These Easter Egg Brownies have triple the chocolate flavor! They’re rich, fudgy brownies, topped with a glossy dark chocolate frosting, and finished with colorful Cadbury mini eggs on top.
🥚 Cadbury Mini Egg Brownies
Fudgy brownies get a holiday makeover with the addition of colorful chocolate eggs to make these Easter Egg Brownies!
Top these rich homemade brownies with a layer of glossy chocolate frosting and festive chocolate eggs, and you’ve got a showstopping treat that’s perfect for Easter celebrations or any spring occasion.
You’ll love the balance of flavors and textures – the brownies are moist and chewy with a deep chocolate flavor, the frosting is light yet indulgent, and the chocolate eggs add a fun crunch and pop of color.
There are 3 simple steps to making these: Bake the brownies until they’re just set in the center, then let them cool completely before frosting. The real magic happens when you spread on the luscious frosting and arrange the chocolate eggs on top. Slice and serve these decorated brownies for an Easter dessert that’s guaranteed to have guests going back for seconds.
More Easter goodies
If you find yourself with extra Cadbury eggs left over after making these brownies, put them to good use and make our Bird’s Nest Cupcakes, Chocolate Nest Cookies, Easter Basket Cupcakes, or this cute Easter Nest Cake!
Table of Contents
🧾 What You’ll Need
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to know as you gather ingredients for these brownies. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)
- Chocolate: Semi-sweet chocolate is chopped and used twice in the brownie recipe: some is melted into the batter, and some is left in chunks and folded in at the end. Avoid using chocolate chips – instead, opt for good-quality bar chocolate.
- Cocoa powder: Cocoa powder is used in both the brownies and the frosting. I recommend using a high-quality cocoa powder for the best results. My personal favorite is Cacao Barry Extra Brute – it hits that sweet spot between very high quality but also pretty affordable since it is sold in bulk. Whatever you use, look for cocoa that is dutch-processed (also known as alkalized), because it has a deeper, richer flavor and color.
- Granulated sugar: Is whisked with eggs in the brownie batter
- Powdered sugar: Make sure you sift the powdered sugar after measuring, but before adding to the frosting.
- Eggs: Use large eggs, and make sure they are at room temperature.
- Flour: We’re using just a bit of all-purpose flour to hold the batter together.
- Vanilla and salt: Two must-have flavorings for both the brownies and frosting!
- Milk: You can use any fat percentage of milk in the frosting – just make sure it’s at room temp.
- Butter: We’re using unsalted butter in both the brownies and frosting. You can swap in salted butter – just reduce (or omit) the additional salt.
- Baking powder: Gives the brownies a little lift and keeps them from being too dense.
- Cadbury mini eggs: You can use any chocolate eggs you’d like. Or forgo the eggs entirely and use your favorite Easter sprinkles, pastel jimmies, or whatever other decorations you’d like!
Equipment
- 8×8 baking pan: An 8×8-inch pan is the perfect size for these brownies. If you like thin brownies, you can use a 9×9 pan instead. Or double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13-inch pan.
- Whisk: No mixer required – a whisk is truly the only tool you need to combine the batter!
- Wire strainer: I recommend using a wire strainer to sift the dry ingredients into the brownie batter. It prevents lumps in the batter and gives the brownies great texture.
- Parchment paper:Line your pan with parchment paper for easy removal and clean-up.
Ready to Make These?
- Get the recipe below 👇👇
- Scroll below the recipe for step-by-step photos
- Read important tips, variations, FAQs, and more
🐣 More Easter Desserts
Leave a Review!
If you make this recipe, let us know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe below, and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram @elabau, or use #sugarhero on IG!
Easter Egg Brownies
Ingredients
For the brownies:
- 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate
- 3 oz unsalted butter
- 4.5 oz granulated sugar, (⅔ cup)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1.5 oz all-purpose flour, (⅓ cup)
- 0.75 oz unsweetened cocoa powder, (¼ cup)
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
For the frosting and decoration:
- 2 oz unsalted butter, (4 TBSP)
- 1 oz unsweetened cocoa powder, (⅓ cup)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 TBSP milk, at room temperature
- 8 oz powdered sugar, (2 cups) sifted
- Chocolate eggs, or other candies for decorating
Instructions
To make the brownies:
- Heat oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177C°).
- Prepare pan: Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper so that it extends up and over the sides, and spray the bottom and sides of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Chop and divide chocolate: Chop the semi-sweet chocolate into small chunks. Separate out half of the chunks (4 oz, or about ⅔ cup) and save for later.
- Combine and melt chocolate and butter: Combine the remaining 4 oz chocolate chunks and the butter in a medium bowl. Heat them together in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring regularly, until the butter and chocolate are melted and smooth. (Alternately, melt them together in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring often.)
