HEART-SHAPED BROWNIES

These heart-shaped brownies are a festive and fun treat for Valentine's Day! Made with rich, moist chocolate brownies from scratch and decorated with melted red candy, they're perfect for baking with kids, classroom parties, or surprising someone special. The chocolate chips add extra chocolatey goodness, and the heart shapes make them irresistibly cute!

5 from 8 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Brownies, Heart Shaped Brownies, Valentine's Day Dessert, Valentine's Day Treat

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 25

Cut & Decorate: 15

Servings: Brownies

Calories: 458kcal

Equipment

2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter
Piping bag or zip-lock bag (for decorating)

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:

¾ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1½ cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix-ins:

½ cup mini chocolate chips

For Decorating:

1 cup red candy melts (such as Wilton Red Candy Melts)
Optional: Valentine's sprinkles mini heart candies, or additional chocolate chips

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Brownies:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper, leaving some parchment paper hanging over the edges for easy removal.
Prepare dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Make wet mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugar until well combined and smooth, about 1 minute. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
Combine: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix—a few streaks of flour are okay. Fold in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Bake: Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). Do not overbake.
Cool completely: Let brownies cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 1 hour. The brownies must be completely cool before cutting into shapes.

Cut and Decorate:

Cut heart shapes: Once brownies are completely cool, use the parchment overhang to lift them out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Using a 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 12 hearts. Press firmly and wiggle gently to release each heart.
Save the scraps: Don't throw away the leftover brownie pieces! They're perfect for snacking, crumbling over ice cream, or making brownie truffles.
Melt the candy: Melt red candy melts according to package instructions (usually 30-second intervals in the microwave, stirring between each interval, until smooth).
Decorate: Transfer melted candy to a piping bag or zip-lock bag with a small corner cut off. Pipe stripes, zigzags, or swirls over the heart-shaped brownies. Alternatively, spread the melted candy over the entire top of each brownie and decorate with sprinkles or mini heart candies while the candy is still wet.
Set: Let the decorated brownies sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes until the candy hardens completely.
Serve and enjoy!

Notes

ANGELA'S TIPS:

From-scratch vs. box mix: While box mixes are convenient, making brownies from scratch gives you richer chocolate flavor, better texture, and control over ingredients. This recipe is just as easy as a box mix—and tastes so much better! Plus, you know exactly what's going into your brownies.

Don't overbake: The secret to moist brownies is underbaking them slightly. Remove them from the oven when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. They'll continue to set as they cool. Overbaking makes them dry and crumbly, which makes cutting shapes difficult.

Cool completely before cutting: This is crucial! Warm brownies will crumble and fall apart when you try to cut shapes. Be patient and let them cool for at least 1 hour, or refrigerate for 30 minutes to speed up the process.

Choosing a cookie cutter: A 2-inch heart cutter is the perfect size and yields about 12 hearts from a 9×13 pan. Metal cutters work better than plastic—they cut more cleanly. Dip the cutter in hot water and wipe dry between cuts for the cleanest edges.

Clean cuts: For the sharpest heart shapes, press the cookie cutter straight down firmly, then wiggle it gently side to side to release the brownie. If edges are messy, use a small knife to trim them.

Use the scraps: Don't waste those brownie pieces! Crumble them over ice cream, mix into milkshakes, use in a trifle, or roll into brownie truffles with cream cheese frosting. Or just snack on them—baker's privilege!

Make ahead: Bake brownies up to 2 days ahead and store uncut in an airtight container. Cut and decorate the day you plan to serve them for the freshest look.

Storage: Store decorated brownies in an airtight container with parchment paper between layers for up to 4 days at room temperature. The candy coating keeps them fresh and adds a nice crunch.

Kid-friendly activity: This is a perfect baking project with kids! They can help stir the batter, press the cookie cutters, and decorate with candy melts. Just supervise the melting candy and oven work.

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