These frosted triple chocolate brownies are moist, fudgy and loaded with three different types of chocolate! The brownies have both rich cocoa powder and chocolate chips, and are then topped with super silky chocolate ganache and chocolate sprinkles! Your new go-to frosted brownie recipe!
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Why You'll Love These Triple Chocolate Brownies!
These are my favorite classic brownie recipe! They're perfectly fudgy and delicious on their own, but even better topped with the chocolate ganache!
- Three types of chocolate! These brownies have cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and silky chocolate ganache frosting. Truly a chocolate lovers dream!
- Super easy to make! The brownies come together easily in just one bowl, and then the 2 ingredient ganache couldn't be simpler to make!
- Better than boxed brownies! The rich flavor and texture of these brownies is unmatched and you'll never want to use box mix again.
You might also like these espresso brownies or these triple chocolate cookies!
Ingredient Notes
You just need a few ingredients to make these frosted triple chocolate brownies!
Cocoa Powder - My absolute favorite cocoa powder to use in my baking is the King Arthur Flour Triple Cocoa Blend! It's a blend of natural, Dutch, and black cocoa and is perfect for any baking. But this recipe will work great with whatever cocoa you have on hand! You can use either natural cocoa or Dutch processed cocoa!
Espresso Powder - This is optional, but adding a little bit of espresso powder helps deepen the flavor of the chocolate. King Arthur is my favorite brand of high quality espresso powder! Note: espresso powder is NOT the same as instant espresso!! Espresso powder is much more flavorful and more finely ground, making it more suitable for baking.
Butter - I like using melted butter for flavor, but you can also sub a neutral vegetable oil if you prefer.
Chocolate Chips - If you like dark chocolate, I highly recommend the Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate baking chips. You can also just chop up one of your favorite chocolate bars for chocolate chunks instead.
Dark Chocolate - To make the chocolate ganache, I prefer to use dark chocolate baking bars as opposed to chocolate chips because it melts a little more smoothly. However, if you can still use chocolate chips if that's all you have on hand. If desired, you can use milk chocolate instead.
Heavy Whipping Cream - This is for the ganache and cannot be substituted.
The complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.
Topping Suggestions
These triple chocolate brownies are delicious with just the ganache frosting, but I also like to add fun garnishes like chocolate sprinkles!
How to Make Fudgy Frosted Brownies
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt. Set aside.
Whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.
Add in the eggs one at a time and whisk each one until fully incorporated and the batter starts to get lighter in color. To get crinkly brownie tops, be sure to whisk the sugar and eggs for at least 4-5 minutes (a hand mixer is very helpful for this).
Fold in the cocoa powder, flour, espresso powder, and salt and mix until the batter is just combined.
Then gently fold in the chocolate chips if desired.
Cut a parchment paper sling slightly smaller than the width of the cake pan and make sure it fits flatly in the bottom. Then lightly spray the bottom and sides of the pan with a vegetable oil based spray (I love Bakers Joy or Everbake). Place you parchment paper sling in the bottom of the pan and smooth it out so that it sticks to the pan spray (you can use metal binder clips to secure it to the pan). After baking you’ll be able to just slide the brownies right out of the pan!
I love all of my USA Pan cake pans because they are extremely sturdy and truly nonstick. However, I still like to prepare my pans to ensure the triple chocolate brownies come out easily.
Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan.
Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out mostly clean.
Remove from the oven and let fully cool in the pan.
Once the brownies are cool, use the edges of the parchment paper to slide the brownies out of the pan.
Place the heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot to the touch but not boiling. Pour over the chopped chocolate and let sit for about two minutes.
Using a spatula, gently mix until the chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is fully combined and smooth.
Let sit at room temperature until is has thickened enough to hold its shape but is still spreadable (this can take a while, so I usually make the ganache while the brownies are baking).
Once the brownies are fully cool, scoop dollops of thickened ganache over the surface of the brownies. Then gently smooth into an even layer and make swirls in the frosting using the back of a spoon.
Sprinkle the frosted brownies with fun chocolate sprinkles if desired!
Tips for the Best Brownies!
(and blondies too!)
Use room temperature ingredients! Always make sure ingredients like butter, eggs, milk, etc. are at room temperature before baking (unless the recipe indicates otherwise)! This ensures they'll incorporate into the batter more easily and leads to overall better texture. Remove all ingredients from the fridge 30 minutes to an hour before baking for best results.
Measure your flour correctly! It's most accurate to use a kitchen scale, but if you're measuring by volume you want to spoon and level! Fluff up the flour a bit with a spoon, and then spoon flour into the measuring cup. Once it's overflowing, use the back of a knife to level it off. Don't ever pack flour into the measuring cup or you'll end up with way too much! Improperly measured flour can lead to dry, dense baked goods. Same goes for cocoa powder!
