These Mexican sheetcake brownies are a twist on the classic favorite that add a more grown up oomph and appeal. Some links in this post are affiliate links that earn me a commission if you purchase through them.
I made these Mexican sheetcake brownies originally for parent teacher conferences. When I got request after request for a recipe, I knew I had a winner.
Why? You bite into it at first, and it’s a soft beautiful brownie. You start to feel a little heat and warmth as you chew, and it stays with you for just a moment after you’ve swallowed, letting you remember and savor that bite.
This is a perfect dessert for any Mexican inspired dinner, whether that be Taco Tuesday or a potluck or .. anything. It’s perfect for a crowd because this makes many brownies, although yes, they do freeze well if needed.
Looking for more great Mexican inspired recipes to make? Check out my favorites at the end of this article.
Tips for Making Mexican Sheetcake Brownies
This recipe uses buttermilk, and it does make a difference in the taste. If you don’t have buttermilk at home, you can still make these, however.
Yes, you could use regular milk, but instead, make your own buttermilk. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. Top it with milk until it reaches a half cup, then add an additional third cup of milk (simply because you need buttermilk for both the frosting and brownies).
Let this mixture sit for five minutes. Voila, you made buttermilk! You will need to separate it later into a half cup and third cup, but that’s easy with a second liquid measuring cup.
Add spice just to the brownie portion, so that the kick wasn’t overwhelming but you get the warm flavors. You could try adding a quarter or half teaspoon of cinnamon to the icing, but I wouldn’t do more than that or you would lose the balance of the brownie.
I also used some of my Mexican vanilla in the recipe. This vanilla is just a touch spicier in tone than regular vanilla, and it is exactly what I’m looking for when making some of my more “interesting” dishes.
Start to prep your frosting just before your brownies from from the oven. You want it ready so you can apply it to your brownies while they’re still warm, but you don’t want this cooked fudge frosting to sit either.
Use an offset spatula to spread your frosting. It’s the easiest tool that works the best for me, hands down!
How to Make Mexican Sheetcake Brownies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 15x10x1-inch cookie sheet. This is your standard jelly roll pan, and it’s what I use to bake cookies all the time.
In a heavy saucepan, combine your water, one cup (2 sticks) of butter, and 1/3 cup of cocoa powder.
Turn heat to medium and melt the butter, stirring periodically to ensure the ingredients are well-combined. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly as it starts to warm.
Once it boils, remove from the heat and work on the dry ingredients. It doesn’t need to boil for a minute like some recipes.
In a medium bowl, add the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, chili powder, and salt.
Stir gently until all the ingredients are well distributed. Add the melted butter and cocoa mixture to the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until completely incorporated.
Add your eggs, one half cup of buttermilk, and vanilla, and beat for a minute until the mixture is light. This is meant to be a very thin batter.
Pour your batter into your prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until your cake tester comes out clean.
You don’t want to overbake this. When you start to see the edges of the brownies pull away from the pan, you know it’s really close to done.
Once your brownies are almost baked, work on your frosting. You want to apply it while the brownies are still warm.
In that same saucepan (same ingredients, no need to dirty another dish!), combine your remaining 3 tablespoons butter, the 5 tablespoons cocoa powder, and one-third cup of buttermilk. Turn the stove on medium. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat.
Add the powdered sugar and the last 2 1/2 tablespoons vanilla and mix, starting on low until the powdered sugar is incorporated, then beating on high until the mixture is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
While the icing is still warm, pour it over the Mexican sheetcake brownies. Using an offset spatula, gently pull the icing from the center to the edges until it is all covered in icing.
Let the brownies cool at least 2 hours, then cut into pieces, usually 42 or so decent size brownies from this recipe.
I find that if I use a bench scraper, I can get the cleanest and straightest cuts. When I use a knife, it doesn’t work as well. Bonus? The bench scraper won’t cut up your pan either.
Store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container on your counter for 2-3 days. These also freeze extremely well for 1-2 months (and are tasty straight from the freezer).
Have you ever tried a variation like Mexican sheetcake brownies?
Other great Mexican inspired recipes:
- Elotes (Mexican street corn)
- Dessert nachos
- Spanish rice (or Mexican rice, if you prefer)
- Crockpot Mexican beef in masa cups
- Mexican skillet quinoa
- Cheesy beef and rice casserole
- Avocado ice cream
- Honey habanero ground beef tacos
- Roasted tomatillo salsa
- Crispy carnitas
- Weeknight chicken empanadas
- Tamale pot pies
- Easy cheesy chicken enchiladas
- Homemade refried beans
- Smoky cheesy chicken enchilada dip
- Homemade nacho cheese
Mexican Sheetcake Brownies
Ingredients
For the brownies:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
For the frosting:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 1/2 tablespoons vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 15x10x1-inch cookie sheet.
- In a saucepan, combine your water, 1 cup butter, and 1/3 cup of cocoa powder. Turn heat to medium and melt the butter, stirring periodically. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly as it starts to warm. Remove from heat once it boils.1 cup water, 1 cup unsalted butter, 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- In a medium bowl, add flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, chili powder, and salt, then stir. Add melted butter and cocoa mixture to dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until incorporated. Add eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk, and vanilla, and beat for a minute.2 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until cake tester comes out clean.
- Make frosting near the end of the baking time. In a saucepan, combine remaining 3 tablespoons butter, 5 tablespoons cocoa powder, and 1/3 cup buttermilk and turn the stove to medium. Bring mixture to a boil, then remove from heat.3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 5 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1/3 cup buttermilk
- Add powdered sugar and the last 2 1/2 tablespoons vanilla and mix, starting on low until the powdered sugar is incorporated, then beating on high until the mixture is smooth.3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 1/2 tablespoons vanilla
- Pour still warm frosting over brownies. Gently spread icing from the center to edges. Let the brownies cool at least 2 hours, then cut into pieces.
Notes
- Store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container on your counter for 2-3 days. These also freeze extremely well for 1-2 months (and are tasty straight from the freezer).
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.
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[…] Mexican sheetcake brownies […]
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That’s a great idea to feed teachers during parent-teacher conferences! Those brownies look delicious!!
I was waiting to see cinnamon in the ingredients and there it is, a secret ingredient, I often add cinnamon and or chipotle to my chocolate confections. This looks like a delicious recipe!
Those brownies look so yummy! My parents brought some vanilla from Mexico once, and we love it. But it is probably not so hard to get these days, with all of the fancy “international” grocery stores cropping up!