St Patricks Shamrock Brownies (Printer-Friendly)

Rich chocolate brownies cut into shamrock shapes topped with creamy green icing, perfect for holiday fun.

# What You Need:

→ Brownies

01 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
05 - 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
06 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

→ Green Icing

09 - 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
11 - 2 tablespoons milk
12 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - Green food coloring as needed

→ Decoration

14 - Green sprinkles or sanding sugar (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
03 - Add cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder to the wet mixture. Mix until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
04 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top surface evenly.
05 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges with a few moist crumbs. Avoid overbaking.
06 - Allow brownies to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
07 - In a bowl, beat powdered sugar, softened butter, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add green food coloring a few drops at a time until desired shade is achieved.
08 - Lift cooled brownies from pan. Using a shamrock-shaped cookie cutter, cut out individual shamrock brownies.
09 - Spread green icing over each shamrock brownie. Decorate with green sprinkles or sanding sugar if desired.
10 - Allow icing to set completely before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The contrast between dark chocolate and bright green icing feels like a small celebration you can actually eat.
  • These come together faster than you'd expect, which means you can make them the morning of a party without stress.
  • They photograph beautifully, which never hurts when you're feeding a crowd.
02 -
  • Don't overbake these brownies—the difference between perfectly fudgy and dry takes about two minutes in the oven, so set a timer and trust it.
  • If your icing looks grainy or lumpy after beating, your butter probably wasn't soft enough; let it sit at room temperature for another 10 minutes and beat again.
  • Scraps from cutting the shamrocks are too good to waste; crumble them over ice cream or eat them as guilt-free brownie bites.
03 -
  • Use a metal shamrock cutter rather than plastic, which can stick and distort the shape; a quick wipe with a damp cloth between cuts keeps everything clean.
  • If you don't have parchment paper overhang, run a thin knife around the edges of the pan before lifting to prevent the brownies from breaking apart.
Return