Fudgy Halloween Brownies Recipe
I used my favorite brownie base for these easy layered Halloween brownies that will put everyone into the Halloween spirit. It’s an easy, no-mixer cream cheese brownie recipe that’s as fast as using a boxed mix. It’s a brownie base I’ve fallen in love with because it’s easy, I don’t have to break out my mixer, and it always delivers amazing results. First, you simply melt chocolate and butter together, add sugar, eggs, flour, and stir everything together. Then, make the orange cream cheese layer with cream cheese, sugar, egg, and red and yellow food coloring. I used McCormick Assorted Food Color. My daughter was helping me make the brownies and she said it felt like we were doing an arts and crafts project and a cooking project all in one.
The recipe is adapted from these Loaded Oreo Cream Cheese Brownies but with a Halloween flair. These easy homemade brownies are so fudgy, there’s zero cakiness, and they are a dense and dark perfect complement to the sweet-yet-tangy cream cheese. The chocolate chips add texture while the sandwich cookies add crunch. I recommend keeping and serving these Halloween brownies chilled. The chilled chocolate and the cream cheese are excellent together and so, so rich tasting.
Ingredients in Halloween Brownies
To make these orange Halloween brownies, you’ll need:
Unsalted butter Dark chocolate Eggs Granulated sugar Vanilla extract Brewed coffee Instant espresso granules All-purpose flour Salt Brick-style cream cheese Red and yellow food coloring Sandwich cookies
What’s the Best Chocolate for Brownies?
I use 72% chocolate. The higher percentage the chocolate has, the darker it is, and also the less sweet it is. I would not go over 80% nor would I go under about 60% because for me that wouldn’t have enough dark chocolate richness.
Can I Omit the Coffee?
You don’t absolutely have to use coffee and/or add the espresso granules to the recipe if you don’t want to but before you say no, know that you can’t taste the coffee and the brownies don’t taste like coffee. When adding coffee or espresso to chocolate cakes or brownies, it simply brings out and heightens the chocolate flavor without leaving a coffee taste at all.
How to Make Halloween Brownies
Brownies for Halloween? YES! These Halloween brownies are so simple to make, so don’t let their beautiful appearance fool you into thinking otherwise! How to tell when the brownies are done: Normally, I’d tell you to insert a toothpick into the center of the brownies to see if they’re done. But that test is tough here since you’ll likely poke the toothpick through soft cream cheese and melted chocolate chips. So just use your best judgement!
Can I Double This Halloween Brownie Recipe?
Absolutely! To do so, simply double the ingredients and bake the Halloween brownies in a 9×13-inch pan. The baking time should remain roughly the same.
Can I Add Other Toppings?
But of course! Feel free to top your loaded cream cheese Halloween brownies with anything you’d like. Chopped up candy bars, chocolate chunks, pretzels, and more would taste delicious with these fudgy brownies.
Can I Use Boxed Brownie Mix?
Technically yes, but these are just as easy to make and taste 100x better! However, if the options is make the brownies from scratch or have no brownies for Halloween at all … use the box mix.
Tips for Coloring the Orange Halloween Brownies
Depending on how large your McCormick Assorted Food Color drops are, you may need more or less drops than I used to achieve a nice Halloween-inspired orange color. I find their food coloring to be wonderfully intense and you can always add more, but you can’t un-do, so add slowly.
Red is ‘stronger’ than yellow so I recommend adding the yellow first to the cream cheese and then adding in the red, as needed, until the desired orange hue is reached. I noticed that after baking, the orange deepened and took on more of a slightly more red hue, so keep than in mind when you’re mixing the food coloring into the cream cheese in the bowl before baking. I’d aim for more of a yellow-based orange than a red-based orange.
More Cute Halloween Desserts:
ALL OF MY HALLOWEEN RECIPES! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Halloween Hand Pies —A FUN and EASY Halloween dessert for adults and kids alike! Buttery flakey pie crust with tangy-sweet cherry pie filling give great flavor to these festive and whimsical little goodies!
Halloween Peanut Butter Cups — Learn how to make white chocolate peanut butter cups with this NO-BAKE 5-INGREDIENT RECIPE! With festive Halloween colors, they’re sure to be a hit with everyone from kids to adults alike!
Chocolate Chip M&M’s Halloween Cookies — Super soft, perfectly chewy, BROWNED BUTTER cookies that are LOADED with M&M’s and chocolate chips!
White Chocolate Candy Corn Cookies — These Halloween cookies are PACKED with candy corn and white chocolate chips. They’re easy to make and are always a hit with the kids!
Candy Corn and White Chocolate Blondies — The blondies are super soft, slightly chewy, and buttery. The candy corn stays chewy after it’s baked and the contrast of the dense, moist, tender bars against the chewy candy corn is great.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy Bars — The bars are no-bake, easy, loaded with bold peanut butter flavor, and plenty of chocolate. There’s both a layer of melted chocolate and assorted candy bar pieces adorn the top.
Post is brought to you by McCormick. The recipe, images, video, text, and opinions expressed are my own.
