This decadent brownie recipe has been on my website since 2009, and I made sure that it was in my first cookbook—that’s how good it is and how much I stand behind its excellence. This has been one of the most popular recipes on my website for years and years now, so I’m giving it an update with new photos and new tips and tricks. This is honestly the best brownie recipe; it’s all that you are going to need from here on in!
The Best Brownie Recipe
Ever since I made the best chewy, fudgey brownie recipe ever, that were the most delicious, chewy brownies I have ever eaten and promptly lost the recipe for them, I have been searching for a recipe that creates the same chewy-riffic, chocolate bliss that I once experienced. In the search to learn how to come up with the best chewy brownie recipe that I possibly could, I learned a few things. Read on to learn how to make thick, fudgey, NOT CAKEY brownies! We aren’t making cake; we are making stick-to-your-teeth-and-smile-a-chocolate-smile brownies.
How To Make Brownies from Scratch
Making brownies from scratch is super easy! You guys, this is a one-bowl dessert, and trust me, once you try these ooey, gooey brownies from scratch, you will never use another recipe again. Remember, these were in my cookbook; these homemade, from-scratch brownies are the best! And I never say that lightly because claiming something is the best is a bold thing to do. The reviews on this recipe speak for themselves, however!
To make brownies from scratch, all you need to do is:
- Preheat your oven.
- Line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper or grease it really well with butter.
- Melt the butter in a pot. Stir in the sugar, then the cocoa.
- Add in your eggs, then stir in the vanilla.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Add in your flour and barely stir it in.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the brownies pull away from the edges slightly. Cool the brownies.
How to Make Brownies Step-by-Step Video
Ingredients Needed for Brownies
Brownies are one of the easiest things to bake up and a great recipe to start your kids baking with! To make a chocolate brownie, you only really need five ingredients :
- salted butter
- eggs
- white sugar
- flour
- cocoa powder
How to Make Them Extra Chewy
People usually fall into two camps when it comes to brownies and their preferences. Either you like your brownies like cake, fluffy and a little moist, or you want them thick, chewy, and so decadent you can barely stand it.
Adding chocolate chips to the batter ensures that these are even richer and chewier!
If you need proof that this is the best brownie recipe ever, take a look at the photo below. These brownies aren’t under-cooked and raw-looking, like some brownie recipes are, to get that fudgey look and feel. They are simply wonderfully thick, chewy, and fudgey, with no raw batter middle in sight. There is a vast difference between raw batter and fudgey!
Use Butter, Never Oil in Your Brownies
It’s all about the fat, baby. A brownie recipe that will yield you fudgey, delectable brownies will have a higher fat ratio than flour. Look at how small the flour I use is – it’s only 3/4 of a cup! This ensures that it’s NOT a raw, under-cooked brownie that will yield your result of chewiness; it’s the butter. And it should only be butter, so why waste your fat calories on tasteless oil? If you see a brownie recipe with oil, skip it! (The boxed mixes use oil; do I need to say more? They have their time and place, but only when camping!)
Karlynn’s Tips & Tricks for Baking up the Best Brownie Recipe Ever
- You need to learn how not to mix the heck out of them when you put in the flour; thus, you need to do things in a particular order to do that. Make sure to follow the directions for success!
- You do NOT need any leavening agents at all in authentic brownie recipes! No raising of these brownies; thank you kindly! We are aiming for thick, fudgy little bites of chocolate heaven. If you use a leavening agent ( baking soda or powder), you turn these into a cake, making them rise and become airier.
- UNDER BAKE THEM. Always. Remember that your baked products are safe to eat when the temperature reaches 165 °F in the middle, which kills any germs from the raw eggs. Baked goods firm up around 200-210 °F, so you have a lot of area in between to play with. You want them to be chewy but not raw. The brownies will continue to cook a little after you pull them from the oven, so if you insert a toothpick and it comes out reasonably clean – you still want some fudgeyness on it, though – remove them before they bake too much.
