chocolate covered strawberry brownies

these chocolate covered strawberry brownies are the ultimate sweet treat – fudgy brownies topped with silky chocolate ganache, fresh strawberries, and an elegant chocolate drizzle. it’s like biting into a chocolate covered strawberry in brownie form, perfect for valentine’s day or any special occasion!

why you will love this easy strawberry brownies recipe

• like chocolate covered strawberries in brownie form – these strawberry brownies with chocolate ganache capture the classic chocolate and strawberry combination perfectly. the rich, fudgy brownie base pairs beautifully with the fresh strawberries and silky ganache, creating a dessert that tastes as impressive as it looks.

• easier than you’d think – despite looking bakery-worthy, this homemade strawberry brownies recipe is surprisingly simple. make fudgy brownies, pour over chocolate ganache, top with fresh strawberries, and drizzle with more ganache. simple steps for stunning results that’ll make people think you spent hours in the kitchen.

• perfect for special occasions – these strawberry decorated brownies are ideal for valentine’s day, anniversaries, mother’s day, or any time you want to make something extra special. they’re elegant enough for a dinner party but also make a wonderful homemade gift that says “I made something beautiful just for you.”

learn how to make these homemade strawberry brownies from scratch

you can make these chocolate covered strawberry brownies from scratch in just a few simple steps! we’ll start will a classic, fudgy brownie base. we’re going to begin by melting butter and dark chocolate together until smooth, then we’ll add the cocoa powder to this and mix it in until combined. set this aside. in another bowl, we’ll whisk together eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract. then, we’ll add the melted chocolate and butter mixture, as well as some flour, and salt and mix this in until a thick batter forms. bake the brownies until they’re fudgy on the inside with a crackly top.

remove the brownies from the oven once they’re done, and let them cool completely at room temperature. while the brownies are cooling, we’ll make the chocolate ganache. heat up heavy cream in a small pot or pan over medium heat. pour the hot cream over some milk chocolate in a bowl, then mix these together until smooth. place the ganache in the fridge so that it can thicken up.

once the brownies have cooled completely, and the ganache has thickened up, save some of the chocolate ganache for drizzling, and spread the rest over the brownie in an even layer. add fresh strawberries on top of the chocolate ganache layer, then drizzle the rest of the ganache over the strawberries.

place in the fridge to set if needed, then slice up and we’re done!

chocolate covered strawberry brownies ingredients

• butter – i use unsalted butter for this chocolate covered strawberry brownies recipe. you are also welcome to use salted butter but i would recommend skipping the extra salt in this recipe if you do.

• dark chocolate – i typically like to use dark chocolate for baking brownies as this helps balance out the general sweetness of the dessert overall. i personally wouldn’t recommend using milk chocolate in these brownies as i also top these strawberry brownies with ganache – using milk chocolate for the brownie base will make everything too sweet.

• cocoa powder – we’ll also be using a small amount of natural, unsweetened cocoa powder for these brownies.

• eggs – this strawberry layer brownies recipe uses 2 large eggs.

• brown sugar – i like to use a small amount of light brown soft sugar for this recipe as the brown sugar helps make these brownies extra chewy and fudgy. you can also use dark brown sugar if you like, just bear in mind that it might have a stronger molasses flavour.

• granulated sugar – this recipe uses a mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar. we’ll be whisking together the eggs and sugars until the sugar dissolves so that we can get that beautiful crackly top! (although it doesn’t matter too much, as we’ll be covering it with the ganache and strawberries anyway).

• vanilla extract – optional, but will add a nice, subtle vanilla flavour to these strawberry vanilla brownies.

• flour – we’ll be using plain flour or all purpose flour for this recipe.

• salt – just a small amount of salt mixed in the dry ingredients helps balance out the sweetness in these strawberry ganache brownies.

• double cream or heavy cream – this is going to be used to make the ganache.

• milk chocolate or dark chocolate – i like to use dark chocolate for the ganache. if you’re not a fan of dark chocolate, you’re also welcome to use milk chocolate for the topping.

• strawberries – i like to make these chocolate strawberry covered brownies with real strawberries that are fresh for decorating the top.

tools:

• 2 small bowls – we’ll need a small mixing bowl for the butter and dark chocolate mixture, and one for the chocolate when making the ganache.

• a large bowl – we’ll be adding everything to one bowl later on in the recipe so you’ll need a large bowl to fit all of the ingredients in so that it’s easier to mix your brownie batter.

