My homemade brownies from scratch are fudgy, decadent, so chocolatey and the batter can be made in just minutes! This has been a fan-favorite for over 8 years and will have you ditching the box-mixes for good. Recipe includes a how-to video and lots of tips for shiny, crackly brownie tops!
Brownies From Scratch
I first shared this homemade brownie recipe years ago and it’s remained one of my personal favorites ever since, a classic right up there with my chocolate chip cookies and easy apple pie. It’s served as the base of many of my other brownie recipes on my site (perhaps most deliciously, my cheesecake brownies) and is perfect for beginners 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 Should Try THIS Brownie Recipe:
- Intense chocolate flavor. Melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and added chocolate chips put these brownies over the top. Add a pinch of instant coffee or espresso powder to the batter for an even more decadent chocolate experience.
- Shiny, crackly tops. While it may seem like just aesthetics, shiny and crackly tops are something that I personally love about brownies and that I wanted my own version to have. I spent years cracking the code on this and am very happy to share what I’ve found with you (it’s all about mixing the eggs and sugar… more on this below!).
- Easy, for when you need a chocolate fix in a hurry! My homemade brownies come together in just 10 minutes. Minimal mess & no mixer needed.
- Perfected recipe (true brownie texture!). This recipe was carefully (and repeatedly) tested to yield brownies that are dense, fudgy, and super chocolatey with the aforementioned shiny, crackly tops. I must’ve baked 100 different batches before landing on this version.
Ingredients for Homemade Brownies
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 brownie recipe. 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! The egg whites play a critical role in giving you brownies with a shiny, crackly top. When coupled with the sugar and whipped, you’ll be able to achieve exactly that boxed-brownie look. An extra yolk enriches the batter and makes the brownies even more tender and fudgy.
- Chocolate. For intensely chocolatey homemade brownies we build the batter 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). Chocolate chips work in a pinch, but baking bars are best. Use semisweet baking bars, or, if you like a darker chocolate, use 60% cacao instead! Then, at the end, I do recommend mixing in some chocolate chips for an extra punch of chocolate.
- Instant coffee. If you’re someone who prefers dark chocolate, you’ll want to add this. It adds depth and enhances the chocolate flavor, particularly the more bitter flavors that you’ll find in dark chocolate. You can make things even more intense by swapping this with espresso powder, or if you’re not a fan feel free to omit it.
Sam’s Tip: These brownies were specifically and carefully designed to be dense and fudgy, and not cakey. However, if you like a lighter brownie you can stir in a quarter teaspoon of baking powder with the flour.
How to Make Brownies from Scratch
Whisk the eggs and sugar
I’ll usually melt my chocolate and butter together first (do this in intervals, stirring in between, just like when melting chocolate in the microwave). Then set this aside and combine your eggs and sugar and stir vigorously. Whisking together the eggs and sugar almost as if you were making meringue is critical to creating those shiny, crackly tops that you’ll see at the end!
The vigorous whisking can be an arm workout, but can absolutely be done by hand (usually takes me 60 seconds or so). You could alternatively use an electric mixer for this step!
Once the eggs are well-mixed, stir in your vanilla extract and salt.
Add the melted chocolate
Stir the melted chocolate into the batter. Everything should be thoroughly combined, but you don’t have to worry about whisking aggressively or vigorously, like you did with the eggs and sugar.
Finish the brownie batter & bake
Add the flour, followed by the chocolate chips. Once again, the batter just needs to be uniformly combined, no need to go crazy with mixing here! Once everything is combined, scrape your brownie batter into a 9×9″ baking pan, smooth it into an even layer (add a few more chocolate chips on top if you’d like, for good measure!) and bake!
SAM’S TIP: I recommend baking your brownies in a metal pan, as glass pans can take longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
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 years of making homemade brownies from scratch, I can tell you with confidence the secret is following a good recipe. Use one that recommends vigorously whisking the eggs and sugar, enriches the batter with melted chocolate, and for good measure adds a pinch of instant coffee or espresso. Obviously I’m biased, but my recipe really does crack the code for perfect brownies, and I’m excited for you to try it.
Unfortunately, a straight substitution of the chocolate called for with white chocolate yields results that are too sweet and a bit oily. However, I do have a white chocolate brownie recipe that I recommend you try instead, or for a chocolate-less version try my blondies!
More Chocolate Desserts
This is truly the easiest, ultimate, best homemade 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
Fudgy Homemade Brownies from Scratch
Ingredients
- 12 Tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces
- 4 oz (113 g) semisweet chocolate bar chopped into small pieces
- ½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee grounds optional
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated 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 (127 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 9×9 baking pan¹ with parchment paper²
- Combine butter and chopped chocolate in a large, microwave-safe bowl.12 Tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter, 4 oz (113 g) semisweet chocolate bar
- Microwave in 25-second intervals, stirring well in between, until completely melted and smooth.
- Immediately add cocoa powder and instant coffee (if using), stir well.½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder (unsweetened), ½ teaspoon instant coffee grounds
- In a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl, combine sugars and eggs. Whisk vigorously, until well combined and lightened in color (at least 60 seconds of vigorous whisking, this ensures shiny, crackly tops! Feel free to use an electric mixer!).¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, 2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
- Stir in vanilla extract and salt.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt
- Drizzle chocolate mixture into egg mixture and stir until completely combined.
- Add flour, stir until completely combined.1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- Stir in chocolate chips.¾ cup (127 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Spread into prepared 9×9 pan.
