Super quick Brownie Frosting comes together in less than five minutes with only four ingredients. It is super thick, and the perfect frosting for brownies!
I love a good homemade brownie recipe - they are rich, fudgy, and super easy to make. I am married to someone who thinks that adding a simple chocolate icing onto basically anything will make it better - especially to my fudgy brownies.
In our house, we call this brownie frosting 'shitty chocolate icing' - as in, the super quick, thick, chocolate icing that our Mums used to make as kids.
It's just the best - comes together in five minutes, and goes well on everything. Rich has been asking me to put in on the blog for years now, and now I have finally found an appropriate name for it, here we are - the perfect chocolate frosting for brownies.
This easy brownie icing is everything you need for that perfect, thick, crusty icing that brings back an instant hit of nostalgia. It's not super smooth - it sets with a delicate crust, and is just the best thing ever.
I love using this recipe to make frosted brownies - I also use a slightly thinner version on my cosmic brownie recipe, but it is not just an icing for brownies - you could also use it to finish off my easy banana bread, or as a simple finish to my chocolate chip cookie bars.
How to get clean slices on a brownie
Here are a few top tips to make sure you get a perfect cut on your brownie:
- Make sure the brownies are properly chilled. I like to make sure that both the brownie and the chocolate frosting are set. If you don't like cold brownies, you can leave them out after you cut them and they will come back to room temperature.
- Use a super sharp knife. This is important for getting a clean cut on anything.
- Cut in one motion - I use a knife with a large blade and push down evenly rather than levering the knife down.
- Wipe the blade between cuts. I don't use a warmed blade, but if needed I do rinse it and dry well between cuts.
My Top Brownie Tips
- Get all my tips and tricks on how to get the perfect crinkly brownie top in my fudgy homemade brownie recipe.
- Plus, follow this easy Instagram video tutorial to cleanly cut homemade brownies!
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!
Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Super Quick Thick Brownie Frosting
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Frosting
- Method: One Bowl
- Cuisine: American
Description
Super quick Brownie Frosting comes together in less than five minutes with only four ingredients. It is super thick, and the perfect frosting for brownies!
Ingredients
- 190g powdered sugar, sifted
- 20g cocoa, sifted
- Pinch of salt
- 45g unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces
- 25g freshly boiled water (weigh after boiling)
Instructions
- Combine the powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl, then add the butter and mix until it is coated. Add the boiling water, and mix with a spatula until the butter is incorporated and the mixture is homogenous.
- Switch to a whisk if needed to get any lumps or remaining pieces of butter.
- Use immediately - this is a crusting frosting so it does not store well and needs to be used straight away.
Comments
caribou says
so yum!
stacy says
I love this frosting! It comes together so quickly and tastes great on everything!
Sasha says
Such an easy, quick and delicious recipe! I used it on the banana sheet cake - perfect!
Mandie says
Delicious! Was the perfect topping for our homemade brownies!
Julia says
Could this be piped out of a piping bag for a decorative edge on a brownie cake? I haven't made it before so wasn't sure if the texture would hold up.
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Yes i've used it to pipe a border before!
Marina Greer says
SO GOOD!!!! Thank you!
Anna says
So good! This reminds me so much of the icing my mum used to make when we were growing up (in Aus). I used it to ice a small batch of owl cupcakes for Halloween and it was so easy and super delicious.
Brynn says
Paired this frosting with the fudgy brownies and it was delicious! Both recipes were super easy!
Ellie says
So easy to make and a great addition to brownies. You will never have unfrosted brownies again after giving this a try!
Eva says
Yum! Easy, tasty, quick. What’s not to love?
So great to have this in my back pocket. I used it for a last-minute chocolate cake.
Kellie says
So good!!
Katie says
Delicious and SO EASY! The perfect late night recipe to top some basic brownies to really elevate everything. Will lean on this recipe often!
Cara says
I love this frosting! It’s so easy, dairy free, and reminds me of the chocolate frosting they put on the chocolate peanut butter bars in elementary school. 🤤 I made it in my kitchen aid and it worked out just fine, no need to use the whisk attachment.
L. stone says
Literally the fastest and tastiest frosting there is. Brings me back to school sheet cake which was my favorite. Super easy to make too!
Marie says
Holy cow. So, first off, I am super particular about a good fudgy frosting. I usually only use my mother’s recipe which probably came from her moth. But, Erin has never let me down, so I tried this tonight for her basic brownie recipe. I am in love with this frosting! It is SO easy and amazingly good! I cannot wait to share these brownies with family this weekend-they will be a hit! Also, the frosting does set fast so make sure you are quick with a spreader! I put some sprinkles on mine and I almost wasn’t fast enough. Five stars-can’t wait to show these off!
Bri says
I made a batch of boxed brownies that turned out too cakey and dry. So I quickly whipped up this frosting to put on top, and it SAVED THE DAY! I had so many compliments on my baking “fail.” Also, discovering that chilled brownies are superior has legit changed my life. What would I do without Cloudy Kitchen?!
