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    TaraTeaspoon » Desserts » Frosting + Icing

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    Published: by

    The Best Frosting For Brownies

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe Jump to Comments
    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?
    • The Best Brownie Frosting Recipe

    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
    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.
    4.41 from 402 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Baking, Frosting
    Cuisine American
    Servings 9 servings (Makes 1 ¼ cups)
    Calories 145 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 5 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 tbsp 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.

    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
    Want to watch videos to show you how to cook?Check out our Youtube and try this recipe and more.

    The best frosting recipes to make

    • The Best Frosting for Chocolate Cake
    • Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting
    • Light and Fluffy Vanilla Frosting
    • Easy Royal Icing
    • Swiss Meringue Buttercream
    • Creamy Caramel Icing
    • Christmas Tree Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Cream Cheese Frosting

    Tara in kitchen making salad

    About Tara Teaspoon

    I’ve been in the food publishing business for over 20 years, creating recipes & food-styling for magazines, books, television & advertising. Order my new cookbook & stick around for amazing things to eat.

    Find out more!

    Recipe & Photography Tara Teaspoon. 6/19

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    Filed Under: Brownies, Brownies + Bars, Chocolate, Desserts, Frosting + Icing Tagged With: brownies, chocolate, creamy, frosting, recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. molly says

      September 20, 2019 at 8:20 pm

      My frosting wasn’t smooth no matter how long I mixed it. I had to microwave it. There was also WAY too much sugar and ruined the recipe

      Reply
      • Julie Fleischhacker says

        September 23, 2019 at 3:00 pm

        Molly, I am so sorry to hear you feel this way about the frosting recipe. I have had a lot of success with this recipe and I think that it compliments brownies well. I don’t know what smoothness level you were looking to achieve, but it is a frosting made with confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar), so it should have a tiny bit of graininess but also smoothness from the butter. Thank you, Tara

        Reply
      • EH Oliver says

        April 30, 2020 at 11:00 pm

        Mine as well. I think the cocoa is old. Also too sweet.

        Reply
      • Sharon causey says

        February 20, 2021 at 1:52 pm

        Try sifting powdered sugar, especially if it’s old

        Reply
      • Jennifer says

        May 21, 2022 at 8:23 pm

        Cocoa powder is flammable - should not be microwaved!

        Reply
        • Tara Teaspoon says

          May 25, 2022 at 9:00 am

          Hi Jennifer. Most food is flammable! Cocoa works great in the microwave and unless you have a faulty microwave it is perfectly safe. Microwaves are designed to heat food (and here I combine cocoa with other things) and not catch them on fire. Thanks for your concern though. Tara

          Reply
    2. Mary B says

      October 30, 2019 at 3:03 pm

      Wow! This recipe is divine! I guess brownies aren't brownies without frosting and this one is wonderful! It is a hit at my house!

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        October 30, 2019 at 4:57 pm

        Thanks again Mary! As you may know, I LOVE frosting! Glad your family enjoyed them as much as I do. Tara

        Reply
    3. Danielle says

      November 07, 2019 at 12:33 am

      Made this recipe tonight, following it exactly, and it turned out AMAZING!! It was SO smooth, creamy and delicious. It was the perfect finishing g touch for our brownies. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        November 07, 2019 at 1:35 pm

        Yeah! So thrilled you enjoyed the frosting (and the brownies)!! It's the perfect addition to an already perfect treat. Thanks for sharing - Tara

        Reply
    4. Harry says

      November 13, 2019 at 3:56 pm

      First time using the recipe and it turned out as promised. You can always tweek an icing with a touch more milk or cream for a thinner icing or a little more icing sugar to thicken it up. Try to make sure your butter chocolate ratio is pretty close.
      Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Tara says

        November 13, 2019 at 4:45 pm

        Ah lovely. Absolutely! that's a great trick for the icing.

        Reply
    5. Kari says

      November 27, 2019 at 12:49 pm

      This recipe is awesome! I used 1/2 reg. unsweetened cocoa and 1/2 dark chocolate. I took brownies to a memorial service and now people are asking for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        December 02, 2019 at 10:45 am

        Great idea for substitutions! I love when my readers get creative with ingredients. Thanks for commenting - Tara

        Reply
        • Wendy says

          March 19, 2020 at 4:48 pm

          THE BEST! Just made it!

