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.
Reese Antionette
Okay so I was up late last night by choice making these brownies. These came out AMAZING. There’s a brownie contest that is going on at my job and after some reseach, your recipe sounded the best. I’m going to make a 2nd batch today just to have at home(: I made a few changes just because its all I had in my kitchen.
Instead of unsalted butter I did salted.
I didnt use the coffe grounds.
I also ADDED chocolate frosting into the mix. It’s a way my brother has always did his brownies so I tried it with this recipe. It makes them even more gooey.
Only problem I had was baking it. I used a 13X9 pan and it took about 40 minutes before it was officially done. Not sure if it was beause of the slighty different ingredients or my oven, but the end result still came out GREAT. Maybe because I used an aluminum pan (those disposable ones)? I did the trick with putting it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes and then baked it. They came out fudgy in the middle, with the crispy tops. I love them. I will definitely be keeping this recipe handy. Way better than the boxed brownies!
Sam
I never thought to add chocolate frosting, now I’m intrigued!! I am glad they turned out well for you, Reese!! 🙂
Reese Antionette
Try it! It’s amazing 😊 Your brownie recipe got me 1st place btw. I will be making these again soon!
Sam
Really!! That is awesome!! Thank you for letting me know, Reese!! 🙂
Sam
Can I add nuts?
Sam
Yes, that wouldn’t be a problem 🙂
Cathy
I have made these brownies twice and they are the BEST! The recipe is easy, with ingredients already in the pantry and the brownie comes out perfect. Crunchy top and moist inside. My pan is 8X8 and I baked for 30 minutes. Very Best Brownie recipe ever. I have been baking for over 50 years and can’t say enough good about this recipe. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Thanks!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them so much, Cathy! Thank you for your kind comment!! 🙂
Amber
My husband is a HUGE fan of brownies while I am more a blondie (literally). I’ve made several brownie recipes for him over the years but this one is by far, THE BEST! This is such an easy recipe & though I didn’t have a 9×9 pan (I am buying one just for this recipe!) I poured most of the batter into a parchment lined 8×8 glass dish & baked for 33 minutes (28, checked, added 5 more minutes). AMAZING outcome here! If you are reading this & wondering if this recipe is any good, as a non-brownie lover, I absolutely give this recipe 5 stars. I didn’t substitute any of the ingredients & followed the directions aside from the pan only because I didn’t have what was called for & my husband is not a fan of thin brownies. Adding a little over 3/4 batter to an 8×8 pan is perfect, just like this recipe. I indulged on a bit & will be glad to save the recipe & make many more batches in the future. Thank you for sharing your truly delicious, non gritty/grainy, rich but not overly rich brownie recipe with the world. We appreciate your generosity! <3
Sam
Woohoo I am so happy to hear it was such a hit!! 🙂
Teresa White
I made these brownies today just as directed and placed in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before baking. They were DELICIOUS!!! I don’t think I will ever make box brownies again! Thanks Sam for sharing. 🙂
Sam
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed them!! 🙂
Brianna
Hi! These felt very thick and hard to spread my first try. Maybe I overdid it on the sugar? I thought I followed the recipe exactly. Any thoughts?
Thanks!!
Sam
The batter is pretty thick so that shouldn’t be too concerning. How did they bake up for you?
Geeta
Hi Sam,
Today was my 2nd try. First one was quite good, so I thought today would be better.. But this time it was more fudgy in the center and I couldnt really cut it into pieces too. It tastes great but I dont know why it was more sticky this time.. any hints??
The top looked really beautiful. Cracked up nicely. But definitely stickier.
Thanks for all the pointers.
Sam
My best guess would be to check all of your ingredient measurements again as well as the temperature of your oven. I’m sorry they didn’t turn out the second time. 😟
Nicholas
Let me start by saying, I dislike most chocolate. That said, after trying one, these Brownies are wayyy better than Mom’s when I was a youngling. Shhh🤫 I used a 13×9 pan, greased and floured. Chilled for about 30 minutes and topped with some additional mini chocolate chips. It did take a little over 20 minutes to cook but I blame my oven for that.. This recipe is definitely a keeper and super easy! Thank you for another great desert! 😁
Susan Young
Made these today without refrigerating. Fantastic, chewy, add definetly cures a chocolate craving. Thanks Sam!
Sam
I am so glad to hear you enjoyed them, Susan!! 🙂
Robert
I made this recipe just last week (May 6) and my wife loved them so much that she changed her preferred MD’s dessert from her awesome homemade lemon bars to your BFS. In half the pan we mixed in some chopped nuts (walnuts??) and it was wonderful – nice little crunch with a subtle nuttiness. nom nom! Thanks again for the recipe. I’m printing it at my wife’s request, which means it’s going in her ‘special’ cookbook where she puts her favorite and most used recipes. Well done! Oh, and we refrigerated the batter for at least an hour before baking, maybe even 2 hrs. (side note: for our Choc chip cookies we let our dough chill overnight)
Cardy
Hi Sam, I’m going to give your recipe a try for a picnic this weekend. Have you made this version with nuts at all? I”ll probably add crushed walnuts to one batch, just curious if you have any tips there.
Sam
I haven’t added nuts but I really don’t think it would be a problem at all 🙂
I’d probably start with 2/3 cup, and then just use your best judgement to decide how much you want to add. I hope that helps!
Cardy
Thanks! 🙂
Robert
We’ve done it recently – added nuts to half a pan (7×11 I think), and it turned out great.
Rachel
I made these and followed the directions to a T. 9×13 pan and half an hour later, still EXTREMELY squishy in the middle. Not just like a fudgey brownie, but like a brownie that needs a fork.
Sam
Weird! Is your oven temp accurate?
Bethany
I think I know what went wrong, how long did you refrigerate the batter? I made this recipe twice following the directions exactly except the first time I kept the batter in the fridge overnight. I was hoping for that thin, crinkled tips Sam mentioned! This particular recipe might not be right for that, the taste was really good but too fudgy in the middle. The second time I put the batter in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Came out perfect! This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Bethany
*top. I hate the iPhone sometimes lol
Kel
Hands down, the best brownie recipe! I avoided the coffee grounds,
and threw in 3 eggs instead of separating them. Baked in a parchment-lined 1/4 sheet pan, I didn’t adjust the time or temp and they turned out great! Thanks for a yummy recipe!
Kel
P. S. Now baking a batch for my coworkers! 😉
Eeman
Ooh, they look delicious! I’m thirteen and have only baked twice (cookies both times) so I’m pretty excited to try these out. Can I use vanilla be used instead of the vanilla extract?
Sam
Hi Eeman! I really hope you love them! Are you asking if you can use vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract? Just want to make sure I answer your question correctly 🙂
CJ
I just tried making these and they just came out of the oven. I’m not sure how good they will be because the batter was kind of bitter and I maybe under mixed it but it was an easy recipe to follow.
Anne F.
I made these awhile back. Want to make again. They seemed to dry out quickly. How do I prevent this?
Sam
How did you store them? Usually mine don’t dry out if I keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.