- Whisk eggs and sugar: Whisk together the eggs and sugar in a large bowl for about 2 minutes. They should look light yellow and frothy at the end. Stir in the vanilla.
- Mix chocolate mixture into egg mixture: Pour the chocolate mixture into the eggs and whisk them together for 1 minute, or until well-combined. The batter should be glossy and smooth, with the texture of chocolate pudding.
- Sift dry ingredients into batter: Place a wire strainer over the bowl, and sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt over the chocolate-egg mixture.
- Stir batter, fold in chocolate chunks: Gently stir everything together until the streaks of flour disappear. Finally, fold the remaining semi-sweet chocolate chunks into the brownie batter.
- Bake: Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and bake at 350 for 21-24 minutes, until it is puffed, shiny, and crackly on top. Start checking for doneness after 20 minutes of baking. A toothpick inserted into the center should have just a few moist crumbs attached.
- Cool: Let the brownies cool completely before frosting them.
To make the frosting and decorate:
- Melt butter: Melt the butter in a medium bowl in the microwave or in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. The butter should be warm and completely melted, but not boiling.
- Mix with cocoa powder: Remove it from the heat, and whisk the cocoa powder into the butter until the mixture is very shiny and there are no lumps.
- Add salt, vanilla, and milk: Add salt, vanilla, and 3 TBSP milk, and whisk well.
- Mix in powdered sugar, frost brownies: Whisk in the powdered sugar. Once everything is completely smooth, scrape the frosting on the pan of cooled brownies and spread it evenly to the edges. It’s important to frost the brownies right away, as the frosting will get firm as it cools down and won’t spread smoothly.
- Decorate with candy: Dot the top of the brownies with chocolate eggs and press them gently into the frosting.
- Set frosting: Let the frosting set for 1-2 hours at room temperature, or about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Cut: Remove the brownies from the pan using the parchment paper as handles. Cut into 16 squares, and serve.
- Store: Brownies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days.
Measuring Tips
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?
Nutrition
📸 Photo Tutorial: How to Make Easter Egg Brownies
Here’s a step-by-step guide for making Easter Egg Brownies. Grab a printable version of this in the recipe card above.
To Make the Brownies:
- Prep the chocolate: Chop 8-oz of semi-sweet chocolate, and divide it in half. Set 4-oz aside for now.
- Melt half the chocolate with butter: Combine the other 4-oz of chocolate with 3-oz of butter, and melt them together in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring well between each heating until smooth. Or, heat over low heat on the stove, stirring constantly until completely melted and smooth.
- Cool chocolate mixture: Once the chocolate mixture is fully melted and combined, let it cool on the countertop for a few minutes while you continue with the recipe.
- Whisk eggs and sugar: Whisk 2 large eggs and 4.5 oz granulated sugar (2/3 cup) together in a large bowl for about 2 minutes. They should look light yellow and frothy at the end.
- Add vanilla to egg mixture: Whisk 2 tsp vanilla extract into the eggs.
- Add chocolate mixture to the egg mixture: Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the eggs, and whisk them together for 1 minute, or until well-combined. The batter should be glossy and smooth, with the texture of chocolate pudding. Don’t skimp on this step – it improves the texture of the brownies and gives them that crackly top!
- Sift dry ingredients into the batter: Set a wire strainer over the bowl, and sift 1.50 oz (1/3 cup) flour, 0.75 oz (1/4 cup) cocoa, 1/4 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt on top.
- Stir to combine: Gently stir just until the streaks of flour disappear and everything is combined.
- Fold in chocolate chunks: Add the reserved 4-oz of chopped chocolate to the brownie batter and stir it in.
- Fill baking pan: Spread the batter in an 8×8-inch pan lined with parchment and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bake and cool: Bake the brownies at 350 F for 22-25 minutes, until they are puffed, shiny, and crackly on top. A toothpick inserted into the center should have just a few moist crumbs attached. Let the brownies cool completely.
To Make the Frosting:
- Melt butter: Melt 2-oz of butter in a large microwave-safe bowl.
- Add cocoa powder: Add 1-oz (1/3 cup) high-quality cocoa powder to the warm butter, and whisk until smooth, glossy, and free of lumps.
- Whisk in salt, vanilla, and milk: Add 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla, and 3 TBSP of milk to the bowl, and whisk those in as well.
- Add powdered sugar: Finally, add 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar, and whisk until everything is smooth and shiny.
- Frost immediately: Scrape the frosting on top of the baked and cooled brownies. It’s important to frost the brownies right away, since it will firm up as it cools down and be difficult to spread.
- Make frosting swirls: Use a small spatula to spread the frosting evenly over the top of the brownies. I love to make small swirls with this frosting – I think it looks beautifully rustic that way.
- Decorate: Add chocolate eggs or Easter sprinkles on top of the frosting.