          Reply
          • Tara says

            March 19, 2020 at 5:04 pm

            Oh fantastic!! Glad you love it!

            Reply
    6. Cecilia says

      November 27, 2019 at 9:02 pm

      This recipe is awesome! My family loved the frosting and I will make again!

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        December 02, 2019 at 10:42 am

        So glad to hear you and your family liked the frosting AND that you'll be making it again. Enjoy! Tara

        Reply
    7. Ami Idowu says

      March 03, 2020 at 9:20 pm

      I LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe and have been using it for a while, but I am curious and recently wanted to substitute the whole milk. Did you have any suggestions? Almond milk? No milk?

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        March 04, 2020 at 11:39 am

        Hi Ami, I am so happy to hear you like this recipe. It's one of my favorites and I hope you try some of my other frosting recipes. You can absolutely substitute different types of milk in this recipe because you aren't baking it - nut or soy milk will work great. If you exclude milk completely, the recipe will work but may be thicker. As long as the texture works for your recipe, you can leave it out completely. Thanks Tara

        Reply
        • Ami Idowu says

          March 04, 2020 at 2:30 pm

          Thanks so much for replying so quick! I’ll definitely try the almond milk and let you know how it came out.

          Reply
          • Sara Pecchia says

            March 07, 2020 at 1:56 pm

            Hi Tara
            I am planning to make this tomorrow. Would I be able to use cream instead of milk I don’t have any and for such small amount to buy milk just for this. Would I get the same results.

            Reply
            • Tara Teaspoon says

              March 12, 2020 at 12:46 pm

              Hi Sara, You absolutely can use heavy cream instead of milk and in a pinch you can use water too. Enjoy! Tara

            • Mrs. Jacqueline Quinn says

              April 15, 2021 at 10:41 pm

              I didn’t realize I was out of milk so I open the can of evaporated milk and use that. I ended up using closer to 4 tablespoons. I’m sure it would be sweeter with whole milk. But it turned out delicious. I ended up sending my husband to the convenient store because who eats brownies without milk? Thanks for the recipe

    8. Renee Gorby says

      March 15, 2020 at 1:19 pm

      To the writer who wanted a substitute for whole milk, I suggest evaporated fat free milk. I made this today and it turned out wonderfully. Thanks!

      Reply
    9. Jarrod Duffy says

      April 16, 2020 at 4:46 pm

      I tried the recipe it turned out great was good I would make it again

      Reply
      • Tara says

        April 17, 2020 at 9:06 pm

        I'm so glad! Thanks for letting me know!

        Reply
    10. Kim Armstrong says

      July 06, 2020 at 4:34 pm

      My husband is very picky but just loved this icing for my brownies. I will use this again and try the other icing suggestions when I bake again. They were great and he really enjoyed the icing.

      Reply
    11. Tammie says

      September 11, 2020 at 9:33 pm

      I don't have unsalted butter. Can I use Salted

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        October 12, 2020 at 5:02 pm

        Hi Tammie, Absolutely, use what you have on hand. You may want to reduce the added salt in the recipe a little if sodium is a concern for you or your family. Enjoy! Tara

        Reply
    12. Kimberley Pink says

      January 06, 2021 at 1:13 pm

      This is the recipe I have been looking for! It is simply divine as someone else said here!!! And on crazy days such as these times of covid lockdown, you don't even need the brownies, just grab a spoon!!! I have honestly made this recipe 4 times in the past month to give out as holiday brownies- a dusting of crushed candy cane makes it taste like it came straight from the North Pole. I am making it again today as requested for the middle layer of a birthday cake! This is definitely a new family favourite! Thank you for such a great recipe!

      Reply
      • Tara says

        January 09, 2021 at 8:09 pm

        Genius!! I'm so happy you've liked it. It's my go-to for sure.

        Reply
    13. Rennie says

      April 23, 2021 at 1:05 pm

      I unfortunately overbaked a batch of brownies. This frosting to the rescue! It was super fast to make and turned out delicious and smooth.

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        May 04, 2021 at 4:19 pm

        Oh genius! I'm glad it saved the brownies.

        Reply
    14. Jackie says

      May 31, 2021 at 12:10 pm

      I cannot consume dairy so I made this recipe vegan and it turned out delicious. I subbed the milk for nut milk and the butter with vegan Mykonos butter. I just used a hand-whisk too and it came out smooth. So easy and it really made my brownies next level delicious.

