Fudgy Brownies
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If you’re looking for the best homemade brownie recipe, look no further! These fudgy brownies are thick, rich, and perfectly chocolatey.
I am 100% a sucker for a brownie. You can often find in our kitchen brownies stuffed with Oreos, mint brownies, espresso brownies or caramel brownies. The only thing better than a warm brownie….is a warm brownie with ice cream on top. Best dessert ever!
Fudgy Brownies Recipe
There is absolutely nothing like a homemade brownie. I’ll honestly take a brownie any way I can get it. Box mix brownies are delicious (see below for our brownie mix hack!), but if you’ve never made homemade brownies, you’re missing out on the fudgiest brownies around. You’ll get major “brownie points” for serving up this delicious treat!
I like my brownies how I like any other dessert: thick, soft, and chewy. Those are the three deadly words that will get me up and baking any time or any day.
How thick should a brownie be?
Brownies are most oven baked in a 9×13″ pan. This will give you brownies about 1″ thick. If you’d like thicker brownies you can use a smaller pan, but the brownies may take longer to bake.
How do you make chocolate brownies from scratch?
These fudgy brownies are easy to make.
- In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Heat just until the mixture is hot, but don’t let it bubble. Watch for it to start looking shiny as you stir it.
- Using a hand mixer, mix the eggs until they are frothy and well blended. This is what helps get that tissue paper top that everyone loves on brownies.
- Mix in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla and mix until smooth.
- Add the sugar/butter mixture into the egg mixture and mix it well.
- Now it’s time to add in the flour and chocolate chips! We like to use mini chocolate chips and add them while the batter is warm. The chocolate will melt in a little which is what makes the brownies so fudgy.
- Mix again, just until well blended and the flour is mixed in.
- Put the batter in a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. If you test it with a toothpick, remember that there are chocolate chips in there. If it looks done around the edges and slightly puffed up in the middle, take it out.
Can you use butter for oil in brownies?
Many box mixes call for oil, but these homemade brownies call for butter. This adds to the fudginess and richness. Butter always makes baked goods taste better!
How can you tell if brownies are undercooked?
It can sometimes be hard to tell if brownies are undercooked. We actually like slightly undercooked brownies, but we don’t brownie soup.
The best test is to stick a toothpick in the center of the pan. It should come out mostly clean. If it comes out with any wet batter, the brownies most likely aren’t done.
Why do brownies get hard?
It’s best if you use a glass pan or light metal pan for baking brownies. Darker colored pans can cause the edges to become to hard. Be sure to test the brownies and not overbake them. This should prevent the edges from getting too hard.
How to Cut Brownies
It may sound strange, but we find that brownies cut cleanly when we use a plastic knife. They actually sell plastic knives that work perfectly for brownies. You can get one on Amazon here.
Frosted Brownies
For my birthday, I frosted these brownies with peanut butter frosting. They were soooooo good. That’s what I did to make the Reese’s Peanut Butter Brownies. You can also use chocolate buttercream or even vanilla frosting. After you frost them, sprinkle them with nuts, chocolate chips or sprinkles!
How long do brownies last?
Brownies are best when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They should be eaten within 1-2 days. If you’re needing a way to use them up, try our brownie truffles.
Can you freeze brownies?
Yes, you can freeze brownies. If the brownies are already cut, we recommend freezing them individually. Wrap each square in plastic wrap, then place the individually wrapped brownies in an airtight container or in a storage bag. Freeze for 2-3 months.
When you are ready to defrost the brownies, allow them to come to room temperature before unwrapping them. This will help prevent them from drying out.
Other Brownie Recipes
Servings 20
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 2 cups mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9×13 pan.
- In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Heat just until the mixture is hot, but don’t let it bubble. Watch for it to start looking shiny as you stir it.
- As the butter is heating, n a large bowl beat the 4 eggs until they are fluffy and well blended.
- Add in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, and vanilla and mix till smooth.
- Add the hot butter & sugar mixture to the egg & cocoa mixture, stirring until smooth.
- Add the flour and chocolate chips, again stirring until smooth.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the edges of the brownies look set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. It’s ok if a few crumbs stick to the toothpick…the middle should be very moist, but not unbaked!
Video
Notes
The calories shown are based on the brownies being cut into 20 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 brownie. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 145mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1.6mg
Recipe from King Arthur Flour
I made this for the boy scout troop. Amazing!!
I’ve tried a few homemade brownie recipes and this is by far the best! Highly recommend! Usually I find homemade brownies a little too gritty but melting the butter with the sugar really improves the taste.
is it a must to use chocolate chips?
These came out perfect! I nixed the chocolate chips, and melted a 60% cocoa bar, and a traditional chocolate bar in the butter/sugar mixture. They were used with some home made whipped cream, and also added them into home made Ice cream for a dreamy ice cream cone afternoon with the kids. Thanks!
What is supposed to happen with the sugar mix? Is it just supposed to look like saturated sugar? Mine did and I was confused what to do next.
Can I use 2 round 8 in pans instead?
Mine didnโt go so well this time. I think last time I may have beaten the eggs then added the cocoa etc. it was really thick. They are still good but did not get the crispy top, so I just dusted it with icing sugar. I also folded in a cup of dark choc melts/buttons at the end of the mixing. Two cups is too much ????
My son requestedbrownies so I searched for an easy to follow recipe with ingredients I had in the pantry. Itโs in the oven baking now. Smells divine. I used the microwave to do the butter/sugar part and just made it hot enough to almost entirely dissolve the sugar. I had to use a lasagne Pyrex dish to bake it, closest I could get to 9×13โ. That should keep him in chocolate heaven for a while and I can freeze some. Heโs 15. Itโs in the fan forced oven at about 160 deg. Cel. I liked the way you set out… Read more »
these taste so good cant wait to use these at my family gathering tomorrow
Hi! I made this today and they weren’t at all fudgy like yours! Mine turned out very dry.. But still held together. The flour looks wayyyy too much though. The brownie recipes I’ve tried before all calls for less than 1 cup but this recipe has extra 1 cup of cocoa powder.. Could it be the reason for the cakey-ness and floury/dry? Could I reduce the flour?
if you dont have unsalted butter can you use margrine ?
Thank you for an awesome very chewy brownies recipe they been a knock out punch in all my gatherings. โฅโฅโฅ
I found your cool blog from My Recipe Magic or Pinterest…I actually can’t remember at the moment, as I peruse both frequently for new recipes. First of all, let me just say that I am impressed that at your age you are cooking for your family and sharing awesome recipes. Secondly, these turned out awesome! The batter was much thicker than I expected, but in a good way. I cut the recipe in half, since it’s just me and my husband, but now I’m wishing I’d just made the full one. Haha. Also, these are great with half white chocolate… Read more »
Thanks so much!!
Okey dokes………..Maddie can seriously bring Grandma a brownie tomorrow!!! Oh, these make my mouth water!!