Fudgy brownies topped with a heavenly Butterfinger cream filling and rich chocolate ganache!
Butterfingers are EASILY in my top five as far as candy bars go. Not only are they delicious right out of the wrapper, but they’re one of the best candy bars to enhance any kind of dessert. With their crispety, crunchety, buttery interior, Butterfingers add a boost of incredible flavor and texture unlike any other candy bar around. And it’s especially evident in these brownies…
Now, these aren’t your ordinary run-of-the-mill Butterfinger Brownies. I didn’t just chop up some butterfingers, toss them into the batter, bake ’em up, and call it a day. Instead, I baked up a batch of my favorite fudgy brownies, added a layer of fluffy cheesecake-like Butterfinger filling, a layer of silky chocolate ganache, and finally, an extra sprinkle of chopped Butterfingers. Because when you’re dealing with something as divine as Butterfingers, there’s no such thing as average or simple.
At least, not in my book…
While these brownies do require a few more steps than your typical brownie recipe, it’s really not that complicated or time-consuming. In fact, the brownies are an easy peasy one-bowl recipe. (Yay for fewer dirty dishes!)
Simply start off by melting the butter in a saucepan, then stir in the cocoa powder. For brownies, I prefer to use darker dutch-processed cocoa powders. I like Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder because it adds a much deeper richness to the brownies as opposed to natural unsweetened cocoa powder. It’s also super inexpensive considering the other dutch-processed cocoa powders on the market.
Once the cocoa powder is combined with the butter, both brown and granulated sugar are stirred in, followed by the eggs and vanilla. After the dry ingredients are stirred in, the batter is baked up in an 8-inch baking dish for about 25-28 minutes.
Making the heaven-on-earth Butterfinger Cream Filling is even EASIER. It’s pretty much your standard no-bake cheesecake base, but with the addition of chopped Butterfinger bars. First, cream cheese is combined with powdered sugar. Then whipped topping is stirred in to lighten it up. Normally I would use heavy cream (and extra powdered sugar), but I decided to go with what I already had in my house. However, if you prefer the real stuff over the fake stuff, feel free to substitute the 6 ounces of whipped topping for the same weight of homemade whipped cream.
After the chopped Butterfingers get folded into the filling, the mixture gets spread on top of the completely cooled brownies. Toss it into the fridge while you make the ganache! Once again, the ganache could not be any easier. Just heat the heavy cream (either on the stove, or in your microwave if you prefer less dirty dishes), then pour over the chocolate chips. Cover, and allow it to sit for 5 minutes before stirring it all together until silky smooth. I usually allow the ganache to cool for about 15 minutes (or until lukewarm) before pouring it over the brownies, so that it doesn’t melt the cream filling layer.
At this point, you could sprinkle the chopped Butterfingers on top. However, I prefer to wait for the ganache to fully set up, so that the Butterfingers don’t sink into the ganache. That’s just the food photographer in me, but either way, the brownies will taste just as divine.
My mouth could NOT stop watering as I sliced into these brownies. The bits of Butterfinger soften and sort of melt into the cream filling, and the brownies themselves are so satisfyingly dense and fudgy. Surprisingly enough, these brownies aren’t as overly sweet as they might appear. Because of the tang of the Butterfinger cream filling along with the semi-sweet chocolate ganache, the flavors are really well-balanced.
Honestly, I don’t think you’re gonna find a Butterfinger Brownie as heavenly as this right here…
Butterfinger Brownies
Ingredients
Brownies:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Butterfinger Cream Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 6 ounces whipped topping
- ¾ cup chopped Butterfinger bars
Ganache:
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy cream
To Finish:
- ¼ cup chopped Butterfinger bars
Instructions
Make the Brownies:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder until smooth and glossy. Whisk in both sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla, stirring until fully incorporated. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the flour, salt, and baking soda.
- Pour batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 25-28 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Make the Butterfinger Cream Filling:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until combined. Add half of the whipped topping, beating until incorporated.
- Remove bowl from the mixer and fold in the rest of the whipped topping along with the chopped Butterfingers. Spread filling on top of cooled brownies, and place in the fridge while you make the ganache.
Make the Ganache:
- Place chocolate chips in a medium bowl; set aside. Pour heavy cream into a small saucepan and heat on the stove over medium-high heat. Once it starts to boil, immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap, and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, and stir until smooth.
- Allow ganache to cool for at least 15 minutes before pouring on top of Butterfinger Cream Filling layer. Either tilt the pan slightly to evenly cover everything, or use a knife to spread the ganache evenly. Refrigerate at least 2 hours to allow the layers to set up.
- Just before serving, sprinkle the chopped Butterfinger bars on top. Slice into squares, and serve.