These chewy fudgy homemade brownies are made completely from scratch. You will never make a box mix again!
Everyone has a favorite brownie recipe and this is one is mine. No mixer, no strange ingredients, no box mix, just pure brownie love. And bonus! They’re made in 1 bowl.
Brownies Should Be 2 Things: Chewy and Fudgy
Chewy brownies have a dense structure, but still have a little crumb. Fudgy brownies are dense with a moist intensely chocolatey interior– somewhere between a chocolate truffle and piece of fudge. I like my brownies so rich and dense that it tastes like frosting you can eat in bar form. How delicious does that sound?
How to Make 1 Bowl Homemade Brownies
Before making homemade brownies, it’s helpful to know the importance of each ingredient. I wasn’t able to develop this brownie recipe without a little practice and learning. There are 4 main ingredients in brownies– varying amounts of these ingredients will affect the texture of the finished product.
- Chocolate: Cocoa powder or solid chocolate are used in homemade brownies. If using all cocoa powder, you need more fat in the brownie batter because cocoa powder does not contain cocoa butter. My brownie recipe uses mostly solid chocolate with a little cocoa powder. Double the chocolate goodness! Semi-sweet chocolate is best, though milk chocolate would be great for a sweeter brownie. I don’t suggest using unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate unless you love deep, dark chocolate.
- Flour: Like I mention above, I prefer my brownies chewy and fudgy. The fudginess in this brownie recipe relates to the small amount of flour. More flour = a more cake-like brownie.
- Sugar: These homemade brownies use 3/4 cup of granulated sugar. I also add 1/4 cup of brown sugar, which enhances the moist texture. As long as you use 1 total cup of real sugar (no sugar substitutes!), then your brownies will turn out wonderfully. You can use 1 full cup of white granulated sugar instead. That version is just as fantastic and easier since you only need 1 type of sugar!
- Eggs: Eggs perform about 1 million functions in baking like binding, adding richness, tenderizing, providing structure and lift. My chewy fudgy brownies recipes uses 3 eggs, which give the brownies a tight crumb and melt-in-your-mouth texture.
If you’re an extreme chocolate lover (of course you are), add chocolate chips to the brownie batter and top the finished brownies with chocolate buttercream. Because… why not?
And if you want to take your homemade brownies a step further, try this brownie pie or caramel turtle brownie pie next!
More Homemade Recipes
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vanilla Cupcakes
- Strawberry Cake
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts
Chewy Fudgy Homemade Brownies
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 16-20 brownies
- Category: Brownies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Chewy fudgy homemade brownies made completely from scratch. Try them with chocolate frosting and sprinkles on top! You will never make a box mix again, trust me.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (115g) salted or unsalted butter*
- two 4-ounce (226g) semi-sweet chocolate bars, coarsely chopped*
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons (79g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
- 2 Tablespoons (10g) unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- optional: chocolate buttercream
Instructions
- Melt the butter and chopped chocolate in a medium saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Or melt in a large microwave safe bowl in 20 second increments, stirring after each. Remove from the heat, pour in a large mixing bowl, then allow to slightly cool for 10 minutes.
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line the bottom and sides of a 9×9 inch square baking pan* with aluminum foil or parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides. Set aside.
- Whisk the granulated and brown sugars into the cooled chocolate/butter mixture. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla. Gently whisk in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Once combined, fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour/spoon batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 35-36 minutes or until the brownies begin to pull away from the edges of the pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with only a few moist crumbs when the brownies are done. All ovens are different, so keep an eye on them after 30 minutes and use the toothpick test to see when yours are finished.
- Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Once cooled, lift the foil out of the pan using the overhang on the sides. Frost with chocolate buttercream, if desired. Cut into squares. For neat squares, I use a very sharp knife and wipe it clean with a paper towel after each cut.
- Unfrosted brownies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 week. Frosted brownies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: For longer storage, these brownies (both frosted and unfrosted) freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Butter: I love to use salted butter in these brownies! If using unsalted, no need to increase the salt in the recipe. The flavor difference between using salted vs unsalted butter in this recipe is very slight.
- Chocolate: Use real, quality chocolate. You can find the 4 ounce baking bars in the baking aisle. I like using Ghirardelli or Baker’s brand.
