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Our Best Brownies

Our Best Brownies

Updated October 31, 2008

These brownie recipes are ultimate showstoppers when it comes to both looks and taste. We've got all the brownies you love, from fudgy classic brownies to cheesecake brownies and chunky brownies complete with the best mixins.

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Orange Cheesecake Brownies

Credit: Kate Sears; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

Orange Cheesecake Brownies Recipe

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Guinness Brownies with Irish Whiskey Frosting

Credit: Gina DeSimone; Prop Styling: Kashara Johnson; Food Styling: Karen Rankin

Guinness Brownies with Irish Whiskey Frosting Recipe

Although few treats are more fitting for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration than rich Guinness brownies, we’d suggest that you go ahead and whip up this Guinness brownie recipe any time you need a decadent hit of chocolate. In fact, given the dangerously scrumptious whiskey buttercream used to frost them, these fudgey brownies are truly the perfect treat to enjoy at the end of an exceptionally long day.

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Malted Toffee Brownies

Credit: Jonny Valiant; Styling: Kate Parisian

Malted Toffee Brownies Recipe

Toffee and brownies combined. Need we say more?

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Chocolate Stout Brownies

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Chocolate Stout Brownies Recipe

The typical brownie has nearly 20g sugar--masking the flavor of the chocolate in an overwhelming wave of sweetness. Here we cut sugar in half for a richer, denser brownie that truly satisfies.

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Peanut Butter and Pretzel Brownies

Credit: Jonny Valiant; Styling: Kate Parisian

Peanut Butter and Pretzel Brownies Recipe

These brownies take sweet and salty to a whole other level.

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Salted Caramel Brownies

Credit: Francesco Tonelli; Styling: Philippa Brathwaite

Salted Caramel Brownies Recipe

If you love old fashioned salted caramels, this brownie is for you. With their rich, indulgent flavors, these layered brownies are a definite crowd-pleaser.

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Caramel-Marshmallow Brownies

Caramel-Marshmallow Brownies Recipe

No matter the brownie recipe, they all have one thing in common: chocolate. So find the secret ingredient you love most (caramel, marshmallows, peanut butter, maybe mocha?) and bake a batch during the holidays.

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Irish Cream Brownies

Credit: Howard L. Puckett

Irish Cream Brownies Recipe

Need a light way to indulge your chocolate cravings? These scrumptious brownies have just 5 grams of fat. A splash of Baileys Irish Cream complements the intense chocolate flavor, but feel free to substitute other flavored liqueurs such as coffee, raspberry, or almond.

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Peppermint-topped Brownies

Credit: Leigh Beisch

Peppermint-topped Brownies Recipe

These festive peppermint brownies will surely ring in the holiday cheer. Not a fan of mint? Try six other mouth-watering ways to top these beauties.

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Chunky Chocolate Brownies

Chunky Chocolate Brownies Recipe

Studded with big chunks of chocolate, these brownies could just be the fudgiest on the planet. Keep a stash in the freezer for when chocolate cravings strike, or make a rich dessert by topping warm brownies with a scoop of vanilla, coffee, or caramel ice cream.

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Shortbread Caramel Brownie Bars

Credit: James Carrier

Shortbread Caramel Brownie Bars Recipe

Made-from-scratch brownies, cookie dough, and gooey caramel are layered to make what's sure to be a hit at your holiday cookie exchange. If you're short on time, substitute store-bought cookie dough and brownie mix to make the process quick and easy.

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Caramel-Coconut-Pecan Brownies

Caramel-Coconut-Pecan Brownies Recipe

Spruce up that plain brownie recipe with a gloriously chewy, crunchy topping of shredded coconut, chopped pecans, and condensed milk. It's like a brownie and candy bar all rolled into one.

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Mexican Chocolate Streusel Brownies

Credit: James Carrier

Mexican Chocolate Streusel Brownies Recipe

Streusel toppings may be more common on pies and coffeecake, but they taste uncommonly good on top of chewy chocolate brownies, particularly when the streusel is a mix of Mexican chocolate, cinnamon, and brown sugar.

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Mississippi Mud Brownies

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia DeGaris Pursell

Mississippi Mud Brownies Recipe

Even if you're not from Mississippi—from the fluffy marshmallows to the chocolate frosting—you'll love these brownies.

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Dark Chocolate and Cherry Brownies

Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Jan Gautro

Dark Chocolate and Cherry Brownies Recipe

The brownie version of chocolate-covered cherries, these cakey gems are a snap to make. Keep a jar of cherry preserves and a bag of chocolate chips in the pantry and bake up a batch in just 25 minutes.

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Spicy Caramel Brownies

Credit: John Autry; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Spicy Caramel Brownies Recipe

These fudgy brownies have a thick, rich swirl of dulce de leche and a kick from ground red pepper.

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Peanut Butter Candy Bar Brownies

Peanut Butter Candy Bar Brownies Recipe

Let the kids help with this one! Made with crushed peanut butter sandwich cookies, chocolate peanut butter cups, crushed peanut butter candy bars, chocolate chips, coconut, and condensed milk, it's the quintessential brownie for those who love a splash of chocolate with their peanut butter.

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Honey-Nut Brownies

Credit: Jonny Valiant; Styling: Kate Parisian

Honey-Nut Brownies Recipe

Sweet and nutty, these brownies are sure to disappear quickly. Stir in the chopped nuts into the batter right before popping the pan into the oven.

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Cappuccino-Frosted Brownies

Credit: John O'Hagan; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey

Cappuccino-Frosted Brownies Recipe

Make these brownies for your next office party. Your co-workers will love you and your boss might give you a raise just because of the Cappuccino Buttercream Frosting.

