Boxed Brownies Are 10x More Flavorful When Paired With This Decadent Topping

Sometimes, you want to create a show-stopping dessert, but you don't have a ton of time. Chocolate ganache brownies are a surprisingly easy way to create an impressive sweet treat — without requiring you to spend hours in the kitchen. Adding a simple chocolate ganache to the top of a pan of boxed brownies creates a bakery-worthy result with a ton of fudgy flavor. One of the best things about topping your brownies with chocolate ganache: They'll look as amazing as they taste. Ganache is a smooth, shiny glaze that looks like it takes hours of work, and it's the perfect way to take any brownie recipe — especially one that came from a box — to the next level. 

Chocolate ganache itself is super simple. You'll need chocolate and heavy cream (and maybe a bit of butter for an extra glossy ganache), plus a few minutes to stand at your stove to create your next-level brownie topping. You can use whatever type of chocolate you'd like, although it makes sense to err on the semisweet side if you're going to use it to top milk chocolate brownies; if you prefer a less-sweet option, go with a chocolate with a higher cocoa percentage. You'll also want to choose high-quality chocolate to ensure you're creating a rich flavor. 

To make the ganache, chop your selected chocolate for faster, more even melting and bring your heavy cream to a simmer, then pour it over a bowl of the sweet stuff. As your ingredients start to melt together, you'll want to begin continuously stirring the ganache, but gently, until it's fully combined and ready to pour over your brownies.

If you're ready to upgrade your brownies by topping them with chocolate ganache, there are a few things you'll want to keep in mind to get a perfect result. Unlike frosting, you won't need to wait for your brownies to cool before you layer on the good stuff. Pouring the ganache while it's still warm itself directly on top of your brownies will give you great flavor and a sleek, shiny look. The longer you wait to pour your ganache, the more it will thicken. If it sits for a while, it'll take on a more frosting-like quality (which can also be delicious, if that's the consistency you're going for).

If you want the ganache to really soak into your brownies to add extra chocolate flavor, take the poke cake approach. Use a chopstick or the tines of a fork to poke holes into the top of your brownies before you hit them with the chocolatey goodness. This way, your ganache will make tiny towers throughout your brownies, creating extra bursts of rich chocolate flavor. No matter what approach you take, chocolate ganache-topped brownies are a quick and impressive dessert that are perfect for a crowd.