- Bake in center rack of 350F (175C) oven 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 (they'll be messy and seem underdone otherwise).
Notes
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 this brownie recipe on 02/01/2017. I’ve made small changes to the recipe to make the tops crackly (changed the step for beating the eggs well instead of mixing the batter well as a whole), and I’ve updated some of the photos and added a video and tried to make the post itself more informative.
Leslie
Absolutely the best brownies I’ve ever had in my entire life! I don’t think I can ever go back to box mix after trying these. I see lots of brownies in my future!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for your review, Leslie! We are so happy you loved them!
Imre
These brownies taste absolutely amazing! Definitely the best recipe out there!!! I do have a question, no matter what I do… they never get that beautiful shiny top. I’ve read so much about brownies and still don’t know. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome!
Sam
Hi Imre! I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the brownies! Beat the eggs into the batter really, really, really well! This creates a shiny, crackly, meringue-like top 🙂
Mary
Hi Sam, these brownies are amazing! I need to make a few big batches so want to bake in a 13×18 pan. Do I double or triple this recipe? And how long should it bake? Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Mary! Doubling should work just fine. We’re not sure on bake time, so just keep an eye on them 😊
Melanie
I made these brownies today. I used a 13 x 9 pan, but the brownies are 1/2 cm thick. I think the pan is too big. Will try again with a smaller pan.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Melanie! This recipe is written to be made in a 9×9 pan, so that is why your brownies were so thin. Definitely try it in a smaller pan, and they’ll turn out as expected! Enjoy 🙂
Bree
I made this recipe with ghirardelli chocolate for my grampa who is a huge food snob and he loved it brownies are his favorite and I make this recipe all the time now
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for using our recipe, Bree! We’re so happy the brownies were such a hit with your grandpa 😊
Chelsie
Every one of your recipes have instantly become a favorite as well as a go to! Making these late tonight for Easter tomorrow! Adding some pastel sprinkles and powdered sugar on top! Love this recipe!
Jane
Best brownies! I am wanting to send some brownies in a care package and I’m wondering if you think these would ship well if placed between layers of parchment paper and wrapped? Thank you for all of your recipes. You are my go-to for every treat I make!
Sam
Hi Jane! These should hold up just fine to being shipped. 🙂
Cori
After many disappointments, my search for a homemade brownie recipe is over. I have tried so many different recipes, but none of the gave me that crackly top that I love. These turned out perfect. This recipe is literally the best.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for your sweet review, Cori! We’re SO happy you found our recipe ❤ Enjoy the brownies!
Yael
As always I’m a super fan of your recipes Sam. I didn’t have enough chocolate chips at the end so I added about half of crushed ginger bread biscuits instead. I only made half the original amount and waiting to see how they turn out. X
Zinat Roberts
Can these be frozen?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
That should be fine! Wrap the cooled, cut brownies in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe, air-tight container in the freezer. Enjoy! 🙂
Kelly
This has become my go to brownie recipe! I went on a quest last year to try a bunch of different brownie recioes. This is the one I come back to on a regular basis. It always turns out perfect and they taste amazing!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
That’s so nice to hear, Kelly! Thank you for trusting our recipe 🥰
Paula
I love this recipe and make it often. Thinking about trying something new with it and would love your opinion/thoughts….I just made some homemade caramel. Do you think these would come out well if I made the recipe, put a layer of caramel on top of the first brownie layer, then put the rest of the brownie batter on top and baked? Thank you.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Paula! That should work! You can use a knife to help swirl the caramel into the brownie batter. Let us know how it works for you! 😊
Mary
Hi Sam, Made your Best Brownie recipe today, and after 60 years of baking,,,, I forgot to add the flour!!!!! Hahaha. No loss tho, it made the most delicious topping for ice cream, so it wasn’t a totsl loss, still had compliments from a daughter -in-law. Thanks,, next time, I’ll concentrate!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Oh no! We’re glad you were able to still find a use for it 😂
Malinda
Can’t wait to try these brownies!! I’ve loved all your recipes so far ❤️
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We hope you love them, Malinda! Please let us know how they turn out for you 😊
andrew
I baked this in a pyrex brownie dish and it took an additional 6-8 minutes to fully cook through. Otherwise this is an awesome recipe!! I added in pecans as well.
Sam
Thank you for sharing, Andrew! Glass dishes do often take more time to bake. I’m so glad that everyone enjoyed, and I love the sound of the addition of pecans, yum!
Jordanandiansmom
I landed on these a couple of weeks ago after bouncing around from one brownie recipe to the next. This one is so easy to put together, the ingredients (unfortunately) are always something I have on hand. Making them tonight, I always take sweets to my friends, family, dentist (tomorrow!). It gives me an excuse to bake…and to have a hot brownie right out of the oven. Sending brownie love to you. You are my go to blog as of late (sorry Sally) so thanks for all the other great recipes on your site! Always easy…always good!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you’re loving our recipes, especially these brownies! Thanks so much for your five star rating and lovely review 😊
M smith
I’ve made this recipe many times now and it’s hands-down the best brownie recipe ever!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this! Thank you so much for letting me know how you enjoyed! 🙂
Rhonda
I baked these brownies for my son’s police shift and ask them to be the taste testers. I added 1/2 cup of roasted pecans. They gave them a 10/10! This recipe will be my go-to from now on.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy everyone loved them, Rhonda! Thanks so much for your review ❤️