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.
Laura Swamy
Can’t wait to try these! I only have dark brown sugar. Can I substitute that instead of using light brown sugar?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so excited for you to try this recipe too, Laura! Yes, you can substitute using dark brown sugar. The brownies will just have a deeper flavor, almost toffee-like. Enjoy! 🙂
Haswni
Hi dear, I tried it and the outcome was awesome. We just loved it. May I know how long I can keep this? And how to store it?
Sam
Hi Haswni! You can just store it at room temperature and wrap them so they don’t dry out. They should be good for about a week. 🙂
Paramesh
The brownie was fudgy and tasted good.
I just had one issue, the brownie did not come out of the parchment paper. I had to scrape the pieces and it was a bit messy. Did I do something wrong?
I assume granulated sugar means caster sugar,
Am I right?
Sam
Hi Paramesh! The sugar wouldn’t have been an issue here. It sounds like they may have just needed another minute or two in the oven. 🙂
Paramesh
I used a 13*9 inch pan and baked for 35 minutes instead of 18minutes as you mentioned in the recipe. I assume my brownie is more than well done. Could this be the reason it’s stuck to the parchment paper?
Sam
Hmm, it *could* be, but that is kind of strange, honestly, and I haven’t experienced this before. I’m wondering if it could be the brand of parchment, I just haven’t run into this issue before.
Stacey Estornel
Hi Paramesh!
Just wanted to chime in here that granulated sugar is the regular white sugar.
Caster sugar in the US is called powdered sugar. 🙂
I’m Greek American but have lived in the UK and have family there, and work in a British School in Spain, so have lots of experience with the different terminology.
Kind regards.
Sam, I’ve written before, your recipes are the best, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and deliciousness!!
Sam
Thank you Stacey! 🙂
Paramesh
Thank you Stacey for explaining.
Will attempt the brownie again, and shall make sure I don’t overbake it.
L Lynch
Best ever!
Supriya Naidu
These were divine and so appreciated by everyone who tried them. They’ve definitely replaced my go to brownie recipe! I love the tip for the crinkly tops as well as the melted chocolate in the batter which is so much better than just cocoa powder. Thank you so much!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them so much, Supriya! 🙂
Tiffany Wall
I don’t know how this recipe is anything other than 5 stars. Amazing, Sam! This brownie recipe is almost as good as your worst chocolate chip cookies recipe (my favorite). Thank you so much for sharing your hard work with me 😁
Sam
Thank you so much, Tiffany! I am so glad you enjoyed the brownies and the cookies so much! What’s next on your list to try?
Madhurima Basu
Hi , thanks a lot for this recipe. I baked them today and they are simply awesome. Not overtly sweet..just perfect..one of the best recipies I have tried.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Madhurima! 🙂
Madhurima basu
Wanted to spend you the pics.. its there a way
Sam
I have a facebook group you can join to send me pictures. That’s really the easiest way. 🙂
Tanya
Hey. Is it ok if we skip the egg yolk and just add 2 full eggs?
Also please share some healthy recipes too. I mean recipes without all-purpose flour 🙂
Sam
Hi Tanya! I don’t recommend using 2 eggs. You should use the egg and the egg yolk. Unfortunately, healthy recipes aren’t my area of expertise. I do have a few savory recipes that don’t use flour. 🙂
Tanya
Hahaha. No worries. I shall try one of your savoury recipes too then 😊
Safa Basheer
I had a favourite brownie recipe. But this one has replaced it now. Tried it and loved it! Thanks for the recipe.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Safa! 🙂
Nan
These really are the BEST brownies! super yummy and simple 🙂 Texture is AMAZING
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Grace
No kidding when she says that thees are the best brownies ever! Thees are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO… good! From now on this will be my go to brownie recipe! These are good beyond words! Thanks for sharing!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Grace! 🙂
Anjie
Followed recipe exactly and really is the best brownie recipe! Yum!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much! 🙂
nourhan
Do i let the butter and chocolate cool completely after I stick it in microwave? Thanks 🙂
Sam
There is no need to do that here, just melt the butter and chocolate together and keep on going. 🙂
Aiden
I only have dutch process cocoa will that be okay
Sam
Hi Aiden! I think it will still work here. 🙂
Anna
I just made these last night, they were perfectly fudgy AND cakey, and are packed with chocolate flavor!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them so much, Anna! 🙂