This fudgy brownie recipe is the best I’ve made! These irresistibly rich chocolate brownies are quick, easy to make, and so much better than the boxed mixes! Our readers love this recipe. Just read the reviews!
For years, I searched for the perfect homemade brownie recipe. I wanted brownies with super fudgy and slightly gooey middles that taste intensely chocolaty with gorgeous crackly tops. Today, I can confidently say this is it! These irresistibly rich chocolate brownies are quick, easy, and truly the best I’ve made. And, our readers agree, with so many of them calling this “the best brownie recipe.”
I bet you already have everything you need in your kitchen to make them! I can’t wait for you to try these incredible homemade brownies! Prepare for fudgy middles, crinkly tops, and a rich chocolate brownie taste. If baking for one or two, try our brownie in a mug, or try these one-bowl brownies for slightly sweeter, chewier brownies.
Key Ingredients
- Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder makes these brownies easy, reliable, and ridiculously delicious. I’ve tried brownie recipes with melted chocolate and always come back to this recipe that skips the melted chocolate and uses cocoa powder instead. I love cocoa brownies so much! Use any variety of unsweetened cocoa in this recipe (really!). I’ve successfully used natural, Dutch-processed, and even raw cacao in this recipe. They all have a slightly different flavor profile. For a chocolate flavor similar to Oreo cookies, try Dutch cocoa. For the richest, most chocolatey brownies, use natural cocoa.
- Butter: We use 100% butter in the recipe. If you use salted butter, leave out the salt called for in our recipe below.
- Granulated Sugar: This helps with our shiny top and balances the bitterness of unsweetened cocoa powder. Brown sugar works in our recipe, but you might lose the crinkly top.
- Eggs: These add richness and provide structure to the brownies. I add them cold, so there is no need to take them out of the fridge in advance!
- Flour: These easy brownies need a small amount of all-purpose flour for structure. We want extra fudgy brownies, so keeping the flour to a minimum helps. For gluten-free, read through the comments (many readers have used a gluten-free flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill in this recipe).
How to Make the Best Brownies
We will make our brownie batter in a saucepan, which makes this recipe easier and will give you fewer dishes (a major win in my book!).
The secret to the best brownies is mixing HOT butter with sugar and cocoa powder. The hot butter brings out the rich chocolate flavor of the cocoa and heats the sugar, which leads to a beautiful, shiny top after baking. You will melt the butter in a saucepan and immediately stir in sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt. Then, after a minute or two of letting it cool, you can add the cold eggs and, finally, the flour.
The batter is thick, but that’s okay! I usually tell you to avoid over-mixing batters, but that’s not the case with these cocoa brownies. The same goes for blondies batter (you can see our blondies batter in our blondies recipe, which is similar to brownies but made with a vanilla batter).
I bake brownies in a 325°F oven until the edges look set and the middle slightly underdone. I like using a toothpick to tell when my brownies are ready to come out of the oven and look for a small amount of batter left on the toothpick. The brownies continue to firm up as they cool, so even though they may look underdone, they will be perfect when cooled to room temperature.
And there you have it, my absolute favorite homemade brownies. I hope you try them. Oh, and if you were wondering, you can add chocolate chips to the batter before baking! Go for it!
Perfect Fudgy Brownies
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Say hello to our favorite brownies recipe from scratch. You only need a saucepan and spoon to make these brownies. Mixing the sugar and cocoa powder into the hot melted butter helps get that shiny, crinkly top we all love. If you reach for darker chocolate over milk chocolate, these bittersweet brownies are for you. Use natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder. See the tips below the recipe for guidance on choosing the best cocoa powder for your brownies.
When measuring the flour and cocoa powder for these brownies, either weigh them or use the “spoon and level” method: Fluff the flour/cocoa, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level off the top with a flat edge. You can see me do this in our video!
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
10 tablespoons (145g) unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (75g) unsweetened cocoa powder, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large cold eggs
1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2/3 cup (80g) chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips, optional
Directions
1Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 325°F (162°C). Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on opposite sides to help remove the baked brownies from the pan.
2Add the butter to a medium saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and cook until the butter melts completely, then turn off the heat. Stay close, and do not let it brown.
3While the butter is hot, stir in the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Stir well until blended. Don’t worry if the batter looks gritty. Once you add the eggs, the brownie batter will become smooth.
4Set the saucepan aside to cool until the mixture is warm, not hot, 5 to 10 minutes. Test the temperature by touching the batter, it should be comfortable to hold without feeling hot.
5Add the cold eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each egg.
6When the batter looks thick and well blended, add the flour. Use a spoon to beat the flour into the batter until it is very thick and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. I use a wooden spoon or spatula and beat for 40 to 50 strokes (see video for reference).
7Stir in nuts or chocolate chips (optional).
8Spread the thick brownie batter evenly in the prepared pan. It can be hard to spread because it is so thick. Do your best to push the batter to the corners and even out the top.
