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Milk Chocolate Brownies

Made with smooth milk chocolate and a little kick of cocoa powder to round out the chocolate flavor, these Milk Chocolate Brownies are sweeter than traditional brownies but just as fudgy. Enjoy these moist and flavorful treats warm, with a cold glass of milk to wash them down.

A pyramid-shaped stack of Milk Chocolate Brownies on a plate.

Super Easy Milk Chocolate Brownie Recipe

These milk chocolate brownies really hit the spot when you want something fudgy but not quite as rich as traditional brownies. Their lighter, sweeter flavor is perfect for picky eaters. Plus, they make a great backdrop that doesn’t overpower any add-ins you want to toss into the batter.

They’re especially good as an alternative option to darker chocolate brownies at bake sales and potlucks. There’s usually more than one pan of brownies to be found on the table, and switching it up gives people more options.

What You’ll Need

The milk chocolate in the batter is what makes this brownie recipe unique. You can find exact amounts for all the ingredients in the printable recipe card below.

  • Milk chocolate: In the form of baking squares, discs, or chips.
  • Unsalted butter
  • Granulated sugar
  • Light brown sugar: Tightly packed.
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla extract
  • All-purpose flour
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Salt
An overhead view of Milk Chocolate Brownies on a white plate

How to Make the Best Milk Chocolate Brownies

In just 6 simple steps, you’ll have a batch of delightfully sweet milk chocolate brownies ready to go. Recipes don’t get much easier than this.

  1. Prep Your Materials: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs by a few inches on two opposite sides.
  2. Melt the Chocolate: Place the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat them in the microwave at half power in 30-second increments until the butter melts completely and the chocolate melts when stirred. Stir them together until the mixture smooths out. Set the bowl aside to cool slightly.
  3. Start the Batter: Mix the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until they’re well-blended. Add the chocolate-butter mixture, and mix until everything becomes smooth.
  4. Mix In the Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt, and mix it all together until everything is just combined.
  5. Bake: Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Bake the brownies for 35-40 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. 
  6. Let Cool and Serve: Run a knife along the non-lined sides of the pan. Cool the brownies in the pan on a wire rack. Using the overhanging parchment paper, lift the cooled brownies out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut them into bars, then serve them.
A brownie on a plate with a bite taken out of the corner.

Tips for Success

These super easy brownies are practically impossible to mess up. Follow these helpful tips to get them just right every time.

  • Use High-Quality Chocolate: You don’t necessarily have to use gourmet chocolate in this recipe, but you don’t want to use store-brand either. Just be sure to use a chocolate that you would happily eat all on its own.
  • Don’t Overdo the Sugar: These brownies have less sugar than your average recipe, but it’s that way by design. Since milk chocolate is already higher in sugar, these brownies don’t require quite as much to be added.
  • Adjust the Cocoa Powder: I added just a little cocoa powder to increase the chocolate taste of these brownies. You can add more for a richer flavor, or skip it entirely if you want to keep things sweet and simple.

In addition to the above, check out my tutorial about how to make brownies from scratch.

Mix-In Ideas

I love adding chocolate chips to this recipe. They offer a meltiness to balance the fudgy texture of the brownie, and they boost the chocolate flavor of the recipe. Stick with milk chocolate, or try dark chocolate chips for a more complex flavor profile. You can also mix in candy, crushed pretzel bits, chopped and toasted nuts, or anything else that strikes your fancy!

Storage Instructions

Keep these brownies sealed tightly in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. Just keep in mind that the longer you wait to eat them, the more they’ll dry out. Giving them a quick 5 to 10-second zap in the microwave can help unlock the moisture.

Do These Freeze Well?

Yes, you can freeze these brownies. Place them in an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag. Properly stored, they should keep in the freezer up to 3 months. Thaw for an hour or two at room temperature, or warm briefly in the microwave.

More Fudgy Brownies to Enjoy

Milk Chocolate Brownies

Yield 16
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes

Made with smooth milk chocolate and a little kick of cocoa powder to round out the chocolate flavor, these Milk Chocolate Brownies are sweeter than traditional brownies but just as fudgy. Enjoy these moist and flavorful treats warm, with a cold glass of milk to wash them down.

A pyramid-shaped stack of Milk Chocolate Brownies on a plate.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (170g) milk chocolate baking squares, discs, or chips
  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50g) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs by a few inches on two opposite sides.
  2. Place the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave at half power in 30-second increments until the butter is melted and the chocolate melts when stirred. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Mix the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well-blended. Add the chocolate-butter mixture, and mix until smooth.
  4. Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt, and mix just until combined.
  5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Run a knife along the non-lined sides of the pan. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
  6. Using the overhanging parchment paper, lift the cooled brownies out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into bars.

Notes

  • To Store: Keep sealed tightly in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  • To Freeze: Wrap individually in plastic wrap, then a double-lock freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Let thaw fully before eating.

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    29 Comments on “Milk Chocolate Brownies”

  1. I have to admit milk chocolate is not one of my favorite chocolates to bake with but I agree the quality makes all the difference.  I love to tell the story of a fellow baker who apparently was a little insecure telling me my cake was wonderful “even if I did use milk chocolate” which was a bit of a backhanded compliment because at the time serious bakers tended to snub milk chocolate.  Luckily our choices got better and it is more stable and less likely to scorch these days and can be a nice change from the darker chocolates (though you will never sway me from preferring dark).  I tried some very high quality milk  chocolates at a European chocolate shop and they were quite wonderful.  I almost preferred the milk which is very unusual!  I will have to try these and see what my treat-lovers think!  Thanks for another good one to change things around.

