These heart shaped brownies with bright raspberry-lemon buttercream are the perfect dessert for Valentine’s Day. They’re fudgy, indulgent, and sandwiched between a layer of fruity pink frosting that’s totally irresistible.
For Valentine’s Day desserts, the girls and I are all about brownies…but these? They get an extra adorable upgrade with a heart shape! The homemade raspberry buttercream takes them to the next level, adding a light, creamy contrast to all that chocolatey goodness.
We love making a big batch to share as sweet little gifts, but fair warning: once you try them, you might not want to give them away. That’s why I always suggest making two batches! Sometimes, we’ll toss in Strawberry Cream Wafer Cookies or Strawberry Brownies for extra variety, but that’s totally up to you.
These Heart Shaped Brownies Are Perfect For Valentines!
- Sweet-and-tangy. You get decadent chocolate brownies and tangy raspberry frosting in every bite for a balance of flavors.
- Freezer-friendly. Get a head start on your Valentine’s Day treats by making them in advance and popping them into the freezer.
- Classic. You can’t go wrong with chocolatey brownies. They’ll be a hit with everyone!
- Great for gifting and gatherings. Wrap them up nicely and give them away as gifts, or serve them at your upcoming Valentine’s party.
What You’ll Need
These chewy heart shaped brownies are made with a convenient combination of pantry staples and fresh raspberries for a super simple baking project. The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains exact ingredient measurements and step-by-step instructions when you’re ready to get started.
For the brownies
- Unsalted butter – Feel free to use salted butter.
- Unsweetened baking chocolate – This is my favorite, but any semi-sweet or dark chocolate baking bar works too.
- Sugar – Use granulated white sugar for a lovely crackly top. Light and dark brown sugar won’t create the same texture.
- Eggs – Make sure they’re at room temperature so they mix well into the batter.
- Instant espresso powder – If you only have coffee beans, process them until you get a fine powder and sieve it.
- Pure vanilla extract – It helps round out the flavors, but you can skip it.
- Salt – Kosher salt is best. Avoid coarse sea salt because it doesn’t always dissolve well.
- All-purpose flour – Only all-purpose flour provides the structure needed for dense, chocolatey brownies. Avoid cake flour.
- Powdered sugar – This is for sprinkling/decorating once the brownies are done. You can also use unsweetened cocoa powder.
For the raspberry buttercream
- Raspberries – Go for fresh or frozen (thawed).
- Unsalted butter – Salted butter is a good swap to balance out the sweetness.
- Lemon juice – Reduce the amount by half if you use lime juice.
- Powdered sugar – This is also called “confectioners’ sugar”. Granulated sugar doesn’t work here because it would make the buttercream grainy.
- Salt – Skip it if you used salted butter for the frosting.
Tips For the perfect brownies
As long as they’re properly cooled, you can say goodbye to messy brownie-cutting moments that ruin all your hard work. Here are my favorite tips on how to nail clean, sharp cuts from the get-go:
- Use the freezer. Pop the cooled brownies into the freezer for 20-30 minutes to help them firm up some more. Press the cookie cutter into them as usual and continue with the recipe. The firmer texture should make shaping the brownies a lot easier.
- Grease your cutter. Lightly grease the cookie cutter with cooking spray to prevent sticking when you press the cookie cutter into the brownies.
- Choose the right pan. Non-stick stainless steel baking pans provide better results for baking than glass baking dishes. This is because they heat up quickly and evenly. Glass pans usually take longer to heat up and do so unevenly, often creating burn-spots along the bottom or sides. Use non-stick metal baking pans if you can.
- Let them cool. If the brownies still feel slightly warm, let them cool for another 15-20 minutes. The smallest amount of heat will melt the buttercream and create a big mess. It’s better to be safe than sorry!
- Test for doneness. The toothpick test is as old as time, but some spots in the baking pan might be cooler than others and that’s why you’ll have more batter stick to it. To ensure that the brownies are truly ready, stick the toothpick/tester into several spots.
Variation Ideas
Packing these beautiful heart shaped brownies with more flavor is super easy with dried fruits, nuts, creamy peanut butter, or colorful sprinkles.
- Nutty brownies. Fold 1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts into the brownie batter for nutty crunch.
- Swap the buttercream. Vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, salted caramel, and even cream cheese buttercream are yummy variations for this recipe.
- Add a peanut butter swirl. Microwave 1 cup peanut butter in 10-second increments until warm and runny. Pour the warm peanut butter over the brownie batter in the baking pan. Use a knife to gently swirl it around, creating your favorite patterns. Bake as usual for a peanut-y bite.
- Use add-ins. Stir 1 cup dried cranberries, toasted shredded coconut, or mini chocolate chips into the batter for more flavor and texture.
- Roll them in sprinkles. Assemble the brownie sandwiches as usual. Place 1-2 cups Valentine’s sprinkles in a bowl and gently press the sides of the brownies into it, making sure the sprinkles stick to the buttercream.
How to Store
When serving, keep the brownies away from direct heat and sunlight to prevent the buttercream from melting.
- Counter: Place them in an airtight container or cake dome for up to 3 days.
- Fridge: Store for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Let them sit on the counter for 5 minutes before digging in so they come down to room temperature.
- Freezer: Place the assembled brownies on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 hour or until firm. Individually wrap them with plastic wrap. Transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for 15 minutes.
More Chocolatey Desserts to Try
Heart Shaped Brownies
Yield: 12 servings
This heart shaped brownies recipe sandwiched with tangy raspberry-lemon buttercream is a super cute, chocolatey Valentine's Day treat.
