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: 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.
Keywords: Seriously Fudgy Homemade Brownies
Absolutely the best brownies I have ever made! Your flourless chocolate cake recipe calls for 2 teaspoons espresso powder which I also added here – fabulous!!
These brownies are fabulous! I’m a cottage baker and always get compliments on these at markets I attend as a vendor. I made a batch yesterday using the King Arthur GF 1:1 measure flour and made a lot of people happy that I offered a GF option. I think next time I make these I’m going to add some of the Heath toffee bits into the batter.
★★★★★
I swear by your recipes. The end result was delicious and fudgy, but quite thin. I definitely whisked in the sugar while the chocolate and butter were warm. The batter was very thick and I had a gut feeling it was not going to have cracks on the top and it did not. I typically would never frost a brownie, but without the cracks I couldn’t serve them as is. I will weigh the dry ingredients next time and use an 8″ X 8″ pan or double the recipe and use the 9″ X 13″ pan. I’m not giving up!
These brownies are very good! I added some espresso powder and an ounce or so of chambord liquor. Absolutely heavenly!
These brownies are the best!
★★★★★
Can I make a double batch in a bigger tray ?
Hi Helen, doubling the recipe isn’t a problem at all. Warning that the batter is quite thick, and may be even thicker after doubling due to the extra volume.
I am curious…looking at the upscale of ingredients from your 9×9 pan recipe to this one. All seem pretty normal until you get to the cocoa powder. The 9×9 only uses 2 TB coca powder, but this recipe calls for an entire cup! I tried this recipe last night ( I am an experienced baker) and it turned out quite dry?? I took them out early at 24 minutes, and there were still crumbs stuck to the toothpick in the center. The texture was just strange. Not sure what went wrong.
Hi Lillith, brownies can get their chocolate flavor from pure chocolate bars, cocoa powder, or a combination of both. The chewy fudgy frosted brownies uses both, but relies more heavily on the chocolate bars. This recipe also uses both, but relies more heavily on the cocoa powder for flavor. How did you measure your cocoa powder and flour? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure it isn’t over measured, which can significantly dry out brownies. Thank you for giving these a try!
As always with your recipes, these came out perfectly. Huge hit, so glad I took your note with the 1/2 cup brown sugar! In the future, I was thinking of adding raspberry jam to them. Any alterations to bake time or ingredient ratio you’d recommend? Thank you!
Hi Devon, we haven’t tried adding a raspberry swirl directly to the batter, but let us know if you do!
Easy and very tasty. Dough is very thick, so don’t use a whisk to stir, a spoon!
★★★★★
Hi Sally! I use this recipe quite often, it’s a favorite in our household! I do have a question though and I hope you see this! I’d like to make these for a friend of mine who loves chocolate and cherries. I think I could add some cherries into the batter and it would be quite lovely. Any ideas on how to go about that? Should I dice up some cherries, freeze them, and then bake them into the batter while frozen?
★★★★★
Hi Laura, sounds delicious! You could add up to 1 cup of fresh chopped/diced cherries (no need to freeze them first) or dried cherries to the batter. If using fresh, bake time may be just a minute or two longer. Enjoy!
Can k replace the chocolate bars with just chocolate chips ?
Hi Liana, we don’t recommend it. Chocolate chips contain stabilizers that prevent them from melting properly. Pure baking chocolate bars are best.
Delicious! Made some changes. Used 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, and 3/4 passion fruit homemade jam my mom sent from Puerto Rico!, 1 tsp orange extract, and 1 cup pecans. Yum you have to like tangy though! Passion fruit and or orange with chocolate taste great!
Hi Sally! Thanks for this recipe. I’ve made these brownies a few times already for my family and they absolutely love them! They asked for thicker slices so I’m thinking of trying a smaller pan. If I use an 8×12 pan, how long should I bake it for?
Hi Mary, We are so happy that your family enjoys these brownies! We are unsure of the exact bake time needed for a different size pan. Keep an eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness.
Just wanted to come back here and let you know that I made it using the 8 x 12 pan. Baked for 36 minutes at 350 F. Brownies came out perfect.
Great recipe. I adapted for gluten free using Arrowhead Mills Organic 1 to 1 all purpose flour. No other changes and it came out delicious! Undetectably gluten-free.
★★★★★
Just what I was hoping for! Info on using GF flour! Thanks!
Ended up with an oily mess. Too too much butter in the recipe or not enough flour.
It happened to me once despite successfully making this recipe multiple times before. It’s the splitting of chocolate because of too much heat. Redid and melted the chocolate more gently.
Do you recommend refrigeration after they are done baking and cooled ?
Hi Carolyn, Cover and store leftover brownies at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the refrigerator if you prefer.
Love the recipe but would love to make 1/2 as much in an 8” square pan. It’s just the 2 of us. Any suggestions to cut it half
Hi Peggy, you can try cutting the recipe in half to bake in an 8X8 pan. We’re unsure of the exact bake time but they will begin to pull away from the edges of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out with only a few moist crumbs when the brownies are done.
Another recipe from Sally to add to my favorites! I substitute the flour and sweetener and chocolate to use keto friendly. It’s now my favorite brownie recipe!
★★★★★
This was a great recipe! Flavor and taste, really good, texture could be improved, but it could have been a me thing ( my oven temps are a bit off). I did make some tweaks but overall I really enjoyed it, thank you!!