Easy Brownie Recipes for Kids
These easy brownie recipes for kids include fudgy brownies, candy brownies, microwave brownies, brownie mix add-ins, and simple chocolate desserts children can help make.
Brownies are one of the easiest beginner baking recipes because kids can practice measuring, mixing, cracking eggs, spreading batter, and decorating desserts while making a favorite family treat.
This page includes homemade brownie recipes, creative brownie variations, boxed brownie mix upgrades, and fun brownie dessert ideas for parties, bake sales, classroom cooking, homeschool activities, and family baking nights.
Try turning brownies into brownie parfaits, adding them to dessert boards, serving them as brownie sundaes, or pairing them with other easy desserts and no bake desserts kids can help make.
Start Here: Best Brownie Recipes for Kids
- Beginner bakers - Start with boxed brownie mix add-ins and simple brownie recipes.
- Chocolate lovers - Try peanut butter cup brownies, candy brownies, and fudgy brownie recipes.
- Quick desserts - Make microwave brownies or brownie in a cup recipes.
- Party desserts- Add candy bars, frosting, sprinkles, whipped cream, or ice cream toppings.
- Classroom cooking - Use easy brownie mix recipes kids can help stir and decorate.
- Creative dessert fun - Make brownie sundaes, brownie parfaits, or brownie dessert boards.
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Explore Brownie Recipe Ideas
Why Brownies Are Great for Beginner Bakers
Brownies are one of the easiest baking recipes for beginner cooks because children can help with measuring ingredients, stirring batter, cracking eggs, spreading batter into pans, and decorating desserts.
Boxed brownie mixes also work especially well for classroom cooking, homeschool lessons, family cooking nights, cooking clubs, scout groups, and beginner baking practice.
Brownie Baking Skills Kids Learn
Brownie recipes are a great way for children to practice beginner baking skills while making a fun dessert the whole family can enjoy.
These simple baking skills make brownie recipes useful for homeschool cooking lessons, classroom cooking activities, family baking nights, beginner bakers, and cooking clubs.
Best Brownies
These easy homemade brownies are a perfect brownie.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate
- 10 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch baking powder
Directions
- Melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave.
- Pour into a mixing bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Grease a 13x9-inch pan and pour the batter into it.
- Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the edge comes out with moist crumbs.
Kids Favorite Picnic Brownies
by Kelly Lambrakis (CA)
These homemade picnic brownies are rich, chocolatey, and easy for kids to help mix and bake. Chocolate chips make them extra fudgy and perfect for bake sales, family desserts, parties, and lunchbox treats.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 25-30 minutes
Yield: 9 brownies
Equipment
- Medium mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing spoon
- 9 x 9 inch baking pan
- Cooking spray
- Oven mitts
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt butter in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Stir in sugar, vanilla, and eggs.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips.
- Mix until combined. Batter will be thick.
- Grease a 9 x 9 inch baking pan.
- Spread batter evenly into the pan.
- Bake for 2530 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the edge comes out with moist crumbs.
- Allow brownies to cool before cutting.
Serve warm with ice cream or drizzle with chocolate sauce for an easy brownie sundae dessert.
Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
by Samantha
These candy-filled brownies are easy for kids to help make using a boxed brownie mix and peanut butter cups hidden inside the batter.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: About 30 minutes
Yield: About 12 brownies
Ingredients
- 1 box brownie mix
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 bag peanut butter cups
Directions
- Preheat oven according to brownie mix package directions.
- Prepare brownie batter using eggs, oil, and water.
- Fill muffin cups halfway with batter, add peanut butter cup, then cover with more batter.
- Bake at 350 degrees until toothpick inserted near the edge comes out with moist crumbs.
- Allow brownies to cool before serving.
Try adding chocolate chips, caramel candies, or chopped candy bars for more easy brownie variations.
Easy Brownie Baking Tips for Kids
Microwave Brownies
These easy microwave brownies make a fast chocolate dessert kids can prepare in minutes using simple pantry ingredients.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: About 4560 seconds
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon chocolate chips
- Optional chopped walnuts
- Optional vanilla ice cream
Directions
- Mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a microwave-safe mug or small bowl.
- Stir in oil, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Mix in chocolate chips and walnuts if desired.
- Microwave 4560 seconds until the brownie is mostly set in the center.
- Allow brownie to cool slightly before eating.
Top with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, or vanilla ice cream for an easy brownie sundae dessert.
30 Easy Brownie Mix Add-Ins Kids Will Love
One of the easiest ways to make brownies more fun is to start with a boxed brownie mix and add candy, cookies, chocolate chips, fruit, or swirls before baking. Kids can help choose the add-ins, chop soft candies with supervision, sprinkle toppings, and swirl sauces into the batter.
Prepare brownie batter according to package directions, then try one of these easy brownie mix ideas.
Candy Brownie Ideas
Reese's Brownies: Chop peanut butter cups or Reese's Pieces and stir them into the batter for chocolate-peanut butter brownies.
Snickers or Milky Way Brownies: Cut candy bars into small pieces and mix them into the batter for caramel candy brownies.
