Does the world really need another brownie recipe? Yes, because these are the richest, most decadent homemade brownies you’ll ever try. The best part is that you don’t need a mixer and they’re made in only 1 bowl!
We’re doing it. A big 9×13-inch pan of homemade brownies is on the table tonight.
If you google “homemade brownies” there are 1000s of search results. (I don’t recommend doing this if you’re hungry.) I threw my homemade frosted brownies recipe into the running back in 2014. They’re chewy, dense, and easy. But lately I’ve been craving something new; a different brownie option to toss into the mix. Because that’s the best part about baking: you can constantly experiment like a mad butter-loving scientist. And, if you think about it, we can never have enough recipes combining butter, sugar, and chocolate.
Let’s Bake 1 Bowl Homemade Brownies
These brownies are lot like my 9-inch square pan of chewy fudgy frosted brownies, but there’s a couple minor changes to yield a larger batch. We’re using all the same ingredients:
- Chocolate: Use real chocolate and cocoa powder. You can make brownies with either or both, and I prefer both. What’s interesting is that cocoa powder has more pure chocolate flavor because it is not diluted with milk and sugar—so the resulting brownies are always fabulously rich. Though natural cocoa powder can be used, I suggest a dutch process cocoa powder for a deeper, smoother chocolate flavor. This brownie recipe does not* rely on chemical leaveners so either works. If a recipe does, that’s when it’s important to remember the difference between Dutch-process vs. natural cocoa powder.
- Butter: For flavor, of course!
- Sugar: There are 2 cups of sugar in this pan of brownies. It sounds like a lot, but recipes calling for mostly unsweetened cocoa powder do not contain the extra sugar from recipes calling for semi-sweet or milk chocolate. Also, sugar does much more than sweeten brownies. It liquifies as they bake, creating a softer center.
- Eggs: Eggs are one of the main ingredients in brownies. Just as they do in my beloved flourless chocolate cake recipe, eggs bind, add richness, tenderize, and provide structure here. This brownie recipe uses 3 eggs, which give the brownies a tight crumb and fudgy texture.
- Flour: The cocoa powder takes the place of some flour, so you’ll only need 1 cup in this brownie recipe. The more flour in brownies, the cakier they will taste. We want dense and fudgy brownies, so use as little flour as possible.
Why is there no baking powder or baking soda in these brownies? Adding baking powder or baking soda lifts brownies up and creates a cakier result. But today, we all want a brownie so dense and fudgy that it’s basically 1 step up from eating pure chocolate.
You’ll get a taste of how dense these brownies are when you’re mixing up the batter. It’s so thick and so fudgy. Seriously fudgy.
How to Tell When Brownies are Done Baking
This can be tricky, so here’s how to determine when these brownies are done. Turn the timer to 30 minutes as soon as the brownies go into the oven. Once you begin to smell that captivating scent of chocolate permeate through the kitchen, check the brownies. Even if this is at the 25 minute mark. Use a toothpick, stick it into the center, and pull it out. The brownies need more time if there is wet batter on the toothpick. If there are a few moist crumbs on the toothpick, the brownies are done. You don’t want a clean toothpick! (That’s an odd sentence, but you get me!)
How to Get Shiny Crackly Tops in Brownies
The secret is in the sugar! Melt the butter and 2 ounces of chocolate first, then quickly whisk in the sugar while it’s all still warm. Whisking the sugar into warm butter helps the sugar migrate to the top of the batter as the brownies bake thus creating that signature shiny and crackly top we all love!
Here’s the real question: are you a center person or an edge person? Save me the corners please. ♥
More Homemade Recipes
- Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Cupcakes & Chocolate Cake
- Vanilla Cupcakes
- Rice Krispie Treats
- Chocolate Lava Cakes
- Soft-Baked M&M Cookie Bars
Seriously Fudgy Homemade Brownies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 18 large brownies
- Category: Brownies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These are the richest, most decadent homemade brownies you’ll ever try. You only need a few basic ingredients, 1 bowl, and they’re done baking in 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter
- 4-ounce (113g) semi-sweet chocolate bar, coarsely chopped and divided*
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar*
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (82g) unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder*
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- optional: 1 and 1/4 cups (225g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13-inch pan or line with aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished brownies out (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and half (2 ounces/57g) of the chopped chocolate. Melt in 30-second increments, whisking after each, until completely smooth. Whisk in the sugar until completely combined, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla. The batter will be light brown and look a bit dull.
