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Home » Brownies that are Unusual

Circus Animal Brownies

Last updated on January 27, 2023 By Anna 9 Comments This post may contain affiliate links.

Circus Animal Brownies are basically an excuse to buy and eat Circus Animal Cookies.  At least that's what they started out as.  It turns out the brownie recipe used to support the hippos, elephants and lions is actually a good one.

Circus Animal Brownies

Circus Animal Brownies are fudgy all the way, with a flaky, shiny top. They taste great on day 1, but are better on day 2, and chilling is key. The brownies are really cute with the Circus Animals, which I am sure Julia Child and Nick Malgieri, whose recipes were combined and adapted to make this one, would just love, but you can leave them off if you don't like animals....or ones coved with icing and sprinkles.

Circus Animal Brownies

Update: I really love this recipe and still make it after all these years. Circus Animals are fun, but your can also stick Oreos on top. I sprinkled a little chopped chocolate on the hot brownies so that it would melt and help the cookies adhere, then I just put the cookie halves across the top.

Another Update! Just saw Halloween Circus Animals at Target and am thinking a Halloween version of these would be great for a Halloween party.

And yet another update. Looks like the Circus Animal Brownies recipe has morphed into Circus Animal Blondies across the Internet. I'm glad everyone likes Circus Animals as much as I do. Time to try the new Blondies version.

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Recipe

Circus Animal Brownies

Circus Animal Brownies

Anna
Circus Animal Brownies
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 35 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 brownies

Ingredients
 

  • 1 stick 4 oz unsalted butter
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate at least 60%
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup flour
  • Circus Animals as needed 12-16, room temperature, plus broken ones for eating

Instructions
 

  • Line an 8 inch square metal pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray or rub with a little extra butter. Set aside.
  • In a saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter. Reduce heat to low, then add the chocolate and stir until melted. If pan is very hot, turn off heat and melt the chocolate over residual heat. Stir the brown sugar into the hot mixture. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
  • In a mixing bowl or bowl of stand mixer, beat the eggs on high for about 2 minutes. Beat in the salt and sugar; continue beating another minute or 2 minutes until light. Beat in the vanilla then gradually pour in the chocolate. With a heavy duty scraper (my favorite tool for mixing flour into brownies because it helps you incorporate flour without beating the batter too much), stir in the flour.
  • Pour into the pan and bake on center rack at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for about 2 hours.
  • Lift from pan by grasping foil. Set brownies on a cutting board and score into 12 or 16 bars. Stick a Circus Animal on each brownie. Circus Animals should adhere without any extra icing, but if for some reason your animals won't stick, melt a little chocolate in the microwave and use it as a glue.
Keyword Basic Fudge Brownies, Circus Animals
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Reader Interactions

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  1. Shannon

    November 26, 2010 at 10:43 am

    I made these awhile ago, and they were absolutely fabulous. I have made hundreds of brownies over the years- my preferred type of brownie is thick, gooey, fudgy, with a nice shiny, crackly top. These fit the bill to a T!! I am making these again tonight- not for anything special, but just because I want them! Will be adding them to my Christmas baking lists as well, definately my new go-to brownie. Thanks!!

  2. shelly (cookies and cups)

    July 18, 2010 at 5:12 pm

    Those brownies look absolutely perfect!

  3. clumbsycookie

    July 18, 2010 at 11:43 am

    Those would be cute for a kid's party! Welcome to the new home Anna!!!

  4. Bakericious

    July 18, 2010 at 3:23 am

    the brownies look so cute 🙂

  5. Cookie Sleuth

    July 17, 2010 at 10:53 pm

    What a cute idea. I love fudgy brownies!

  6. C L

    July 17, 2010 at 8:55 pm

    For the animal cookies alone, I have to make this recipe. 😉 I keep frosted animal cookies in the freezer just in case I need to decorate a last minute birthday cake. Even the faces of grown-ups light up when they see those little critters. 🙂

  7. Sue

    July 17, 2010 at 2:49 pm

    The little animals look right at home, and I'll bet that if Nick or Julia were serving them to kids, they wouldn't mind them one single bit. 🙂

  8. Angela

    July 17, 2010 at 2:15 pm

    ..."plus broken ones for eating." So true, so true. Those little things are addictive!

  9. Fallon

    July 17, 2010 at 10:26 am

    Nice brownies! Fudgy are my favorite.

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