This brownie cupcakes recipe with chocolate fudge frosting is the perfect mix between a chocolate cake and a brownie. It makes the most chewy, soft, and decadent brownie cupcakes, topped with a rich and luscious chocolate fudge frosting. It’s the perfect treat to satisfy all of your chocolate cravings!

Ingredients you’ll need for the brownie cupcakes recipe

This recipe calls for simple ingredients, found in any big grocery store:

• Unsalted butter. It doesn’t need to be at room temperature, since you’re melting it with the chocolate, but it does need to be unsalted and good quality butter.
• Semi-sweet chocolate. It will be melted with the butter and will help give a denser texture and deliver a fudgy brownie.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder. High-quality chocolate for better results. I like using Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
• Baking powder. Normally, brownies will use baking soda as a leavener. In this case though, because I wanted cakier brownies, I used baking powder instead.
• Freshly brewed coffee. Although you won’t taste it, coffee enhances the chocolate flavor, for a more intense chocolate brownie.
• White sugar. Not only sweetens your brownies, but gives them a softer texture.
• Eggs. Eggs work as a binding agent. They also add moisture and help leaven the brownies.
• All-purpose flour. The amount of flour vs. fat in your brownies determines how cakey or fudgy they are. For this recipe, I used a bit more than I would normally use, for that perfect balance between a moist chocolate cake and a brownie.
• Vanilla extract. Pure vanilla extract and good quality for better results.
• Salt. Enhances all of the other flavors in your brownies.
• Chocolate chips. I used both semisweet chocolate chips and milk chocolate for this recipe. You can use either chips or cut a chocolate bar in small chunks (or both!)
• Powdered sugar. To sweeten the frosting
• Heavy cream. Helps give moisture to the fudge frosting, and makes it creamier

Take a look at the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full recipe.

How to make these chocolate brownie cupcakes

Brownie Cupcakes

Preheat the oven and set the oven temperature to 350 Fahrenheit. Line your cupcake tins with paper liners and set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate together in low heat. Mix slightly with a wooden spoon, until you can see only melted chocolate and no lumps. Set aside and let cool slightly.

Over a large bowl, stir cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt (no need to use an electric mixer or a hand mixer, just a whisk). Add the butter-chocolate mixture and hot coffee, and stir until the mixture is thickened. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla and mix until combined.

Mix in the flour to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined (do not over-mix!). Fold in the chocolate chips

Divide batter into the prepared cupcake pan. Fill the cupcake tin 3/4 full, -or almost full- with brownie batter. Place the cupcakes in the middle rack of the preheated oven, one cupcake tin at a time.

Bake for 28-30 minutes. Make a toothpick test: insert a toothpick in the center of a cupcake, and it should come out with a few crumbs. The inserted toothpick should not come out clean (dry brownies), or with wet batter (raw brownies).

Let the cupcakes cool in the cupcake tin for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate fudge frosting

For the chocolate frosting, cream butter at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, for around 1.5 minutes.

Add sifted powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat on lowest until ingredients are just incorporated, then beat at medium-high speed for an additional 2 minutes. Frosting should look light and fluffy.

Add the frosting on top of your cooled cupcakes and enjoy!

How do you keep brownies from sticking to cupcake liners?

High-quality cupcake liners and cupcake pans will make a whole lot of a difference between an easy-peel of a brownie from a cupcake liner or a cupcake stuck to the cupcake liner. Make sure to use both!

You can also spray the cupcake liners lightly with cooking spray to help them peel off more easily.

Expert tips and tricks for the perfect brownie cupcake recipe

• Measure your ingredients correctly. For the flour and powdered sugar, put the measuring cup on a flat surface, scoop them using a spoon into the measuring cup without compacting them, then level them with the back of a knife
• After adding the flour, do not over-mix the dough. Instead, mix until just combined.
• Use room-temperature ingredients for your frosting and room-temperature eggs for your batter. This will make or break the outcome of your dessert
• Sift the powdered sugar and cacao powder before adding them to your frosting to avoid any lumps
• Frost your cupcakes until they are completely cooled to avoid a melty disaster

Freezing and storing any leftover brownie cupcakes

Store any leftover cupcakes in an airtight container, in a fresh place, and away from any heat sources for 2-3 days at room temperature.

You can also store them in the fridge for up to 7 days.

To freeze, store them in an airtight container in a single layer. Freeze for up to 2 months.

You can thaw them in the refrigerator overnight, or eat the frozen brownie right out of the freezer!

Here’s a step-by-step guide with how-to images on how to freeze your frosted and unfrosted cupcakes.

Here’s a video of these Brownie Cupcakes so you can see up-close this dessert.

Follow the links below for more brownie recipes and cupcake recipes:

Chocolate Chip Oreo Brownies

Cream Cheese Brownies

Gooey brownies

Homemade Nutella Cupcakes with Nutella filling

Mini Chocolate Cupcakes recipe

If you make this recipe, please be sure to give it a star rating and leave a comment below!