      Reply
    15. Jackie says

      May 31, 2021 at 2:11 pm

      I forgot to rate the recipe last time so I am commenting again. I cannot consume dairy so I made this frosting vegan simply by replacing the milk and butter 1 to 1 with nut milk and vegan Mykonos unsalted better. The brownies were good on their own but this took them to the next level. Delicious. I am lazy and didn't feel like hauling out my mixer so I just whisked by hand and it turned out smooth and delicious. Easy. Thank you Tara!

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        June 03, 2021 at 10:26 am

        Ahh thanks so much for rating it! I love Mykonos butter for dairy substitutes. It works in my cookies too. I'm glad it turned out wonderfully for you!!

        Reply
    16. Gary says

      June 08, 2021 at 2:30 pm

      Wow! Could not have been more perfect! And super easy to make…definitely 5 stars!!

      Reply
    17. Pavithra says

      July 09, 2021 at 5:19 am

      I tried the frosting, its amazing!! Came out smooth and fluffy. I did add a little more than 2 tbsp of almond milk and it's so creamy and yumm. Thank you 🙂

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        July 09, 2021 at 1:19 pm

        Oh lovely. Glad you liked it.

        Reply
    18. Marie says

      July 11, 2021 at 1:35 pm

      Hi Tara.. I would like to add a bit of espresso to the frosting should I just add a bit more sugar?

      Reply
    19. Glenda says

      July 23, 2021 at 9:36 pm

      This is a huge hit! First time I made frosting melting butter and cocoa together. They out of this world!

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        August 04, 2021 at 12:19 pm

        I'm so happy you like it! I think that technique makes such a difference!

        Reply
    20. Glenda says

      July 23, 2021 at 9:38 pm

      Forgot to rate....10 stars if I could.

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        August 04, 2021 at 12:18 pm

        Ahh thanks!

        Reply
    21. Tara Teaspoon says

      August 04, 2021 at 12:21 pm

      Marie, if it's prepared espresso, yes, you'd need to add more confectioners' sugar for consistency. Or swap some of the milk for the espresso. I would suggest just adding some espresso powder to the milk and using that as flavor. It will be more intense.

      Reply
    22. Kelley says

      September 23, 2021 at 3:10 am

      I made it and love it! Best frosting I have tried yet! Such delicious fudge chocolate taste!

      Reply
    23. Caryn says

      October 11, 2021 at 1:58 pm

      I made it exactly as written and it came out perfect. To those of you who had runny frosting, just add a wee bit more confectioners sugar to thicken it up, add it slowly a tablespoon at a time. You should always add the milk at the end of the recipe that will prevent any runny frosting. I also use half and half instead of milk. This was perfect on my brownies! Everyone loved it.

      Reply
    24. Juliet Mellenger says

      December 24, 2021 at 2:07 pm

      I watched your video of you icing the brownies. They were in the pan when you iced them, then all of a sudden the entire brownie was on a cutting board (without being in the pan) and then you sliced it. How did you get the iced, uncut brownies out of the pan in one whole piece? Just curious - this is not very important. 😀
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        December 27, 2021 at 11:31 am

        Hi Juliet and great question! I line my greased pan with foil or parchment paper, allowing it to hang over the sides. Then after baking & frosting, I can lift the whole pan of brownies out of the pan at one time and slice. Enjoy! Tara

        Reply
    25. Holly says

      January 10, 2022 at 7:43 pm

      I made this while substituting the butter for coconut oil to make it dairy free, it paired beautifully with a batch of gluten and dairy free brownies I made from a king Arthur’s GF flour bag (I cut the sugar content of the brownies in 1/2). I used a hand mixer on high to make sure I got a smooth consistency and it turned out great! I’ll definitely be using this recipe again!!! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        January 14, 2022 at 11:41 am

        Great substitutions and so glad you could make my receipt work for your preferences. Thanks for sharing, I'm sure others will be glad for the tips. Tara

        Reply
    26. Kimberly says

      April 10, 2022 at 4:09 pm

      This frosting is so yummy! I love the consistency and taste! It doesn’t taste powdered sugar-like! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Tara Teaspoon says

        April 13, 2022 at 9:16 am

        So glad you enjoyed my recipe. Tara

        Reply

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