Margaret Kellogg says
Used this on the Erin's sugar cookie bars and honestly what a delight. It also worked out because I had miscalculated how much butter was actually in my fridge.
Jacquelyn Hill says
This stuff is the best. Throw it on any of your baked good, especially brownies and brownie cookies. So easy to make!
Annie says
Delicious and perfectly nostalgic!
Erin says
Oh my word this frosting is delicious! For a second I thought I measured wrong, but just keep mixing in the water and it comes together perfectly. I doubled it to frost a 9 inch square pan of the Fudgy Homemade Brownies.
Jess says
So I just doubled this to ice a weetbix slice and my only question is how does it end up on the slice without me eating half of it first 😂
For real though, this is so easy, love that it gets crusty and it’s perfectly sweet. This will be my go-to icing!
Heather says
Absolutely best shitty frosting I’ve ever had. Love <3
For a while I was on an easy ganache kick. The one where you melt chocolate chips and add heavy cream. But it’s nice to mix things up and have quick snazzy things in my repertoire.
Miriam says
Yum yum yum ! Had it on banana cake and made it so good. Thanks for upping my shitty icing game!
Sarah S says
Easy and just like my Gran used to make, old school NZ icing!
Annie says
I love this recipe and I love that I can easily go back to it again and again by googling “shitty chocolate icing” even though you’ve chosen not to use that as the title. Thank you.
Kelly says
I couldn't remember your IG handle, even though I love your page. So I searched 'Shitty Chocolate Icing' and there you were 😀 Thank you for a simple icing recipe
Erin Clarkson says
Hahahahhaha I love this so much!
Emily says
I made this after seeing it so many time on your Insta stories, and it lives up to the hype! This stuff is so easy to make and SO good! I also made brownies from the "My Forever Brownie Recipe" and put this on top, let me tell you somehow it makes a perfect brownie even better!
Al says
I used to make icing as a snack when I was a kid so this is the recipe of my dreams. I will put it in anything. Or just a spoon.
Megan says
This icing is so good! I could honestly just eat it from the bowl. So easy. I’ll be using this recipe whenever I need choc icing ❤️
Miriam says
Can confirm that this also works very nicely as an Afghan cookie/slice icing too. Delish!
Toni Finch says
10/10. Shitty chocolate icing is superior to nearly anything else
Ashley says
Wow I can’t believe it was only 4 ingredients that I already had! It’s only about 3.5 tablespoons of butter if anyone’s reading it and wondering if they have enough butter. So quick and delicious!! Used it to easily frost an 8x8 pan of brownies.
Caiti says
I searched up “shitty chocolate icing” after seeing it on your Instagram a few times and was surprised to discover its government name lol. I made this with Trader Joe’s vegan butter for my dairy free kiddo and it turned out great. Super simple recipe and delicious!
Erin Clarkson says
hahaha yesss it has a bit more of a PG government name! So happy you loved!
James says
Dear Erin.
This is the easiest, best tasting and most foolproof icing I’ve ever made. It’s now going on every chocolate dessert i make. Thanks for sharing.
Beth says
How is it dairy free if there's butter in it?
Erin Clarkson says
Sorry where does it say that it's dairy free?
Beth says
Hi, Erin! Not sure if I missed it somewhere, apologies if so...
Is this enough for an 8x8 pan? I'd like the amount of frosting as in your photos. Just wondering if I need to double thecrecipe for a 9x13" pan. Thanks! Cant wait to try it
Erin Clarkson says
Hi, yes it is enough for an 8" so I would double it!
Anne C says
This really is the best frosting for brownies! Perfect consistency for cutting squares and the taste is just what I want to go with a rich, fudgy brownie. 10/10
Stephanie says
Absolute perfection! Just what I wanted to top off cream cheese brownies.
Gwenyth says
No matter what you name it, this frosting is 5 Stars. It sets up so beautifully and compliments the best brownie recipe ever.
Laine says
Probably the easiest I’ve ever made. Quick to come together and perfect spread consistency. I’m gonna use this on EVERYTHING.
Delilah says
Did a bad job following this recipe (didn't sift anything, microwaved the water and measured it wrong) and it still turned out great! Put it on top of rice krispy treats and was a big hit. Thank you!
Laura says
15/10, no notes, A+, gold star all around. Love the crust this frosting gets as it helps retain the shape and its soooo delicious!
Laine says
The BEST quick icing for ANYTHING.
Penny says
Why only email instead of saving the recipes on our data?.
Erin Clarkson says
The email emails you a link for future reference. If you hit "print" you can save a copy of it.
Marissa says
This recipe makes the perfect frosting for brownies! I was a little skeptical at first as I was mixing the water in because it looked like it would be too dry. But I told myself to be patient and it did eventually came together. It isn’t too sweet or too buttery, and I also love that it crusts up/hardens a little because it makes it easy to stack the cut brownies in a container. I still put parchment paper in between layers so the bottoms don’t stick, but I like that I don’t have to worry about the frosting smearing off.