- Add the cocoa powder, flour, salt, remaining 2 ounces/57g chopped chocolate, and the chocolate chips. Fold it all together with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Batter will be very thick. Spread evenly into prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then test the brownies with a toothpick. Insert it into the center of the pan. If it comes out with wet batter, the brownies are not done. If there are only a few moist crumbs, the brownies are done. Keep checking every 2 minutes until you have moist crumbs. Brownies typically take 31–32 minutes in my oven.
- Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.
- Cover and store leftover brownies at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions:Â Brownies freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Baking Pan (Metal or Glass) | Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Cooling Rack
- Chocolate Bars: Chocolate bars are typically sold in 4 ounce bars. 2 ounces will be melted down and 2 ounces will be chopped up and folded into the batter with the chocolate chips. I suggest Ghirardelli, Baker’s brand, or Lindt.
- Sugar: Try the recipe with 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar and 1 and 1/2 cups (300g) of granulated sugar. Absolutely delicious! I wrote the recipe with 2 cups of granulated sugar to make it easier for most.
- Cocoa Powder: You can use either natural or dutch-process cocoa powder. I prefer dutch-process for a smoother flavor.
Disappointing Brownie Recipe. Going back to baking cookies. Will keep looking since I bake allot for the high school. Seniors and Junior’s commented poor texture, bland and clearly NOT of the same quality as other recipes you’ve submitted and we’ve prepared. Kids asked me to NEVER make it again. Used Ghirardelli’s unsweetened cocoa, semi sweet morsels and European Butter. Keeping trying.
Great brownie recipe! The only missing ingredient is chopped walnuts, which I added in with the optional semi-sweet chocolate chips.
This recipe is great, however, can a note be added to the ingredients that specifies that the chocolate is divided? I was cooking this with my kid and wasn’t paying that close of attention and ended up melting the whole 4 ounces of chocolate.
Thank you for that feedback! I’ll edit the wording now.
I’ve loved making these delicious brownies, they were a hit at my daughter’s school cake sale, I would like to know if I bake them in a foil tray would the cook time be less?
These are amazing, never buying a mix again!!
I’d like to make these with my grandson, can I substitute something else for the eggs? He’s allergic to eggs…
Hi Judy, so glad you love these brownies! We haven’t tested this recipe with an egg substitute, but several readers have reported great success with using flax egg, both homemade and store-bought. Hope the brownies turn out well for you! We also have an entire section of the website devoted to egg-free recipes, so you and your grandson have lots of choice for what to make next!
my mouth is watering, I will have to make these tonight
Best brownies ever!! I’ll never use a mix again, this is easy and so delicious! Thanks Sally, this is a keeper.
Will not buy a brownie mix ever again after making these! Hard to stop eating and got rave reviews from family.
This looks fabulous. If I make a 1/2 recipe will it bake properly in an 8 x 8 pan?
Hi Ann, absolutely. Bake time will be closer to these brownies. Enjoy!
I made these in just an hour… they were so good! me and my family loved them
These are amazing. amazing.
I’ve been trying this recipe and after 2 attempts I’m running into the same issue: my edges are burning but the middle is undercooked even after 45 mins of baking. What am I doing wrong?
I flipped the pan to trouble shoot and the middle of the pan is completely underdone; just batter basically. Why isn’t the middle of the pan getting cooked?
Hi Aditya, it’s normal for brownies to be more baked on the edges and softer in the centers. However, if the middles are still underdone, you can tent the pan with aluminum foil part way through bake time. This will prevent the edges from burning while allowing the middle of the pan to continue baking through. Hope this helps for the next batch!
The BEST brownie recipe I’ve ever made, hands down! I’m a chocolate lover and have tried numerous brownie recipes trying to find the perfect one. This recipe is easy to make and yields fudgey brownies with a crisp topping. Absolutely delicious! The whole family devoured the tray of brownies and told me “this recipe is a keeper!”. Thank you!
Love this. I put a twist on it and did dark chocolate instead and lots of dark chocolate chips and top off with sugar sprinkles.
This was so easy, next time I will try the dutch chocolate as suggested for smoother taste. I love the texture also but would like them to be a little sweeter.
Great recipe! My go to brownie and always has everyone asking how I make brownies so good. This recipe is the winner.
I am wondering if anyone has used it to make Brownie Doughnuts? If so, what bake time and temperature was used?
Have made these many times and always a hit.
I usually up them a bit with add-ins. My friend wants plain brownies, not even the CC.
My question is, to please everyone, can I split the batter and bake in a smaller pan? Like an 8×8?
That way, I’ll make a plain one and do some add-ins in the other.
As always thanks in advance.
Hi Sheila, that should work just fine!
Hello! I want to make a 9×13 pan of cheesecake brownies. Can I add a cheesecake layer to this, or will it not bake correctly? Your cheesecake brownie recipe seems very different.
