Fudgy Strawberry Brownies

These strawberry brownies are flavorful, pretty, and (most importantly) SUPER fudgy - PLUS the batter comes together in one bowl. This recipe combines the features of a dense and chewy brownie with the bright and tangy flavor of strawberries. Topped with strawberry white chocolate icing for even more flavor and some chocolatey richness, they're the perfect twist on a classic!

My lemon brownies recipe received a lot of love (and they truly deserve it if you ask me!) so the natural next recipe in the saga had to be strawberry flavored brownies. This recipe was built off that lemon brownie recipe, but with a few tweaks to make it its own unique but delicious treat.

Creating this recipe was admittedly a little challenging because I wanted to balance the classic brownie texture with a water heavy ingredient (strawberries). I wanted these brownies to have PLENTY of strawberry flavor but still wanted them to stay true to a classic dense and fudgy brownie. And (finally), I landed on this recipe which was nothing short of perfection. These really are the BEST strawberry brownies EVER.

preparing your brownie pan

When getting your pan ready for brownies, start by choosing the right material because it can make a world of a difference in terms of texture and appearance! I almost always recommend using a heavy duty, light colored aluminum baking pan for baking most desserts - and that's exactly what I recommend here!

Avoid flimsy or dark colored pans because they absorb heat way too rapidly which can cause the outside of the brownies to burn before the center has a chance to bake through. Also steer clear of heavy glass or ceramic pans - these take too long to heat through and can make make it difficult to get the right bake. This 8x8" baking pan is my personal favorite!

When it comes to prepping the pan, start by greasing the bottom and sides generously with some butter before lining it with parchment paper. Make sure to leave a bit of extra parchment paper hanging high up on the sides of the pan - these will be like a little "handle" to pull the brownies out later, so it's a real life saver! You can see exactly how I line my pan HERE.

how to make fudgy strawberry brownies

In my opinion, the best strawberry brownies NEED to have two main qualities: fudgy texture and bright strawberry flavor. Whenever you're making something like a brownie or a cookie, you typically want to keep the water content as low as possible (because water will lead to a cakier final product as opposed to a dense and fudgy one).

Because of this, it can make it tricky to work with ingredients that have more moisture - for example when you make something like pumpkin cookies, the pumpkin puree can easily make the cookie more cakey if it's not approached in just the right way! And it's the same case here when you want lots of strawberry flavor, but fresh strawberries could easily make the brownies less fudgy. So there are a few key features in this recipe that help keep it PERFECTLY dense and fudgy:

1. No leaveners - We're not using any baking powder or soda and are instead going to whip together the eggs with sugar to provide just enough tender lift, but NO cakiness. It's pretty common to leave out baking powder and baking soda in brownie recipes, but it's especially important here.
2. Creaming together eggs and sugar - This step is important for 2 reasons: I already mentioned that this incorporates a bit of air into the brownies so they're not too dense, but it also helps dissolve the sugar. Dissolved sugar will create a brownie with a more evenly smooth texture that's moist and (again) fudgy!
3. Lemon zest - Lemon zest is added in with the sugar and eggs. The process of whipping them together will "bruise" the zest and release the lemon oil. It helps brighten up the flavor of the brownies and enhances the strawberry flavor!
4. Egg yolk - The brownies contain 2 whole eggs plus an extra egg yolk. The added yolk provides some additional richness, fat, and heaviness. This further helps weigh down the brownies (in a good way!) giving then a fudgier and chewier texture.
5. Maple syrup - Speaking of weighing down, a little bit of maple syrup also helps with creating a more dense and fudgy brownie.
6. Freeze dried strawberries - Finally, the star of the show! For the MOST fudgy yet flavorful brownie, freeze dried strawberries were the clear winner for this recipe. They add lots of flavor without impacting the consistency of the batter. They don't incorporate any additional moisture, which helps give these brownies the absolute best texture.

more tips

• Flour - For the most accurate measurements, I recommend using a food scale to weigh the flour so you know you have the exact right amount. If you prefer to use cups, never scoop the measuring cup directly into the bag of flour or this will condense it and add more weight! Instead, use a spoon to spoon the flour into your measuring cup so it's lightly packed.
• Temperature - In order for the eggs to whip up properly, it's important to let them come up to room temperature before using. This will also ensure they don't reharden the melted butter once it's added in and will give you a more even brownie texture. To bring the eggs up to room temperature FAST, you can submerge them in a bowl of lukewarm water for 5-10 minutes and you should be good to go from there!
• Mixing - When whipping the eggs and sugar, make sure you mix for a good 5 minutes so the mixture has enough air incorporated. On the flip side, watch out for over mixing once you add in the flour. Overmixing flour will lead to gluten development which will make the brownies tough and dense (in a bad way!)
• Baking & cooling - This is a no brainer, but keep an eye on the brownies to make sure they don't overbake and dry out. You'll know they're ready to come out once a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. After baking, allow the brownies to cool for 30 minutes before icing so they're not too hot.
• Slicing - Make sure to let the icing fully set before slicing into the brownies for cleaner cuts. When cutting the slices, use a large, sharp, straight edged knife to cut straight down in 1 motion and then slide the knife out horizontally. Don't saw back and forth or the edges won't be as clean!

FAQs

Where can you find freeze dried strawberries?
I usually buy mine from a small local grocery store, but you can usually find it in most grocery stores. I've also seen it available in Costco and on Amazon.

Can you use food coloring?
Yes! If you want a more vibrant color, you can add a few drops of food coloring in the same step that the maple syrup is added in.

How do you store strawberry brownies?
Keep the brownies covered tightly and store for up to 5 days at room temperature or 1-2 weeks in the fridge. The brownies will firm up when they're chilled and these are best served at room temperature - so if you kept them in the fridge, I would set them out at room temperature for a few minutes to allow them to soften up before digging in!

check out these other brownie recipes!

• Turtles Brownies
• Brownie Cupcakes
• Skillet Nutella Brownie
• Lemon Brownies
• Tiramisu Brownies
• M&M Brownies

Lastly, if you made this or any of my recipes, be sure to leave a comment and review below! I love hearing your thoughts! Also tag me on Instagram @eatsdelightfulblog so I can see what you're making.

watch how to make strawberry brownies

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mimi | Eats Delightful (@eatsdelightfulblog)

Print

Enjoy!

---