  2. Made these brownies last night as I had a lot of milk chocolate floating around the house. I made a couple of changes. I didn’t realize I was completely out of cocoa powder, so I swapped for a 1/3 oz square of dark chocolate. Also, I added a peanut butter swirl to the top–because who doesn’t love peanut butter. It was good for what it was, milk chocolate. Maybe it would’ve been better had the chocolate been of a higher quality? I used Cadbury and Ghirardelli. 

  3. I made these recently and I also didn’t have any cocoa in the house which was a first.  I used a few more 
    Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips .   Didn’t frost them although I usually  do but they were sooo good and 
    Didn’t even need a frosting .  The moistness and taste were to die for !! A big hit  at my  daughter in laws .   Will definitely use this recipe again, so good !!!  

  4. These look amazing ! What if I wanted to make them in a 9 x 13 pan . What would you recommend the baking time be ? 

  5. Hi I’d like to know if you have this same recipe for a half sheet pan please and thank you 

    • Hi, Lisa. You can try scaling the recipe for the volume of a half sheet pan. The brownies will need to be thinner for that size pan. Just as a guess, I’d try tripling the recipe and adjust from there if needed.

  6. Delicious!  I doubled the recipe and baked in a 9 x 13 pan for 35 min.  They’re a tad dry so I’m gonna frost them but next time I’ll test after 30.  I used Green & Blacks organic chocolate bars wow!  I try to have nothing but organic in the house so everything was organic.  Oh, and gluten free for my daughter, so I used oat flour instead of wheat.  Oat bakes up just like wheat and isn’t grainy like the other flours.  Also, I don’t need xanthum gum like you do with other flours.  They may be a little moister tomorrow if they last that long, I’ve been munching them since they were hot and the cooler they get the milkier chocolatey they taste.  Ty for this recipe😁

  7. OOoo yea……milk chocolate frosting. 3.25 oz melted milk chocolate, 2 tbsp melted butter, scant cup of confectioners sugar, cream to desired consistency.  Just enough for a glaze. Fabulous!

  8. Also, the brownies are more moist after they cool.  These really didn’t need frosting,  it a tasty milk chocolate glaze doesn’t exactly ruin them. 😁

  9. Is it 6oz of milk chocolate or a cup??? A cup is 8oz so I’m a bit confused.

  10. This looks so delicious !
    I want to make this milk chocolate brownies.
    But can you give me the recipe in grams please ?
    I’m from Belgium, we use grams not cups.
    Thank you in advance.
    Hope you can answer, so I can make these brownies ! 😍

    • Hi, Naiara. I’m in the process of adding weight measurements to all of my recipes, but I haven’t quite gotten to this one yet. If you want to bake them before I can add the additional information, try an online ingredient weight chart like the one at King Arthur Flour.

  11. Just tried this recipe – my brownies are in the oven right now!

    Just a note, when melting the chocolate, I feel 30 second increments Is far too long. I did this and my chocolate completely seized after only the second 30second period in the microwave. I would recommend doing it for 10 seconds at a time next time. 

    I had to reverse engineer my chocolate, which obviously added a lot more time to the recipe! 

  12. Where did I go wrong my brownies have gone rock solid only cooked for 30 mins ? Why so much flour aswell? 

  13. This recipe is delicious. Sweet with mild chocolate flavor that is not overwhelming.   Caution on the baking time though. I used a glass 8 inch square with parchment. I was concerned about the long baking time in the recipe. I started checking mine at 20 minutes and by 25 minutes they were cooked perfectly. Another 10 minutes would have created little chocolate rocks. 

    • Hi, Sara. Glass pans bake very differently than metal. The edges get done much sooner than the center, so you end up with unevenly baked brownies that can be hard and tough. If you want to use a glass pan for baking, try lowering the oven temperature by 25 degrees.

  14. These are delicious! I’ve made these many times now over the past year and this has become my go-to brownie recipe. (I’m really eager to make them tonight with some Kahlua buttercream on top!) I use the Ghiradelli brand milk chocolate chips and cocoa powder to make these and it’s always been a hit.

  15. These look like the perfect brownie recipe for what I have been searching for.  My husband really will only eat milk chocolate.  I have tried about a dozen recipes, tweaking ever so slightly.  He is SO particular and such a milk chocolate fan!   I have one question I would love your advice on.  If I add milk chocolate chips at the very end (hubby loves the mixed in chunks) should I reduce the chocolate chips that you melt in from 1 cup to a half cup and add in the second 1/2 cup at the end?  OR keep your original recipe and add in an extra half cup chips at the end ?  I am concerned about getting the bars too sweet.  I appreciate your time.  This looks like it might be the winner I have been searching for.  Thank you.  Also does the cocoa powder matter if you use Hershey’s regular or Dutch process?

    • Hi! You can add more chocolate chips, but you’ll need to keep the melted chocolate the same. Dutch process has different properties and flavor than natural unsweetened cocoa powder. It may work well enough, but you won’t get quite the same result.

  16. I made the brownies earlier tonight and they were delicious. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips , which is what I had, even though I love milk chocolate.

  17. Just made these with all the leftover Easter eggs it was amazing thankyou

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