Servings
Font
Back
0 from 6 votes

Valentine's Brownies Recipe

Valentine’s brownies that are easy to make yet rich and fudgy. It has a slightly crispy top and a super- moist center, adding decadence to its name. Your sweetheart will fall in love with them!

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 9 slices
Calories: 603 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

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

    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. 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!
  3. 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).
  4. 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.
  5. Transfer the thick brownie batter to the prepared baking dish.
  6. 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.
  7. Decorate as desired! I used a star tip to pipe buttercream onto the brownies.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. Transfer the pink and red buttercream to separate piping bags.
  12. You will have enough to pipe 9 brownies total.
  13. 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.
  14. You may use sprinkles to put a finishing touch to this Valentine’s dessert.

Notes

  • The nutritional values include the optional buttercream frosting!
  • 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! This 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.

Nutrition Information

Calories 603kcal (30%) Carbohydrates 78g (26%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 32g (49%) Saturated Fat 19g (95%) Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 105mg (35%) Sodium 151mg (6%) Potassium 151mg (4%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 66g (132%) Vitamin A 847IU (17%) Calcium 31mg (3%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 9slices

Amount Per Serving

Calories 603

% Daily Value*

Calories 603kcal 30%
Carbohydrates 78g 26%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 32g 49%
Saturated Fat 19g 95%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 105mg 35%
Sodium 151mg 6%
Potassium 151mg 3%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 66g 132%
Vitamin A 847IU 17%
Calcium 31mg 3%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.