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Chocolate-Glazed Brownies

Chocolate-Glazed Brownies Recipe

With deep dark chocolate flavor plus creamy chocolate icing (and ingredients you probably have on hand), this is the ultimate go-to brownie for last-minute pot lucks and holiday gatherings.

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Fudgy Mocha-Toffee Brownies

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Fudgy Mocha-Toffee Brownies Recipe

Instant coffee granules combine with chocolate for a rich mocha-flavored brownie that's sprinkled with crunchy toffee chips. If you have any leftovers (highly unlikely, but possible), wrap them in foil and pop them in the freezer. They'll keep for up to four months.

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Oreo Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Credit: Jonny Valiant; Styling: Kate Parisian

Oreo Cheesecake Swirl Brownies Recipe

Stir in the quartered Oreo cookies and then swirl the cheesecake batter on the top. Does it get any better than this?

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Peanut Butter Streusel Brownies

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

Peanut Butter Streusel Brownies Recipe

Streusel topping gives the timeless chocolate-and-peanut butter combo an upgrade in these brownies.

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Andes Mint Brownies

Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Andes Mint Brownies Recipe

These decadent layered Andes mint brownies are the ultimate indulgence for any mint-chip lover. In order to create clean layers, it’s important that you’re working with cool ingredients—so be sure to allow the brownies to cool completely before spreading the icing on, and then chill before adding the chocolate ganache so that it will set quickly.

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Keto Salted Almond-Butter Brownies

Credit: Meredith Food Studios

Keto Salted Almond-Butter Brownies Recipe

Anyone on the keto diet looking to indulge needs to make these brownies, stat. These keto brownies are sugar-free yet decadent. The interior is fudgy and chocolatey, and the salted almond butter topping adds a toasty twist.

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Neapolitan Brownies

Credit: Caitlin Bensel; Styling: Rishon Hanners

Neapolitan Brownies Recipe

This recipes makes 3 cups of each flavor of frosting, if that ends up being more than you need to Neapolitan 1 box of brownies, you can save the leftovers for dipping other store-bought baked goods like crispy rice treats or doughnuts. The idea is to make the Neapolitan Icing flavors, then dip to your heart's content.

Tip: If you refrigerate your brownies once they’ve cooled slightly, cutting clean edges is a breeze.

These icings will start to stiffen as they sit. They will be good for 1/2 hour after you mix them up. If you want to make them in advance and use them later, place them in a bowl and lay a damp paper towel directly on the surface. And then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature. If necessary, whisk in an additional 1-2 Tbsp. hot water to recapture proper consistency.

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Buttermilk Brownies

Credit: Jonny Valiant; Styling: Kate Parisian

Buttermilk Brownies Recipe

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Peppermint-Bark Brownies

Credit: Kate Sears; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

Peppermint-Bark Brownies Recipe

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Coffee Bean Brownies

Credit: Jonny Valiant; Styling: Kate Parisian

Coffee Bean Brownies Recipe

Coffee lovers, these brownies are for you! With two tablespoons of espresso powder, this dessert delivers a delicious coffee kick.

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Slutty Brownies

Credit: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro

Slutty Brownies Recipe

Good Wholesome Brownies.

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Coffee Flour Brownie à la Mode

Credit: Time Inc. Video Studio

Coffee Flour Brownie à la Mode Recipe

Adding a bit of coffee flour to box brownie mix not only contributes richer flavor and a slight caffeine boost, but also delivers a whopping dose of potassium. Just 1 tablespoon of coffee flour contains 310 mg of potassium. Topped off with a scoop of coffee ice cream, this dessert is a mocha-lover’s paradise. If you want to make these brownies completely gluten-free (coffee flour is naturally gluten-free), use your favortite gluten-free brownie mix.

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Bourbon-Cream Cheese Brownies

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Bourbon-Cream Cheese Brownies Recipe

These brownies are a bourbon lovers' dream, sandwiching two layers of a chocolate brownie batter between a bourbon-flavored cream cheese mixture.

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So Good Brownies

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

So Good Brownies Recipe

Our users rave over this fudgy brownie recipe. This is our adaptation of a recipe many of our foodies use from Baker's Chocolate. Bonus? All the variations, like Peanut Butter Streusel Brownies, Candy-and-Pretzel Brownies, and Toasted Coconut-Cashew Brownies, mean you can make these time after time and create something new and delicious with each pan.

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Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies Recipe

These delightful, individual brownies taste like a thick and rich peanut butter cup!

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Our Best Brownies

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Orange Cheesecake Brownies

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Guinness Brownies with Irish Whiskey Frosting

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Malted Toffee Brownies

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Chocolate Stout Brownies

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Peanut Butter and Pretzel Brownies

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Salted Caramel Brownies

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Caramel-Marshmallow Brownies

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Irish Cream Brownies

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Peppermint-topped Brownies

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Chunky Chocolate Brownies

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Shortbread Caramel Brownie Bars

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Caramel-Coconut-Pecan Brownies

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Mexican Chocolate Streusel Brownies

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Mississippi Mud Brownies

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Dark Chocolate and Cherry Brownies

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Spicy Caramel Brownies

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Peanut Butter Candy Bar Brownies

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Honey-Nut Brownies

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Cappuccino-Frosted Brownies

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Chocolate-Glazed Brownies

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Fudgy Mocha-Toffee Brownies

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Oreo Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

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Peanut Butter Streusel Brownies

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Andes Mint Brownies

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Keto Salted Almond-Butter Brownies

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Neapolitan Brownies

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