Use an oven thermometer! Just because your oven says it's 350, doesn't mean it is! If you oven hasn't been calibrated recently, it can be as much as 30 degrees off, which will negatively affect all baked goods from cakes to macarons! An oven thermometer is the easiest/cheapest way to ensure your oven is always at the proper temperature.
Use a metal baking pan! Not all materials are created equal when it comes to baking. Metal cake pans conduct heat much better than other materials like glass or ceramic, so your baked goods will cook faster and more evenly!
It's better to undercook the brownies slightly, than overcook them! Brownies will dry out quick, so it's best to err on the side of caution when baking brownies! Bake just until an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean but still a tad gooey. If you aren't sure, just go ahead and take them out because they'll continue to firm up as they cool. Note: the larger the pan, the less time the brownies will take to cook.
Be patient and let them cool. Warm brownies fresh out of the oven are delish, I know. But it's best to let them fully cool before digging in. The brownies will be less likely to crumble when you cut them and the center is more likely to be fully cooked while still being perfectly fudgy.
Recipe FAQ's
Brownies are best eaten within the first 2-3 days, but will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days (if they're unfrosted they can be stored at room temp). However, they taste best if you let them come up to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before eating.
To get clean slices of these triple chocolate brownies, run a super sharp knife under hot water until the blade is warm, then wipe it dry. Then cut a single slice and repeat. It's a bit tedious to clean the knife before every cut, but you get perfect slices every time!
To get crinkly tops on your triple chocolate brownies, be sure to beat the eggs and sugar together for at least 4-5 minutes! This incorporates extra air into the batter which is what helps form those crinkly tops!
Thankfully ganache is pretty easy to fix! Reheat gently over a double boiler and whisk until the ganache is smooth again! Instead of a double boiler, you can also microwave and stir in 15 second intervals.
Tips for Success!
For best results I always recommend using weight measurements (especially when baking) because it's the most accurate. Kitchen scales are super affordable and also reduce the number of dishes you have to do! However, all my recipes also include US customary measurements for convince. Use this chart to convert measurements for common ingredients!
Substitutions: In all my recipes, I've included substitutions that I know will work, but I cannot guarantee results if you substitute ingredients that I have not recommended. [For example, granulated sugar and honey are indeed both sweeteners but they have very different properties so they can not always be swapped 1:1. Using honey in a cookie recipe that calls for granulated sugar will yield a giant mess.] In the recipe card you'll find links to the specific ingredients/brands that I use.
A note on salt: I almost exclusively use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt because it's the best all-purpose salt for cooking and baking. If you're not using kosher salt, consult this handy guide for a conversion chart! When in doubt, if you're using table salt just reduce the amount by half for baked goods. When cooking, I prefer to under-salt because you can always add more! If you've over-salted, adding a little bit of acid (like lemon juice) can help.
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Recipe Card
Frosted Triple Chocolate Brownies
Special Equipment
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- 4 ounces dark chocolate
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
Top With
- chocolate sprinkles, optional
Instructions
Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Add in the eggs one at a time and whisk each one until fully incorporated and the batter starts to get lighter in color. To get crinkly brownie tops, be sure to whisk the sugar and eggs for at least 4-5 minutes.
- Fold in the cocoa powder, flour, espresso powder, and salt and mix until the batter is just combined.
- Then gently fold in the chocolate chips if desired.
- Cut a parchment paper sling slightly smaller than the width of the cake pan and make sure it fits flatly in the bottom. Then lightly spray the bottom and sides of the pan with a vegetable oil based spray. Place you parchment paper sling in the bottom of the pan and smooth it out so that it sticks to the pan spray (you can use metal binder clips to secure it to the pan). After baking you’ll be able to just slide the brownies right out of the pan!
- Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan.
- Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out mostly clean.
- Remove from the oven and let fully cool in the pan.
- Once the brownies are cool, use the edges of the parchment paper to slide the brownies out of the pan.
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- Place the heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot to the touch but not boiling. Pour over the chopped chocolate and let sit for about two minutes.
- Using a spatula, gently mix until the chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is fully combined and smooth.
- Let sit at room temperature until is has thickened enough to hold its shape but is still spreadable (this can take a while, so I usually make the ganache while the brownies are baking).
- Once the brownies are fully cool, scoop dollops of thickened ganache over the surface of the brownies. Then gently smooth into an even layer and make swirls in the frosting using the back of a spoon.
- Sprinkle the frosted brownies with fun chocolate sprinkles if desired!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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