These chewy Nostalgic Lunch Lady Brownies are rich, fudgy, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. They’re an irresistible chocolatey treat that will transport you back to childhood lunchrooms. Topped with homemade frosting, just one bite of these brownies and you’ll be hooked!
I love creating memories with any foods that I make. Food is such a good way to help you remember moments because you are relying on the sense of taste. Usually memories are visual but not usually when it comes to food.
Whenever I make the recipes I made with my mom growing up, I am taken back to those incredible moments. I loved (and still do) baking and cooking with my mom. Now I get to create these memories with my kiddos.
Most of my favorite memories related to food are around Christmastime. Recipes of snacking on this chocolate oranges which is why I made these chocolate orange cookies and white chocolate Christmas crack and sipping on a green Christmas drink take me back to Christmas Eve with my family.
Grandpa Bob’s homemade root beer makes me think of summer barbecues, especially around the 4th of July. Another patriotic drink is this 4th of July mocktail.
What makes these brownies the best
- Easy crowd pleaser: From kids to adults, this recipe is sure to please.
- Oh-so-chocolatey: With a rich, fudgy brownie topped with smooth chocolate frosting, every bite of these brownies is luscious.
- Sweet tooth squasher: If you’re like me and you have a sweet tooth, these brownies are the perfect cure for that.
Ingredients needed
- Butter – Remember to pull the butter out ahead of time! Smooth butter is much easier to work with.
- Cocoa powder – A classic ingredient for delicious lunch lady brownies.
- Gluten-free all purpose flour – You can use normal flour if you want. We use gluten-free flour because I have celiac disease.
- Almond flour – Almond flour mixed with a gluten-free flour gives these homemade brownies the best texture.
- Sugar – Use one cup of regular sugar.
- Brown sugar – Use one cup of brown sugar.
- Salt – Salt is a pantry staple when it comes to baking.
- Eggs – You need 4 eggs for this recipe.
- Vanilla extract – Add a bit of mint extract to the frosting as well for a fun twist.
- Whole cream – Want creamy frosting? You need cream.
- Milk – Milk keeps the consistency of the frosting liquidy enough so it will spread evenly on top of the brownies.
- Mini marshmallows – These mini marshmallows create the creamy flavor of the frosting.
- Milk chocolate chips – The chocolate chips mix with the marshmallows to create the chocolate frosting.
How to make lunch lady brownies
Prepare the butter mixture: In a large bowl, add the vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and melted butter then mix until smooth.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir until well combined. After that, mix in the eggs until smooth.
Prepare the pan: Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. Evenly pour the brownie batter into the pan.
Bake: Bake the brownies for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Start the frosting: Heat butter, sugar, and heavy cream until a rolling boil.
The good stuff: Add in marshmallows and chocolate chips, stir to combine.
Frost brownies: Once marshmallows and chocolate chips are combined, immediately pour over cooled brownies.
Storage and Freezing
Storing – Let these decadent lunch lady brownies cool to room temperature before covering them with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Store them on the counter, lasting 3-4 days.
Freezing – Once cool, store in an airtight container for up to 2 months. So whenever you need a brownie kick, you can take them out of the freezer, let them thaw, and boom! You have brownies.
Why are they called lunch lady brownies?
You will typically find these brownies in a school cafeteria, typically made by lunch ladies. I’m not sure why, but they are a common school lunch dessert. And that is why these brownies have the name lunch lady brownies.
Can I make these dairy-free?
Absolutely! Replace the butter, whole cream, milk, and chocolate chips with dairy-free options. It may seem like a lot, but it’s an easy swap! Thankfully there are tons of dairy-free options today. I have done it with great success!
Ways to enjoy
These fudgy chocolate brownies would look fabulous on our cookie charcuterie board. I call it our dessert board because I love adding all kinds of desserts. Just because these are “school” brownies doesn’t mean you can’t eat them whenever!
Another school recipe we have is our school breakfast pizza. My kids love it because it’s tasty, and I love it because I know they have a nutritious breakfast before school.
Our dairy-free muffins are another tasty school breakfast. I like to freeze them so the kids can grab them and go in the mornings. They are also gluten-free!
For a quick school lunch, try out our 5-minute homemade Lunchables. Your kids can help make them too! This pizza grilled cheese monster sandwich is also a big hit with the kiddos.
For snack time, try out these dairy-free snacks for kids. We always struggle with snacks in our house, so these snacks are the best.
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Chewy Nostalgic Lunch Lady Brownies with Marshmallow Frosting
Ingredients
Brownies
- 1 cup melted butter
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
Frosting
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons whole cream
- 1 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 3/4 cup mini marshmallows
- 6 ounces milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees
- Mix together the butter, vanilla and cocoa powder until smooth in a big bowl
- Mix the dry ingredients in a separate mixing bowl then add then to the butter mixture and stir until well combined
- Add the eggs and mix until fully incorporated and smooth
- Grease a 9×13 baking pan, pour the batter into the pan and bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only crumbs (better to pull out early then overcook)
- Cool the brownies for 20 minutes before frosting
- To make the frosting (do this while the brownies are COOLING, NOT BAKING) combine 6 T melted butter, 1 1/3 C sugar, cream and milk in a pot and cook over low to medium heat
- Bring it to a boil then reduce heat to low and add mini marshmallows and 6 ounces milk chocolate chips
- Stir until smooth then pour immediately over the cooled brownies, do not allow the frosting to cool first
- Wait until frosting is set to slice brownies
Notes
Storage and Freezing
Storing – Let these decadent lunch lady brownies cool to room temperature before covering them with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Store them on the counter, lasting 3-4 days. Freezing – Once cool, store in an airtight container for up to 2 months. So whenever you need a brownie kick, you can take them out of the freezer, let them thaw, and boom! You have brownies.Nutrition
Originally posted December 2023 but has since been updated with new photos in 2025. Here is the original photo…
Teri christman says
Do you ever give the metric measurements?
Chandice says
I don’t but would like to implement that in the future.
Rosie says
Goodbye cravings🤤 these hit the spot and took me right back to school lunch! So glad to have found a gf recipe that everyone loves!
Sierra says
Easily the best GF brownies out there. I would have never thought to use cream, marshmallows, and chocolate chips for the frosting.. but I can say with certainty I will never use any other frosting 🤤 these were to die for