Creme egg brownies will make a terrific addition to any Easter party. Rich cocoa brownies are topped with creme eggs, split down the centre to show off the inside of the egg. This creme egg brownie recipe is easy to make in just one bowl, and perfect for Easter egg hunts!
Everything You Need To Know
Easy creme egg brownies recipe
Cadbury’s Creme Eggs are a British favourite, a milk chocolate egg filled with yellow and white fondant. They lend themselves perfectly to Easter treats, but they do need to be handled with care when cooking. Don’t worry, though. I’ll show you how to win every time.
I have used my classic fuss free cocoa brownie recipe as a base, as it is very easy and creates very little mess to clear up.
This is how I like my baking to be. It’s so simple and doesn’t leave the kitchen in chaos, yet the bake still makes a big impact.
Small batch brownies
Normally, I cook for two, or sometimes for a small crowd. I find that recipes for traybakes are often designed for very large crowds but you won’t find that here. I don’t like waste!
This creme egg brownies recipe will neatly fill a regular 8″ / 20 cm square pan. This amounts to 12–16 servings that will store for up to a week. For me, that’s enough to serve a few guests. You can, however, double the recipe for a bigger gathering or bake sale, using a standard 9″ x 13″ pan.
Whose creme eggs?
Did you know that the classic Cadbury’s Creme Eggs were originally Fry’s Creme Eggs? Cadbury’s and Fry’s were two of the big three original chocolate manufactures in the UK, along with Rowntree’s. Candbury’s and Fry’s merged just after the First World War but retained both brand names.
Hugely popular in the UK since 1963, Creme Eggs are now sold all over the English-speaking world and beyond, and are manufactured by Hersheys in the USA.
Why you will love this creme egg brownies recipe
- These creme egg brownies are so easy.
- Minimal equipment and hardly any mess.
- They show off the full effect of the creme eggs beautifully and are great for Easter!
- Brownies keep well in a tin, so you can make them in advance.
- Scale the recipe for a bigger gathering.
Ingredients
- Flour – I use plain with a pinch of baking powder. Self raising works too, if that’s what you prefer.
Pro Tip – Why Bake with Plain Flour?
I’m often asked why I bake with plain flour and add a raising agent rather than use self raising.
First – I don’t bake that often, and the raising agent in the flour can go off. If you use a separate baking powder it is really easy to check that it is still fresh.
Secondly – My kitchen is tiny! If I keep both types of flour, it takes up more space.
- Soft brown sugar – Unrefined sugar has more flavour, and helps to create that classic fudgy brownie effect.
- Butter – I use salted butter. If you use unsalted, add a pinch of salt for balance.
- Egg – One large free range egg
- Cocoa power – Any supermarket brand cocoa powder is fine. Use whatever you have.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract is natural vanilla while vanilla essence is generally synthetic. I tend to use vanilla paste which contains the seeds from the vanilla pod but you can use a liquid extract if that’s what you prefer. Get to know your vanilla and use it cautiously, as strength varies.
- Baking powder – If you don’t bake frequently or if your powder is past its expiry date, check your baking powder is fresh. It is usually fine, but check before you bake.
- Creme eggs – The mini creme eggs that come in a bag rather than the standard egg-box version.
How to make creme egg brownies – step by step
First, preheat your oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / Gas 4. Prepare an 8″ / 20 cm square baking tin. Line the tin with baking parchment, and then grease lightly with butter, light flavourless oil, or a spritz of cake release spray.
I use foil backed parchment. It is more expensive, but stays in place better. If you need to, use a couple of fold back clips to hold baking parchment in place.
Step One – Melt the butter. I prefer to do this in a jug in the microwave, but you can use a bain marie if you prefer. The important thing is that you are melting, not heating.
Top tip
I find the easiest way to melt butter is in the microwave. Take it out before it has all liquified and stir to dissolve the last lumps. This will help to avoid overheating.
Step Two – Next, add the sugar. Stir it in so that it is well combined with the butter.
Step Three – Now add the egg and vanilla extract. Stir in well.
Step Four – Add the cocoa powder, sifting it through a sieve. Cocoa is prone to lumps that are hard to stir out and you don’t want them in your brownies.
Step Five – Next, add the flour, together with any other dry ingredients (baking powder and salt if using). Fold in to create a smooth, glossy batter.
Step Six – Transfer the batter to the prepared baking tray. Smooth the surface, pushing the batter into the corners of the pan. Bake for 20–23 minutes.
Step Seven – While the brownies are baking, cut mini 8 creme eggs neatly in half. There is generally a line down the shell where the chocolate was sandwiched together and this is where you should split the eggs.
Don’t worry if the chocolate shell cracks a little. Just push it back together, and the fondant will hold it in place.
Step Eight – Remove the brownie pan from the oven. Check to see whether one part of the brownie is cooking faster than another.
Now quick press the egg pieces into the nearly cooked brownies, fondant side up, laying them out in a 4 x 4 grid. Return to the oven for a further 5–8 minutes. If you noticed any uneven cooking, make sure you turn the pan before you return it to the oven.
When they are done they will be risen and wrinkled at the edge and still soft in the centre. The fondant of the creme egg will have started to melt and should be smooth and glossy, but not over cooked and grainy.
Step Nine – Allow your brownies to cool and firm up for at least 20 minutes on a wire rack before cutting. The centre will carry on cooking as it cools.
