Brownie Batter Dip From Scratch
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This brownie batter dip is made 100% from scratch! No boxed mix, no whipped topping, just basic baking ingredients and a few minutes of your time. This dip is one of my favorites for casual get togethers, movie nights, and hanging with friends. Eat it with pretzels, strawberries, cookies, and so much more!
One of the best parts of being in pastry school was at the end of the day when we were done with lessons but hadn’t moved onto dishes quite yet. We’d all sit around with our chef coats unbuttoned, waiting for bread or cookies or cakes to bake, and licking beaters from big batches of brownies. Yap and brownie batter. What a life.
And if you’ve been here for a minute, you probably know that I love a good batch of brownies whether they’re triple chocolate, football-shaped, or in the form of mini brownie bites. But the batter? Elite.
This dip is a more grown-up, socially-acceptable version of eating batter with a spoon. It’s supremely chocolatey, super creamy, and makes a lovely addition to a get-together with friends. I recently brought it to a girl’s movie night along with mini chocolate chip cookies and mini chocolate cupcakes and it was honestly perfect with strawberries and a glass of red wine. I mean, total decadence.
No boxed mix, no Cool Whip
Most dip recipes online call for boxed brownie mix and a container of Cool Whip. And I mean, no hate to either. I’ve been known to eat spoonfuls of Cool Whip in my day. But I never have those ingredients on hand and I wanted a recipe that uses what I do have sitting in my pantry 24/7. And I can tell you, this spread literally tastes just like a bowl of chocolatey batter.
- This recipe is made with basic baking ingredients – nothing pre-made.
- It’s super easy to make. All you need is a stand mixer or hand mixer.
- Serve it with any of your favorite dippers for a customizable snack.
- Bring this dip to casual parties, holidays, or girl’s nights with friends.
Ingredient list
Since this recipe doesn’t have boxed brownie mix, we’ll need all-purpose flour and cocoa powder instead. Make sure you’re using a good-quality, Dutch-process cocoa powder ok? To replace the Cool Whip, all you need is some heavy whipping cream to make, you guessed it, whipped cream.
For the base, pick up some full-fat cream cheese, powdered sugar, Morton’s Kosher salt, and pure vanilla extract. And lastly, the secret ingredient! For that classic ‘crunch’ you get from boxed brownie mix, we’ll add just a bit of brown sugar at the end. I like dark brown sugar but light works too.
Make sure to pull the cream cheese out of the fridge 30-60 minutes before making this recipe. You want it softened so it’s easy to mix and fold.
Hand mixer or stand mixer
This recipe doesn’t need any super special tools, but you will need a stand mixer or hand mixer. A whip attachment is especially helpful here so you can make the whipped cream. Other than that, you’ll just need a mixing bowl and rubber spatula.
Heat up the brownie mix
This step is key! I know that flour doesn’t look raw, but it is in fact, a raw product. That means that it hasn’t been treated to kill off any cooties that can make you sick. Luckily, this is an easy fix – you just need to microwave the mixture until it reaches 165°F (74°C)!
The flour-cocoa mixture might clump up a bit in the microwave. But don’t worry, it’s just the moisture evaporating from the flour and cocoa powder. Once you add it to the dip, it’ll smooth right out!
How to make the dip
Don’t over-mix the brown sugar or it’ll dissolve in the cream cheese mixture. Just mix it until it’s well-combined, about 20 seconds or so!
Fold, don’t stir!
The key for that fluffy texture is to gently fold the whipped cream into the chocolate cream cheese mixture. If you stir it in, the whipped cream will deflate and you’ll end up with a runny dip instead of a rich and creamy one. Fold it gently until there are no more streaks of whipped cream. Be patient, it’s worth it!
My go-to dippers
I mean, yeah, this edible brownie batter is good enough to eat with a spoon. But it’s even better with dippers. Here’s a few I’ve tried and loved. (Although strawberries are my forever favorite.)
- Fruit – raspberries, strawberries, green apples, cherries, tangerine slices, pineapple
- Cookies – graham crackers, chocolate chip cookies, Oreos, madeleines, stroopwafels
- Salty things – crunchy or soft pretzels, popcorn, potato chips (if you want to get weird)
- Other treats – marshmallows, churros, brownie bites, shortbread, waffles
I like to sprinkle the dip with some chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips for extra texture. But the dip would also be amazing with chopped nuts, coconut flakes, sprinkles, mini M&Ms, or toffee bits!
Make-ahead & refrigerate
I have an announcement. This dip is make-ahead! We love to see it. Just cover the bowl of dip and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Pro tip – press some plastic wrap or a bowl cover to the surface of the dip to keep a skin from forming.
Recipe yield
This recipe makes a pretty big bowl of dip. It’ll serve between 8-12 people but you could even get 16 servings out of it if you’re making other desserts. That being said, it’s really easy to halve for a smaller group. Or, double it for a crowd!
If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!
Brownie Batter Dip From-Scratch
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted (40 grams)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted (30 grams)
- 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream, cold (160 milliliters)
- 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened (226 grams)
- 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted (210 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed (52 grams)
- Chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips, for serving
- Cookies, strawberries, pretzels, etc. for serving
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer with whip attachment
Instructions
- Whisk the cocoa powder and flour together in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the mixture in 30-second increments, stirring in-between, until the mixture reaches 165°F (74°C). This should take about 1 1/2-2 minutes total. Let the mixture cool completely.
- Meanwhile, add the heavy whipping cream to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy whipping cream into stiff peaks. Spoon the whipped cream into a small bowl and set aside.
- Add the cream cheese and powdered sugar to the same mixing bowl. Using beaters or a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until it's fluffy and creamy, 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in the cooled flour-cocoa mixture, salt, and vanilla extract and beat the dip for another 2-3 minutes until it's super light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl every once in a while to make sure it's thoroughly mixed. Then, stir in the brown sugar just until it's well-combined, about 15-20 seconds. Don't let the brown sugar dissolve!
- Using a rubber spatula, fold half of the whipped cream into the chocolate-cream cheese mixture. Then, fold in the rest of the whipped cream until the dip is fluffy, creamy, and there are no more streaks of whipped cream.
- Spoon the dip into a serving bowl and garnish the top with chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips. Serve the dip with cookies, strawberries, pretzels, or other dippers. Enjoy!