- Baking Pan: You can use an 11×7 inch baking pan instead. The bake time is about the same.
Keywords: homemade brownies, chewy brownies, fudgy brownies
Loved it! We only had 1.5 bars of Baker’s chocolate so used up some 86% cacao dark chocolate for the rest and they turned out perfect still. This is a great recipe. Will be making again.
★★★★★
Another keeper recipe. Fabulous and with Sally’s buttercream icing…heavenly
Weird question, but how would the recipe and baking times differ if I were to make the recipe in a 9 inch cake pan instead of a 9×9?
Hi Michelle Your brownies will be extra thick and may take longer to bake through the center, so just keep an eye on them!
Yep, these are the best brownies I’ve ever made! So easy and so delicious! Thanks, Sally
I’m planning to make this for a school birthday treat, but I think it would work better if I baked them in a muffin tin. Is there a separate brownie recipe for that that you recommend? If not, do you have an idea how long I should bake these for? Thank you!
Hi Cloey, we haven’t tested making these brownies in a muffin tin, so are unsure of the bake time, but we also have several recipes on the site for brownie cupcakes that you could try instead. Hope they turn out great for the birthday!
Can I make the dough the night before, and what do I do if I want to double the recipe
Hi Emilia, we don’t recommend making brownie batter ahead of time. You can double the recipe for a 9×13 pan, but we’re unsure of the bake time. We also have a 9×13 pan of brownies recipe. Just as fudgy, just as chewy!
I love this recipe sooo much!!! I have a question though, can i premake tghe batter ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until needed?
★★★★★
Hi Phoenix, I don’t recommend that. The butter will solidify and the brownie batter will become a brick! Best to bake right away.
There are asterisks after 2 ingredients: butter and chocolate. Where do you locate the * asterisk comments? Thank you so much.
Hi Lara, see recipe notes for details. Enjoy!
Made these in 2014 for the first time and am coming back to it 8 years later! Sally, can we leave out the chocolate chips? If so, do we need to make any other modifications to the recipe? Thank you 🙂
★★★★★
Hi Pooja, you can omit the chocolate chips if desired. No other changes needed. Enjoy!
I love the flavor and texture of this recipe. Can you answer the great pan debate question? Do you prefer pyrex or metal pans for baking brownies, and if you use Pyrex, do you reduce the oven temperature?
★★★★★
I have the same question. I’ve discovered my cakes and bakes seem so much better baked in oven-safe glass however I can’t afford replacing all my bakeware at this time. I wondered if it really matters or not. I’d prefer finding out it’s not such a big deal.
Hi Jennifer! Different pans work better for different things – glass pans bake baked goods more slowly, while metal can give a nice brown crust and conducts heat quickly – we use a mix of both in our baking! We usually use a metal pan for brownies. You can see all our recommended baking pans in this post if you’re interested.
If you want to add walnuts, should you change the recipe in any way? I saw the Walnut Brownie Chunk Cookies, but I don’t have the supplies or time to make that (even though I really want to!) Thanks! 🙂
Hi Amanda, sure can! Fold the walnuts into the batter before spreading into the baking pan. You can add anywhere from 1/2 cup to 1 cup, depending on how much you’d like.
Hi! How much cocoa powder should I use to replace 4oz of chocolate? Do you think the brownie will be okay with more powder and less melted chocolate?
Hi Samantha, pure baking chocolate is needed for this recipe, but if you’re looking for a brownie recipe that uses cocoa powder only, you can make the brownies from our brownie ice cream sandwiches instead.
I just went ahead and made the recipe as is. I think these are way too fudgy (not chewy at all) to be considered brownies… So dense, more like a flourless choclate cake—but I feel like even that has more crumb. I guess it wasn’t kidding when it said “like eating a square of dark chocolate fudge.” But the pictures looked good, so I tried it anyways. Sadly we didn’t enjoy these at all. In my opinion a brownie should have some crumb… and not just be as dense as fudge?? Not sure how this has so many high reviews unless people like brownies that have no crumb at all and are basically just fudge?? …do people even eat fudge???
