like blondies.
As a trained pastry chef I was set out on a mission to solve this problem! I went ahead and created these super fudgy brownies for ya! They are fudgy like these brownies with cream cheese frosting and delicious just like my classic one-bowl brownie recipe.
If you don’t want to make ganache, you could also top these brownies with my quick and easy brownie frosting that takes just 5 minutes to make!
The strawberry flavor comes from using freeze dried strawberries. I have a bunch of recipes using freeze dried strawberries on my site because they bring out the strawberry flavor without the extra moisture of fresh strawberries.
Ingredients you need
For the brownies
- Freeze dried strawberries– These are my secret ingredient! I didn’t want to use fresh strawberries because they add to much moisture and the texture wouldn’t be right. Freeze dried is perfect because they are just added to the dry ingredients! I buy them at Trader Joes or at Target. They are super easy to find.
- Unsalted butter
- Semi sweet chocolate- this type of chocolate gives the brownies a deep chocolate flavor
- Granulated sugar– for sweetness
- Eggs– for structure
- All purpose flour– For substance
- Unsweetened cocoa– For more chocolate flavor
- Kosher salt– To bring out the flavor.
For the ganache topping
- Semi sweet chocolate
- Heavy Cream
How to make Freeze Dried Strawberry Brownies
- Measure out the freeze dried strawberries and grind them up in a spice grinder, mini blender, or food processor.
- In a microwavable safe bowl, melt the butter and chocolate until completely melted. Add in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla and mix on medium speed or with a spatula until combined well.
- Add in the freeze dried strawberries along with the rest of the dry ingredients. Mix well. Bake for 28 minutes for fudgy brownies.
- Make the ganache. Measure out 6 ounces of chocolate- about 1 cup, and place it in a small bowl. Next, measure out 3 oz. of heavy cream or half n half in a microwavable safe measuring cup and microwave until it’s hot but not bubbling, about 45 seconds. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit 2 minutes- do not stir! After 2 minutes stir with a spatula until chocolate is melted
- Slather the ganache on the brownies, then refrigerate to set for 10 minutes.
- Top with extra freeze dried strawberries
Brownie Frosting
The frosting on these brownies is an easy to make chocolate ganache. You don’t have to be intimidated by it, it is super easy to make with just 2 ingredients!
Tips on making ganache
- First things first, when heating the cream, just heat it until its hot but not boiling. That’s about 45 seconds in the microwave. If it’s steamy but not bubbling you’re good. If it gets too hot it can curdle. You can heat it on the stove too! I like to do it in a measuring cup to cut down on dishes.
- Secondly when you pour the cream over the chocolate, leave it alone! Don’t touch it. Let the cream melt down the chocolate for a minute or 2, and then stir. It’s also best to use a shallow bowl for this to allow the cream to get into all the chocolate nooks and crannies.
- Use a spatula when mixing the chocolate and cream. Don’t use a whisk because a whisk will create bubbles, and you don’t want that.
- We’re using a 2:1 ratio here of chocolate to cream which makes a more fudge like ganache. I tried this as a 1:1 ratio (equal parts chocolate and cream) but it was too runny and never set up in the fridge.
Best way to cut brownies
The best way to cut brownies is by using a large chef’s knife that is run under hot water and then dried off. The residual heat from the water will slice through the brownies easily!
Yield
Depending on how you cut the brownies you can get 12-16 brownies from this recipe.
How to store and freeze strawberry brownies
Storing- These are best stored covered in an airtight container at room temperature. They will last up to 5 days!
Freezing- If you want to freeze these, then freeze them without the strawberries on top. You can still make the ganache though!
Recipe FAQ
Can I leave out the ganache for these? Totally! You can also top these with a 5 minute brownie frosting!
Can I use fresh strawberries for this recipe? I would not use fresh strawberries for this recipe because they would add too much moisture to the brownies
Can I bake these in a 9×13? Yes if you double the recipe you can! Check on the recipe after 20-25 minutes.
Should brownies crack on top? Yes! It’s ok for the brownies to crack on top. Cracked tops are caused by whipping air into the brownie batter. Not all brownie recipes will have a cracked top but the ones that do are my favorite.
What’s the secret of a good brownie? A good brownie in my opinion is crispy on the edges and gooey in the middle. The secret to that is to use the least amount of dry ingredients, and making sure not to over bake them. Both these tricks will keep your brownie gooey and not cakey.
Are brownies better with butter or oil? Brownie are better with butter because it has a better flavor than a neutral oil does.
More Brownie recipes
Easy Freeze Dried Strawberry Brownies
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- 1 1/2 cup freeze dried strawberries plus extra for garnish
- 1/2 cup butter
- 6 oz semi sweet chocolate about a heaping 1 cup
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs large
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 rd cup all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
For the Ganache
- 6 oz semi sweet chocolate about 1 heaping cup
- 3 oz cream a little more than 1/3rd cup
Instructions
Make the brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a 8×8 pan with parchment paper or spray with baking spray.
- Using a spice grinder, small blender, or food processor, grind the 1 1/2 cups freeze dried strawberries until they are pulverized and almost powder like. It's ok if not all pieces are the same size. Set aside.
- In a medium size microwavable safe bowl, melt the 1/2 cup butter and 6 oz chocolate together, 30 seconds at a time until fully melted. Add in the 1 cup sugar, 3 eggs, and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix on low to medium speed with a hand mixer or whisk by hand.
- Add in the freeze dried strawberries, 2/3rd cup flour, 2 tbsp cocoa, and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 28-30 mins until the edges of the pan start to break away. Cool.
Make the Ganache
- Add the 6 oz of chocolate to a heat safe bowl, preferably shallow. In another small bowl, heat the 3 oz of cream in the microwave (30 second at a time, 2x should be ok), or over the stove top just until the edges start to simmer. Do not bring to a full boil or the cream will curdle.
- Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 3 mins but do not stir it yet! After 3 minutes, stir with a spatula until smooth. When the brownies are cool, spread the ganache over the brownies. Chill for 10 mins in the fridge and garnish with more freeze dried strawberries.
These brownies were absolutely delicious and SO easy to make. The ganache on top is a must – and I love that they have the freeze dried strawberries on top to make them naturally festive for Valentine’s day without needing sprinkles! Will definitely be making again soon.
Thank you Abbey!!! I am so glad you enjoyed making this recipe!!! YAY!