Tara Teaspoon

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Newsletter
  • Shop
  • About
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Cookbooks
    • Newsletter
    • Shop
    • About
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    TaraTeaspoon » Recipes » Frosting, Icing, and Toppings

    The Best Frosting For Brownies

    Published: Jul 1, 2019 · Updated: Aug 5, 2023 by Tara Teaspoon · This page contains affiliate and sponsored links. See my full disclosure

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Pin Recipe
    white bowl of frosting for brownies and a brownie with frosting
    brownies with frosting with a bite taken

    A recipe for frosting made especially for brownies. Rich, chocolate flavor, just the right amount, and easy to make.  

    Frosting for brownies in a bowl
    Jump to:
    • Frosting for Brownies
    • What makes a good frosting for brownies?
    • Making Creamy Brownie Frosting
    • Is brownie frosting different than cake frosting?
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    Frosting for Brownies

    I find frosted brownies ridiculously delicious. It's like cake, but better, and I'm pretty particular about my baked goods.

    Frosted brownies pairs fudgy, rich brownies with that delicious stuff typically reserved for cake and cupcakes: frosting!

    FROST MY ULTIMATE BROWNIE RECIPE

    What makes a good frosting for brownies?

    • The frosting is chocolatey and smooth.

    • A delicate crust forms on top of the soft frosting as it sets.

    • It's complimentary to the brownies and neither overpowers the other.

    Find more frosted brownies here: Think Outside Of The Box Brownies

    Even though chocolate on chocolate is divine, here are other frostings that I like and would be delicious for brownies:

    Creamy Caramel Frosting

    Fluffy Vanilla Frosting

    Making Creamy Brownie Frosting

    You only need a few ingredients to make frosting for brownies. Most likely you already have them in the pantry.

    • Butter
    • Confectioners' sugar
    • Unsweetened cocoa
    • Milk
    • Vanilla extract

    Melting the cocoa with the butter activates the chocolate flavor and makes the frosting really smooth. 

    I like to let the melted butter mixture cool a bit before mixing the frosting. I find this helps make the frosting lighter and a bit fluffy. It pairs perfectly with fudgy brownies.

    Vanilla extract balances the sweet flavors and compliments all the ingredients. 

    Cocoa powder, vanilla, butter, milk, and confectioner's sugar

    Is brownie frosting different than cake frosting?

    You could use this frosting on cake, cookies or cupcakes. It's really not different. 

    I have made the recipe to make just the right amount to cover a 9-by-13-inch pan of brownies with the perfect thickness of frosting. That is about the only difference!

    Add nuts!

    I have a few folks in my family who think brownies without nuts are a sin. Add nuts! You can sprinkle nuts on top of the frosting before it sets. This way you can add nuts to just half the pan if you have a mixed crowd!

    Use pecans or walnuts for a classic flavor. Chop them coarsely for extra crunch. 

    four frosted brownies stacked on top of each other

    📖 Recipe

    frosted brownies blue background

    The Best Brownie Frosting Recipe

    Tara Teaspoon
    A recipe for frosting made especially for brownies. Rich, chocolate flavor, just the right amount and easy to make.
    4.45 from 532 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Work Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Baking, Frosting
    Servings 9 servings (Makes 1 ¼ cups)

    Ingredients
      

    • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 tablespoons milk
    • 1½ cups confectioners' sugar

    Instructions
     

    • In a large heatproof bowl, microwave the butter and cocoa powder until butter is melted. Beat together with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the vanilla and milk and stir.
    • Add the confectioners' sugar and stir, slowly at first, until incorporated; then beat on medium speed until frosting is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. use immediately on cooled brownies, or store, covered at room temperature, for up to a day.

    Video

    Notes

    • Use this brownie frosting on my Ultimate Brownies. 
    • Add chopped nuts to the top of the frosting before it sets if desired.
    • TRY MY OTHER FROSTING RECIPES: 
    • Fluffy Vanilla Frosting for cake, cupcakes and cookies. 
    • Caramel Frosting for cupcakes and spice cake.
    • Classic Cream Cheese Frosting perfect for cake or cookies.
    • The ultimate Milk Chocolate Frosting.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 145kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 1gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 3mgPotassium: 50mgFiber: 1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 195IUCalcium: 10mgIron: 0.4mg
    Get exclusive recipes sent to your inbox!Sign up for Tara's newsletter for more.

    The Best Frosting Recipes

    • feature square of swiss meringue buttercream from Live Life Deliciously cookbook.
      Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe
    • Lemon Cake feature image
      Lemon Curd Cake
    • Peanut Butter Frosting swirled on Chocolate cupcake in brown and white striped paper baking cup
      Best Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
    • lemon royal icing in a bowl with a spatula and cut lemons on cutting board
      Lemon Royal Icing
    • Creamy Caramel Icing on a slice of Classic Spice Cake
      Homemade Spice Cake With Caramel Icing
    • hot caramel icing in a blue bowl with spoon
      Creamy Caramel Icing Recipe For Cake
    • best frosting for chocolate cake layers
      The Best Frosting for Chocolate Cake
    • close up of whipped chocolate ganache frosting
      Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting

    Tara in kitchen making salad

    Tara Teaspoon

    I’ve been in food publishing for over 25 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television, food brands, & advertising. With two cookbooks under my belt and thousands of my recipes at your fingertips, I hope you'll be inspired to spend more time in the kitchen!

