Maybe even better than the real thing - edible brownie batter is the safe-to-eat guilty pleasure late night dessert you've been searching for.
Why you'll love it
You know those desserts where you can't help but lick the spatula while you are baking? I love making edible versions of those. Just check out my edible cake batter and my edible chocolate chip cookie dough.
This is super chocolaty and and rich. It is great eaten by the spoonful or used as a dip for pretzels or even cookies. It's infinitely customizable with all different kinds of mix-ins you can incorporate depending on your mood! Whatever it is you want to add in, your chocolate craving is sure to be satisfied.
Since we do not use any raw eggs, it is super quick and easy to make, so you can get to snacking in minutes!
What is it?
This is a recipe that is made specifically for you to be able to eat without worrying about any potential risks. It has all the flavors of brownie in a delicious spoonful that you will want to keep around all the time.
The best part is that there are two versions of this for you to try. You can go simple with the brownie mix version (my favorite for quick fixes), or you can make a homemade version with ingredients you have in the kitchen. Either way, you are going to love it. We make it egg-free, but we also heat-treat the flour to ensure that it is safe to eat without baking.
Ingredients
It takes only simple ingredients to come together to create this edible brownie dough. Here are the key ingredients and any important information about them. For the amounts and the full list of ingredients, the recipe card is at the bottom of this post.
- Butter - Unsalted butter adds a delicious richness to the edible brownie batter. If you want to take things to the next level, you can consider using browned butter. Alternatives like vegan butter or coconut oil also work.
- Flour - All-purpose flour needs to be heat treated before using it here. You should also heat treat the baking mix if you are making it from the box. If you want to avoid flour or opt for a gluten-free version, you can use almond flour or coconut flour instead - keep in mind that it may change the final texture.
- Sugar - You can be lenient with the sugar you use. Granulated sugar on its own works well, but you can replace some of it with brown sugar if you'd like to add more depth.
- Cream - Heavy cream is used to create a smooth, velvety consistency. You can use milk, a dairy alternative like almond milk, coocnut milk, or even water, but the richness of heavy cream adds more flavor.
- Cocoa powder - You can use Dutch-processed or natural cocoa powder. They both work equally well.
Step by step instructions
It takes only a few minutes to make. In many cases, I do not heat my flour or boxed brownie mix, but there are health risks if you do not heat it. I always recommend erring on the side of caution For detailed instructions and ingredient amounts, I recommend reviewing the recipe card below.
From the box:
- Heat your boxed mix in the microwave and allow to cool completely.
- Beat butter until creamy and smooth.
- Add in the brownie mix and beat until the mixture looks like large crumbs.
- Beat in the heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until the mixture becomes smooth and easy to scoop.
From Scratch:
- Heat your flour in the microwave and allow to cool.
- Beat the butter until creamy and add your dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt, plus the vanilla extract.
- Beat until the mixture resembles large crumbs.
- Add in the heavy cream and mix until smooth.
Why heat treat flour
It may come as a surprise, but the risks in eating raw batter is not in the eggs. The risk of getting a bad egg is actually not very high. The main risk rests in eating raw flour.
Flour goes through very little processing. It goes from field to mill to store, so untreated flour may have harmful bacteria. Luckily, heat-treating the flour makes it safe for you to eat. There are brands that sell heat-treated flour, but they can be hard to find and costly.
The quickest way to do it is use the microwave. but you can also use the oven. The important thing to do is let the flour cool completely before you use it and then give it a good fluff. This is so that the flour gets the best texture after being heated.
Storing your leftover batter
This makes a whole thing of edible brownie batter, so unless you are gifting some to friends or family, I am going to assume you won't be eating the whole thing at once.
You need to store your leftover brownie batter in an airtight container, and it does need to be left in the refrigerator. It should last up to a week in there, but I've had friends eat theirs up to two weeks from the fridge.
You can store it in the freezer. There, it should last well over a month. To thaw, leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours, then take it out and leave it at room temperature for a few minutes.
Pro tip: Freeze the brownie batter in an ice cube tray, Once frozen, put them in an airtight container, that way you can take out just what you want at the time and keep the rest frozen. It also means the batter thaws faster!
Customization inspiration
I love trying new things to change up my brownie batter. You can add in any of your favorite mix-ins.
- Chocolate chips are an obvious choice, especially if you are all about that chocolate. You can also experiment with other types of chips like peanut butter chips, butterscotch, and mint. Don't forget the sprinkles!
- Fudge Sauce and marshmallow sauce are amazing here. It's almost like having a brownie ice cream, only even more decadent. You can even use other sauces like strawberry or caramel.
- Peanut butter is a classic with chocolate, so it works so well with the edible brownie batter. I also like Nutella and cookie butter.
- Strawberries are my favorite with chocolate and I'll sometimes stuff them with this brownie batter. I will also sometimes spread it on bananas or other fruits.
- Ice cream is a great canvas for putting the batter into. Swirls of it in your ice cream is just soooooo good during movie night.
Reader FAQs
There are two versions of the edible brownie batter recipe. The first uses boxed brownie mix and does not have eggs. It is very much edible and one of my favorite things ever!
This recipe is made so that it won't make you sick from eating a few tablespoons. Saying this, eating too much brownie batter will give you a tummy ache just like anything else. Moderation is key. No one likes getting a stomachache after eating too much.
Usually, you can't eat brownie batter, but you can eat this edible brownie batter! We heat the flour to get rid of any potentially dangerous bacteria. We also do not use any eggs in this batter.
