Rich and ultra decadent white chocolate brownies with a luscious vanilla cream cheese frosting. The perfect dessert for the white chocolate lover.
Why you'll love it
These are the white chocolate version of my favorite fudge brownies. They are soft, chewy, fudgy, with an irresistible vanilla flavor and have a delicious balance of white chocolate in every bite thanks to using real melted white chocolate.
These white chocolate brownies are finished with a layer of cream cheese frosting to balance out and complement the white chocolate, but they're just as delicious on their own!
White chocolate tends to caramelize when baking which leaves you with a lovely layer of depth to the chocolate that you can't get anywhere else. It also keeps the brownies from tasting too sweet. Instead, you get a deep flavor that works really well in each fudgy bite.
What you'll need
Before you can begin baking, you need to review some of the key ingredients we will use to make these brownies.
- Butter - It is important to use unsalted butter to make these brownies. Although we are melting the butter, I recommend using softened butter to make the process easier when melting the white chocolate with it.
- White chocolate - The kind of white chocolate you use is very important. You want to use one with cocoa butter in it and surprisingly, most brands do not use it in their chocolate, so check the ingredient list. Always use bar chocolate or baking chocolate. White chocolate chips will not melt correctly and give you a grainy and lumpy batter.
- Sugar - I prefer to use granulated sugar in this recipe so the white chocolate can take center stage in the flavor profile. If you want to add more depth, you can replace up to half the granulated sugar with brown sugar.
How to make white chocolate brownies
- Melt the butter and sugar together until smooth and combined.
- Add the sugar, salt, vanilla, and eggs and whisk vigorously to make sure it is completely combined.
- Fold in the flour and mix until just combined.
- Spread the batter in your prepared baking pan and bake.
Expert tip: Use a heavy-bottomed small saucepan heated on low. Stir frequently. Using this method is better than using a microwave because it allows for more control which is necessary when melting white chocolate as it burns easily.
Recipe FAQs
Blondies are not made with any type of chocolate in the batter. You can add in chocolate of any kind the same way you would nuts or dried fruit, but it is not a part of the batter itself. White chocolate brownies, however, include melted white chocolate incorporated into the batter much like your standard brownie.
These brownies have a nice balance of sweetness while highlighting the flavors of white chocolate. It is not cloyingly sweet.
Recipe Card
White Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 7 oz white chocolate
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
For Frosting
- 2 oz cream cheese very soft
- ¼ cup unsalted butter very soft
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoons heavy cream if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a saucepan, add the butter and white chocolate and heat on medium-low until almost the entire mixture is melted. Remove from heat and stir until the butter and chocolate is completely melted. Allow to cool slightly, then add the sugar, salt, and vanilla. Mix well (the butter may look like it separated from the mixture, that is okay), then add the eggs in one at a time. Beat well between each addition of egg.
- Stir in the flour and mix until combined. The mixture will be very thick!
- Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, turning every 10 minutes for even browning (you can try adding aluminum foil after the first 15 mins so the brownies don't brown too much).
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.
- Beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth using whisk or whisk attachment. Add the sugar slowly, beating well as you add. Beat in the vanilla. Add the cream if needed.
- Spread the frosting over the white chocolate brownies and cut into squares.
Ginger says
I want to thank you for sharing your recipe with white chocolate. My 14 year old daughter has a kidney stone problem and needs to be on a low oxalate diet. Unfortunately, dark and milk chocolate is a big no-no on this type of diet. “ White chocolate isn’t technically chocolate – it’s missing the oxalate-packed cocoa powder that gives traditional chocolate its distinctive look and taste. Instead, white chocolate is made with cocoa butter and milk, and sweetened with sugar and vanilla.”
Just wondering if anyone has tried using coconut flour besides all-purpose. I have never baked with any other flour but coconut flour is on the low-oxalate diet as well.
Amanda Powell says
Hi Ginger!
That is so u fortunate to hear. I am glad she can still enjoy white chocolate! I do not bake with coconut flour very often, but I can do some research on it for you. Do you know if there are any other flours she can have too? Like almond flour?
Ginger says
Unfortunately, almond flour has high oxalate too. I was just wondering if you had any gluten-free friends or if you have ever baked with coconut flour before.
However, I did make the brownies with the all-purpose flour for the rest of the family and they were delicious!
Amanda Powell says
Hi Ginger, I am glad to hear they enjoyed them! I do have some gluten free friends that I am going to reach out to and will let you know what I find out!
Jackie says
Hi Amanda
In your headnotes, you mention you added a touch melted white chocolate and vanilla to the frosting recipe. There's no mention of white chocolate in the frosting recipe.
Amanda says
Hi Jackie, thanks u for pointing that out. It must have gotten deleted during an edit of the post. I added 1oz of melted white chocolate to the frosting!
laura@motherwouldknow says
These brownies look fabulous and the idea of melted white chocolate is intriguing. Like you, I've kind of shied away from using it for fear of creating something so sweet my teeth would ache. But since you say this isn't that, I may just have to try it:)
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
I am fearful of white chocolate for exactly the reason you state. I will have to try these!
Marlynn @ UrbanBlissLife says
Ooh these look dangerously good!
Lili @ Travelling oven says
These look delicious! I haven't baked with white chocolate yet as I'm more a dark chocolate kind of person ha ha but I would have a taste of these, yum! 🙂
Amanda says
Yes, I am the same way, but you will just love this white chocolate version!
Claudia | The Brick Kitchen says
Oh I had exactly the same concerns re white chocolate so still haven't ventured into that territory, but glad to hear it wasn't all sickly sweet! I might have to give it a bit more of a chance. Love how you paired them with a cream cheese icing too.
PS YES to the Matilda reference!! I saw the musical here in Melbourne a couple of weeks ago and can't help but smile each time I'm reminded - such an amazing show.
Sasha @ Eat Love Eat says
Oh my goodness these look incredible! And deadly, as I'm sure I could eat an entire pan in one go. Yum!
Wajeeha says
Amanda these look SO good..I've been eyeing them ever since I saw them on Facebook yesterday 😛 I need these in my life!!!!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
oh my gosh so glad you discovered baking with white chocolate. it's one of my new favourite ingredients to use! and such a delicious recipe too Amanda.. i can't get enough of how moist and addictive they look. and that fluffy frosting too!