Learn how to make fudgy homemade brownies from scratch. This recipe is quick and easy to make and you need just 9 ingredients. Crispy top, fudgy center, and melting chocolate chunks. Better than box mix brownies and crowd approved. It's literally the best chocolate brownie recipe.
Have you ever asked yourself how to make brownies? You just need to whisk melted butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla to combine. Then sift in cocoa, flour, and salt and whisk until combined. Add your favorite add-ins, like chocolate chips or nuts, transfer to a brownie pan, and bake.
Sounds very easy, right? It really is!
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Ingredients
To make homemade brownies from scratch you need just a couple of basic ingredients, like cocoa, flour, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, and chocolate.
Cocoa
You can either use natural or Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder. I tried this recipe with both and it works with both types of cocoa.
Flour
Use just plain all-purpose flour. Do not use cake or bread flour because these types of flour are not 100% flour but additional ingredients mixed in and could make your brownies cakey rather than fudgy.
Butter
You need unsalted butter for this recipe. I don't recommend salted butter. It's better to use unsalted butter and a controled amount of salt when baking as you have full control of the outcome.
Eggs
This recipe is developed to use large eggs. Make sure to use the correct size. Otherwise, the ratio of dry to wet ingredients is out of balance and the texture is not as supposed.
Sugar
To get the best results with this recipe, I recommend using half white and brown sugar. Brown sugar is naturally moist and keeps the brownies moister compared to dry white sugar. So, keep in mind that the texture and outcome will change if you alter the sugars.
Salt
You can use your preferred regular salt. However, don't use flaky salt.
Vanilla
You can either use pure vanilla extract or vanilla pods. For each teaspoon vanilla extract substitute the seeds of one vanilla pod.
Chocolate
I prefer adding chopped chocolate bars to the batter. You can use either white, milk, or dark chocolate bars. You can also use chocolate chips.
Equipment
For this recipe you need a large mixing bowl, mesh strainer, whisk, rubber spatula, and a pan.
Pan size
You get the most even baking results when you use an 8x12" (20x30cm) or 9x13" (23x33cm) baking pan, but you can also use a 9x9" (23x23cm) brownie pan.
However, the baking results in a 9x9" (23x23cm) baking pan will be the most uneven, and the edges will turn out a little cakey.
Below you see a side-by-side comparison of the thickness. The brownies on the left are baked in a 9x9" baking pan and the ones on the right in a 9x13" baking pan. The ones on the left are about 1-inch thick.
Photo instructions
Combine melted butter, both sugars, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until combined about 1-2 minutes.
Place a mesh strainer on top of the bowl and sift in the flour, cocoa, and salt. Whisk just until combined.
Add about 1 cup of the chocolate to the batter and whisk just to combine.
Transfer the batter to a parchment paper-lined pan and spread until even. Top with the remaining chocolate.
Bake until a toothpick in the center comes out lightly dirty with a few moist crumbs attached for lightly underbaked brownies with a fudgy texture. The center should no longer jiggle and the they are just set to the touch.
They will continue baking in the hot pan, so be sure that you don't overbake them.
Toothpick test
The best method to tell when fudge brownies are done is with a toothpick test. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out slightly dirty with a few crumbs attached to it. See the picture below to see how my toothpick looks like when I remove the pan from the oven.
Maybe you don't get perfect results for the very first time. Don't worry too much and learn for the next time. When you write down how long you baked them exactly, you can adjust the baking time in both directions for the next time.
I baked mine for exactly 27 minutes in a 9x13" and 33 minutes in a 9x9" baking pan. But it's very important to find out the baking time for your oven.
Every oven works differently. Older ones maybe don't have the full power anymore. There are so many different reasons why baking time is never the same in different ovens.
Top tips
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper with an overhang around the sides to easily lift them out of the pan after baking.
- Use the spoon and level method for measuring the flour and cocoa.
- Mix the batter just until combined, using a whisk. This makes sure that you don't incorporate any air into the batter and they turn out fudgy.
- Don't overbake them. Remove them from the oven is there is no jiggle anymore in the center and are just set to touch. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out dirty.
- If you make this recipe for the first time, set the baking timer to 20 minutes for the very first time. Then check them every 1-2 minutes until they reach the desired consistency. Then jot down the exact time, that you know how long to bake them for the next time.
- Let them cool down in the pan for about 15-20 minutes. Then lift them with the parchment paper carefully out of the pan and let cool completely before you cut them.
Substitutions and Variations
Butter
You could substitute butter for oil 1:1 if you prefer. To me, fudgy brownies made with butter have a better taste and I prefer the texture of them as well. Every vegetable oil works. You could try to use olive oil, coconut oil, or canola.
Gluten-free
To make them gluten-free, just substitute all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour 1:1. I recommend Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour.
