Made popular in school cafeterias, these brownies are even better than you remember! Sweet and fudgy chocolate brownies with chocolate frosting? Yes, please! We call these Lunch Lady Brownies because many of us remember getting brownies just like these at our school cafeteria. There were also these amazing Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Cookies. While school lunch food wasn’t always the best, those school cafeteria workers really knew how to bake some amazing treats! I don’t know if brownies still look like this at school, but it doesn’t matter. You can make this perfect frosted brownie recipe at home, for yourself, your kids, or to share with whoever you’d like. If you really want to thrill your family, pop one of these brownies in their school lunchboxes, or maybe try a fun batch of Lucky Charms marshmallow treats, homemade Star Crunch Cookies, or Oreo Brownies instead!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These are the best brownies, thick and fudgy with a generous layer of chocolate frosting.
I’ve adjusted the common, classic recipe for lunch lady brownies by reducing the amount of sugar, and adding a bit of salt and vanilla extract to the brownies and the frosting.
With these changes, I think that the brownies have the perfect amount of sweetness, without being so sweet that you don’t even notice the decadent chocolate flavor.
Just like your mom made, or just like you may have gotten from the school cafeteria, these brownies are definitely nostalgic.
Aside from being delicious and fun, this recipe for making lunch lady brownies is really very simple. All of the ingredients are mixed up in one bowl, with just a whisk! No fancy tools are needed.
Key Ingredients In Lunch Lady Brownies
Here’s what you need to make the best chocolate frosted brownies:
Unsalted Butter: Melted butter is used to make the brownie batter, and softened butter is the base for the chocolate buttercream frosting. Cocoa Powder: Unsweetened natural cocoa powder is key to making the best chocolate brownies. Eggs: Be sure to let your eggs sit out at room temperature for a bit before mixing up the brownie batter. Trust me, it makes a difference! Powdered Sugar: To make a creamy chocolate buttercream frosting,
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make Lunch Lady Brownies
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9×13-inch pan or a jelly roll pan, then line it with parchment paper so that the brownies are easy to remove.
Recipe Tips
Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Brownie batter mixes up perfectly smooth when the eggs and melted butter are at the same temperature. Let the butter cool down for a bit after melting it, and let the eggs sit out on the counter. Don’t Overmix. The flour is added to the batter last and only needs to be stirred in until you don’t see any flour. Overmixing will lead to brownies that are dry and overly cakey. Add More Chocolate! Stir mini chocolate chips into the batter, or top the brownies with chocolate shavings if you want to. Chopped pecans or walnuts can also be added if you like nuts in your brownies. If the frosting is too thick or too runny, you’ll want to adjust it. You can thicken the frosting by adding more powdered sugar, or thin it out with a tiny bit of milk. Instead of this chocolate frosting, you should try lunch lady brownies with white chocolate buttercream! A simple peanut butter icing like the one used on my Halloween Peanut Butter Cupcakes would also be very tasty. Add chopped peanut butter cups as a garnish. I cut the brownies into 15 squares, but these are so rich and chocolatey that you could probably get away with serving smaller pieces if you need to.
Brownie Storing Tips
Keep the brownies covered and on the counter. If they’ve been cut, they should last for 1-2 days. Uncut, the pan of brownies can be stored for up to 4 days. You can also store these in the refrigerator if you’d like. They’ll last a bit longer, up to a week. Freeze lunch lady brownies in an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
Take yourself back in time with this easy recipe for Lunch Lady Brownies! Even if you never had a brownie in the school cafeteria, you’ll still agree that these are the best. © Little Sunny Kitchen
