Valentine’s brownies that are easy to make yet rich and fudgy. This dessert bakes in just 20-25 minutes and has a slightly crispy top and a super-moist center, adding decadence to its name. It's like a love letter to your sweetheart just like our easy homemade brownies!
Is your Valentine crazy for homemade fudgy brownies? This recipe will sweeten his/her tooth and put a smile on their face.
It is one of the best treats for celebrating the occasion, making it memorable! Have you ever thought to serve them with a glass of champagne or wine after a nice dinner in a romantic setting?
I can already picture my husband and I sitting close to our fireplace with candles lit all over, devouring them and raising a toast to a private night (without our kids around).
How would you celebrate the date?
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
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- I made these as Valentine’s brownies, but you can decorate them for any other occasion or holiday. Use the same recipe and decorate as desired.
- For a low-carb version, make these sugar-free brownies.
. I find bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate ideal to produce brownies that are neither too rich (dark chocolate) nor too sweet (milk chocolate). You may chop up a chocolate bar or use chocolate chips.
- Unsalted butter: Gives the brownies a melt-in-your-mouth texture, making them tastier as well. But you can replace it with oil (¾ of the amount required for butter). If you need to convert sticks of butter into cups or vice-versa, see how many sticks of butter in a cup there are, especially to render this recipe properly.
- Sugar: I used white granulated sugar, but for richer brownies, you may use ⅔ of the amount of white sugar and ⅓ of dark brown sugar which has molasses.
- Eggs: They should always be at room temperature before adding them to the batter. This will make sure that it rises properly and helps guarantee more even baking.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract is the best. I am not a fan of vanilla flavoring!
- All-purpose flour: Make sure to spoon and level the flour so that you don’t end up with dense or dry brownies. To make them eggless, vegan, gluten-free, or keto, take a look at our baking substitutions.
- Cocoa powder: Always sift it before adding it to the batter in order to remove any lumps. If you are using the metric system, see how to convert US cups to ounces to grams for almost every ingredient in this recipe.
- Salt: This is optional but it enhances the chocolate flavor and balances out the sweetness from the sugar.
NOTE: For richer brownies, add ½ teaspoon of instant coffee to the melted chocolate mixture and combine until dissolved. You won’t taste the coffee but it will add a richer taste to your brownies.
How to make Valentine’s Day Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper (if needed, grease the bottom slightly so the paper can stick to the pan). Make sure the paper rise up to also line the sides of the pan so that you can lift the baked brownies out of the pan easily. If you prefer, use a heart-shaped brownies pan.
- Chop the chocolate into chunks or use chocolate chips. In a medium bowl, melt both the chocolate and the butter (cut into chunks) or oil together in the microwave in 30-second intervals or until melted (about 1 to 1 ½ minutes). Let sit for about 3 minutes and stir well until smooth. Reserve!
- In a separate large bowl, mix the sugar, sifted cocoa powder, and salt, and then add the eggs. Beat with an electric hand mixer for about 2-3 minutes to incorporate air. Whisk in the vanilla and the melted chocolate (make sure it's not too hot or else the eggs will cook) by hand.
- Sift in the flour and fold it in with a spatula to incorporate it into the batter, but do NOT overmix; otherwise, you will wind up with cakey brownies.
- Transfer the thick brownie batter to the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 20-28 minutes, depending on how fudgy you like your brownies. Let the pan cool completely on a rack before lifting up the parchment paper and slicing the valentine’s brownies into 9 slices.
- Decorate as desired! I used a star tip to pipe buttercream onto the brownies.
Homemade Buttercream Frosting Recipe
You may either buy buttercream ready to use or make your own. Here is how to make homemade buttercream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, 1-2 minutes. Add in the vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add in powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after every addition. Combine the milk, one tablespoon at a time, or until the frosting is at a piping consistency.
- To decorate our fudgy brownies for Valentine’s Day, place ⅓ of the buttercream into a piping bag and reserve. Divide the remaining ⅔ into 2 bowls. One will be mixed with a few drops of red coloring to achieve the shade of pink that you want. The other will be mixed with many more drops of red coloring to achieve a red tone.
- Transfer the pink and red buttercream to separate piping bags.
- You will have enough to pipe 9 brownies total.
- Use the white buttercream to pipe an "X" onto 3 of the brownies. To make heart-shaped brownies, pipe a pink heart onto 3 of the brownies (you can mark their tops with a heart shape cookie cutter before piping). Lastly, you could use a round cookie cutter to mark the top of the 3 remaining brownies and then pipe a circle using the red buttercream. And then you will have XOXO brownies plus heart brownies.
- You may use sprinkles to put a finishing touch on this Valentine’s dessert.
Expert's Baking Tips for Valentine's Day Brownies
- For tasty brownies with balanced sweetness, use good-quality chocolate. I also prefer bittersweet chocolate over dark (too rich) or milk chocolate (too sweet).
- When melting the chocolate with the butter or oil, it is key to let it sit for 3 minutes before mixing. This will prevent the chocolate from drying out or overheating, and will keep it melted for longer, instead of solidifying quickly.
- Sift your cocoa and flour before adding them to the batter. It will make it easier to mix or incorporate them into the batter and will result in less dense brownies.
