Buttermilk Brownies
These rich and fudgy Buttermilk Brownies are an easy, kid-friendly treat made with simple pantry ingredients—perfect for baking together or serving as a delicious after-school snack!
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.
This tasty recipe is a favorite in our house and it 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 makes your favorite desserts even better. That’s definitely the case with this buttermilk brownie recipe. Nothing is better than a tender, rich brownie. Your family is going to love them!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Brownies from scratch are so easy and have the most amazing flavor. You’ll never want to use store-bought mix again.
- Buttermilk brownies with frosting are great for class parties, birthday parties, and any other get-together. One batch makes 30 servings!
- You can prep buttermilk brownies in just 15 minutes. Let the oven do the hard work and bake them to perfection.
Ingredients Buttermilk Brownies
- Water – Help mix 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.
- 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 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 use 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. If you don’t want to buy a full carton at the store, you can make homemade Buttermilk instead.
- Baking soda – This is the rising agent in the brownies that will 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. Leave butter out at room temperature to soften it.
How to Make Buttermilk Brownies
Whisk all-purpose flour, granulated sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl until well combined, then set it to the side.
Add the softened 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.
Add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla extract to the bowl and stir to combine. Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared baking pan and then bake in for 22-27 minutes. You can check for doneness with a toothpick.
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!
Storage
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.
Fridge: Store in an airtight container to extend the life of your buttermilk brownies with frosting.
Freezer: Store in an airtight container and allow to thaw at room temperature 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. It also helps create a light and airy texture in the brownies. You’ll have a fudgy frosting, fluffy brownie, and a delightfully chocolatey flavor.
These easy buttermilk brownies with frosting are just so yummy! Make a batch today and munch on them for days to come.
Buttermilk Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
Bars
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup unsweetened 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 unsweetened cocoa powder
- 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 with a toothpick. 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 brownies while still warm. Let sit until frosting has cooled.
Video
Nutrition
How To Serve Buttermilk Brownies
Of course, a warm brownie with cold vanilla Ice Cream is always a hit! Drizzle with homemade Chocolate Fudge or Caramel Sauce and add a dollop of Whipped Cream. If you love the combination of strawberries and chocolate, you’ve got to try Strawberry Sauce! Don’t forget the sprinkles!
More Dessert Recipes You’ll Love!
- Need to keep the oven off? No Bake Peanut Butter Cereal Bars are a great sweet treat that don’t require heat making them a great one for the kids to try out on their own.
- These Ladybug Oreos are so cute! They are fun to prepare with candy melts, sprinkles and eyeballs and even more fun to eat.
- Embrace summer time with these adorable Sand Dessert Cups. Super easy to make and so much fun for everyone to make together.
- These Mini Funfetti Cheesecakes are perfect for birthday parties. Bite-sized, tasty, and oh so cute, plus who doesn’t love funfetti?