That makes this the best brownie batter to snack on when you want the taste of brownies without having to actually bake anything.
If you're looking for similar recipes, you've got to try my red velvet cookie dough. My edible sugar cookie dough and peanut butter cookie dough truffles are to die for. If you're a brownie fiend like I am, these brownie stuffed chocolate chip cookies are the best thing to ever happen to cookies.
Recipe Card
Edible Brownie Batter
Ingredients
From the Box
- 1 box brownie mix*
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 5 tablespoons heavy cream
- ⅔ cup chocolate chips optional
From Scratch
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 - 8 tablespoons heavy cream or as needed
- ⅔ cup chocolate chips optional
Instructions
From the Box
- Heat the brownie mix in the microwave for 1 and allow to cool.
- Melt the butter and mix in the heavy cream
- Add in the brownie mix and stir in until just combined.
- Add more heavy cream slowly, if needed until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Stir in the chocolate chips if using.
From Scratch
- Heat the flour in the microwave for 1 minute, then set aside to cool.
- Fluff the cooled flour
- Melt the butter and stir in the sugar.
- Mix in the cocoa, salt, and flour until incorporated.
- Beat in the vanilla and half the cream. Add in the remaining cream until it is your desired consistency.
- Mix in chocolate chips if using.
Joni Leigh says
I love baking/making pies of all sorts...have had unimaginable opportunities and learning experiences from numerous restaurant and bakery jobs along with competing and winning Blue Ribbons in the National Pie Council Competition that fuel a passion for playing and creating. A coworker suggested a peanut butter brownie batter pie, because I believe anything can be made into a delicious sweet or savory pie!! I haven't had much time to think let alone play with this suggestion...was thinking a thin nutter butter cookie crumb crust with a layer of milk chocolate then your brownie batter filling with ribbons of peanut butter throughout the filling and topped with whipped cream also with peanut butter ribbons...
How stiff does the batter get for this recipe? At room temperature? After refrigeration?
KEEP CALM AND KARO ON!!
Amanda Powell says
Apologies for the late reply! This comes out more like an edible cookie dough and is quite thick. You can adjust the thickness using heavy cream.
Becca says
I microwaved the box mix for 2 minutes. I had to stop it a few seconds early because I could smell it burning. The mix was in hard clumps in a lot of places. I waited for it to cool, broke up the clumps, then made the batter. It tasted good, but the bottom of my bowl is ruined. Why does it need to be previously warmed?
Amanda Powell says
Hi Becca,
Depending on the brand and bowl, it might have been more susceptible to burning. The heating is necessary because the flour used is raw (it goes from field to mill to stores) and anything that was on it in the field is still in the flour, so it is important to cook it so that it can kill anything potentially harmful
Quisha says
It looks like there are two different sets of directions in here since the order of how to mix things is different in two different spots on this article and I’m unsure if I followed the wrong one or if it mattered because it didn’t come out like regular brownie batter.
Becca says
I think I’m doing something wrong. I’ve made it twice and both times it end up being kind of gritty instead of smooth. What am I doing wrong and/or how can I fix it?
Amanda Powell says
I’d be glad to help, I’m sorry you are having issues. Are you doing the from scratch or the boxed version?
Becca says
Boxed. I tried two different brands.
Amanda Powell says
When you heat the brownie mix, is the flour clumpy at all? Are you waiting until it’s cool before you add your ingredients to it?
Becca says
No, it’s not clumpy, and yes, I waited for it to cool both times.
dan says
can you use margarine instead of butter and how about sweetened condensed milk?
Amanda Powell says
Margarine would work. I don’t think sweetened condensed milk would, but it is always worth trying!!!
Ericka Lizotte says
Wow this is amazing!!!
Amanda Powell says
Thank you!!!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
Love how easy and delicious this recipe is. It's perfect for a gathering or a party.
Sarah says
Can I add yogurt instead of cream?
Amanda Powell says
You may try it, but I’d recommend milk before yogurt
Liyah says
omg I have been looking for this recipe for a long time thank you so much!
Amanda Powell says
I hope you enjoy it!!!
Kalee Dillard says
Yum! I love how fast and easy this is to make, and it's so yummy!
Jenn says
Oh this is decadent with a capital DECADENT!!!! Such a fun recipe!
Justine says
This is everything I never knew I needed and then some.
MJ Fulton says
If someone doesn't have a microwave to heat the flour, what alternative do you suggest?
Thank you.
Amanda Powell says
You can heat it in an oven or toaster oven at 300 degrees for a few minutes. If you are making the from scratch version, there is a pre-heat treated brand of flour available. I don’t remember who makes it, but I can google it!
Amanda Powell says
So, these are a few brands I’ve found so far (I’ll add a section in the post listing them and linking out to them later on in the day for everyone’s convenience!) Ardent Mill's SafeGuard, Honeyville's TempSure All-Purpose Ready-to-Eat flour, Siemer Milling Co.'s Heat-Treated soft wheat flours, Bay State Milling's SimplySafe products, and Page House Foods. They are more expensive, so it’d be best to save it for only making raw batter/cookie dough to eat.
Tayler Ross says
I am so guilty of licking the bowl when making brownies, so I'm glad to have a recipe of brownie batter that I'm allowed to eat! Yum!
Jessica Formicola says
Brownie batter is totally my weakness! I will definitely be making this delicious recipe often!