Step Ten – Finally, when the bake is cool, cut your creme egg Easter brownies into squares, ready to serve. I find a 4 x 4 grid of 16 pieces is perfect.
Storage
Your Easter creme egg brownies will keep well for up to 5 – 7 days. Wrap them in the baking parchment, before sealing them in an airtight tin. For a just baked taste, pop into the microwave for 10 seconds to warm up. This will restore that delicious soft centre.
You can also wrap your brownies well and freeze for up to 3 months.
Variations
- This Easter creme egg brownies recipe is intensely chocolatey, giving a brownie that is not too sweet and balances the very sweet fondant. If you prefer a lighter, milk chocolate style, remove a heaped dessert spoon of the cocoa and replace with the same volume of flour.
- For a delicious brownie dessert, microwave for ten seconds and then top with creme egg ice cream and warm chocolate sauce. Don’t be tempted to heat them for longer, as the texture of the fondant may spoil.
Hints and tips
- If you want to double the recipe use a 13 x 9″ baking pan. Your Easter creme egg brownies will be a bit deeper and take slightly longer to cook.
- Like any brownie recipe, this contains proportionally more fat compared to many bakes. It is important to take time to stir the flour in well to prevent any separation.
- Use real butter! Real butter has a much better flavour than its substitutes.
- Don’t add the eggs too soon! The fondant filling can go grainy when you try to cook with it, which is why the eggs are added at the end and only baked for a short time. this also stops them sinking into the bake and vanishing
FAQs
It’s all down to the butter. The higher fat to flour ratio (compared to ordinary cakes) is essential to the classic brownie texture. It’s also important to take the bake out of the oven while you still have that slightly wobbly centre.
I often stir extras into the brownie batter but that does not work here. If you overcook the fondant it can become grainy and disappointing. I don’t recommend it.
We don’t really differentiate here in the UK. I don’t think it makes any significant difference to this recipe. Use what you have, as long as it tastes good!
In the UK, Cadbury’s Creme Eggs are gluten free, so if you use gluten free flour, you should be fine. The situation seems a little less clear cut in the US so do check the packet on what you can buy locally. Remember that recipes can change, so do keep an eye out for allergy warnings.
More Easter Bakes & Recipes
- Mini Egg Brownies – the perfect Easter treat
- Golden Mini Egg Blondies – classic buttery fudgy blondies filled with mini eggs
- Mini Egg Ice Cream – Three ingredient and no churn
- Creamy Mini Egg Fudge – three ingredients and so easy to make
More Creme Egg Recipes
- Creme Egg Fudge – Easter indulgence
- No Churn Creme Egg Ice Cream – so easy, you will never buy from the store again
- Mini Creme Egg Cheesecakes – Cheesecake pots covered with a layer of creme egg ganache
- Creme Egg Fondue – perfect for dipping fruit
Easter Creme Egg Brownies
Ingredients
- 115 g butter (melted)
- 210 g light soft brown sugar (or dark)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 45 g cocoa powder
- 55 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder (leave it out if you use SR flour)
- 1 pinch salt (optional, if using unsalted butter)
- 8 mini creme eggs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / Gas 4 and line and grease an 8" / 20 cm square baking tin. Put the butter into a large bowl or jug. Melt it in the microwave in 10 seconds bursts. Continue until the butter is melted but not hot.115 g butter
- Next, add the sugar. Stir it in so that it is well combined with the butter.210 g light soft brown sugar
- Now add the egg and vanilla extract. Stir in well.1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Add the cocoa powder, sifting it through a sieve to remove any lumps.45 g cocoa powder
- Next, add the flour, together with any other dry ingredients (baking powder and salt if using). Fold in to create a smooth, glossy batter.55 g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 pinch salt
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking tray. Smooth the surface, pushing the batter into the corners of the pan. Bake for 20–23 minutes.
- While the batter is baking, cut 8 creme eggs neatly in half. There is generally a line down the shell where the chocolate was sandwiched together and this is where you should split the eggs.8 mini creme eggs
- Remove the almost cooked brownie from the oven. Now press the egg pieces into the top, fondant side up, laying them out in a 4 x 4 grid. Return to the oven for a further 5–8minutes.
- Allow your creme egg brownies to cool and firm up for at least 20 minutes on a wire rack before cutting. The centre will carry on cooking as it cools.
- Finally, when the bake is cool, cut your creme egg Easter brownies into squares, ready to serve. I find a 4 x 4 grid of 16 pieces is perfect.
Notes
- Store for up to 5 days. I find the best way is to wrap your brownies in the baking parchment you used for baking, before sealing them in an airtight tin. For that just baked taste pop into the microwave for 10 seconds to warm up and restore that delicious fudge centre.
- You can also wrap well and freeze for 3 months, but we never had any left over after a few days.
- For the a delicious brownie dessert, try serving the warmed brownies with ice cream.
- To double the recipe – use a 13 x 9″ baking pan. The brownies will be a bit thicker and take slightly longer to cook.
- This recipe has proportionally more fat in it compared to many bakes. Take time to stir the dry ingredients in properly to prevent any separation.
- Use proper butter!
- Good quality vanilla extract makes a massive difference. Vanilla extract contains real vanilla, while essence is often synthetically made and contains little or no actual vanilla.
- This recipe is 7 Weight Watchers Smart Points
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