There are two types of dessert people in the world – those who love brownies and those who don’t. Guess what type I am?!
To be honest, I’ve never been a fan of cakes but when it comes to brownies, chocolate chip cookies, cookie bars, cookies in general really… that’s my kind of dessert! Are you my people?? Then you’re in for a treat! Today, I’m sharing these rich, chewy, fudgy, chocolate brownies!
After a few failed attempts, I finally made the perfect homemade brownie recipe.
They taste SO GOOD!
You get that rich, chocolate flavor, the dense, moist texture, the crackly tops you get when you make boxed mix brownies, and crispy edges because who doesn’t LOVE crispy edges! This is truly the BEST brownie recipe ever. Maybe I’m biased. Ha!
I have a few tips to achieve these beautiful bars so let’s get right into it.
How To Get Crackly Tops On Brownies
I learned the hard way that in order to get the perfect brownies, you need to take some extra steps. In other words, this is not a one-bowl recipe. Sometimes perfection requires a little more time and love.
With that said, to get those infamous crackly tops on these brownies, you have to vigorously whisk the eggs and sugar together until smooth. See the photo for reference. Since this recipe does not have baking powder or baking soda, the eggs are what will help the brownies rise and get those coveted crackly tops.
When you beat the eggs and sugar for 5 minutes, you get a drippy light-colored batter. That’s what we want! I promise this step will be worth it. Check out the rest of the steps below.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Unsalted butter.
- Chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips).
- Granulated sugar.
- Eggs, room temperature.
- Vanilla extract.
- All-purpose flour.
- Dutch process cocoa powder. You can also use unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Salt.
- 8-inch square baking pan.
- Optional: nuts, walnuts, peanuts, or pecans as garnish.
How To Make Chewy Fudgy Brownies From Scratch
- Prep the baking dish. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper, making sure the parchment paper is hanging over the sides of the dish. This will help you easily remove the brownies after baking. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Melt the chocolate. In a bowl, melt butter and chocolate in 30-second increments in the microwave or stir both in a saucepan in a double broiler until they melt. Set aside to allow to cool.
- Get crackly tops. In a stand mixer or in a bowl, vigorously whisk eggs and sugar until the mixture is fluffy and light, about 5 minutes. This will help us get that crackly top! See the photo for reference. Combine the cooled melted chocolate and vanilla with the egg/sugar mixture. Mix until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt until well combined being careful not to over mix. Pour brownie batter into the prepared pan. If you over mix the dry ingredients, you risk it affecting texture so be mindful of that.
- Bake the brownies! Bake for 40 minutes or until the edges are baked through and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out semi-wet with very few crumbs. The brownies will continue to bake as they cool. If you continue baking them, you risk drying them out. Remove the brownies from the oven. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
Common Questions about Fudgy Brownies
Cakey brownies are light and airy, sort of fluffy like a cake while fudgy brownies are more dense, gooey, and rich. These brownies are fudgier because there’s more fat than flour in the recipe. A cakey brownie recipe would have more flour than fat and when you insert a toothpick after baking, it will come out clean.
Follow this recipe exactly as it states. Bake until the edges are baked through and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out semi-wet. The brownies will continue to bake as they cool. If you continue baking them, you risk drying them out.
I’d recommend slicing only what you are going to eat and then wrap the rest in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. You can also wrap the entire pan once cooled, before slicing, in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. These brownies will stay fresh for 3 days at room temperature, 1 week in the fridge, and 3 months in the freezer. To reheat them, just thaw them out when you’re ready to eat and heat them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Since oil is flavorless, butter is better because it gives these brownies a delicious flavor!
Under baking! When you bake these rich fudge brownies, you’ll notice the toothpick will not be completely clean and that’s ok. That’s how they stay so moist, chewy and delicious!
I promise these will be better than boxed brownie mix brownies!
You may also like:
- Chewy Fudgy Salted Caramel Brownies
- Vegan Cinnamon Mocha Cold Brew Brownies
- Bourbon Brownies with Brown Butter Frosting
The BEST Chewy Fudgy Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 4 ounces chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper, making sure the parchment paper is hanging over the sides of the dish. This will help you easily remove the brownies after baking. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a bowl, melt butter and chocolate in 30-second increments in the microwave or in a double broiler. Set aside to allow to cool.
- In a stand mixer or in a bowl, vigorously beat eggs and sugar until the mixture is fluffy and light, about 5 minutes. This will help us get that crackly top! Combine the cooled melted chocolate and vanilla with the egg/sugar mixture. Mix until smooth.
- Fold in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt until well combined being careful not to over mix. Pour brownie batter into the baking dish.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the edges are baked through and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out semi-wet. The brownies will continue to bake as they cool. If you continue baking them, you risk drying them out.
- Remove the brownies from oven. Allow to cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!
Linda says
Made this recipe about a month ago, and it was super delicious! Probably one of the best recipes I’ve used
Amelia says
Yummm… I made this recipe today. it was better than I expected. The recipe reminds me of box brownies but with a crackly crust and a richer flavor. I used guittard for the baking chocolate and added 1/4 tsp of instant expresso powder for a more intense chocolate flavor. I will definitely make this again.
Jamie Silva says
Thank you, Amelia! That’s a huge compliment! Mission accomplished :)
Nancy says
Yummy & delicious brownie.