March 10, 2023
Review RecipeLunch Lady Brownies
Completely fudgy and rich and covered in homemade chocolate frosting, this homemade lunch lady brownies recipe is one of the best brownies out there.
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Deliciously rich, these lunch lady brownies are a decadent and fudge-like treat completely worth cutting the lunch line for. Simple to make and smothered with a thick, homemade chocolate frosting, it’s easy to see why everyone is obsessed with this 50-year-old classic recipe.
Love brownies? Don’t forget to try our coconut brownies or our reader favorite, peanut butter brownies, for more wonderful recipes.
Lunch Lady Brownies Ingredients
You’ll need:
For the Brownies
- 1 cup melted butter
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
- 3 tablespoons vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup milk
- ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS
FROSTING: Replace the chocolate icing with a different flavor. Try vanilla or peanut butter for a fun twist on this classic.
CHOCOLATE CHIPS: These delicious brownies can always use more chocolate. Add chocolate chips in the batter for even more yummy rich chocolate flavor.
SPRINKLES: Everything is more fun with sprinkles! To add a bit of color to this already perfect brownie, add colorful sprinkles on top of the frosting.
BUTTER: Both salted and unsalted butter work fine in this recipe.
How To Make This Lunch Lady Brownies Recipe
STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl using a hand mixer, combine the melted butter and cocoa powder until smooth.
STEP TWO: Add the flour, sugar, and salt and mix together. The mixture will be dry and crumbly.
STEP THREE: Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
STEP FOUR: Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Pour brownie batter into the pan.
PRO TIP:
Lining the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil will allow you to lift the entire rectangle of baked brownies out of the pan for easier cutting once cooled. You can also grease the pan instead if you would prefer.
STEP FIVE: Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
STEP SIX: While the brownies are baking, make the frosting by whisking together the butter, milk, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. The frosting should be thick and spreadable and similar to the consistency of canned frosting but will taste much better!
PRO TIP:
If the frosting is too thick, add one tablespoon of milk at a time to thin it out a bit.
STEP SEVEN: Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes before frosting. Then spread frosting over the top of the brownies.
STEP EIGHT: Let cool completely before slicing.
PRO TIP:
These brownies are so decadent, you can serve smaller portions if you would like to get more than 12 servings out of the batch.
How To Serve
Whip a batch for an after school snack and serve with a glass of milk or our refreshing pineapple lemonade. Or you can sneak them into a lunchbox for all your big and little kids. The whole family will love the delightfully chocolate taste of this treat.
MORE CHOCOLATE RECIPES
Storage
AT ROOM TEMPERATURE: These old-fashioned brownies are typically stored at room temperature in either an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap or foil. Stored like this, they can last up to 4 days if they aren’t eaten first!
IN THE FREEZER: If they last long enough, this homemade brownie recipe can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
These delicious lunch lady brownies are a dream for chocolate lovers. They will satisfy even the strongest chocolate craving. With rich, moist brownies and covered in a chocolate frosting made from scratch, these brownies are thick and delicious and reminiscent of childhood for so many.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I freeze these homemade brownies?
You can definitely freeze this fudgy brownie recipe. They should keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Can I use store-bought frosting in place of the homemade one?
If you are looking for a quick shortcut for this simple recipe to save time, you can use store-bought frosting on top of these brownies.
Can I add chocolate chips or nuts to these brownies?
The lunch lady brownies would be delicious with either chocolate chips or nuts mixed in.
Can I cut this recipe in half and make them in an 8-inch pan?
While we haven’t tried this, you can give it a go and let us know how you make out.
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Lunch Lady Brownies
Completely fudgy and rich and covered in homemade chocolate frosting, this homemade lunch lady brownies recipe is one of the best brownies out there.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings 12
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 cup melted butter
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
- 3 tablespoons vanilla extract
Frosting
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup milk
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter and cocoa powder until smooth.
- Add the flour, salt, and sugar then mix together. The mixture will be dry and crumbly.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
- Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper and pour batter into pan.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- While the brownies are baking, make the frosting by whisking together the butter, milk, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. The frosting should be thick and spreadable. It should be similar to the consistency of canned frosting but way better. If it’s too thick add a little milk, a tablespoon at a time.
- Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes before frosting. Then spread frosting over the top of the brownies.
- Let cool completely before slicing.
Video
Notes
Note: Lining the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil will allow you to lift the entire baked brownies out of the pan for easier cutting once cooled. You can also grease the pan instead if you would prefer.
Note: If the frosting is too thick add one tablespoon of milk at a time to thin it out a bit.
Note: These brownies are so decadent, you can serve smaller portions if you would like to get more than 12 servings out of the batch!
Nutrition
Calories: 540kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 106mg | Sodium: 292mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 64g | Vitamin A: 678IU | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg
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Comments
Faith says
Just want to double check before I make these. Is it supposed to be 3 TABLEspoons of vanilla? It just seems like a lot and I don’t want to ruin these!
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Faith – yes, the measurements listed are correct. Enjoy!
cheryl says
do you have measurement of ingredients for doing this in a jelly roll pan??
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Cheryl – no, we haven’t tried that.
Marlene says
Cheryl, maybe you could double the recipe, fill the jelly roll pan, then make mini cupcake brownies with any leftover batter?
Ashley | Frugalish Family Finance says
This recipe is my all time favorite brownie recipe (and I am not a big brownie fan)! It’s easy and uses staples that are already in our pantry. We just made some of these to add to our goodies for Santa. We did half chocolate and half peanut butter icing! They are freaking delicious!