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Good Morning, I am just about ready to mix up another batch of these brownies. They are our favorite. We absolutely love them! I added 2 Baker’s Baking Bars to my husband’s grocery list. He just came home. I dug the bars out of the bags, and noticed right away . . . They are 100% Cacao (unsweetened) chocolate. Will these brownies still be OK if I use the unsweetened chocolate? Thank you in advance.
★★★★★
Hi Terry! You can use unsweetened chocolate here– the brownies will still be plenty sweet. If anything, you can add another 1/4 cup of sugar (50g) if desired.
I followed this recipe exactly and love it! Chewy, fudgy, great edges! I used a 11 x 7 pan and baked for 30 minutes.
★★★★★
Loved it! Followed the recipe exactly. Chewy, fudgy, great edges too!
★★★★★
This recipe is fantastic and my go to for all my brownie bakes. Your chewy cookie recipe also never fails me.
Thank you for your recipes my kids love my baking haha
★★★★★
Hi Sally, I need to use a 13 x 9 sheet pan for the brownies. What accommodatrions do I need to do to make this work? Should I increase the ingredients in order to have some height in the brownies or just decrease baking time and lreave them as is? Please help as this is for a very special top on the finished product. and happening this weekend. Thank you so much.
We recommend our Seriously Fudgy Homemade Brownies for a 9×13 pan of from-scratch brownies – enjoy!
These brownies were perfect! I used a 9×13 pan because that’s all I had available and they still turned out perfect. Yummy and chocolatey, nice and chewy with a crisp crackly top. Very sweet, but it’s a brownie, so it’s to be expected. I think I might omit the chocolate chips next time. But so, so good.
★★★★★
These brownies are so chocolaty and delicious. I usually bake them with bittersweet chocolate in an 8” square pan. They are one of my family’s favorite recipes.
★★★★★
So you bake this in an 8-inch square pan with no problems? How much longer do you end up baking it?
The best brownies recipe on the internet.
★★★★★
Delicious recipe! Everyone loved it and it was gone in minutes!
★★★★★
Sally’s recipe never fails me! I tried this for the first time and also tried her brownie chocolate cookie and everything tasted great and as described! I will make use of this recipe whenever I wanted a brownie that is chewy and fudgy ❤️ Thanks for your wonderful recipe!!
★★★★★
Can I make these without the chocolate chips?
Sure can!
Hi, how can i create that shining crackly top? I tried to make following exactly what the recipe says but the brownies doesn’t have your shining crackly top
Hi Sari, The secret to crackly tops is in the sugar! Try not letting your melted butter cool quite as long and 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 shiny and crackly top!
Hi, this looks great!! Could the chocolate bars be substituted with chocolate chips if on hand?
Hi Sofia, we highly recommend using semi-sweet baking chocolate bars. Chocolate chips contain stabilizers that prevent them from melting properly. Let us know if you give these brownies a try!
I love this recipe! I was wondering if you could use a 11 by 13 pan if you double the recipe? Thanks!!
Hi Caroline, You can double the recipe for a 9×13 pan, but we’re unsure of the bake time. We also have a 9×13 pan of brownies recipe. Just as fudgy, just as chewy!
hi! when i melt the chocolate with the butter, it always seems to have air bubbles, which also affects the batter by having bubbles. why does this happen and how do i fix?
★★★★★
Hi Lianna, When you melt them try stirring them more slowly and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon instead of a whisk. Both of these things can help reduce air bubbles.
I use a double boiler for best results, the chocolate and butters melted so smooth
Hi can I melt the Chocolate and butter with the sugar?
Hi Sand, we recommend following the recipe as written (whisk sugars into cooled chocolate mixture) for best results. Enjoy!
I’m using a digital weighing scale to weigh all my ingredients, is that ok? Also can I add a little more flour to the recipe? It seems little haha!
★★★★★
Hi Sarah, you can definitely weigh your ingredients. Enjoy!
How thick will these brownies be when baked? Is it really only 1/2 cup flour? The picture looks like they are about 1 inch thick but 1/2 cup flour doesn’t seem enough. Just want to make sure it’s not a typo before I begin. thanks!
Hi Carmyn, these are thinner brownies – but rich and substantial, especially if including frosting. The recipe is correct!
Can I use microwave?
Fantastic recipe! So chocolately and fudgy. Baked perfectly in a 8×8 in pan, no modifications. This is my new go to brownie recipe!
★★★★★