• whisk or hand mixer – we’re going to mix the sugar and eggs together using a whisk or hand mixer until the sugar dissolves. i decided to use a whisk for this recipe. it might take a little longer using a whisk, with a little bit more work and strength, but it will do the job just fine! in fact, using a hand mixer to whip your eggs and sugar actually incorporates more air into the batter, so using a whisk might make your brownies even more fudgy.

• spoon or silicone spatula – for folding the dry ingredients in so that you don’t over mix the brownie batter.

• parchment paper or baking paper – lining your baking tray with parchment paper will make it easier to lift the brownies out once they’re done.

• 8×8 inch baking pan – i’m using an 8×8 inch pan for this strawberry fudge brownies recipe.

• a small pot or pan – for heating up the cream when making the chocolate ganache for your strawberry covered brownies.

• offset spatula – to spread out the ganache evenly over the brownies.

• piping bag – to make it easier for you to drizzle the ganache over the fresh strawberries.

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: preheat your oven and and grease and line a baking pan for your chocolate covered strawberry brownies.

step two: break apart some dark chocolate into pieces and add it to a small bowl. add butter to the same bowl. melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave in 30 second intervals, making sure to mix every 30 seconds. continue to do this until the mixture is mostly melted, then remove from the microwave. keep mixing the hot butter and chocolate together until smooth.

step three: add the cocoa powder to the melted butter and chocolate mixture, and mix it in until smooth and combined.

step four: in another bowl, crack open 2 large eggs. then, add light brown sugar and granulated sugar.

step five: using a whisk or hand mixer, mix together the eggs and sugars until they are combined, and the sugar dissolves. this will usually take a good few minutes. you’ll know the sugar has dissolved once you feel a little bit of the mixture between your fingers and you can no longer feel the sugar granules. if you find that you can still feel them, go ahead and mix for a little bit longer. the mixture will look slightly frothy.

step six: add vanilla extract to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk it through.

step seven: add the melted chocolate and butter mixture to the egg and sugar mixture. whisk it until combined and the brownie batter looks smooth and chocolatey.

step eight: add the flour and salt to the brownie batter. then, using a spoon or spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients in. do not mix too much at this stage as you don’t want to over mix. mix the dry ingredients in until just combined, and the flour is no longer visible.

step nine: add the chocolate covered strawberry brownies mix to your lined baking pan, then place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes (baking times will vary depending on your oven and the size of your pan). take them out when they’re slightly soft and underdone, as they’ll continue to cook as they cool.

step ten: once you remove the brownies from the oven, let them cool at room temperature completely.

step eleven: while the brownies are cooling, make the chocolate ganache. break apart some milk chocolate or dark chocolate and add it to a small bowl.

step twelve: in a small pot or pan, add heavy cream. heat this up over medium heat until it begins to bubble gently.

step thirteen: once the cream begins to bubble, pour it over the chocolate pieces. mix the hot cream and chocolate together – the hot cream will melt the chocolate. keep mixing until the mixture becomes smooth.

step fourteen: let the chocolate ganache cool in the fridge until it reaches your desired consistency. then, separate out some of the ganache and add it to a piping bag – we’ll use this for drizzling at the end. pour the rest of the chocolate ganache over the cooled brownies and spread it out into an even layer.

step fifteen: add fresh strawberries on top of the ganache layer.

step sixteen: drizzle the rest of the ganache over the fresh strawberries.

step seventeen: place the strawberry topped brownies in the fridge if they need to set a little or just serve immediately!

tips and notes

• try to use high quality chocolate if you can. high quality dark chocolate or semi sweet chocolate will give these strawberry glazed brownies the best, rich and chocolatey flavour. higher quality chocolate will also be easier to melt and combine with the rest of the ingredients. using high quality milk chocolate or dark chocolate for the ganache will also give you that smooth, glossy ganache layer for the top.

• be careful not to over mix the brownie batter. once you add the dry ingredients, make sure to gently fold them in using a spoon or silicone spatula, and don’t mix for longer than necessary. mix until just combined. over mixing can lead to tough brownies.

• make sure to use room temperature eggs for these strawberry brownies, as they will combine with the rest of the ingredients easily and give you a smoother batter.

• make sure you preheat the oven so that it’s already hot by the time you place your brownies in the oven. this will ensure that the brownies bake evenly and that they won’t take longer to bake.

