Gooey Strawberry Brownies
on Feb 09, 2024
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Try these homemade strawberry brownies for a sunny, fruity twist on this classic chocolaty treat. Topped with juicy strawberries and studded with creamy white chocolate, they’re gooey, rich and fudgy, without being overly sweet.
Ready to serve in around 30 minutes.
Why you’ll love them
Super easy, one bowl recipe. Just melt the butter, then stir everything else in. These easy strawberry brownies will take around 30 minutes from start to finish.
Fudgy and rich, but not overly sweet. These are certainly not saintly (they’re brownies, after all!), but they don’t have the most sugar you’ll ever find in a brownie recipe.
Pretty on top. I hope you’ll love the pretty splashes of red and white on top of these brownies! The strawberries make them perfect for Valentine’s day, mother’s day, a birthday, baby showers, or a summer BBQ, don’t you think?
About the ingredients
You’ll find a full list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But here’s a summary of what you need to know.
Butter: I use unsalted so that I can control the amount of salt myself. However, salted will work, too. I think the buttery taste is essential in this strawberry brownies recipe, so I don’t suggest substituting with oil.
Cocoa: Make sure you use unsweetened cocoa. It doesn’t matter whether you use natural cocoa powder or dutch-processed cocoa. Dutch-processed will result in a slightly darker color and richer flavor.
Sugar: I usually use regular white sugar in this recipe. You’ll add just one cup of sugar, which is actually on the low side for a brownie recipe.
Flour: Just use regular white all-purpose flour.
Vanilla: I like a high quality, pure vanilla extract without any artificial additives or flavors.
Salt: Don’t skip the half a teaspoon of salt. You won’t really taste it in the brownies – it will just help to bring out the other flavors and balance the sweetness.
Eggs: I prefer free range but as long as you use large eggs you can use any kind.
White chocolate chips: You can use chips or chunks. Feel free to use milk or dark chocolate instead. I just think the white chocolate contrasts really well with the red strawberries.
How to make strawberry brownies
Step 1. Preheat the oven and line a square baking pan with baking paper. I also spray it lightly with oil to prevent any sticking.
Step 2. Melt the butter. You can either do this in a medium sized bowl in the microwave (in 30 second bursts until melted), or in a saucepan on the stove.
Step 3. Stir everything else into the melted butter, except the eggs.
Step 4. Now stir in the eggs – just until well combined.
Step 5. Fold in the white chocolate chips, then scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
Step 6. Smooth over, then sprinkle the sliced strawberries over the top of the batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (in my oven it takes 23 minutes).
Step 7. Finish by drizzling a little extra white chocolate over the top. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.
Helen’s top tips
- Don’t overmix the batter. As with any cake, you’ll want to just mix the batter together until everything is just combined. Otherwise the cake can come out tougher than you would like.
- Cut the brownies when they are completely cool. Lightly spray a big knife with oil before slicing for cleaner cuts. Wipe and re-spray if necessary between slices.
- Try not to overbake. Check for ‘doneness’ after 20 minutes, then every 2 minutes after that. You want a skewer or small knife pushed into the center to come out with sticky crumbs on it. I find with any ‘gooey’ brownie type recipe, you might have to make it once or twice in your particular oven to get it absolutely right. If in doubt, take it out of the oven sooner rather than later. Remember the brownies will continue ‘setting’ in the pan as they cool.
Variations
- Sprinkle the strawberry chocolate brownies with a few freeze-dried strawberries as well for a little crunch and an extra burst of strawberry flavor.
- Swirl a little strawberry jam into the top of the brownies before you sprinkle over the strawberries.
- Sprinkle a few toasted hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios or pecan nuts over the top as well as the strawberry slices.
- Make a quick strawberry puree to drizzle over the top of the brownies to serve. Simply check out this recipe for raspberry puree and switch the raspberries for strawberries.
- For a strawberry cheesecake brownie, mix a quarter cup of strawberry puree (see above) into half a cup of softened cream cheese, then swirl the mixture through the brownies before baking. Simply dollop spoonfuls on top of the raw brownies and use a small knife to swirl the mixture into the batter.
