If you are a chocolate lover, then you will want to make this Cranberry Thanksgiving Brownie Recipe. Moist, chewy brownies loaded with dark chocolate flavor and sweet cranberries marry in a perfect bite just right for your Thanksgiving dessert table.

If you create a dessert table for your Thanksgiving dinner, you will also want to try Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe With Tofutti and SpicedPumpkin Bread With Cake Mix recipe. They both make a great fall dessert your family will want to make a tradition.
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Why this recipe works
- A boxed brownie mix is good but making your brownies from scratch is not only easy but it creates a more rich fudgy brownie.
- This will become one of your favorite desserts at thanksgiving using the traditional cranberry as a sweet chewy add-in.
- It only takes about 10 minutes to mix this batch of brownies up just a bit more than a box mix.
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Flour: be sure you use all-purpose flour. You can use white or whole wheat, whichever you prefer.
- Cocoa powder: To infuse the most chocolate flavor in each bite I suggest using Hersey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder. I found it at one of my local grocery stores but you can also order it online.
- Eggs: It is best to allow your eggs to warm up to room temperature before putting them into the mixture.
- Butter: Be sure you let your butter sit out and soften to room temperature before using.
- Vanilla: Don't use imitation, real vanilla is best for a stronger flavor.
- Cranberries: Don't use fresh, they will make your brownies soggy. Chose real dried cranberries, not the imitation rasin kind found mostly in grocery stores.
See the recipe card for complete ingredients
🔪 Step by step instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spray a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick spray. I like to use coconut oil nonstick spray. It has a subtly sweet coconut flavor.
- In a large bowl add flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. stir together the dry ingredients until blended well.
2. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
3. Turn off the mixer and add the flour mixture. Turn the mixer on low and mix the dry and liquid ingredients. They should form a smooth batter.
4. Remove bowl from the stand mixer, using a wooden spoon, stir in the cranberries.
5. Pour brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake on the middle rack in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
6. Brownies will be done when you can insert a wooden toothpick in the center, and it comes out clean.
Cool before cutting.
💭 Tips for making the recipe
If you like gooey brownies, bake 10 minutes less than the time called for in the recipe.
Variations
This will become your favorite brownie recipe when you see how many variations you can make from this easy brownies recipe.
- Lilly's salted caramel chips (sugarfree)
- Lilly's white chocolate chips (sugarfree)
- Add 1 cup of chopped pecans, walnuts, or pistachios to the brownie batter.
- You could also sprinkle the nuts on top of your brownie batter in the pan just before baking. This creates a nutty topping and a chewy brownie layer underneath.
- Lilly's chocolate mint baking chips (sugarfree)
💭 Tips for making the recipe
If you have kids at your Thanksgiving dinner make them some gobble gobble brownies. They will love Little Sunny Kitchen's idea of using candy eyeballs and candy corn to make these turkey brownies. Just use brownie squares instead of cupcakes. These baked brownies could make festive thanksgiving treats just for the kids table. They would also be fun thanksgiving party treats for the kids to take to school.
Storage
If you want to make these before Thanksgiving day be sure to keep the brownies in an airtight container as soon as they are cool. They tend to dry out on top if left out overnight in the pan.
❓ FAQ
Brownies that are fudgy have butter or oil in them to increase the fat to flour ratio compared to cake-type brownies.
What are the three types of brownies?
There are three types of brownie lovers that divide people into what is their favorite, chewy, cake-like, and fudgy. The best brownies are the ones a person enjoys most.
Brownies tend to have more fat such as butter than most baked goods. This fat creates a more chewy or fudgy product than baked goods with less fat. For this reason, the brownies tend to sink in the middle.
Related Recipes
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Recipe
Cranberry Thanksgiving Brownie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup dark cocoa Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs large, room temperature
- 2 cups sugar white, granulated
- 3/4 cup butter real butter only, soften (1 and 1/2 sticks)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla real not imitation
- 1 cup cranberries not imitation
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Spray a 9x13 baking pan with non-stick spray. I like to use spray coconut oil, it tastes better.
- In a large bowl add flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. stir together the dry ingredients until blended well.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer and another large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- Turn off the mixer and add the flour mixture. Turn the mixer on low and mix the dry and liquid ingredients together. They should form a smooth batter.
- Remove bowl from the stand mixer, using a wooden spoon stir in the cranberries.
- Pour brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake on the middle rack in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
- Brownies will be done when you can insert a wooden toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
- Cool before cutting.
Notes
- Flour: be sure you use all-purpose flour. You can use white or whole wheat, whichever you prefer.
- Cocoa powder: To infuse the most chocolate flavor in each bite I suggest using Hersey's Special Dark Cocoa Powder. I found it at one of my local grocery stores but you can also order it online.
- Eggs: It is best to allow your eggs to warm up to room temperature before putting them into the mixture.
- Butter: Be sure you let your butter sit out and soften to room temperature before using.
- Vanilla: Don't use imitation, real vanilla is best for a stronger flavor.
- Cranberries: Don't use fresh, they will make your brownies soggy. Chose real dried cranberries
- Lilly's salted caramel chips (sugarfree)
- Lilly's white chocolate chips (sugarfree)
- Add 1 cup of chopped pecans, walnuts, or pistachios to the brownie batter.
- You could also sprinkle the nuts on top of your brownie batter in the pan just before baking. This creates a nutty topping and a chewy brownie layer underneath.
- Lilly's chocolate mint baking chips (sugarfree)
Nutrition
🎥 Need more ideas?
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