Happy Back to School season, everybody!! And to those of you in my school district, happy first day of school! To celebrate this momentous occasion, I made my Grandmother’s heath brownies and I can’t wait to share them with you.
Before we do that, though, allow me a little stroll down memory lane, will you? See, two of my very favorite things as a girl were my grandmother and the first day of school.
Grandmother (yes, that’s what we called her) baked like nobody’s business. Cookies, brownies, cakes, pies…you name it. And she always had something waiting for us when we came to visit. These brownies were some of my favorite things she made.
And the first day of school? Man oh man! That was my favorite day of the year! All of the brand new crayons and pencils, the bright white paper and the snazzy new Trapper Keeper. Is it any wonder I became a school teacher?
Alrighty. Enough about all that. Let’s make some brownies!
What I Love About this Recipe
- Literally the only thing I had to buy in order to make these was the Heath chips. Everything else was already in the pantry or the fridge.
- They are super chewy yet melt in your mouth.
- They’ve got just the right amount of chocolate for a non-chocolate dessert. (Only my fellow choco-holics are going to get that.)
- I love a good generational, passed down recipe.
- My kids absolutely flip out whenever I say I’m going to make them.
What’s in them?
For the Brownies
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup Heath chips (chocolate covered or plain)
For the Frosting
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
- 1-2 tbsp. milk
- vanilla
How do you make them?
Stir together dry ingredients and set aside. (Make your kid help. They’ll love it!)
Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Blend in dry ingredients and stir in the Heath chips.
Spread in a greased 9×13” pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes.
When the brownies are done, prepare the frosting. Sift together the dry ingredients. Add a splash of vanilla. Then add 1 tbsp of milk. To get the frosting to the right consistency, add milk 1 tsp at a time.
Frost the brownies while they are still warm, but not too hot. Sprinkle with some extra Heath chips.
Just a note — I pulled mine out of the oven after 30 minutes. They were a little underdone, but that’s how my Grandmother always made them. You could probably leave them in for a while longer and they’d be just fine.
And that’s it!
Y’all, I have no earthly idea where Grandmother got this recipe from. When she passed away in 2010, I inherited all of her recipe cards and, to my delight, this was one she had handwritten. Those recipes are treasures for sure.
As usual, here’s the handy dandy printable! — Grandmother’s Heath Brownies
Or, if cookies are more your thing, check out my Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe!
Have a great school year! God bless all the kids and all the teachers and all the moms & dads. Enjoy the brownies!
