Better than box-mix by a thousand miles, these easy brownies from scratch are made in just one bowl! They’re outrageously fudgy, chocolatey, and absolutely irresistible. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Never Buy a Box-Mix Again
Toss the box-mixes (and their artificial flavors and whatnot) and scrap any other brownie recipe you may have saved, today I’m introducing you to your new favorite. This is an easy recipe for one bowl, ridiculously fudgy, chocolate-chip-stuffed, brownies from scratch.
I shared this recipe years ago and it’s one of my personal favorites on the blog, a classic right up there with my “worst” chocolate chip cookies. It’s been used over and over again here as base of many of my other recipes (most deliciously, my cheesecake brownies) and is perfect for beginner and advanced bakers alike.
At its core, this is really a no-frills, easy brownie recipe that really needs little introduction, but if you’re like me and love nerding out about nitty gritty recipe details, please read on (otherwise, hit that big “Jump to Recipe” button overhead!
Why You’ll Love This Brownie Recipe:
- Easy! Comes together in just one bowl in 10 minutes. Minimal mess & no mixer needed!
- Intense chocolate flavor. True chocolate lovers will enjoy the rich, fudgy decadence of these brownies coupled with the added chocolate chips!
- Shiny, crackly tops. While this may merely be an aesthetic issue, everyone loves those shiny meringue-like tops and this recipe delivers!
- True brownie texture. They’re moist, dense and chewy, no cakey brownies here!
Ingredients
We won’t go over every ingredient in detail (who has the time when there are brownies to be made!), but I think you should know what it is that truly makes these the best brownies from scratch. The ingredients are common enough, but there are a few extras mixed in, along with a bit of technique… (more on that later). Let’s dig in.
- Sugar. A blend of granulated and brown sugar is the way to go in almost every recipe, honestly, but especially here. The subtle molasses-ness of the brown sugar rounds out the flavor of the chocolate and adds extra chew to our brownies!
- Eggs… plus an extra yolk! While egg whites are important here and help account for the meringue-like crackly top (coupled with the above sugar), adding a whole extra egg, yolk and call, would make these brownies cakey. Adding an extra egg yolk enriches the brownies and makes them more tender and fudgy!
- Chocolate. When I make brownies from scratch I don’t mess around. For a truly intense chocolate flavor, we build the brownies on a base of melted chocolate and butter and then toss in some cocoa powder while the mixture is still warm (to help bloom it, as we do in my chocolate cake). This gives us the richest, chocolatiest (I’m being told this isn’t a word, but you know what I mean!) results possible. Oh, and then we toss in some chocolate chips at the end, too!
- Instant coffee. If you prefer chocolate that’s a bit on the darker side, this is a must-add. Just half a teaspoon of instant coffee granules enhances the chocolate flavor, particularly the more bitter flavors that you’ll find in dark chocolate.
Sam’s Tip: Chocolate chips work just fine here, but when I have baking bars on hand I much prefer to use them instead (for melting with the butter). Use semisweet baking bars, or, if you like a darker chocolate, use 60% cacao instead!
How to Make Brownies from Scratch
- Melt together butter and chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate bar). I recently shared in my post on how to melt chocolate in the microwave that it’s critical you heat the mixture slowly and in short increments, stirring well in-between. That applies here as well!
- Stir in the cocoa and instant coffee right away, while the mixture is still warm.
- Stir in the sugars and then the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time and stir vigorously after each addition. Is it a bit of an arm workout, sure, but it’s worth it for those crackly tops!
- Add the vanilla and salt and, finally, flour. Stir very well, then stir in some chocolate chips, spread into a 9″ pan and bake until a toothpick comes out fudgy.
Just one bowl and 10 minutes and you’ll truly have the best brownies from scratch… or really just the best brownies, period.
Tips for Perfect Brownies
- Melt the butter and chocolate slowly. I touched on this above, but it’s worth reiterating. Heat the butter and chocolate in 15-20ish second increments and stir well in between. If your mixture becomes gritty or grainy, it’s been heated too quickly or for too long and will need to be tossed.
- Stir the eggs very well. This step helps to encourage those delicate meringue-like crackly tops. With many of my recipes (like my muffins) I encourage mixing gently and slowly, but there’s no need to worry about over-mixing here.
- Chill the dough… or don’t. This one’s optional, but it’s a step I used to use consistently when making brownies from scratch. Chilling the dough in the refrigerator for as little as 30 minutes or for as long as overnight can give you a fudgier brownie with a cracklier surface. This is a tip I learned long ago from Bon Appetit. I wanted to include this because I used to always chill my brownies before baking, but recently I’ve been skipping this step to save time, and honestly no one has noticed a difference.
- Don’t over-bake. This will yield dry, tough brownies. Always better to slightly under-bake rather than over-bake. Your toothpick should yield fudgy crumbs (not wet batter, and make sure you didn’t accidentally spear a chocolate chip with your toothpick!). A completely clean toothpick indicates brownies that may be over-done.