- Beat the eggs for 2-3 minutes at least. This will help to incorporate air into the batter and allow it rise properly. Notice that baking powder, a leavening agent, is not one of the ingredients in our recipe.
- Do not overmix the flour. Fold it carefully just until combined so that the air bubbles from the beaten eggs won’t be deflated.
- Use parchment paper to line the baking pan, making sure it comes up the sides so you can lift it up and remove the brownies easily from the pan after they have baked and cooled. It will also be easier to slice them without scratching the bottom of the pan.
- Use a serrated knife to slice them and clean the knife before initiating the next cut through these chocolate fudge brownies. This will keep them neat and will help the knife slide through more easily.
- One of the secrets for moist brownies is to never overcook them! They are ready to come out when the edges start to pull away from the pan and the center is set yet soft (but not jiggly).
- Let them cool completely before slicing; otherwise, they will collapse once sliced.
- I made these as Valentine’s brownies, but you can decorate them for any other occasion or holiday. Use the same recipe and decorate as desired.
Storage
Store these valentine’s brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze them individually wrapped in parchment paper and then store them in a sealable plastic bag for up to 2 months. Let come to room temp before serving.
Make sure the container doesn’t contain any strong odors. The chocolate can absorb them quickly! That is why I prefer to store mine in Ziploc bags, squeezing out as much air as possible from the bag and sealing properly.
This is one of those easy freezer recipes that you can make ahead and thaw when you need them.
Other Valentine’s Desserts to Make:
- Brigadeiros Recipe
- Brigadeirao
- Red Wine Tapioca Pudding (Sagu de Vinho)
- Keto Shortbread Cookies with Chocolate
- 3-Ingredient Shortbread Cookies
- Chocolate Bread Pudding
- Romeo and Juliet Cupcakes
- Passion Fruit Cupcakes
- Chocolate Mousse
- Passion Fruit Mousse
PIN & ENJOY!
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Valentine's Brownies Recipe
Equipment
- mixer
- spatula
- bowls
- piping bags
- whisk
Ingredients
For the Valentine's Brownies:
- 4 oz chocolate bittersweet (good-quality)
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (about 1 ½ sticks of butter) or 9 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder sifted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour sifted
For the buttercream frosting (OPTIONAL):
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 ½ tablespoon milk
- Food coloring red
Instructions
- To make the brownies, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper (if needed, grease the bottom slightly so the paper can stick to the pan). Make sure the paper comes up the side of the pan so you can lift the baked brownies out of the pan easily. If you prefer, use a heart-shaped brownies pan.
- Chop the chocolate into chunks or use chocolate chips. In a medium bowl, melt both the chocolate and the butter (cut into chunks) or oil in the microwave in 30-second intervals or until melted, about 1 to 1 ½ minutes. Let sit for about 3 minutes and stir well until smooth. Reserve!
- In a separate large bowl, mix the sugar, sifted cocoa powder, and salt, and then add the eggs. Beat with an electric hand mixer for about 2-3 minutes to incorporate air. Whisk in the vanilla and the melted chocolate by hand (make sure chocolate is not too hot or else the eggs will cook).
- Sift in the flour and fold it in with a spatula to incorporate it into the batter, but do NOT overmix; otherwise, you will wind up with cakey brownies.
- Transfer the thick brownie batter to the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 20-28 minutes, depending on how fudgy you like your brownies. Let the pan cool completely on a rack before lifting up the parchment paper and slicing the Valentine’s brownies into 9 slices.
- Decorate as desired! I used a star tip to pipe buttercream onto the brownies.
- To make the Homemade Buttercream Frosting Recipe: You may either buy buttercream ready to use or make your own. Here is how to make homemade buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, 1-2 minutes. Add in the vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add in powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after every addition. Combine the milk, one tablespoon at a time, or until the frosting is at a piping consistency.
- To decorate our fudgy brownies for Valentine’s Day, place ⅓ of the buttercream into a piping bag and reserve. Divide the remaining ⅔ into 2 bowls. One will be mixed with a few drops of red coloring to achieve the shade of pink that you want. The other will be mixed with many more drops of red coloring to achieve a red tone.
- Transfer the pink and red buttercream to separate piping bags.
- You will have enough to pipe 9 brownies total.
- Use the white buttercream to pipe an "X" onto 3 of the brownies. To make heart-shaped brownies, pipe a pink heart onto 3 of the brownies (you can mark their tops with a heart shape cookie cutter before piping). Lastly, you can use a round cookie cutter to mark the top of the 3 remaining brownies and then pipe a circle using the red buttercream. There you will have XOXO brownies plus heart brownies.
- You may use sprinkles to put a finishing touch to this Valentine’s dessert.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
This post was first published on January 25th, 2016.
Tandy | Lavender and Lime says
Love the kids perfect timing! The brownies look scrummy 🙂
Holly says
That looks so cute! Very delicious too. I want one now.
Denise Browning says
Hi, Holly! Thank you for the visit and comment. I wish you a very happy, yummy V-day!!
Eileen | The Food Avenue says
What a beautiful recipe! These look to good to give away as a present 😛 I might just have to make them for myself!
Elissa says
So cute! Valentine's Day isn't as much of a thing with us, so it's nice to see people making it special