- Set the frosting: Let the frosting set at room temperature for 1-2 hours, or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Cut: For the cleanest cuts, cut the brownies when they’re chilled, and rinse off your knife in hot water between each cut.
💭 Variations
Here are a few ideas for making these brownies your own:
- Flavors: try adding flavoring extracts like mint, almond, or orange, or stirring in a teaspoon of espresso powder to both the batter and frosting. Coordinate the flavors of the candy eggs on top to match the flavors of the brownies.
- Mix-ins: Swap the chocolate chunks for something else like white chocolate, peanut butter chips, caramel chips, or toasted nuts.
- Decorating: skip the frosting and drizzle unfrosted brownies with chocolate or caramel sauce, or just keep things simple and opt for a light dusting of powdered sugar or cocoa powder.
- Toppings: frost the brownies, and instead of chocolate eggs, use your favorite Easter sprinkles, toffee bits, crushed cookies, or other Easter candies.
💡 Brownie FAQs
Here are a few things you can do to prevent dry brownies:
– Don’t over-mix the batter. Mixing longer than necessary leads to tough, dry brownies.
– Use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is accurate.
– Additionally, start checking for doneness before the stated time. All ovens and pans are different, so your baking time may vary.
– Use a toothpick in the center of the brownie pan. You don’t want the toothpick to be gooey, but you do want to see some crumbs attached to it.
– The brownies will continue to cook for a bit after they come out of the oven, so if you’re not sure, err on the side of under-baking. Fudgy brownies are better than dry brownies!
Yes, a boxed mix will work. Scratch brownies will have a richer, more decadent flavor, but once you add the frosting and chocolate eggs, you’ll have plenty of decadence already!
Make sure the brownies have cooled completely before frosting them. As soon as the frosting is made, scrape it on top of the cooled brownies in the pan, and spread it in an even layer, using a small spatula to make swirls on the top of the frosting. The frosting will start to set soon after it’s made, so it’s important to use it right away.
Store these brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days, or the refrigerator for up to a week. You can stack them in a double layer with parchment between the layers – the frosting forms a crust, so as long as you don’t put a lot of weight on them, it should stay nice.
🍫 Tips For Brownie Success
Here are our top baking tips for making delicious brownies:
- Use good quality ingredients – High quality cocoa powder, chocolate, butter, and vanilla extract make a big difference in flavor.
- Use room temperature ingredients – This allows for proper blending and prevents overmixing. To quickly warm up your eggs, place them in a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes. To warm up butter, microwave it at half power in 5-10 second intervals, flipping and checking frequently so it doesn’t start melting.
- Don’t skip the salt – A bit of salt enhances the chocolate flavor and cuts sweetness.
- Don’t overmix the batter – Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, resulting in dry, tough brownies. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
- Fold in extras gently – For mix-ins like nuts or chocolate chips, use a folding motion to avoid overmixing.
- Use the right pan – Use a light-colored metal pan for even browning, or a glass pan if you like crispy edges. Line with parchment for easy removal, and spray with nonstick spray or brush with cake goop.
- Check doneness correctly – Don’t overbake. Brownies are done when a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.
- Underbake slightly – Always err on the side of underbaking. Fudgy, gooey brownies are preferable to dry, cakey ones for most brownie lovers.
- Let cool completely before cutting – Cutting warm brownies leads to crumbly, messy edges. Most brownies cut best when the brownies are slightly chilled. For the cleanest cuts, rinse the knife with hot water between every cut.
- Add extra flavors – Boost flavor with espresso powder, cinnamon, orange zest, or extracts like mint, almond, or coconut.
My family and I love a fudgy and moist brownie recipe! The Cadbury Eggs were the perfect addition for a festive Easter treat! Will make again for sure!!
Thanks so much, Holley, glad you enjoyed them. Happy Easter!
We just adore these brownies! We have made them many times! Everyone devoured it!
Yay, I’m thrilled to hear it! Thanks Julia!
All of the recipes are gorgeous as usual. I made the Brownies, Peanut Butter Eggs, one of my favorites, Cupcakes and Birds Nests with candy eggs and jelly beans. I hope there is some left over for Easter. LOL!! Happy and Blessed Easter to you and you’re Family.
Donna, thank you so much for letting me know. I love this and so appreciate YOU and your friendship over the years. Happy Easter to you and your loved ones as well. <3
FANTASTIC! I love how fudgy these brownies are, and the eggs are a super cute touch. These are perfect!
Thanks so much, Beth! Can’t go wrong with a super-fudgy brownie! 🙂
These look so fudgy and decadent. Excited to try them!
I am all about that fudgy brownie life. 🙂 Thanks Chenee, I hope you give them a try!
My kids loved helping with these! I made the brownies and they did the decorating! Lots of fun and delicious too!
So glad that you enjoyed them, Paula!