How to serve
My favorite way to serve this strawberry brownie recipe is as ‘dessert’, warm straight out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and extra strawberries on top. Mmm!
If they have already cooled, simply re-heat in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds if at room temperature or 20 to 30 seconds if refrigerated. Be careful not to overheat and make them tough or dry.
However, the brownies are also absolutely delicious served cold from the fridge. I find that the brownies are extra fudgy and decadent-tasting when served like this!
Storage tips
Because these fudgy brownies have fresh fruit on top, they’re best eaten fairly quickly (I’m sure you won’t have any problems with that!).
It’s best to refrigerate them in an airtight container. They should keep well for 2 to 3 days, but after that you may find the strawberries are past their best.
If you’d like to freeze them, it’s best to do so without the strawberries on top. Simply cook the brownies without strawberries, then add the sliced strawberries just before serving. You can freeze brownies without strawberries on top for 2 to 3 months. Make sure they are well-wrapped in several layers of plastic wrap or aluminium foil and placed in an airtight freezer bag or container.
Defrost in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight.
More easy chocolate desserts
- If you’d prefer to serve gooey slices of cake instead of brownies, go for this 6-ingredient gooey Swedish chocolate cake instead. This has got hundreds of 5 star reviews!
- Looking for a chocolate dessert on the healthier side? No one believes this gooey healthy chocolate cake is… well, healthy!
- When you’re craving a chocolate dessert but you don’t want to turn on the oven, this no bake chocolate truffle cake is the perfect choice.
- This 6-ingredient self saucing chocolate pudding is surprising since it’s low in sugar and doesn’t have any eggs in it.
Or see all easy chocolate recipes.
Gooey Strawberry Brownies
Ingredients
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, = ½ cup + 1 tablespoon or 1 stick + 1 tablespoon or 4.5 ounces/130 grams
- ½ cup cocoa powder, (plus 1 tablespoon) unsweetened
- 1 cup sugar, = 7 ounces
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour, = 3.5 ounces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 eggs, lightly whisked
- ½ cup white chocolate chips, = 3.5 ounces (plus extra for drizzling at the end) or chocolate chunks
- ¾ cup strawberries, sliced into roughly ½ cm slices (= 4.5 ounces) plus extra to serve, if you like
To serve
- vanilla ice cream and extra strawberries
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F/175C. Line an 8×8 inch square cake pan with baking paper and spray lightly with oil to stop sticking.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on the stove, or in a large bowl in the microwave in 30-second bursts.9 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add the cocoa, sugar, flour, salt, and vanilla to the butter and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. Then add the eggs and stir everything together until well combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips or chunks.½ cup cocoa powder, 1 cup sugar, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 3 eggs, ½ cup white chocolate chips
- Scrape the batter into the cake pan and smooth down. Scatter the strawberry slices evenly over the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is 'just' set but the center is still gooey – a skewer, tooth pick or small knife pushed in the center should come out with some wet crumbs on it. Check at 20 minutes and every 2 minutes after that.¾ cup strawberries
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then use the sides of the baking paper to transfer the brownies to a cooling rack or cutting board. Drizzle with a little extra melted white chocolate, if you like (just melt in a small bowl or jug in the microwave in 30-second bursts).
- Serve warm with ice cream and extra strawberries. Alternatively, let cool completely before slicing into 9 or 12 brownies. You can do this in the fridge for 30 minutes or at room temperature. Use a large sharp knife with a small spray of oil on it for easier slicing.
This dessert is delicious! I followed the recipe almost exactly, just served the strawberries on the side with whipped cream rather than putting them in the mix. It’s quick and easy to make. This would be good with nuts added too. I had to resist the temptation to eat it all in one sitting! I’ll make this again, YUM.
Ahh thank you so much for the feedback, Kelly! I’m so happy you liked them and it’s the biggest compliment ever that you’ll make them again 🙂