Espresso powder
Espresso powder deepens the chocolate flavor and is often used in chocolate cakes to make them richer. The chocolate flavor is very strong in this recipe but you can add 1 tsp (2g) espresso powder to the batter, when adding the dry ingredients, if you like.
Add-ins
I added about 1 cup of chopped chocolate bars to the batter. You could replace the chocolate for 1 cup of one of the following add-ins or add a combination of:
- peanut butter chips
- chopped nuts (peanuts, walnuts, pecans, etc.)
- chopped soft caramel candy
- toffee bits
- mini marshmallows
- raisins
Cooling and cutting
After removing the fudge brownies from the oven, let them cool in the pan for about 15-20 minutes until you can lift them with the parchment paper out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
When the brownies are too soft to lift them out of the pan, then you might have baked them too short, and they are underbaked. In this case, just let them in the pan until they can be lifted out of the pan easily.
When they are too underbaked, the middle pieces will be very, very soft. Still delicious, of course, but you might need a fork to eat them.
Before you cut the brownies, let them cool completely. This makes sure that you get the most accurate cutting results. Use a sharp long knife for cutting.
Storage
Store them in a container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
If you freeze them, let them cool completely and then cut. Put the single pieces in freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. For thawing, remove them from the bag and let sit at room temperature for about 1-2 hours or reheat in the microwave.
FAQs
Why are my brownies cakey?
There are multiple reasons why they can turn out cakey rather than fudgy. If you follow this recipe, you will be rewarded with gooey fudge brownies. My experience showed me, that there 5 points to follow for fudgy chocolate brownies:
- using a whisk rather than an electric mixer
- no usage of baking soda or baking powder
- using a high amount of butter
- adding brown sugar
- slightly underbake
Whisking instead of mixing with an electric mixer makes sure that there is no air in the batter and therefore the texture is dense. When not using baking soda or baking powder, the brownies don't get lifted and stay compact.
1 cup of butter (226g) brings in lots of moisture and great taste. Brown sugar is naturally moist and keeps the brownies moister compared to using just white sugar.
Brownies are not supposed to be baked as long as a chocolate cake. The longer they bake, the cakier (=dryer) they get.
Related Recipes
If you don't get enough brownie desserts, we have you covered. Maybe you would love to try our brownie cookies, cupcakes, or ice cream cake. Also in my cookbook is a whole chapter dedicated to them.
Recipe
Homemade Brownie Recipe from Scratch
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 cup Dutch-processed or natural unsweetened cocoa powder, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups high-quality chocolate bars, chopped (7.5 oz)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C (in the video stands 375°F but this is a typo, 350°F are correct). Line a 9x13–inch* (23 x 33–cm) baking pan with parchment paper with an overhang around the sides and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, white and brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla just until combined, about 1 minute. Then, sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt and stir just to combine, another minute. Add 1 cup of the chopped chocolate bars and whisk to combine.
- Transfer the brownie batter to the prepared baking pan and sprinkle the remaining chocolate bars evenly on top. Bake for 23-30 minutes, or until the brownies don’t jiggle anymore when the pan is moved and they are just set to touch. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out slightly dirty with a few crumbs attached to it. The time varies from oven to oven, so check the first time after 20 minutes and then frequently until they are done.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 15-20 minutes—the brownies will continue to bake in the pan. Then, carefully lift them out of the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before cutting. Cut into 15 bars and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Video
Notes
Tips
- Use the spoon and level method for measuring the flour and cocoa.
- Whisk the batter just until combined.
- Don't overbake them. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out lightly dirty. They continue to bake in the hot pan after removing them from the oven.
Butter You could substitute oil for butter 1:1 if you prefer. Every vegetable oil works. You could try to use olive oil, coconut oil, or canola.
Gluten-free To make them gluten-free, substitute gluten-free flour for all-purpose flour 1:1. Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour works with this recipe.
Espresso powder You can add 1 tsp (2g) espresso powder to the batter when adding the dry ingredients if you like.
Add-ins You could replace the chocolate for 1 cup of one of the following add-ins or add a combination of:
- peanut butter chips
- chopped nuts (peanuts, walnuts, pecans, etc.)
- chopped soft caramel candy
- toffee bits
- mini marshmallows
- raisins
More questions? Make this recipe perfect every time. So be sure to check the full post above. I included easy step-by-step photo instructions, plenty of useful tips, and options.
Nutrition
What do you think about using coconut oil instead of vegetable or olive oil?
As you would need to add 1 cup of coconut oil, keep in mind that they would taste very strong like coconut but it works. Hope that helps.
Would they turn out OK if I use eggbeaters instead of the eggs?
I've never tried to use eggbeaters for this recipe but I'm pretty sure that they would end up drier and not fudgy because of the missing egg yolks. I recommend sticking to eggs. Hope that helps!
Love!
I couldn’t remember my normal brownie recipe for the life of me! After some time searching, I decided to try this recipe.. and it did not disappoint! I have now found my new brownie recipe!
Thanks so much!