Spooky Halloween Treat Easy Spellbook Brownies
These Hocus Pocus Spellbook Brownies are the ultimate spooky treat for Halloween! Inspired by the iconic spellbook from the movie Hocus Pocus, these rich, fudgy chocolate brownies are decorated with colorful frosting, candy eyes, and Halloween sprinkles to look just like Winifred Sanderson's beloved book of spells.
Equipment
- 8x8 Brownie Pan
- Cooling Rack
- Electric or Stand Mixer preferable
- 2 clear piping bags
- Small round + small star piping tips
Ingredients
For the Brownies
- 6 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 12 ounces dark chocolate coarsely chopped
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil
- 4 large eggs
- ⅔ cup granulated monk fruit sweetener can sub for cane sugar
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- ⅓ cup butter or vegan butter
- 3 cups Paleo powdered sugar**
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons milk of choice
- 1 Color Kitchen Orange Packet
- ½ Color Kitchen Pink + ½ Color Kitchen Blue Packets
Additional Decorations
- Edible candy eyes
- colorful sprinkles
Instructions
Make the Brownies
- Prepare the oven and pan. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with overlapping sheets of parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the tapioca flour and cocoa powder until no lumps remain.
- Melt the chocolate. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the dark chocolate and coconut oil, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
- Beat the eggs and sweeteners. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to beat the eggs, monk fruit sweetener, and coconut sugar until light and smooth, approximately 3–4 minutes.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Beat in the salt and vanilla extract, followed by the melted chocolate mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Finish the batter. Add the tapioca flour mixture and beat until combined. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix for another 30 seconds, until the batter is thick and holds its shape.
- Bake. Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the center is set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Allow the brownies to cool completely before decorating.
Make the Frosting
- Mix the frosting. Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until combined. Add plant-based milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until thick, smooth, and pipeable.
- Color the frosting. Divide the frosting evenly between two bowls. Mix the orange food coloring into one bowl and the pink and blue coloring into the other to create purple frosting.
- Prepare piping bags. Fit one piping bag with a small round tip and the other with a small star tip. Fill the round-tip bag with orange frosting and the star-tip bag with purple frosting.
Decorate the Brownies
- Cut the brownies. Once completely cooled, remove the brownies from the pan using the parchment paper overhang and slice into 9 equal squares.
- Add the candy eyes. Pipe a small dab of orange frosting onto the back of each candy eye and gently press one onto each brownie.
- Pipe the orange details. Using the orange frosting, pipe two small pretzel-shaped loops on the upper and lower right corners. Along the left edge, pipe two parallel lines with a squiggle between them to create the spellbook's spine.
- Add the purple details. Pipe a circle of purple frosting around each candy eye. Add two small dots inside each orange loop and a few additional dots across the brownie. bag and pipe a circle around the eye.
- Finish with sprinkles. Decorate the spine of each spellbook with Halloween sprinkles. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Notes
- Powdered sugar: To make your own powdered monk fruit sweetener, blend 3 cups of granulated monk fruit sweetener for 30–40 seconds, or until finely powdered. Results may vary by brand.
- Store-bought frosting: Premade vanilla frosting can be substituted to save time.
- Brownie mix shortcut: Use your favorite gluten-free boxed brownie mix, following the package instructions, before decorating.
- Cooling: To speed up cooling, transfer slightly cooled brownies to the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes. Make sure they are completely cool before frosting.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
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