Frozen Hot Chocolate Brownies

A pan of frosted brownies decorated with very tiny marshmallows and cut into squares.

5 from 1 vote

These Frozen Hot Chocolate Brownies are the ultimate holiday treat! Soft, chewy brownies are topped with a thick layer of fudgy hot-chocolate-inspired frosting and finished with a sprinkle of micro-mini marshmallows. Festive, fun, and guaranteed to disappear fast.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Total Time50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: brownies with hot chocolate mix, brownies with hot cocoa mix, easy brownie recipe, frozen hot chocolate brownies, hot chocolate brownies, hot cocoa brownies

Servings: brownies

Calories: 298kcal

Ingredients

10 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup light brown sugar 5.25 ounces
½ cup granulated sugar 3.5 ounces
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup all-purpose flour 3.75 ounces
½ cup natural cocoa powder 1.5 ounces
¼ cup instant hot chocolate mix such as Swiss Miss; this is about 1 envelope, 1.38 ounces; no marshmallows
¼ teaspoon salt

Hot Chocolate Frosting

2 tablespoons whole milk
¼ cup instant hot chocolate mix such as Swiss Miss; this is about 1 envelope, 1.38 ounces; no marshmallows
¼ cup natural unsweetened cocoa
8 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups powdered sugar 9 ounces
micro-mini marshmallows for decorating (mini marshmallows are also great!)

Instructions

Hot Chocolate Brownies

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8" baking pan with tinfoil and lightly spray with baking spray.
In a large bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Whisk in the brown sugar and granulated sugar until glossy and well combined.
Add the eggs one at time and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth, about 60-90 seconds.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, hot chocolate mix, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and use a spatula to fold together until combined. Don't overmix.
Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan.
Bake for 20–24 minutes, or until the edges look set and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs (not wet batter).
Cool completely in the pan before frosting.

Frozen Hot Chocolate Frosting

Warm milk gently in microwave (about 10 seconds) until warm or hot. Add the hot cocoa mix and the cocoa powder and stir until combined and smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature (pop in the fridge for it to cool faster).
In a large bowl, beat butter with a hand mixer until creamy (about 1-2 minutes).
Add the cooled hot chocolate mixture and vanilla extract and beat in until combined.
Gradually add the powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, mixing on low. If the mixture is too thick, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until it is the desired thickness. If the frosting is too thin, you can add a little more powdered sugar. Mix on a medium speed until light and fluffy.
Once the brownies are cool, you are ready to frost! You can do this multiple ways, but here's my personal favorite way to frost and cut perfect brownies.
The best way to get picture perfect brownies:
Frost cooled brownies while still in pan. Refrigerate the whole thing for 2-4 hours. Remove brownies from pan and peel away the tinfoil. Careful not to break the sheet of brownies. Use a hot knife (run under hot water and wipe completely dry) to slice off the very edges. Set those aside to eat by yourself later. Then, cut the brownies into 4 perfect slices vertically and horizontally for 16 perfect brownies.

Notes

Storage: These will be fine at room temp for a few hours, but I always like to store mine in the fridge since the frosting uses real butter. I suggest storing the frosted brownies in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days. Remove 5-10 minutes before eating if you don't want a perfectly chilled brownie. Freeze leftovers for up to 1-2 months.

Storage for unfrosted brownies: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge or at room temp for up to 3-4 days. Freeze leftovers for up to 1-2 months.

Nutrition