Happy baking, everyone! Let me know in the comments below if you tried this brownie recipe!
Love,
Karlynn
The Best Brownies AKA Chocolate Chewy Wonders
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup salted butter
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2/3 cup chocolate chips (this makes them extra fudgy, omit if desired.)
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.Line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- On the stove over medium heat, melt the butter in a medium pot. Remove from the heat and stir in the white sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar as much as you can.
- Once that is combined, mix in your cocoa until thoroughly combined into the mixture.
- Beat in the eggs until fully incorporated, then add in the vanilla.
- If you are using chocolate chips to make these extra fudgy, mix them into the batter now.
- Add in your flour and barely stir it in. This will prevent the brownies from being too cakey. You want to just mix the flour into the batter.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the brownies pull away from the edges slightly. A toothpick inserted should come out fairly clean, with no raw batter on the stick. A few crumbs sticking to the toothpick means they are baked and fudgy inside.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Gayle says
Prep is more like a half hour unless you have someone else to measure your ingredients for you . Cook time is over 40 minutes so far. I’m making them right now. But they smell great. I made mine with pot.?
Amy says
I cooked mine for 20 minutes and they didn’t look finished. I left them for another 5 minutes but they still came out really undercooked. I want them fudgy but they were like a blob of batter when I tried to cut them. I was surprised not to see comments from anyone else about this. I ended up putting them back in for almost 20 additional minutes and then they were perfect and delicious!
Dumb question, is this recipe calling for all purpose or self rising flour. It doesn't specufy says
Does this recipe call for all purpose or self rising flour, it doesn’t specify
Karlynn Johnston says
All purpose!
Mimsky says
That was the case for me as well! So mine took 40 mins all up. I’m glad I read your comment before I started baking!
Catt says
HOW long would I cook these in an 8×8 glass dish?
Karlynn Johnston says
I would add another 10-15 minutes, just make sure to test them~
MICHELLE VANDERLAAN says
This really is the best brownie recipe! I was worried about it being grainy with the sugar but it turned out perfect! I was so happy! I actually used it to make brownie bites and they were stinking awesome!
Meredith says
I made these brownies and they are delectable, but I am unclear on something when it comes to baking in general. Maybe someone can clear this up for me? Should I use salted or unsalted butter? Is it always unsalted butter unless it specifically says salted? So many recipes don’t specify and I never know what to do lol… Thanks in advance! Also, thanks for these wonderful brownies!
MICHELLE VANDERLAAN says
I always use salted, just my preference, I only use unsalted if it specifically calls for unsalted and generally that is because salt is a separate ingredient in the recipe.
Bill esposito says
I always, always use unsalted. Baking, cooking etc. No reason to ever buy salted butter. Almost never do recipies call for salted butter. This is why most recipes include salt. It becomes an ingrediant you can contro
Trying this brownie recipe today.
Kathy W says
Do the fudgy brownies freeze well?
Karlynn Johnston says
These freeze AMAZINGLY!
Donna Wiener says
Should the cocoa used be unsweetened? This recipe sounds fabulous, I’m planning to make a double batch for our family Christmas get together. And will it travel well if made a few days ahead of time? Thanks!
Karlynn Johnston says
Yes, unsweetened cocoa! These are great made ahead of time, just keep them covered!
Christina says
Is it correct to put 1 1/2 cups of sugar? These are wayyyy too sweet, even for my sweet/chocolate loving husband.
Debby says
These are AMAZING!!! Thanks so so much for this recipe. Its so simple, I don’t even pour the butter out of the pot I melted it in, Just mix everything in, step by step as you recommend. I do use a full cup of chocolate chips. Everyone I give them to literally stops in their tracks once they taste them.
