If you love Black Forest cake, you need these Black Forest brownies in your life. They’re ultra-fudgy, deeply chocolatey, and swirled with a sweet-tart cherry sauce, then topped with a light cocoa whipped cream that takes them completely over the top.
I love brownie recipes of all kinds, and I make a ton of them. I also love combining brownies with other favorites, as I did with this chocolate brownie pudding cake.
These brownies take the same idea and go in reverse. They’re cake in brownie form! Serve them with beef noodle casserole or Crock Pot chicken broccoli rice for a comfort-food feast.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Super fudgy, rich brownie base
- Homemade cherry swirl baked right in
- Light, chocolate whipped cream topping
- Perfect balance of sweet and tart
- Great for holidays, parties, or anytime
- Freezer-friendly
Key Ingredients
You’ll find all the ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Cocoa Powder & Chocolate Chips: This is where all that rich, chocolatey goodness comes from, adding deep flavor plus little melty bites throughout.
- Egg & Egg Yolk: Give the brownies structure and that dense, fudgy texture. Extra yolk = extra richness.
- Cherries: The star topping! They add a sweet-tart contrast that cuts through the richness of the chocolate.
- Lemon Juice: Brightens up the cherry sauce and keeps it from tasting too heavy or overly sweet.
- Heavy Cream: Whips up into a light, fluffy topping that balances out the dense brownies.
- Vanilla & Almond Extract: Add warmth and depth, making everything taste a little more bakery-style and well-rounded.
Variations
- Use Chocolate Chunks: Swap the chocolate chips for chunks to add extra richness.
- Cherry Pie Filling: Cherry pie filling makes a great shortcut.
- Add Cherry Liqueur: A splash of cherry liqueur adds extra depth to the cherry flavor.
- Pretty Presentation: Top with shaved chocolate for a bakery-style finish.
- German Chocolate Brownies: Substitute our German chocolate cake frosting for the cherry sauce.
How to Make Black Forest Brownies
Step 1: Simmer the cherry sauce ingredients until slightly thickened, breaking up the cherries as you go. Cool.
Step 2: Sift the dry batter ingredients together and set aside.
Step 3: Beat the sugar and melted butter until light yellow. Then, beat in the egg, followed by the yolk. Add the vanilla.
Step 4: Mix the batter ingredients until just combined. Then, fold in the chocolate chips.
Step 5: Pour the batter into an 8×8 baking dish lined with parchment paper and swirl the cherry sauce into the top. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool.
Step 6: Beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Then, add the remaining ingredients and beat until stiff peaks form. Top the cooled brownies, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Mix the batter until just combined for the best texture. It will be lumpy, and that’s okay!
- Leave an overhang on two sides of the baking dish when lining it. They’ll make handles for easy removal.
- It’s vital to remove the brownies as soon as a toothpick comes out clean. Overbaking dries them out!
- Use high-quality cocoa powder for deep flavor.
- Swirl the cherry sauce gently into the top of the batter to keep the cherry ribbons distinct.
Black Forest Brownies FAQs
Don’t overbake your brownies. Remove them from the oven when a toothpick comes out clean. For extra-fudgy brownies, remove them when the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Yes, cherry pie filling is a great shortcut for these Black Forest brownies if you’re short on time. It will still give you that classic Black Forest flavor.
To avoid deflated whipped cream, don’t overbeat it. Stop beating as soon as stiff peaks form, or you’ll actually beat the air OUT of the whipped cream, collapsing it.
Store brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep whipped cream separate if possible for the best texture.
Yes, you can! Wrap the plain brownies in plastic wrap and freeze them in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
Other Great Dessert Options You’ll Love
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Black Forest Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs +1 yolk, room temperature
- 1 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cherry Sauce
- 2 ½ cups cherries
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
Cherry Sauce
- In a medium sized saucepan, add the cherries, lemon juice, sugar, and orange zest.
- Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, and breaking up cherries with a fork or end of a whisk.
- Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Brownies
- Prepare an 8×8 square baking tin with parchment paper hanging a little over the ends.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, 1 cup of powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl for one minute, and an additional 15-30 seconds until just melted.
- In a large bowl, add sugar, and melted butter. Beat for 3 minutes or until the oil from the butter has incorporated into the sugar and the color has turned light yellow.
- Add one egg and beat on high for one minute.
- Add the remaining egg and egg yolk, and beat on high for 2 minutes.
- Next, add vanilla and beat for an additional 30 seconds.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated, there will be lumps.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour brownie batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Spoon cherry mixture onto the brownie batter and swirl in gently with the tip of a knife.
- Bake for 37-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack.
Whipped Cream
- In a large bowl, beat heavy cream until it has thickened and soft peaks have begun to form.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla and cocoa powder.
- Beat on high for an additional 1-2 minutes or until stiff peaks have formed and whipped cream holds its shape.
- Once cooled, dollop whipped cream on brownies and enjoy.
Notes
- Mix the batter until just combined for the best texture. It will be lumpy, and that’s okay!
- Leave an overhang on two sides of the baking dish when lining it. They’ll make handles for easy removal.
- It’s vital to remove the brownies as soon as a toothpick comes out clean. Overbaking dries them out!
- Use high-quality cocoa powder for deep flavor.
- Swirl the cherry sauce gently into the top of the batter to keep the cherry ribbons distinct.
Nutrition
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