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Ingredients
For the brownies:
- ½ c. unsalted butter diced
- 3 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate chopped
- 1-1/2 c. sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp. instant espresso powder
- 1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- ¾ c. all-purpose flour
- powdered sugar to sprinkle on the finished brownie hearts
For the fresh raspberry buttercream:
- 12 oz. raspberries fresh or frozen
- ½ c. unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3-1/2 c. powdered sugar
- pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- for the brownies: Preheat oven to 325° F. Fold a long piece of heavy foil into a 13" wide strip and fit it inside a 9" x 13" metal baking pan, leaving foil overhang on the 2 long sides. Spray the foil lightly with nonstick spray. Set pan aside.
- In a large heavy saucepan over very low heat, stir butter and chocolate until everything is melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the sugar, and then the eggs, one at a time. Whisk in espresso powder, vanilla, and salt. Then sift the flour over the chocolate mixture and stir to blend well. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
- Bake brownies until slightly puffed and dry-looking and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist batter attached, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on rack.
- for the fresh raspberry buttercream: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the raspberries, stirring frequently, until the raspberries are broken down into a very loose sauce. Line a fine mesh strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth, and then pour the raspberry sauce through to remove the seeds. To get all the raspberry juice possible, twist up the ends of the cheesecloth very tightly and press on the raspberry sauce with the back side of a large wooden spoon to extract the juice. Then pour the raspberry juice back in the pot. Simmer until the juice reduces to 1/4 cup. The juice will be very concentrated, deep red in color. Set aside to cool.
- With a stand mixer, cream the butter with a paddle attachment on medium high speed about 2 minutes, until butter is lightened in color and a bit fluffy. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar, the 1/4 cup of cooled raspberry sauce, lemon juice, and salt. Mix until smooth. Add another 1-1/2 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Fit a pastry bag with a medium-large round tip (I use a this tip) and fill with fresh raspberry buttercream.
- to create the brownie hearts: Run a knife around the inside edge of the brownie pan. Use the overhanging foil as an aid and gently lift the brownies from the pan. The brownies should be about 1/2" thick, so ensure that your cookie cutter is taller than 1/2". Press heart-shaped cookie cutters (the cookie cutters used in my photos measure 3" wide and 1-1/2" wide) firmly into the cooled brownie. Use a thin metal spatula to lift the cookie cutter filled with brownie from the foil. Gently press the brownie out of the cookie cutter. Repeat the cutting process until your brownie looks like a big piece of Swiss cheese. (Don’t throw away the scraps, they’re awesome little nibbles!)
- With the pastry bag filled with fresh raspberry buttercream, pipe a line of frosting around the inside edge of one of the brownie hearts. Then fill in the inside of the line with frosting, too. Top with another brownie heart, gently pressing down to make a sandwich. Repeat until all your brownie hearts are completed.
- To finish, sprinkle the brownie hearts with powdered sugar. I like to fill a powdered sugar shaker with powdered sugar and gently tap the side to let the powdered sugar rain down.
With the heart-shaped cookie cutters I use, I can make six large brownie heart sandwiches, plus several smaller ones. Or I can make about 20 of the smaller brownie heart sandwiches.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1 Calories: 463kcal Carbohydrates: 75g Protein: 3g Fat: 18g Saturated Fat: 10g Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g Cholesterol: 90mg Sodium: 95mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 64g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!
Would strawberries work as well for the filling?
I do believe it would, but I have not tried it myself. I’m guessing there will be more water content in the strawberries, so the strawberries might need to be cooked down/reduced??
Okay. I just died and went to heaven with the raspberry frosting! Seriously! My most favorite flavor is caramel, but I think I just found my new favorite! Thank you!
So happy you liked this recipe, Kay!
I just made these for the second time and handed them out for Valentine’s Day. The best compliment is when someone asks for the recipe (which I gladly share!). Two batches of brownies and one batch of the buttercream was perfect. I did cut the buttercream sugar to 3 1/4 cups and it was just fine. Thanks for a great recipe!
Can I use brewed coffee instead of espresso powder?
Thanks
Hi April – one is liquid, one is dry. You could use finely ground coffee or just skip the espresso powder.
I am wondering how much ahead of time these can be made.
Would these freeze well or rather not? Thinking of making these for a wedding but want to save the stress on the day before if possible.
these came out beautiful, time consuming though
So happy these brownie hearts turned out beautiful for you! Yes, time consuming…but fun for special occasions or simply playing in the kitchen. :)
These are literally the best brownies I have ever made! The sweet raspberry brings the whole brownie to life! I have made these at least 6-7 different occasions (work, family gatherings, personal stash) and always receive so many compliments on them! Thanks for sharing such a yummy recipe! I will continue to make these! :)
So wonderful! I love this. Thank you for coming back to let me know!
Hi, is it possible to make 2 layers of brownies .. put the frosting on one layer of brownie stack the one on top of it then do the heart cutout . Wouldn’t that be less time consuming or does it not look good?
Wow. These fudgy brownie hearts filled with raspberry buttercream could certainly melt my heart! Pinning now to try very soon!
I made these and they are yummy! Have you ever frozen them?
Hi Debra – I’m so glad you like this recipe. It’s one of our daughters’ favorites! I have only frozen the brownies on their own, without the buttercream, and that works great. I think it would be worth trying to freeze them with the buttercream, though – please let me know if you give it a shot!
I think the baking time on the brownies is off. The top of the recipe says bake time 45 mins but in the recipe it says 20 mins which seems too short a time. Is 45 mins correct? Thanks!
Hello Lisa – “cook time” includes both the brownies in the oven and the raspberry sauce on the stovetop. I hope you liked this recipe!