FAQ
An extra egg yolk, a bit of brown sugar, real melted chocolate, a bit less flour than you might expect, and no baking powder or baking soda all contribute to the rich fudginess of these brownies. If your brownies turn out cakey after following my recipe, it may be that your flour was accidentally over-measured.
After lots and lots of testing, I can definitively say that butter yields the best flavor, the best crackly tops, and the best texture. While there’s a case to be made for substituting a small bit of the butter with some oil and most box-mixes do best with oil, I recommend using all butter when making brownies from scratch (and even recommend this in my homemade brownie mix).
Unfortunately, a straight substitution of the chocolate called for with white chocolate yields results that are too sweet and a bit oily. This is due to the ingredients that make up white chocolate. However, I do have a white chocolate brownie recipe that I recommend you try instead, or for a chocolate-less version try my blondies!
This is truly the easiest, ultimate, best brownie recipe. And I really think you are going to love it.
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Brownies from Scratch
Ingredients
- 12 Tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces
- ½ cup (100 g) semisweet chocolate chips or you may use a 4 oz semisweet baking bar, chopped
- ½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee grounds optional
- ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
- ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (150 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9×9 baking pan¹ with parchment paper²
- Combine butter and ½ cup (100g) semisweet chocolate chips in a large, microwave-safe bowl.12 Tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (100 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well, microwave for another 15 seconds and then stir well again. Repeat for 15 seconds until chocolate and butter are completely melted and well-combined.
- Add cocoa powder and instant coffee (if using), stir well.½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder (unsweetened), ½ teaspoon instant coffee grounds
- Add sugars, stir until completely combined.¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
- Add eggs, one at a time. After each addition, stir well, and then stir another 30 seconds (the better you stir your batter, the cracklier your brownie tops will be).2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
- Stir in vanilla extract and salt.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add flour, stir until completely combined. You cannot overmix this batter, make sure it is mixed very well.1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- Stir in chocolate chips.¾ cup (150 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Spread into prepared 9×9 pan.
- Optional: for crackle-topped brownies: Place pan with batter in refrigerator for 15-30 minutes to chill (you can skip this step if you don't have the patience to wait!).
- Remove from refrigerator and bake on 350F (177C) for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out slightly fudgy, but not wet with batter.
- Allow to cool before cutting and serving.
Notes
¹Using different pans
This recipe can also be made in a 13×9 pan, it will need to bake for about 16-18 minutes in a 13×9. I used a metal baking pan for this recipe, if you opt to use a glass dish keep in mind that the brownies may need to bake for longer.²Greasing the pan
Alternatively you may lightly grease the pan with butter — the parchment paper is a little wiggly when you’re trying to spread your batter into it, but I prefer it for ease of cleanup.Adding nuts
You may add chopped nuts to this recipe if you would like. Stir up to ¾ cup of nuts in at the end with the chocolate chips (you may leave out the chocolate chips if you prefer). Pecans and/or walnuts make great additions!Storing
Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
I originally shared these brownies from scratch on 02/01/2017. Recipe remains the same, but I’ve updated some of the photos and added a video and tried to make the post itself more informative.
Aiden
I forgot to put my brownies in the fridge and 5 min through baking I remembered and put them in the fridge do you think the end result will be okay even though I pulled em out in the middle of baking?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Aiden! I think that you SHOULD be ok. Keep me posted on how they turn out. 🙂
Aiden
Can I use Nescafe instant coffee
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Aiden! Yes, that will be fine. I hope that you enjoy your brownies. 🙂
Sasha
Hi can you make this without the brown sugar?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Sasha! You can use granulated sugar in place of the brown sugar, it will just alter the taste slightly. I hope that you enjoy them. 🙂
Greg
Sam:
I have just printed a bunch of your recipes. We are retired and sheltering-in-place; one in the same thing really, so am going back to my baking roots.
Going to make Brownies tomorrow. Your recipe and details (very important) are so enticing.
It is so refreshing to look at the posting dates and find they are only days old. Makes it all the more real.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
Oh, just bought a silicone donut mold. I’ll search and see if you have any recipes.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for trying my recipes, Greg! I am happy that you have enjoyed them and my blog overall. I hope that your brownies turn out amazing today and you put your new donut mold to good use soon. Here are a few donut options to try: chocolate donuts, sour cream donuts, peanut butter donuts, or pumpkin donuts. 🙂
Greg
Hey Sam:
I made the brownies! Excellent! The brownie I have been searching for forever; fudgey/not cakey. I used chopped pecans and milk chocolate chips.
As always when I bake I measured by grams all the ingredients, prepped them, lined them up, then went to work. I did use an electric hand mixer not my trusty KitchenAid that I bought in 1977. Not sure if using mixer made a difference in final product (what do you think).
Lined a 13 by 9 metal pan w/ parchment cooled in fridge for 30 minutes and ended baking for 20-25 minutes. Being thin it was hard to determine doneness.