• adjust baking time as needed. every oven is different, so i recommend keeping an eye on your brownies as they bake. don’t just bang them in the oven and leave until the designated time is up. it might be a good idea to check the brownies for doneness a few minutes before the recommended baking time. A toothpick inserted into the centre should come out with a few moist crumbs attached – the toothpick shouldn’t be completely dry or have wet batter on it. i like to take the brownies out of the oven when they’re very slightly underdone as they will continue to cook as they cool once they’re out of the oven. over baking will result in dry and cakey brownies, which is not what we want. underbake the brownies slightly for more of a soft and fudgy texture.

• once your brownies are out of the oven, let them cool at room temperature completely before trying to add anything to them. do not add the ganache to warm brownies as it won’t set properly.

• use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. while i add both metric and cup measurements for this recipe, i always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out your ingredients for most accurate results.

• when making the chocolate ganache for you strawberry brownies, break the chocolate into small pieces or chop it finely to make things easier for you. chopping it finely will just make it easier to melt when you pour the hot cream over it and give you a smoother result.

• when heating up the cream, make sure not to heat it up too much or over too high of a heat. remove it from the heat once it starts to bubble gently, then pour it over the chocolate.

• let the ganache cool in the fridge before pouring it onto your strawberry brownies. the ganache will thicken up the longer you let it cool, so you can chill it for longer if you want it to be thicker or take it out earlier if you want more of a pourable consistency. i didn’t let my ganache chill for too long, but i’d recommend chilling it for longer than i did as my drizzle didn’t set properly since the ganache was too thin.

• if you find that your ganache has cooled for too long and is too thick to drizzle, gently warm it for a few seconds in the microwave. if it’s too thin, let it cool longer.

• feel free to add a pinch of salt to the chocolate ganache if you like.

• once you add the chocolate ganache to your brownies, you can also place the brownies in the fridge for about 20 to 30 minutes if you find that the ganache hasn’t set properly and needs thickening.

• thoroughly dry your strawberries after washing and before decorating your brownies. excess water will prevent the ganache from sticking properly and can make it seize.

• for the cleanest slices, refrigerate the assembled chocolate covered strawberry valentine’s brownies for around 20-30 minutes before cutting. use a sharp knife and wipe it clean between each cut.

• these strawberry layer brownies are best served the day they’re made, but can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. the strawberries will release some juice over time, so they’re freshest on day one.

frequently asked questions

1. are strawberry brownies good ?

   – these chocolate covered strawberry brownies are absolutely incredible! the combination of fudgy chocolate brownies, fresh sweet strawberries, and silky ganache is unbeatable.

2. can i make these chocolate covered strawberry brownies from a cake mix ?

   – you can make these easy strawberry brownies with cake mix if you’re okay with getting more of a chocolate covered strawberry cake rather than a fudgy brownie.

3. can i make these chocolate covered strawberry brownies with brownie mix ?

   – yes, if you want to make these chocolate covered strawberry brownies easy and quick, you can make these with a brownie mix and follow the same ganache and strawberry topping method. however, for me, making these strawberry brownies homemade from scratch will always be better!

4. can i use salted butter in this chocolate covered strawberry brownies recipe ?

   – yes, you can use salted butter. if you use salted butter for your brownies instead of unsalted, i would recommend skipping the salt listed in this recipe.

5. do i have to use vanilla extract to make these chocolate covered strawberry brownies ?

   – the vanilla extract in this strawberry brownie recipe is optional. i like the subtle vanilla flavour it gives to the brownies, but if you would prefer not to use it or don’t have it, that’s also completely fine.

6. why did my chocolate covered strawberry brownies turn into a cake instead of fudgy ?

   – there are a number of reasons why your brownies came out cakey. one reason is baking times. you should take your brownies out of the oven while they are slightly underbaked as they will continue to cook and firm up as they cool. even if you followed the exact timings in the recipe, every oven will bake things differently so timings will vary depending on your oven and the size of your tray. i highly recommend checking on your brownies every once in a while, especially towards the end of the written times to make sure they don’t over bake.

   – another reason could be due to over mixing the batter or having too much flour in your brownie batter. to make these strawberry brownies as accurately as possible, i would recommend weighing out the flour using a kitchen scale. and remember to gently fold the dry ingredients into the brownie batter until no streaks of flour remain in order to avoid over mixing.

7. can i use a different type of chocolate, like milk chocolate, instead of dark chocolate for the brownie base ?

   – while you can use different types of chocolate for this recipe, i would recommend using dark or semi sweet chocolate to balance the sweetness and give these brownies a richer flavour. using something like milk chocolate in the actual brownie base might make the brownies too sweet, especially since there is a chocolate ganache on top as well.

