Fudgy, rich, and bursting with berries, these Chocolate Strawberry Brownies combine classic chewy chocolate brownies with swirls of jam and fresh strawberries on top. If you’re looking for a strawberry brownie recipe that actually involves brownies, not strawberry cake mix, this one’s for you. These are real, from-scratch brownies with deep cocoa flavor and just the right balance of fruit.

Fruit and chocolate is always delicious, and that is especially true with brownies. Blackberry brownies and raspberry brownies are two of my favorites, and we’ve recently been trying blueberry brownies at home, too. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that “strawberry brownies” are not regular browneis with added strawberries, but some sort of strawberry cake mix dessert bar. Who knew? (Clearly, not me.)

I’m not sure what else to call these to distinguish them, so we’ll go with chocolate strawberry brownies. You get all the richness of a classic brownie: chewy edges, fudgy centers, shiny tops. But there’s a burst of bright, jammy strawberry flavor in every bite, while the fresh strawberry slices roast slightly on top.

The best part? These come together in one bowl and don’t need anything complicated or fussy. You can use your favorite store-bought strawberry jam or a homemade version. I’ve even made these with raspberry jam in a pinch—also great!

These brownies are sturdy enough to slice and stack, but soft enough to feel indulgent. And if you don’t want to take my word that they’re delicious, I’ll just mention that I made a batch of these for my daughter’s 7th birthday party this year and twelve little girls ate the entire batch and asked for more.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Sugar
• Butter: Use melted butter or a non-dairy butter alternative.
• Cocoa Powder: Use natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed) for the best results.
• Eggs: Eggs should be room temperature before mixing into the batter.
• Vanilla Extract
• All-Purpose Flour: To keep the brownies gluten-free, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour baking blend.
• Salt
• Chocolate Chips
• Strawberry Jam: Use a thick jam or strawberry preserves, not jelly or syrupy spreads. Any berry flavor will work in place of strawberry.
• Strawberries: Slice the strawberries and gently pat dry with a paper towel to absorb any excess juice.

How to Make Chocolate Strawberry Brownies

1. Melt the Butter and Mix: Stir together the melted butter, sugar, and cocoa powder until the sugar is fully dissolved and no lumps of cocoa remain.

2. Add the Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla, until the batter is smooth and glossy.
3. Fold in Dry Ingredients: Stir in the flour and salt, mixing until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and mix.

4. Swirl in the Jam: Spread the batter into a pan, then drop spoonfuls of jam across the top. Swirl gently with a knife or skewer.

5. Top with Strawberries: Layer fresh strawberry slices and additional chocolate chips over the surface of the brownies.

6. Bake Until Set: Bake until the edges are firm and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the brownies cool completely before slicing to help them set.

Jam for Extra Strawberry Flavor

If you’ve baked with strawberries before, you know that it can be a hard flavor because it’s often pretty muted. This is why many strawberry recipes include strawberry cake mix or strawberry jello. In this case, we’re going to use strawberry jam to add even more flavor than we can get with just sliced strawberries alone.

I’ve tried making these brownies with more fresh strawberries added straight to the batter. But the resulting brownies were a little too watery and didn’t quite set properly. Jam, however, integrates seamlessly into the brownies. It’s all about moisture, sugar content, and water activity.

Jam has a high sugar concentration and low moisture content compared with raw fruit. This means it doesn’t water down the batter the way fresh fruit does. The sugar in the jam also bonds with the sugars in the batter, helping create that beautifully crackly top.

Kitchen Chemistry

Strawberry jam has a low enough water content that it doesn’t disrupt the structure of the brownie batter. Instead of creating soggy pockets, the jam bakes into the top layer, where the sugar and pectin help it caramelize and set in place.

Tips and Tricks for the Best Strawberry Brownies

1. Don’t Overmix: Once the flour is added, gently fold it in only until no dry streaks remain. This helps keep the texture fudgy, not tough.
2. Warm the Jam Slightly: Ensuring the jam is room temperature or slightly warm makes it easier to swirl.
3. Use Thick Jam: Thin jelly may sink or bleed into the batter.
4. Dry Strawberries: Wash and dry the strawberries ahead of time and pat the slices dry with a paper towel to prevent soggy patches.
5. Refrigerate Before Slicing: For cleaner cuts, refrigerate the brownies before slicing.
6. Storage: These brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days, refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for 3 months. Storing the brownies in the refrigerator results in an extra fudgy texture.
7. Recommend Tools: 8×8-inch Metal Baking Pan | Parchment Paper | High-Quality Cocoa Powder | Kitchen Scale

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