    More about Tara

    Recipe & Photography Tara Teaspoon. 6/19

    Comments

      4.45 from 532 votes (502 ratings without comment)

      Review Or Ask A Question! Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating





      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Lenore Litwin says

      July 28, 2023 at 7:17 pm

      Perfection. For people having trouble with lumps, sift the cocoa and the powdered sugar first. This was an excellent recipe! Thanks

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        August 03, 2023 at 6:50 pm

        Great suggestion Lenore, thank you for sharing!

        Reply
    2. Ashley B says

      September 28, 2023 at 9:04 pm

      This recipe was exactly what I was hoping it would be! I wanted to make a brownie “cake” for a birthday, so of course it needed icing. I used 1 tsp leftover coffee from the morning drip instead of vanilla (ran out and too lazy to go to store!) and it tasted so rich and smooth.

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        October 10, 2023 at 11:11 am

        Thanks for letting me know how much you enjoyed the recipe and I love how you made it your own with the coffee addition!

        Tara

        Reply
    3. Angie says

      March 14, 2024 at 3:47 pm

      The frosting was delicious and came out perfect. The only thing I did different was add a tablespoon of instant coffee. Gave it a more complex flavor and took the chocolate flavor to a new level!

      Reply
    4. Jules says

      July 18, 2024 at 3:05 pm

      Followed exact measurements and it turned out fabulous!

      Reply
      • Tara T. says

        July 23, 2024 at 6:28 pm

        Great to hear Jules! Thanks for letting me know.
        Tara

        Reply
    5. TriciaG says

      July 19, 2024 at 5:56 pm

      I love this recipe! It's simple and delicious. Confession: I didn't have any cocoa on hand and didn't want to go out in 100 degree weather to get some so I replaced the cocoa and powdered sugar with 1 ½ cups of Ovaltine. I beat it till smooth. It came out just like you said, with the crust formed on the top. Yummy!

      Reply
      • Tara T. says

        July 23, 2024 at 6:31 pm

        Now that is a creative substitution. I love that! Thank you for sharing.

        Reply
    6. Cindy says

      October 20, 2024 at 10:10 am

      Great Recipe. I used high fat Dutch Process Cocoa and added 1.5 tsp instant espresso. Wonderful flavor.

      Reply
    7. Kathy says

      April 23, 2025 at 5:15 pm

      I made some classic Hershey’s Cocoa Honey Bear brownies last night for the first time. The recipe called for “your favorite chocolate frosting.” I found this online and it is absolutely delicious! Perfect for these brownies and now “my favorite.” So good you’ll want to eat it straight out of the bowl!

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        May 06, 2025 at 3:58 pm

        I'm glad it was the perfect combo!

        Reply
    8. Kari says

      June 12, 2025 at 9:14 pm

      This turned out great! Followed recipe. I’m tempted to make it a fudge! Delicious!!

      Reply
    9. Rosalee Ann Adams says

      July 02, 2025 at 6:39 pm

      Can I use half and half instead of milk for this recipe?
      How long after brownies come out of the oven can I apply the frosting?
      Once frosted should they be placed in fridge or can they be left out until
      serving?
      Thanks so much!!

      Reply
      • Tara T. says

        July 02, 2025 at 8:16 pm

        Yes you can use half and half.
        I prefer to wait until the brownies are completely cool to put on the frosting. Otherwise the warm brownies melt the frosting.
        No need to store in the fridge unless you like cold brownies melt they can stay at room temperature, covered, for three or four days.
        Enjoy!

        T a r a

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Hi, I'm Tara Teaspoon!

    I’ve been sharing my original ideas for years. What began as a passion, turned into a publishing career as Food Editor at Martha Stewart Living and Ladies’ Home Journal magazines.

    Now I write cookbooks, and share delicious recipes and expert cooking tips with you here! Thanks for stopping by Tara Teaspoon!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • square feature image of turkey pot pie with biscuits on top in a cast iron skillet.
      Turkey Pot Pie with Biscuits
    • featured image of the perfect slice of lemon lush icebox dessert.
      Lemon Lush
    • Three stacked Easter blondies on a small white plate.
      Mini Egg Cookie Bars
    • Polenta zucchini salad in a serving bowl.
      Chicken and Zucchini Salad with Polenta Croutons

    Cookbooks

    Tara Teaspoon Cookbooks

    Footer

    Subscribe for emails and exclusive updates!

    Sign me up!
    Tara Teaspoon horizontal logo

    ↑back to top

    Explore

    • Recipe Index
    • Cookbooks
    • New Posts
    • Newsletter Subscribe

    About

    • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Refund Policy
    • Disclaimer & Terms

    Copyright © 2025 Tara Teaspoon, Inc • Powered by Feast+

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.