8. do i have to use brown sugar to make these chocolate covered strawberry brownies ?

   – brown sugar is recommended for these strawberry brownies, as it helps gives the brownies a richer flavour and makes them extra chewy. however, if you don’t have brown sugar, you can substitute it with granulated sugar. using all granulated sugar for this strawberry brownie recipe might change the taste and texture of these brownies slightly, but they will still be delicious! for best results, use a combination of brown sugar and granulated sugar as stated.

9. how do i know that my brownies are done baking ?

   – Insert a toothpick into the center of the brownies a few minutes before the end of the stated baking times. if the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, the brownies are done. Be careful not to over bake, as this can lead to dry, cakey brownies. the toothpick shouldn’t be completely dry, and it shouldn’t have wet batter on it either. if your toothpick comes out with wet batter on it, it’ll need to bake for slightly longer. i usually like to bake these brownies for around 20 minutes.

10. why did my chocolate ganache separate ?

    – this usually happens if the cream was too hot or the mixture was overheated. be sure to remove the cream from the heat once it starts to bubble gently.

11. can you make these chocolate covered strawberry brownies in advance ?

    – yes, you can make this strawberry brownie recipe in advance! you’ll actually need some time to make these brownies as you’ll need to wait for the brownies and the ganache to cool. you can definitely make these a day in advance if you want to make them to bring somewhere. i would just recommend adding the fresh strawberries and the ganache drizzle on top right before serving rather than in advance.

12. can i make these strawberry brownies with frozen strawberries ?

    – fresh strawberries work best for this recipe since they’re used as a topping and provide the best texture and appearance. frozen strawberries would release too much liquid and make the brownies soggy. i’d recommend sticking with fresh strawberries!

13. can i make strawberry jam brownies instead of just adding strawberries on top ?

    – absolutely – strawberry jam in brownies would work really well! especially with the extra strawberries on top and the chocolate ganache layer. to make strawberry filled brownies or strawberry jam brownies, you could swirl strawberry jam into the brownie batter before baking, or spread a thin layer of jam between the brownie and ganache layers after baking the brownies.

14. can i make strawberry frosted brownies or strawberry iced brownies instead of adding chocolate ganache ?

    – yes, you can! if you the think the ganache might be a bit too much chocolate for you, you can make these strawberry brownies with cream cheese icing or whipped heavy cream or any other kind of frosting you like.

15. are these strawberry brownies eggless ?

    – this strawberry brownies recipe requires 2 large eggs. i haven’t personally tried an egg free recipe for these brownies, so i can’t recommend an egg replacement that i know would work!

16. can i use this recipe to make strawberry cheesecake brownies ?

    – you can use the brownie base in this recipe to make strawberry cheesecake brownies! i’d recommend using the cheesecake layer recipe in my salted caramel cheesecake brownies and bake the cheesecake and the brownie base together. top with the ganache and fresh strawberries and you’ll have a great strawberry cheesecake brownies recipe <3

17. can i make these strawberry brownies with white chocolate chips ?

    – absolutely! the white chocolate chips would work really well with the strawberries and chocolate. you can also do a white chocolate drizzle at the end if you’d prefer that!

18. how do I make strawberry decorated brownies for valentine’s day ?

    – these would be perfect as strawberry valentine’s brownies just as they are! but if you want to make them even better, you can cut strawberries into heart shapes, use pink or red sprinkles, or drizzle with white chocolate along with the dark chocolate ganache for a valentine’s theme. you can also make these as strawberry heart brownies by baking the brownie batter in a heart shaped mould or pan.

19. can I make strawberry swirl brownies ?

    – for strawberry swirl brownies, i’d recommend cooking fresh strawberries and sugar until thick and then swirling this into the brownie batter before baking for a marbled effect. then top with ganache and fresh strawberries once they’re out of the oven.

20. can i make strawberry red velvet brownies ?

    – strawberry red velvet brownies would be amazing! you can use my red velvet brownies recipe for the red velvet brownie base. then, you can either top with the cream cheese frosting in the recipe and strawberries or just add ganache and strawberries as stated here.

21. can i make strawberry oreo brownies or strawberry nutella brownies ?

    – yes, you can! both of these flavours would work so well with these strawberry brownies. you could drizzle nutella on top at the end or stuff your strawberry brownies with nutella. top the brownies with crushed oreos or fold some into the batter – you can really do anything you like!

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