Description
This best brownie recipe delivers thick, fudgy, intensely chocolatey brownies with crispy edges and a dense, chewy center that stays moist for days. Made with quality chocolate and simple ingredients, these easy homemade brownies taste like they came from an upscale bakery but require only basic baking skills.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Optional Add-Ins:
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder
- Fleur de sel or sea salt for topping
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter (swirled on top)
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare pan. Position an oven rack in the center and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving slight overhang on two sides for easy brownie removal. Alternatively, grease the pan thoroughly. Parchment paper makes removal foolproof and ensures clean brownie edges.
- Melt chocolate and butter together. In a small saucepan over low heat or in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave, combine chopped chocolate and butter. If using the microwave, heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval, until completely melted and smooth. If using the stovetop, heat over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Do not let the mixture overheat or the chocolate may burn and become bitter.
- Let mixture cool slightly. Remove from heat and let cool for about 2-3 minutes. This prevents the mixture from cooking the eggs when they’re added. The chocolate should be warm to the touch but not hot.
- Combine cocoa powder with sugar. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and sugar, breaking down any lumps of cocoa powder. This distributes cocoa powder evenly and ensures no bitter cocoa pockets in the finished brownies. Whisking also aerates the mixture slightly.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Add room temperature eggs and vanilla extract to the cocoa-sugar mixture and whisk until well combined. The mixture should be smooth and uniform. Whisk for about 1-2 minutes to ensure everything is thoroughly combined.
- Add melted chocolate mixture. Pour the cooled chocolate-butter mixture into the egg mixture and stir until fully combined. Stir well to ensure even distribution of chocolate throughout the batter.
- Combine flour and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and salt. This distributes salt evenly and prevents lumps of flour in the finished brownies.
- Fold flour into chocolate mixture. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and fold gently using a rubber spatula just until combined – do not overmix. Overmixing develops gluten, which can create cakier brownies instead of fudgy ones. Stop folding as soon as you don’t see flour streaks remaining.
- Add optional mix-ins if using. If using chocolate chips, nuts, or other add-ins, fold them gently into the batter until evenly distributed. Don’t overmix at this stage – just fold until additions are mixed through.
- Pour into prepared pan. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly using a spatula. Pour from the bowl, then use a spatula to spread batter in an even layer. Ensure batter reaches all corners of the pan.
- Add peanut butter swirl if desired. If using peanut butter swirl, drop small spoonfuls of peanut butter over the batter, then swirl gently using a knife or toothpick for a beautiful marbled effect.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out with fudgy crumbs. Bake for 22-26 minutes. The brownies are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs – not completely clean, but not with wet batter either. The top should appear dry with slight cracks visible. Brownies continue cooking in the hot pan after removal from the oven, so slightly underbaking creates that perfect fudgy texture.
- Cool completely in pan. Remove from oven and let brownies cool completely in the pan at room temperature – this typically takes about 1-2 hours. Do not remove brownies from the pan while warm or they’ll break apart. Cooling in the pan allows them to set and firm up properly.
- Lift out using parchment and cut. Once completely cooled, if using parchment paper, lift the entire brownie slab out of the pan using the parchment overhang. Place on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean between cuts, cut brownies into 16 squares (4×4 grid).
- Serve and store. Serve brownies at room temperature or slightly warmed. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Brownies actually improve in flavor and texture as they sit, becoming even fudgier as ingredients continue to meld.
Notes
- Cocoa powder sifting – Sift cocoa powder with sugar to prevent lumps that create bitter spots
- Underbake slightly – Brownies continue cooking in the hot pan; remove when a toothpick comes out with fudgy crumbs
- Room temperature eggs – They incorporate more smoothly and create better emulsification than cold eggs
- Don’t overmix – Fold ingredients just until combined; overmixing develops gluten and creates cake-like texture
- Quality chocolate matters – Use good-quality chocolate for superior flavor and texture
- Cool completely – Warm brownies will break apart; cool completely before cutting
- Make brownies ahead – Brownies actually taste better the next day as flavors meld
- Customize easily – Add chocolate chips, nuts, swirls, or toppings to personalize
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie (1/16 of pan)
- Calories: 215
- Sugar: 24g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 28mg