Buttermilk Brownies
Sick of dry brownies that leave you wanting more? Our Buttermilk Brownies are the answer! They’re bursting with rich chocolate flavor. This simple recipe uses ingredients you probably already have, so get ready and have the kids help make them or surprise them with an after school snack of these homemade brownies.
My kids LOVE to help me bake, especially when it comes to making something as chocolatey and delicious as brownies. This tasty recipe is a favorite in our house and it truly always turns out perfect. Even if you’re not a fan of buttermilk, there’s a reason it’s used in so many baking recipes! It is the secret ingredient that makes your your favorite desserts EVEN better. That’s definitely the case with this buttermilk brownie recipe.
This easy recipe is a fun one to get the kiddos involved in! They can mix up the melty chocolatey goodness or whisk together the dry ingredients. Either way, they’re going to have a blast so make sure you’ve got more recipes to make with them because I guarantee they’ll ask! These no bake oatmeal cookies are a hit and bunny face cookies always make them smile. Baking in the kitchen with kids may seem a little chaotic, but it’s where some of the most fun memories are made. You’re gonna love it!
Why You’ll Love these Buttermilk Brownies
- Brownies from scratch have the most amazing flavor. You’ll never want to use store-bought mix again! Plus it’s actually so easy to make them from scratch.
- Buttermilk brownies with frosting are great for class parties, birthday parties, and any other get-together. One batch makes 30 servings! How much easier can dessert get?
- You can prep buttermilk brownies in just 15 minutes. Let the oven do the hard work and bake them to perfection!
Ingredients for this Buttermilk Brownie Recipes
- Water – Help bring the ingredients for the brownie batter together with a little bit of water.
- Salt – A little bit of salt helps to balance the sweetness and helps with the texture of the brownies too.
- Powdered sugar – Make chocolate-buttermilk frosting with powdered sugar to sweeten it.
- Vanilla extract – Add more depth of flavor to these brownies with a bit of vanilla extract.
- Sugar – Sweeten the brownies with just some granulated white sugar.
- Flour – You simply need all purpose flour to make these perfect brownies from scratch.
- Eggs – Allow eggs to come to room temperature before mixing into the brownie batter. They’ll mix much more easily!
- Vegetable oil – If you don’t like using vegetable oil or do not have it on hand, you can use olive oil, avocado oil or another neutral flavored oil.
- Cocoa powder – Use unsweetened cocoa powder to make these brownies chocolatey and delicious! You’ll also need it to flavor the frosting.
- Buttermilk – Even if you’re not a fan of buttermilk, trust me, you’ll want to use it in this recipe! Buttermilk makes the most incredible baked goods and will provide a great flavor to these brownies.
- Baking soda – This will be the rising agent in the brownies to make them fluffy!
- Butter – I used unsalted butter in this recipe, but you can use salted if that is all that you have on hand. Just keep in mind that if you use salted butter, then you may need to reduce or omit the salt that this recipe calls for.
Helpful Tools
- Mixing bowls
- Saucepan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 11×15 inch pan
- Mixing spoon
How to Make Buttermilk Brownies
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and then spray an 11×15 inch pan with cooking spray and set it aside.
Combine the all purpose flour, granulated sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl until well combined, then set it to the side.
Add the butter, cocoa powder, vegetable oil and water to a medium size saucepan. Turn to medium-high heat, and stir constantly while the mixture comes to a boil.
Once boiling, remove from the heat and pour it over the dry ingredients in the large mixing bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined.
Then add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla extract to the bowl and combine. Pour the brownie mixture into the previously prepared pan and then bake in for 22-27 minutes. You can check for doneness with a toothpick.
Once the brownies are done, start making the frosting! Combine buttermilk, cocoa, and butter in a medium size saucepan and bring the chocolate mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and add in the powdered sugar, 2 cups and a time, stirring between each addition.
Immediately pour the frosting over the brownies while still warm. Then let them cool and allow the frosting to set.
Slice and serve!
How to Store Leftover Buttermilk Brownies
To store leftover brownies, cover the sheet pan in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or transfer each of the brownies to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to a week. You can also store in the fridge to extend the life of your buttermilk brownies with frosting.
Freeze leftovers for up to 2 months, allow to thaw completely before serving!
What does buttermilk do to brownies?
It may sound funny to bake with buttermilk, but it makes warm brownies oh so tasty! The acidity of buttermilk adds a slightly tangy flavor which helps to balance out the sweetness of the rich chocolate in this recipe. But it also help create a light and airy texture in the brownies! You’ll have a fudgy frosting, fluffy brownie, and a delightfully chocolatey flavor.
What to Serve with Buttermilk Brownies
My kiddos go nuts when dinner is taco spaghetti and dessert is these easy buttermilk brownies! Can we hear it for winning dinner recipes?! You can serve it after a meal of chicken and noodles or pizza crescent rolls too.
Your kids would be the rockstars of the lunch table if they had a buttermilk brownie in their lunch kit along with english muffin pizzas or grilled cheese roll ups.
Of course, a warm brownie with cold vanilla ice cream is always a hit too! So many tasty ways to serve this sweet treat.
These easy buttermilk brownies with frosting are just so yummy! Make a batch today and munch on them for days to come.
More Dessert Recipes You’ll Love!
- Need to keep the oven off? No Bake Peanut Butter Cereal Bars are a fun treat that don’t require any baking skill!
- These Ladybug Oreos are SO cute! The best way to make a dessert that not only taste delicious but looks absolutely adorable.
- Embrace summer time with these adorable Sand Dessert Cups. Super easy to make and so much fun!
- These Mini Funfetti Cheesecakes are perfect for birthday parties. Bite-sized, tasty, and oh so cute!
Buttermilk Brownies
Ingredients
Bars
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup unsweetened baking cocoa powder
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- ¼ cup cocoa
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 11 x 15 inch pan with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine all-purpose flour, granulated sugar and salt. Mix until combined. Set aside.
- In a medium size saucepan combine the butter, cocoa, vegetable oil and water. Turn heat to medium-high, stir constantly while it comes to a boil, remove and pour over the dry ingredients in the large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla extract to the bowl. Stir to combine.
- Pour brownie mixture into the prepared pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 22-27 minutes or until brownies test done. Remove from the oven.
- Immediately make frosting by combining buttermilk, cocoa, and butter in a medium size saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat while stirring constantly. Remove and add in powdered sugar, 2 cups at a time, stirring in between additions.
- Pour frosting over bars while still warm. Let sit until frosting has cooled.