Tria says
Hands down the most amazing, decadent, super chocolatey, fudge brownies ever! Cant wait to build onto the original recipe with fun additions like penut butter. This one is already written down and added to my cook book! I didnt want to chance losing it. Skipped the chocolate chunks ( it doesnt need them ?) Used a thermometer and they came out just a little underdone in the middle, just like we love em. Thanks!
2pots2cook says
Wow ! You rock ! 🙂
Michelle says
Hi made this but doubled then recipe turned out awesome!
Karlynn Johnston says
Glad to hear you liked it! It does double perfectly!
Crystal says
In the video it mentions using vanilla.. did you and how much?
Jules says
These are amazing brownies! Super easy recipe too. I didn’t ice them, but added a pinch of pink Hawaian sea salt on the top…so delicious. Highly recommend this recipe.
Karlynn Johnston says
The salt is a great idea! Thanks for sharing!
Regina Filangi says
I saw this and had to make them….. IMMEDIATELY! They came out chewy and perfect. I didn’t ice them. They are amazing just plain and simple. Thank you for sharing \U0001f60b
The Kitchen Magpie says
AWESOME!!!!! Sounds like you knocked them out of the park!
jo_jo_ba says
Such a unique way of making the ganache! I’ve always just heated cream and poured over chocolate, does cooking for 20 min have a distinct impact?
The Kitchen Magpie says
That’s my job! Evil baker!
Holly Dumont-Englehart says
Evil woman! My husband is going to divorce me for baking so much lately…. and your to blame!!!!!! (just kidding) going to check my baking list for the weekend 🙂
Karlynn Johnston says
LOL! Hope you love them!
NanaBread (Jeanne) says
Best. Zebra. Brownies. Ever!
Kristina Craig says
I made these for Easter and they were soooo yummy!!!!!!!!
Karlynn Johnston says
Awesome to hear! You are a great recipe tester!
Karlynn Johnston says
The drizzle also hides any ganache imperfections lol!
Marla Meridith says
I can see why these would be the best brownies!
We are in our final week of Get Grillin’ – Dessert is the theme and we would love if you submitted up to any 3 recipes (they don’t have to be grilled) to our link up. This one would be perfect! This week we have a Rouxbe Cooking School giveaway. https://su.pr/2YaIiV
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
Wow those look good. I love that white chocolate ganache!!
Jana Baatenburg says
These look delicious! I love brownies, and the drizzle of chocolate makes them look so put together.
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
Wow those look good. I love that white chocolate ganache!!
Evan says
The white chocolate ganache has sold me on these.
Evan says
The white chocolate ganache has sold me on these.
Karlynn Johnston says
Ah, the finicky white chocolate ganache, luckily when you whip it, it is very forgiving!
Vicki says
I made these – the brownies are AWESOME! But…I have had two failed attempts at the ganache. 1st one was completely my fault, I tried half & half with white chocolate chips and it never stiffened up – still tasted delicious though. Yesterday I made it with heavy cream and white chips and when I took it out of the fridge this morning, well…it’s like taffy when it’s cold and when it’s room temperature it’s spreadable but still “sticky”. Do you know what I could be doing wrong? I want it to be like yours!! Thanks!
Ee. says
Yeah i used a very bitter cocoa, but i guess u have a sweeter tooth than mine! ;> i will try it with less sugar coz its looked really great. thank u .
Ee. says
I tried the recipe, everything looked perfect except it was TOO sweet! could it be that you’ve mistaken the sugar quantity with the flour? …..please advice.
Karlynn says
I went back and checked and nope, it’s exactly how it’s supposed to be. They ARE sweet, I like brownies to be more like fudge than cake, I have another recipe that lends to a more cake like, less sweet recipe, but that’s just chocolate cake, IMHO 🙂
I also have a vegan recipe I will be tackling in the new year and I KNOW that one won’t be as sweet.
Maybe check the type of cocoa you used? Cocoa is very bitter, so at 3/4 a cup of cocoa you need the sugar to balance it out.
Steph says
I really need to try white chocolate ganache!