Hi Kara, For plain cheesecake swirl you can use this recipe for Mint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies and leave the peppermint extract and food coloring out of the swirl. The brownies are still wonderfully fudgy, but that the batter in that recipe is a bit easier to swirl with the cheesecake. Hope you enjoy it!
These were incredible! I mistakenly omitted a half cup of sugar by using 1 cup of white and a half cup of brown sugar, which I realized after it was too late. I added 2 teaspoons of espresso powder and an extra handful of chocolate chips. The extra chips made up for the missed sugar. They were ridiculously good.
Actually, insanely easy. I was worried when I first started but if you have either another helping hand or measure everything beforehand, you’re golden! My brownies came out really sweet but I wish they weren’t as much. But overall really good!
Given the thickness these delicious brownies come out when using a 2x9x13 baking pan can I use a half sheet baking pan and double the recipe?
Hi CJ, you can try 1.5x or 2x the recipe (combining separate batches rather than doubling). We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but use a toothpick to test for doneness. So glad you enjoy these!
These became my go to brownies, they never fail! I have transitioned to veganism though, I tried replacing the eggs with just egg but they started bubbling, I think there was too much oil in the just egg. Wondering if anyone has any experience replacing with flax eggs?
Thank you!
I LOVEEE the texture and the shiny crust your recipe creates, but I would like to increase the chocolate intensity in this recipe. If I increase the level of cocoa powder or the melted chocolate , I am scared the crust and the texture might change. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can make the brownies more chocolate intense without compromising the crust and the texture?
Hi Pim, rather than increase the cocoa powder or melted chocolate, how about using a dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate bar instead? That will definitely give the bars a deeper, more chocolatey flavor. A bit of espresso powder would also be a great addition. Let us know what you try!
Just ditched the brownie recipe I had used since I started baking over 10 years ago. This one is insanely amazing. Definitely my new brownie recipe, there’s nothing I would ever change! Shiny tops, chewy, delicious, PERFECT. What an upgrade this is to my regular rotation! Thank you!!!
Hi! I absolutely loved this recipe, thank you so much. It came out really good with my added twist to it lol my family loved it, I had to double the each ingredient because I was making it for my family I wanted to make sure everyone had enough, it worked out great. Being I double each ingredient the baking time took a little longer, I also had to use a bigger pan so it was done about 45 minutes. Thanks for idea on the Brown Sugar, it added a wonderful taste to it. Thank you God Bless.
My two teenage sons said THIS is THE brownie recipe for our house! My question isn’t about a recipe, but printing them. I always unclick notes, images and description, but they always print. Am I the only person with this issue? Trying to save some ink and paper. Love all your recipes!
Hi Vicki! We are looking into this. The tech team is on it! Thank you for letting us know.
Just started making these recently as a friend requested brownies for a get together, since then I have had constant requests to make it as well for the recipe. I always share and say that your site is my go to for anything baking and it hasn’t failed me yet.
I do have a question, I plan on making this for someone that is gluten free, would all I need to do is switch out the flour for 1-1 gluten free flour? It seems like everything else would already be gluten free, maybe just need to check the chocolate chips. Thoughts?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Paul! A 1:1 gluten free flour substitute should work well here, but we haven’t tested it. We would double check the labels of your other ingredients to be sure.
I have used gluten free flour to make these and the result was the same as all purpose flour. No taste or texture difference.
Question: If one doesn’t have any chocolate bars on hand, can you melt down chocolate chips for the recipe instead? Thanks in advance!
Hi Eve, we highly recommend baking chocolate bars in this recipe, as chocolate chips contain stabilizers that prevent them from melting properly. High quality chocolate chips like Ghirardelli brand will often melt better than some other brands–so you can give it a try if you’re using hight quality baking chips. But for best results, we recommend grabbing a baking chocolate bar if you can!
This is a great brownie recipe. They’re really fudgy like the recipe states and we found them to be just as chewy and soft as brownies made from a box. Will hold onto this one.
UGH!!!! I baked these too long, and they are not chewy nor fudgy, even though I was checking them and took them out before 30 min. It may also be the oven I am using. I think I need to bake at 25 degrees less. So, I’m just saying “be careful on the the bake time!!” 🙂 I know this is my fault and not the recipe, since everything else I’ve made from Sally is delicious!
The batter was VERY thick, so that is true. I’m going to try again, and bake at 325 and watch it like a hawk! Take #2 on the way.
Hi Kelly, are you using a convection oven by chance? We always recommend conventional settings for baking (not convection/fan) if possible. The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection/fan settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake. Hope this helps for the next batch!
These came out so good. The recipe was so easy to follow.