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.
Stephanie
Hi. I’m going to try this recipe. Can an 8×8 pan be used instead of the two sizes listed?
Sam
Absolutely, just keep in mind that the brownies will probably need to cook a bit longer. I hope you love them, Stephanie! 🙂
Stephanie
I made these in my 8×8. I added chopped pecans and drizzled some chocolate glaze on top when they cooled. They’re delicious! Thank you for the excellent recipe and thank you for answering my question!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you, Stephanie! I am so glad that they turned out well and you enjoyed the brownies. 🙂
Kate
Hello.
Love the recipe but. It didn’t get a “crackle” top. Did I do something wrong ?
Thank you
Sam
Hmm, as long as they still taste good I would say you probably didn’t do anything wrong, but they usually do crackle for me. You could let the batter sit in the refrigerator a bit longer and see if that helps!
Kim
In the brownie recipe you video it looked as if you used 3 whole eggs? Also my batter did not pour out it was thick. I had to dump in and smooth out more like fudge. The are in fridge now. I will let you know how turned out.
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Kim! The brownie recipe calls for 2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk. The batter is very thick, so what you’re experiencing is normal. They should bake fine. Let me know how they turn out! Enjoy! 🙂
Megan
I am either going to be making these today or tomorrow, and was wondering would adding caramel chips work? I have some left over from when I added them to your coconut cookies and being that I just made those recently, I want to change things up and not do another cookie. And I do love caramel!
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Megan! They should work fine in your brownies. Let me know how it turns out! Enjoy! 🙂
Ellis D Padilla
I made twice the amount, had to use a combo of bittersweet chocolate & semisweet & regular coffee. The brownies were a hit st the office, not too sweet, crunchy & fudgy. Thanks
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that everyone enjoyed the brownies, Ellis! Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
Sheena
I’m wanting to make this in a sheet pan tonight as I need to make several. How should I adjust the cook time or any other adjustments?
Sheena
*I intend to double the recipe.
Nicole
Holy Yum! 8 months pregnant and craving brownies, these hit the spot! When I started to read your recipe I was ecstatic that 1) I had all the ingredients and 2) you included instant coffee (which I think should be in every chocolate recipe).
I only had a 13×9 metal dish and it did take about an additional 6 minutes from recommenced time.
How am I not going to eat all of these tonight!
Sam
Thank you so much, Nicole! I am so glad you enjoyed the brownies so much! I know how that craving feeling goes. Some times you just HAVE to have brownies!! 🙂
Sonda
What if I only have salted butter????
Sam
Hi Sonda! If you only have salted butter, you will want to increase the amount of salt you add to 3/4 teaspoon. Enjoy! 🙂
Sharon
Increase measured salt if using salted butter??
Sugar Spun Run
Hello Sharon, If you’re using salted butter, I would decrease or eliminate the additional salt from the recipe. I hope that you enjoy the brownies. 🙂
Thomas
This really is the best brownie recipe!! I’ve always relied on boxes because 9 times out of ten they are the better. But I WILL NEVER BUY A BOX AGAIN!!! Sometimes I add peanut butter chips in too …. shhhh …
Sam
Thank you so much, Thomas! I am so glad you enjoyed the brownies so much. There’s nothing wrong with a little peanut butter and chocolate combination. 🙂
Maggie
One word comment!
Perfect!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed the brownies, Maggie! Thank you so much for commenting!
sarinya
I just made these, and it turned out perfect!. Thank you so much! for all very helpful details. 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
You are so very welcome, Sarinya! I am so happy you enjoyed the brownies! 🙂
April
I don’t even know where to begin! I have up on making chocolate chip cookies and brownies because they never seemed to come out right. I have been a big fan of Allrecipes because the users feedback helped with the flaws in the recipes. But even then I have not been able to find good recipes for these 2 things. Until now. I am so glad I have found Sugar Run Spun. I have made the absolute best tasting /picture perfect cookies and brownies thanks to this site and no corrections were needed! The Worst Chocolate Chip Cookies and this brownie recipe are my ‘go-to’ recipes from now on! Thank you! It has never been ‘easier’. 🙂 I didn’t have a 9×9 so I had to use a metal 13×9 and it def took longer than 18 min but I just continued to bake in 3 min intervals until the toothpick came out crumbly – but it was worth the wait! (I know there’s a lot of variables with cook time). And I have read a trick to use a plastic knife for cutting and it keeps the brownies picture perfect. I have also tried the biscuits recipe from here and it is also my ‘go-to’ recipe! Great job!
Sugar Spun Run
April, thank you so much for your kind words! I am honored that you have chosen my cookie and brownie recipes as your “go-to’s.” I am so glad that you’ve had success with both. I try to make it easy, simple and delicious. Thank you for your support. Stay tuned… more recipes to come! 🙂
Rachel G
Can I eliminate the chocolate chips? I forgot them when I went to the grocery store!!
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Rachel! Yes you can! 🙂
Melissa Vargas
I like more cake like brownies…how should I change them?
Thank you.
Melis
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Melissa! Unfortunately, I don’t have recommendations to make them more cake-like, as these brownies come out more on the fudgy side.
Raz Sey
Using 3 eggs instead of 2 +yolks! More cake like!
Cassidy
Great recipe! Made these last night and they turned out perfect 😊
Sugar Spun Run
Hooray! I am so happy you loved the brownies, Cassidy! 🙂
Esther
Would making these brownies in a 9×13 pan, affect the amount for the ingredients?
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Esther! Yes, 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. Let me know how your brownies turn out! 🙂
Jerreka Hawkins
Hello Sam, I’m getting to make these brownies today. And I’ll give you a update on them later.😊
Sugar Spun Run
I can not wait to hear how they turn out!