If you are a chocolate lover, you will want to make this Thanksgiving Brownie Recipe With Cranberries. These homemade brownies are moist, chewy brownies loaded with dark chocolate flavor and a perfect combination of sweet cranberries for your Thanksgiving dessert table.
If you create a dessert table for your Thanksgiving dinner, you will also want to print and mark these great recipes. If you have someone in the family with dairy issues, then you need to make this Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe With Tofutti. This non-dairy cheesecake is a favorite of my eight-year-old granddaughter. Next, if you need an easy thanksgiving dessert, try my Spiced Pumpkin Bread With Cake Mix recipe. Make my Instant Pot Applesauce for a low-calorie recipe.  If you need a fall cookie recipe, then this Soft and Chewy Blackstrap Molasses Cookie Recipe is a must. They all make a great fall dessert your family will want to make a tradition.
😋 Why make brownies from scratch?
- A boxed brownie mix is good, but making your brownies from scratch is easy and creates a richer, fudgy brownie.
- This easy recipe is full of extra sweet chewy cranberries. However, you can add nuts and a variety of flavored chocolate chips.
- It only takes about 10 minutes to mix this batch of brownies up, just a bit more than a box mix.
🛒 What ingredients you will need
- Flour: be sure you use all-purpose flour. You can use white or whole wheat, whichever you prefer.
- Cocoa powder: I suggest using Hersey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder to infuse the most chocolate flavor in each bite. 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 more robust flavor.
- Cranberries: Don’t use fresh. They will make your brownies soggy and tart! Buy real dried cranberries, not the imitation raisin kind mainly found in grocery stores.
⭐️ See the recipe card for complete ingredients
Brownie Tips
Brownies are known as America’s favorite dessert. The only debate is cake-like or moist and chewy.
What makes a brownie fudgy and moist?
Baking moist, chewy brownies requires a proper fat-to-flour ratio. If you like a moist, chewy brownie, you will need a ratio of one part butter to 3 parts flour.
Eliminating the baking soda will also make a less cake-like brownie. You could also reduce the cooking time by 5 to 10 minutes.
🔪 Step-by-step instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spray a 9×13 baking pan with non-stick spray. I like to use coconut oil nonstick spray. It has a subtly sweet coconut flavor.
- Add flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. 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.
- 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.
- Remove the 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.
Variation ideas
If you are a brownie lover, this will indeed become a favorite brownie recipe, especially when you see how many variations you can make from this easy brownie base recipe.
- Stir in 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips
- Try adding 1/2 cup of mint chocolate chips
- 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.
💭 Fun Thanksgiving turkey brownies for kids
If you have kids at your Thanksgiving dinner, they will love to have these cute turkey brownies. They will love these turkey brownies by Little Sunny Kitchen’s. Her idea to use peanut butter cups, candy eyeballs, and a piece of candy corn for turkey’s feathers. Bake the brownie mixture in cupcake pans instead of a 9×13 baking pan. Spread some frosting and use candy to decorate them like turkeys. These baked brownies could make festive treats just for the kids’ Thanksgiving table. These gobbler brownies would also be a fun thanksgiving party treats for the kids to take to school.
How to store brownies so they stay moist.
If you want to make these brownies before Thanksgiving day and keep them moist, then try these tips.
- After baking the brownies, allow them to cool to room temperature.
- Cut the brownies into very large pieces. The edges tend to dry out quicker if you cut them into small pieces. Plan on cutting them into smaller pieces just before serving.
- Place the brownies in a plastic container with an air-tight lid.
- It is also a good idea to lay two pieces of white sandwich bread in the container with the brownies. The moister from the bread will help keep your brownie moist for several days in your air-tight container.
More Dessert Recipes
Love a recipe you’ve tried? 😋 Please leave a 5-star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Don’t forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!
Thanksgiving Brownie Recipe
Note: Be sure to read through the recipe’s post for tips and details about this 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
- 1 cup sugar, white, granulated
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup butter, real butter only, soften or slightly melted butter (1 and 1/2 sticks)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla, real not imitation
- 1 cup cranberries, not imitation
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Spray a 9×13 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.1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup dark cocoa, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer and another large bowl, beat the eggs, white and brown sugar, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy.4 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 3/4 cup butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 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.1 cup 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
- Add 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips
- 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.
The post has been updated with new tips and information. The original post was published in November 2020. Update with new tips in November 2022.