This over-the-top brownie recipe features a fudgy base studded with chocolate chips. Topped with fresh strawberries and decadent chocolate ganache, they are the most decadent strawberry brownies.
strawberry brownies
I brought a plate full of these uber fudgy strawberry brownies with a layer of chocolate ganache to a meeting last night. After the meeting, I sent a few brownies home with a friend.
Today, a message popped up on my phone from my friend's husband. "I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about, but I just had one of your brownies. WOW!"
I'll take that ringing endorsement.
the ingredients
- salted butter
- granulated sugar
- light brown sugar
- vanilla extract
- large eggs
- all purpose flour
- cocoa powder
- espresso powder
- baking powder
- kosher salt
- semi sweet chocolate chips
- heavy cream
- fresh strawberries
my cooking videos ~ the recipe details
what makes brownies fudgy?
Butter and chocolate! A fudgy brownie has more fat than flour. And butter and chocolate add fat to brownies. Fudge brownies are more dense and take longer to cook than a cake-like brownie.
If a cakey brownie is your favorite, then a recipe with a higher amount of flour as compared to the butter and chocolate is what you will want to make.
what's the best chocolate to use for brownies?
Two kinds of chocolate make these strawberry brownies extra special. Use a Dutch processed cocoa powder such as Ghirardelli. A Dutch processed cocoa is high in fat and low in additives such as starch so your brownies will be fudgy and dense.
A dark or semi sweet chocolate chip is my first choice for these brownies. They add rich deep chocolate flavor without being too sweet.
suggestions and recipe tips
- Plan on making the brownies in advance as they need time to cool before being topped with freshly sliced strawberries and a generous layer of melted chocolate ganache. The base of the recipe is an easy to prepare brownie studded with chocolate chips.
- Don't skip the couple tablespoons of espresso powder. It enhances the rich chocolate flavor of the dense brownies.
- Melting chocolate can be tricky. Start with a double boiler. You can either buy one or make your own. It's just a heat proof bowl over a simmering pot of water. Using this technique to melt chocolate gently transfers heat so it will not seize up and become a clumpy, lumpy, unusable mass. Add the chocolate chips to the boiler along with the cream. Begin stirring when the chocolate starts to melt. It will be smooth and creamy and ready to spread on the brownies.
- Use a pastry bag or small resealable baggie to help easily spread the melted chocolate. I use a resealable bag as I can just toss it when I'm done. Fill the bag and snip a small piece off the corner. Squeeze the chocolate ganache out of the bag and on to the brownies and strawberries. Spread with a spatula to make the ganache an even layer over the strawberries.
more dessert recipes I love
- Rich and Creamy No Churn Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
- Apple Crumb Pie
- Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Fresh Strawberry Crumb Cake
- The Best Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake
just one more thing
If you make this decadent strawberry brownie recipe, I'd love hearing from you. Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I’ll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.
Also check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for lots of fabulous foodie stories, videos, cooking tips, and recipes.
recipe
Decadent Chocolate Covered Strawberry Brownies
- Total Time: 45 minutes + cooling and refrigeration
- Yield: 16 1x
Description
This over-the-top dessert features a fudgy brownie studded with chocolate chips. It is topped with fresh strawberries and decadent chocolate ganache. Perfect for your Valentine's Day sweetheart.
Ingredients
- For the brownies ~
- 3/4 cup salted butter (melted)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons espresso powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- For the topping ~
- 2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 7 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 pound strawberries (sliced)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with butter. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, hand mix the melted butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until blended.
- Add the eggs to the large bowl and stir until well combined.
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder and salt. Add the ½ cup chocolate chips and toss to coat with the flour mixture.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and stir until the flour mixture is incorporated and no longer visible.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Spread to evenly distribute the batter.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out almost clean. A few fudgy crumbs stuck to the toothpick are okay. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
- For the topping, place the 2 cups of chocolate chips and cream in a double boiler over low heat. When the chocolate chips begin to melt, start to stir the chocolate and cream. Continue stirring until the chocolate is melted and has a smooth consistency.
- Spread about one-fourth of the melted chocolate over the cooled brownies. Evenly top the chocolate with the sliced strawberries and press down lightly.
- Place the remaining melted chocolate in a small resealable baggie. Snip the corner off. Squeeze the chocolate evenly over the strawberries. Spread with a rubber spatula to ensure the chocolate is in between all the nooks and crannies of the strawberries.
- Refrigerate the brownies until the chocolate is set, about 1 hour.
- Cut into 16 squares.
- The brownies are best enjoyed within 24 hours of preparing them. Refrigerate any remaining brownies for up to 2 days.
Notes
- Melting chocolate can be tricky. Start with a double boiler. You can either buy one or make your own. It's just a heat proof bowl set over a simmering pot of water. Using this technique to melt chocolate gently transfers heat so it will not seize up and become a clumpy, lumpy, unusable mass. Add the chocolate chips to the boiler along with the cream. Begin stirring when the chocolate starts to melt. It will be smooth and creamy and ready to spread on the brownies.
- Use a pastry bag or small resealable bag to help easily spread the melted chocolate. I use a resealable bag as I can just toss it when I'm done. Fill the bag and snip a small piece off the corner. Squeeze the chocolate ganache out of the bag and on to the brownies and strawberries. Spread with a spatula to make the ganache an even layer over the strawberries.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake in oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownies
- Calories: 237
- Sugar: 23.3 g
- Sodium: 154 mg
- Fat: 12.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.8 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 2.8 g
- Cholesterol: 44 mg
Keywords: chocolate covered strawberry brownies, strawberry brownies, fudge brownies
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