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.

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.

Refrigerator Bakery Brownies in a baking pan next to a knife, plate, and chocolate chips.

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

All of the ingredients used to make Refrigerator Bakery Brownies.

How to make refrigerator bakery brownies

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 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

All of the ingredients used to make the frosting for Refrigerator Bakery Brownies.

How to make 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.

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.

Refrigerator Bakery Brownies cut into squares on a sheet of parchment paper next to chocolate chips and a knife.

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

Top view of Refrigerator Bakery Brownies stacked on a white plate.

FAQ

Can I frost brownies while they're warm?

I recommend frosting your brownies after they've cooled completely. If you frost while they're warm, they can melt the butter in the frosting, making a greasy mess that is difficult to apply evenly.

Do brownies need to be refrigerated?

Brownies do not need to be refrigerated. However to get the full experience of this recipe you will want to keep it chilled.

While I prefer the taste and texture of these brownies straight out of the refrigerator, you are welcome to leave them at room temperature or even warm them up before eating.

Why refrigerate brownies?

Chocolate tastes differently at different temperatures. Chilled brownies have their own unique, delicious flavor.

When chilled, chocolate is both less sweet and less bitter. As mentioned above, chilling these brownies is a personal preference and you are welcome to do what tastes best for you.