9Bake the brownies until the edges look dry and the middle is slightly underbaked, 20 to 30 minutes. A toothpick plunged into the center should emerge somewhat moist with batter. As the brownies cool, they firm up but will always be moist and fudgy in the middle.
10Cool completely before removing the brownies from the pan (this step is essential and helps the brownies set). Cut into 16 squares. For clean edges, use a chef’s knife and wipe it clean after each slice. For guaranteed perfect edges, chill the brownies in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours before slicing.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing homemade brownies: Keep your baked brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Or store them in the fridge for 2 weeks. You can also freeze brownies for up to 3 months! I like wrapping them individually so I can take one or two out of the freezer.
- Baking pan: We use a metal 8-inch square pan. Ceramic and glass pans may affect bake time. Check on doneness 5 minutes early and every 5 minutes after that. Double the recipe for a 9-inch by 13-inch pan. The brownies will be slightly thicker
- Cocoa powder: Try Dutch-process for a mellow, Oreo-like flavor or natural cocoa powder (like Ghiradelli or Guittard) for a rich, dark chocolate taste.
- Measuring flour and cocoa powder: Either weigh them or use the “spoon and level” method: Fluff the flour/cocoa, spoon it into the measuring cup, then level off the top with a flat edge. See our video for a demonstration.
- Longer bake time: These take 20 to 25 minutes in our oven. Still, ovens vary, so use our tips in the recipe to tell when your brownies are done. Remember, brownies continue to cook and firm up as they cool, so don’t be afraid to take them out of the oven with the center still a little underdone.
- Double-boiler method: This brownies recipe originally used a double-boiler, but we’ve simplified the method to make it easier and quicker, using fewer dishes while maintaining the same results. If you prefer the original double-boiler method, place a heat-safe bowl with the butter, sugar, and cocoa powder over barely simmering water. Once melted, cool and continue as directed.
- Alice Medrich’s Cocoa Brownies inspired this brownie recipe. Medrich revolutionized brownie recipes years ago when she used cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate. This change allows for better control of ingredients, resulting in incredibly moist brownies with a perfectly fudgy center and a shiny, candy-like top.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
This recipe works exactly like it’s supposed to. I am a carnivore but Hubs is not, so they are his and they passed the test. This is definitely going to be a rinse and repeat.
These were quite literally the best brownies I’ve ever made in my life, and the fudgiest. I hate brownies that are dry and crispy on the edges, or ones that are chewy. I love a soft brownie that’s rich and soft and doesn’t dry up in the fridge and become hard when microwaved again later. These brownies were literally perfect and they were so moist it was the richest brownie I’ve ever tasted! Mouthwatering!
Could I use salted butter or would it ruin these brownies?
Definitely! You just need to omit the salt in the ingredient list.
This recipe is fantastic! Doubled the recipe and baked the brownies for 30 minutes (our oven needs longer bake times for most recipes). The result (according to my husband) was restaurant quality brownies. My husband and children absolutely love these brownies. Will definitely be making these again!
Hey quick question if I make the batter can I keep it chilled in my fridge if I would want to make it later?
Hi Ibrahim, we wouldn’t recommend doing this since the butter will solidify.
Best brownies ever seriously. So fudgy and depth of chocolate flavor was unbelievable.
So so so good! Everyone loved it. I will say, it did take 36 minutes to cook in my oven but it came out just perfect and exactly like your photos. Will be making again at the request off the fam lol. 10/10!!!
I never comment on Internet recipes, I have used, but I had to provide feedback on the Perfect Fudgy Brownie recipe. Oh my, this is the diggity dog bomb recipe! I was in search of the perfect brownie recipe to compliment my new four sided brownie bite baking pan and I found the perfect combination!! This recipe is easily made in one pan with ingredients found in my pantry. No extra trips to the store was needed to purchase unique ingredients. I tweeked the recipe and added 1/3 cup chopped walnuts AND 1/3 cup chopped semisweet chocolate chips. I love brownies with nuts and added the chocolate chips in response to some of the reviews. The nuts and chocolate chips worked wonderfully as the brownie bites are crispy and chewy on the edges and gooey on the interior. I love this recipe so much I’m considering framing it and hanging it in the kitchen as a piece of art. Thanks again for the perfect brownie recipe! Can’t thank you enough 🙂 P.S. I agree with a previous review, the dough was my first clue I was not going to be disappointed with this recipe. The dough is sooooooo yummy!!!
Wow! We are so happy you enjoyed the recipe so much. We’ve gotten a lot of happy comments over the years but no one has ever suggested framing the recipe. Amazing 🙂
These brownies are delicious! They are fudgy and very tasty. My husband said the best brownies he has ever had!
Can i use my mixer with this? And can i microwave the butter?
Hi Jen, You can use a mixer, although it isn’t necessary and yes, you can use the microwave for the butter.
Could I try to make these into brownie cookies?
Hi Diane, You can try. The batter is pretty thick, so you should be able to scoop it on to the baking sheet. I just do not know how much they will spread. Let us know if you try it!