Cooled on rack for an hour then sliced 6×7 cm about 1/2 inch thick.
Last item in the cookie jar were homemade shortbread cookies and needed a chocolate fix.
I am making a German Chocolare Cake this week for my husband’s 69th birthday.
Sam
I’m glad they were so good, Greg! I’m not sure that a mixer would make any difference here. I ALWAYS need a chocolate fix! 🙂
Lou
Hi,
I’ve tried this and your blondie brownie recipes. I found the blondies rose nicely but this brownie (choc) didn’t. I have figured it was because I didn’t add baking powder. On comparing the 2 recipes this one uses 160g less flour as well.
Could this be the reason?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Lou! The brownies are fudgier than the blondies. The blondies also contain baking powder where the brownies do not. This helps them to rise. As for the flour, the brownies do not require as much because of the fudgy consistency. I hope that you enjoyed them regardless. 🙂
Abi
Hi, I made these exactly as directed, baked for 30 minutes, and they’re crumbly and dry. Any idea why?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so sorry that you are experiencing an issue, Abi. It sounds like too much flour was added. Over measuring your flour is the biggest mistake in baking so I have created a guide on how to measure flour properly that can be used as a reference for next time. Another possibility could be that your oven is running hotter than it lets on and they were over-baked.
Anita
Will it be overly sweet if I used milk chocolate instead? I’m just an avid fan of milk chocolate 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Anita! Everyone has their own level of sweetness. I would give it a try to see how it turns out. 🙂
Tmj
Used Cadbury’s milk chocolate because that was all I had with 20g less light brown sugar in a 9×13” pan
Took just over 20 mins for the crackly top with fudgy texture
Came out perfect! Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the brownies so much! 🙂
Kathy Bradley
Do you hand stir this whole recipe and do you mix the eggs before adding to the batter? I’m not an avid baker so please ex use my ignorance. Thanks!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Kathy! Using my whisk, I mix the eggs directly into the batter. This post has a video that walks you through my process if you’d like to follow along or use it as a reference. Enjoy! 🙂
Lindsey S.
Hi Sam! I am obsessed with making these brownies and have made a batch weekly for the past month! I can’t thank you enough for your amazing recipes – they’ve seriously inspired me and I love how detailed they are.
I decided to watch your instructional video today and noticed that your batter pours relatively easily into the pan. Mine is almost mousse-like in texture every time and I’m wondering if this is due to my enthusiastic whisking? I measure out all of the ingredients using a scale.
Thank you so much for the joy of baking!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you have enjoyed the recipe, Lindsey! The batter is pretty thick. Your eggs could be on the smaller side? Or.. possibly too much flour has been added? Overmixing the batter… Hard to pinpoint the cause. Try adding in 3 whole eggs next time and see if that makes a difference. Thanks again for commenting. Let me know they turn out next time. 🙂
Daddy Ron
Interesting…thinking of making these. You don’t use baking powder in this recipe?
Sam
Nope. I hope you love them. 🙂
Kaitlin
Hi Sam! I’ve been looking for the perfect brownie recipe for a LONG time. An avid baker, yet I couldn’t understand why all the tips for the crackly crust in other recipes hasn’t worked out. I was craving a brownie today so I specifically visited your site since your recipes have never steered me wrong (your best chili recipe, for instance, is a family favorite) – these brownies didn’t disappoint! They are beautiful!!! It was a gleeful moment opening the oven door & seeing the shiny, crackly crust. They are perfectly fudgy and absolutely delicious. Thank you!
Sam
Thank you so much, Kaitlin! I am so glad you enjoyed the brownies so much! 🙂
Dawn
I just made these brownies and have them in the oven. After going over the directions again, I just realized I added in the whole egg instead of the just the yolk. Will that be ok? 🙁
Sugar Spun Run
That will be fine, Dawn! I hope that you enjoy them. 🙂
Jennifer
Hi,
First off let me start by saying I love your site, your banana bread and double chocolate muffins are the only recipe I use now, my family loves them. I followed this brownie recipe even with refrigerating for 15 minutes before baking and I found that my batter was very gritty and it took about 45 0 50 minutes to bake. Not sure what I did wrong.
Thanks and Happy Easter
Jennifer
Sam
Hi Jennifer! I am glad you are enjoying the site overall. For the grittiness of the batter, I wouldn’t worry about that. The sugars haven’t been melted yet and the batter should be a little gritty. That should resolve itself in the oven. As far as the time goes, if you used a glass dish they could take a little bit longer, or if your oven is running a little bit cooler than it says it is it may take a little bit longer. I actually just made these today and needed a few extra minutes just because I had to use a glass dish. 🙂
Alex
I don’t always follow recipes exactly but I did here and it really paid off. They were perfect.
Sam
So happy to hear it was such a hit, Alex! Thank you for commenting!
Lucy
This is the only brownie recipe i will ever use again these come out perfect every time!!!! Thank you so much for such a grate recipe!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you have enjoyed this recipe, Lucy! Thank you for commenting. 🙂