Butterfinger Brownies: Crush Butterfinger bars and sprinkle some inside the batter and a little on top before baking.
Twix Brownies: Add chopped Twix pieces for a crunchy cookie and caramel brownie.
Rolo Brownies: Press Rolo candies into the batter after it is spread in the pan for gooey caramel centers.
M&M Brownies: Stir plain, mini, or peanut butter M&M's into the batter for colorful kid-friendly brownies.
Cookie Brownie Ideas
Oreo Brownies: Break Oreo cookies into bite-size pieces and fold them into the batter for cookies-and-cream brownies.
Cookie Dough Brownies: Drop small spoonfuls of chocolate chip cookie dough or peanut butter cookie dough over brownie batter before baking.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies: Chop baked chocolate chip cookies and stir them into the batter for extra crunch.
Nutter Butter Brownies: Add chopped peanut butter sandwich cookies for a peanut butter cookie brownie variation.
Chocolate and Crunchy Brownie Ideas
Chocolate Chip Brownies: Stir in about 3/4 cup chocolate chips for extra fudgy brownies.
White Chocolate Brownies: Add white chocolate chips for a sweet contrast to the chocolate batter.
Butterscotch Brownies: Mix in butterscotch chips for a caramel-like flavor.
Hershey Bar Brownies: Chop a chocolate bar into chunks and fold it into the batter.
Nut Brownies: Add chopped almonds, walnuts, or pecans for crunch. Kids can help measure the nuts.
Marshmallow Brownies: Stir in mini marshmallows or sprinkle them on top during the last few minutes of baking.
Fruit Brownie Ideas
Cherry Brownies: Drop spoonfuls of cherry pie filling over the batter and gently swirl it in before baking.
Raspberry Brownies: Add frozen raspberries straight to the batter. They may need a few extra minutes to bake.
Mixed Berry Brownies: Stir in frozen mixed berries for a chocolate-and-fruit brownie dessert.
Creative Brownie Ideas
Original Frosted Brownies: Bake brownies plain, cool completely, then spread thick frosting over the top.
Cream Cheese Brownies: Beat together 4 ounces cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 egg, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Drop spoonfuls over the batter and swirl with a knife.
Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies: Warm about 3/4 cup peanut butter, drop it over the brownie batter, and swirl it in before baking.
Caramel Brownies: Drop spoonfuls of caramel sauce over the batter and swirl gently for gooey caramel brownies.
Mint Brownies: Chop Andes mints or other mint chocolate candies and stir them into the batter.
Sprinkle Brownies: Add colorful sprinkles to the batter or sprinkle them on top for birthday brownies.
Red Hot Brownies: Sprinkle in a small amount of cinnamon candies for a bold cinnamon-chocolate flavor.
Tips for Brownie Mix Add-Ins
Fun Ways to Serve Brownies
Top warm brownies with vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and sprinkles.
Add brownie bites to dessert charcuterie boards with cookies, fruit, candy, and dipping sauces. More ideas for dessert and snack boards.
Layer brownie cubes with pudding, whipped cream, or fruit for easy parfait desserts.
Set out individual brownies with frosting, whipped cream, candy, fruit, sprinkles, sauces, and ice cream so kids can create their own brownie desserts.
Brownie Recipes by Occasion
Brownies are easy to customize for birthdays, parties, classroom treats, family movie nights, bake sales, and holiday celebrations. Try these fun brownie ideas for different occasions.
Easy Brownie Decorating Ideas
- Drizzle brownies with melted chocolate or caramel sauce.
- Add whipped cream and sprinkles before serving.
- Cut brownies into shapes using cookie cutters.
- Top brownies with mini marshmallows or candy pieces.
- Use seasonal sprinkles for holidays and parties.
- Make brownie sundaes with ice cream and toppings.
Brownie Videos and Easy Dessert Ideas
Easy fudgy brownie recipe video kids can help make.
Chocolate brownie overnight oats for breakfast or snacks.
More Chocolate Dessert Recipes Kids Can Make
Frequently Asked Questions About Brownie Recipes
What can kids add to brownie mix?
Kids can add chocolate chips, peanut butter cups, cookies, marshmallows, candy bars, sprinkles, nuts, caramel, or fruit to brownie batter.
How do you make boxed brownies taste better?
Try adding chocolate chips, extra vanilla, candy pieces, peanut butter swirls, or frosting after baking.
Can kids help make brownies?
Yes. Brownies are one of the easiest beginner baking recipes because children can help measure, stir, crack eggs, and decorate desserts.
How do you keep brownies fudgy?
Avoid overbaking brownies and do not overmix the batter. Chocolate chips can also help keep brownies soft and fudgy.
Can brownies be frozen?
Yes. Cool brownies completely, wrap tightly, and freeze for later desserts or lunchbox treats.
What age can kids start baking brownies?
Preschoolers can help stir ingredients while older children can measure, mix, and bake with supervision.
Can brownies be made in the microwave?
Yes. Microwave mug brownies are one of the fastest chocolate desserts kids can make.
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