Frosted Brownies (With Walnuts)
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These frosted fudge brownies are everything you love about my classic from-scratch brownies, finished with a thick layer of chocolate fudge frosting and walnuts baked right into every bite. They’re dense, rich, deeply chocolatey, and absolutely worth the extra step of frosting!
THESE BROWNIES ARE FOR THE SERIOUS BROWNIE LOVERS
If you’re someone who believes brownies should feel substantial, satisfying, not the least bit cakey, and full of fudgy chocolate flavor and texture, you’re absolutely in the right place.
This recipe is built on my fudgy brownie recipe, which I’ve used as the foundation for more than 20 brownie variations on my site. The structure, texture, and flavor are already dialed in– here, we’re just giving them a fancy little outfit and a bit of texture in every bite.
Here’s what makes this version special:
• Walnuts mixed directly into the batter: and some sprinkled on top, so every bite has crunch and contrast. You can leave them out, of course, but there’s something about a walnut and chocolate combo that’s hard to resist (looking at you, chocolate fudge).
• A true fudge frosting: this is one of my favorites! It’s made with melted chocolate (not cocoa powder) and we’re layering it on thick.
• A dense and chewy brownie base: these brownies stay dense and chewy, even after frosting. In fact, the space between the frosting and the top of the brownies gets ultra gooey and makes these frosted brownies truly unforgettable.
As I said, you can absolutely leave the walnuts out if you prefer, but the frosting? That’s a non-negotiable here. You will love the contrast of textures and the deep, rich chocolate coming from every angle.
QUICK OVERVIEW: INGREDIENTS FOR The Brownie Base
Rather than repeating the full breakdown here, I walk through the why behind every ingredient– and the exact method for bringing it all together– in my original fudgy brownie post. If you’re new to scratch brownies and enjoy knowing the whys, I recommend that you start there.
To highlight the important ingredient players, these brownies use melted chocolate and butter, not cocoa powder, which is key to their fudgy texture and shiny, crackly top. The sugar-to-fat ratio, combined with eggs and a small amount of flour, creates brownies that are dense without being heavy.
For this frosted version, the only change to the batter is folding in chopped walnuts just before baking.
The walnuts go directly into the batter, not only sprinkled on top. This ensures even distribution throughout the brownies, prevents dry, exposed nuts on the surface, and creates a fluid textural experience once they’re frosted.
Be sure you’re using finely chopped walnuts. If nuts aren’t your thing or you’re baking for someone with allergies, you can leave them out entirely without affecting the structure of the brownies.
The Fudge Frosting
Frosted brownies should feel like they came straight from a bakery case, which is exactly why I pair these with my ultra fudgy frosting. It’s thick, rich, and intensely chocolatey, made with melted chocolate– not cocoa powder– and that distinction matters.
Using real melted chocolate gives the frosting a dense, fudgy, creamy mouthfeel instead of a lighter, reminiscent-of-the-can texture. Because the frosting is chocolate-based rather than powdered-sugar-heavy, it sets softly with a gentle crust instead of crusting over completely, creating a smooth, fudgy layer that feels like part of the brownie itself, not an afterthought.
A few key notes:
Frost the brownies once they’re completely cool and use all of the frosting— it will feel like a lot, but I promise, you’ll want all that frosting when they’re sliced! The frosting firms up slightly as it sets but stays soft when sliced. It’s a total swoony dream!
OVERVIEW: HOW TO MAKE FROSTED BROWNIES
Melt the chocolate and butter: this is where the base of the brownies starts. You can do this in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in a double boiler. You’ll just want to make sure it has time to cool before moving on with the recipe. A mixture that’s too warm will cook your eggs!
Whisk in the sugars: after your mixture has cooled about 10-15 minutes, adding the sugars will bring down the temperature a bit more and create a perfect landing strip for the rest of the ingredients. Whisk in all of the sugar until the mixture is smooth without lumps. It will still be gritty.
Whisk in the eggs one at a time: one at a time you say? Yes. You want each one thoroughly mixed in before getting to the flour and other dry ingredients step. Once the flour is in, you want to stir as little as possible so as not to develop too much gluten. Remember, we’re not looking for cakey! We’re looking to keep this mixture dense.
