Refrigerator Bakery Brownies

Make your own bakery brownies at home with this rich, indulgent recipe! Dense fudge brownies are topped with fudge frosting and chilled for that straight-from-the-bakery experience.

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While a warm, melty brownie is fantastic, sometimes an ice cold one can be just as good.

Today we’re making refrigerator bakery brownies to help you save a little money on that corner bakery habit you might have. Once you learn how easy it is to make bakery worthy brownies at home, you might never go back!

What is a bakery brownie, you might ask? It’s that generously portioned brownie you’d spend big bucks on at your favorite bakery. It usually comes out of the case chilled and loaded with chocolate.

What makes these the best brownies

This brownie recipe has all the qualities you’d find in your favorite brownie from the local bakery. They’re thick and dense with lots of chocolate flavor. They’re also topped with a rich frosting that pairs perfectly with the dark chocolate taste.

Bakery brownie ingredients

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Butter
• Unsweetened chocolate
• Light brown sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Egg yolk
• Vanilla extract
• Semisweet chocolate chips

How to make refrigerator bakery brownies

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a boil. In a medium, heatproof bowl, add butter and unsweetened chocolate. Place the bowl over, but not touching, the simmering water and allow to melt, stirring occasionally to incorporate.
3. Once the butter and chocolate have melted, remove the bowl from the simmering pot and whisk in the brown and granulated sugar.
4. Whisk in the egg, yolk, and vanilla.
5. Add the flour mixture all at once and fold into the chocolate mixture with a spatula until well incorporated.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips.
7. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8 inch square baking pan and bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Fudge frosting ingredients

• Semisweet chocolate chips
• Butter
• Vanilla extract
• Salt
• Powdered sugar
• Milk

How to make fudge frosting

1. Place chocolate chips and butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until melted.
2. Whisk in the vanilla and salt, then stir in the powdered sugar.
3. Add the milk a few drops at a time, whisking briskly, until the frosting is smooth and shiny.
4. Spread immediately on the cooled brownies. Refrigerate until the frosting is set and you are ready to serve.

Top tips

How to grease and flour a pan

Using your hands, spread a thin layer of butter or shortening all around the inside of the baking pan. Next, add a few spoonfuls of flour to the pan.

Hold the pan in one hand and tap it with the other, changing the angle of the pan until the inside is completely coated with flour. Hold the pan upside down over a trash can and tap to remove any excess flour.

How to make a double boiler

When making the brownies, you’ll want to melt the butter and chocolate gently using a double boiler. This means placing a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water.

It is important to make sure the simmering water doesn’t reach the bottom of the bowl. You could also use the double boiler method to melt the butter and chocolate for the frosting if you prefer.

If you don’t have the tools for this or just don’t want to do it, you can use the microwave to melt the butter and chocolate in short bursts, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

How to know when brownies are done

Brownies should still be very soft when you remove them from the oven. If they look dry and hard they are overcooked.

Test brownies for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center, being careful to avoid any melted chocolate chips. The toothpick should come out almost clean or with moist crumbs attached. If it comes out wet, check again in a few minutes.

How to store fridge brownies

Store these brownies covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Tips for customizing

• Add a dash of instant coffee to the brownies with the sugar
• Fold chopped walnuts into the batter
• Swap the semi-sweet chocolate chips for white or dark chips
• Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend to make these gluten-free

FAQ

More brownie recipes

• Sweet Potato Brownies
• Vegan Mug Brownies
• Vegan Single Serving Brownie
• Vegan Zucchini Brownies
• Single Serve Vegan Chocolate Brownie Cookie
• Cream Cheese Ice Box Brownies
• Grandma’s Brownies

More bar recipes

• Scotcheroos
• Seven Layer Bars
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars
• Peanut Butter Oat Bars
• Gingerbread Bars
• Pecan Pie Bars
• Nutty Chocolate Oat Bars

If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!

Recipe

Refrigerator Bakery Brownies

Firm, thick bakery brownies, best kept cold in the refrigerator!

3.78 from 36 votes

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Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 15

Calories: 305kcal

Author: Lindsay Moe

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Ingredients

Brownies

• ▢ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ cup (1 stick) butter
• ▢ 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• ▢ ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 1 large egg yolk
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Frosting

• ▢ 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• ▢ 4 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 pinch salt
• ▢ ½ cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Bakery Brownies

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and place a rack in the upper third of the oven. Grease and flour an 8 inch square baking pan and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a boil. In a medium, heatproof bowl, add butter and unsweetened chocolate. Place the bowl over, but not touching, the simmering water and allow to melt, stirring occasionally to incorporate.
• Once the butter and chocolate have melted, remove the bowl from the simmering pot and whisk in the brown and granulated sugar.
• Whisk in the egg, yolk, and vanilla.
• Add the flour mixture all at once and fold into the chocolate mixture with a spatula until well incorporated.
• Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Fudge Frosting

• Place chocolate chips and butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until melted.
• Whisk in the vanilla and salt, then stir in the powdered sugar.
• Add the milk a few drops at a time, whisking briskly, until the frosting is smooth and shiny.
• Spread immediately on the cooled brownies. Refrigerate until the frosting is set and you are ready to serve. Brownies will keep wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 5 days.

Notes

Brownies adapted from Joy the Baker Cookbook, frosting adapted from An Edible Mosaic

 

Nutrition

Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 193mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 335IU | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 2.4mg

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