Witch Cauldron Brownies Recipe

Ash Tyrrell

Witch Cauldron Brownies Recipe

I've made these witch cauldron brownies every October for the past few years, and they never fail to disappear off the dessert table first. I love how a plain little brownie bite turns into a tiny bubbling cauldron with just a swirl of frosting and a handful of sprinkles. My kids beg to help decorate these every single time.

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Total Time 1 3

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

12 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into pieces — melts faster and blends smoother when it's already portioned
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips — go for a good quality brand since this is your main chocolate flavor
½ cup natural cocoa powder — sift it first so you don't end up with lumps in the batter
½ teaspoon instant coffee optional — doesn't make it taste like coffee, just deepens the chocolate flavor
1 cup packed brown sugar — packing it tightly gives you an accurate fudgier result
½ cup granulated sugar — balances the brown sugar and helps the tops crackle slightly
2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk — the extra yolk is what makes these bites extra fudgy instead of cakey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract — always add this after the eggs so it doesn't cook from residual heat
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour — measure by spooning it into the cup not scooping directly
½ teaspoon baking powder — gives just enough lift without turning these into muffins
½ teaspoon salt — don't skip it it keeps the whole thing from tasting flat
½ cup salted butter softened — softened butter blends smoother and avoids lumpy frosting
8 ounces brick-style cream cheese softened — skip the spreadable tub kind, it's too thin for piping
1 teaspoon vanilla extract — rounds out the tang from the cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar — sift it in gradually so your mixer doesn't send a sugar cloud everywhere
green and purple gel food coloring — gel colors are more concentrated so a little goes a long way
colored sprinkles and sugar pearls — for that classic bubbling potion look
candy eyeballs — these are what really sell the spooky cauldron effect

Method

Start by combining your butter and chocolate chips in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in short 15 to 30 second bursts, stirring well between each one, until the mixture is completely smooth and glossy.
Stir the cocoa powder and instant coffee into your melted mixture until fully combined. Add both sugars next and stir again until the batter looks thick, shiny, and evenly blended.
Beat in your eggs and egg yolk one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together before folding the dry mix into your wet batter until just combined.
Scoop the batter into a greased mini muffin tin and bake at 350°F for about 18 minutes. As soon as they come out of the oven, press a rounded teaspoon into the center of each brownie to create a small well for the frosting.
While the brownies cool completely, beat your softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually add the powdered sugar until the frosting is thick and pipeable, splitting it into bowls to tint with your gel colors.
Once your brownie bites are fully cooled, spoon or pipe the tinted frosting into each well so it looks like it's bubbling over the edge. Finish with sprinkles and a candy eyeball or two before serving.

Notes

I always use baking spray that specifically lists flour on the label, since regular cooking spray makes these stick every time.
I let my brownies cool completely before frosting, otherwise the filling melts right off instead of holding its shape.
I start with just a tiny dab of gel food coloring and build up slowly, since a little truly goes a long way.
I like piping the frosting instead of spooning it, since it gives that dripping, bubbling cauldron look much more easily.
I keep my cream cheese frosting chilled until right before I need it, which helps it hold its shape once piped.