Add the flour and dry ingredients: add in the remaining ingredients, minus the walnuts, and stir until everything is mostly combined. I like to let the walnuts do the rest of the dirty work in the next step.
Gently fold in the walnuts: you’re looking for an even distribution of walnuts and any large pockets of flour to dissipate. The walnuts create a little friction to help break up any lumpy spots, but again, don’t overmix. You want everything just combined with walnuts spaced out nicely.
Allow to cool + frost: the brownies will take a substantial amount of time to cool completely before it’s safe to slather frosting on top. Do not slice them before frosting!
Baking & Pan Notes
Stick with a metal baking pan for best results. Metal promotes even baking and helps you get chewy edges without overbaking the center.
If you’re using a glass pan, reduce the oven temperature by 25°F and keep a close eye on doneness. You’re looking for moist crumbs, not a clean toothpick.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
Because these brownies are frosted, proper storage matters: store them tightly covered at room temperature for short-term storage or refrigerate for longer storage, making sure all cut edges are covered. Exposed edges are still the enemy– frosting doesn’t change that.
For the best texture, be sure to bring your brownies to room temperature before serving.
If You Love These, Start with the Base
If this is your first time making brownies from scratch, I highly recommend reading through my homemade fudge brownies post. It walks through the technique, timing, and science that make this recipe so reliable, and once you understand that base, variations like this one become easy and intuitive.
Because once you realize how approachable and BETTER scratch brownies really are than the box… You may just be baking all sorts of variations.
MORE FROSTED BROWNIES YOU WILL LOVE
Fudgy Frosted Brownies with Walnuts
Ingredients
BROWNIES
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter cut into 6-8 slices
- 8 ounces (227g) semi-sweet chocolate coarsely chopped
- ¾ cup (150g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature preferred1
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (90g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (113g) finely chopped walnuts plus more for garnish, if desired
CHOCOLATE FUDGE FROSTING
- 2 ounces (57g) unsweetened baking chocolate3 coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 to 4 Tablespoons (30-60mL) milk or cream
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
BROWNIES
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Line an 8" or 9" square metal baking pan2 with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chopped chocolate, stirring frequently until completely smooth. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes.½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, 8 ounces (227g) semi-sweet chocolate
- Whisk both sugars into slightly cooled chocolate mixture until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Add the flour and salt and stir gently until the batter mostly comes together, then add the walnuts and stir until completely combined.¾ cup (150g) firmly packed light brown sugar, ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar, 3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¾ cup (90g) all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 cup (113g) finely chopped walnuts
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake brownies for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Allow brownies to cool completely before frosting.
CHOCOLATE FUDGE FROSTING
- In a small saucepan4 over medium heat, melt the unsweetened baking chocolate and the butter, stirring constantly to prevent scorching or burning. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes.2 ounces (57g) unsweetened baking chocolate3, ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter
- In a medium size bowl with a handheld mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cooled chocolate/butter mixture, vanilla extract, and milk or cream, starting with 2 Tablespoons (30mL).1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 to 4 Tablespoons (30-60mL) milk or cream
- Turn the mixer down to low and slowly add the powdered sugar and salt. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until completely combined, scraping down sides as needed. If it starts to clump, just keep mixing. It will work itself out.2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Add more liquid as needed to reach desired consistency. Buttercream is ready to use right away.
- When you are ready to frost the brownies, remove the brownies by lifting the foil overhang straight up. Peel back remaining foil and place brownie block onto a large cutting board or plate.
- Spread the frosting evenly onto the top of the brownies using an offset spatula, then sprinkle with additional walnuts, if desired. You can slice the brownies right away or allow the frosting to crust a bit. Store leftover brownies at room temperature up to 5 days. Brownies freeze well (frosted or unfrosted), up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight.
Notes
- Room temperature eggs: these incorporate into batter much more easily than cold eggs, although this is not absolutely necessary.
- Metal pan: if all you have is a glass pan, reduce oven temperature by 25º and bake for the same amount of time.
- Unsweetened chocolate: if all you have or can find is semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, you can still make this frosting. You may just need less liquid, so take care when adding liquid to the frosting base.
- Saucepan: you can also melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave or the top of a double boiler.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.