My homemade brownies from scratch are fudgy, decadent, so chocolatey and the batter can be made in just minutes! This has been a fan-favorite for over 8 years and will have you ditching the box-mixes for good. Recipe includes a how-to video and lots of tips for shiny, crackly brownie tops!
Brownies From Scratch
I first shared this homemade brownie recipe years ago and it’s remained one of my personal favorites ever since, a classic right up there with my chocolate chip cookies and easy apple pie. It’s served as the base of many of my other brownie recipes on my site (perhaps most deliciously, my cheesecake brownies) and is perfect for beginners 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 Should Try THIS Brownie Recipe:
- Intense chocolate flavor. Melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and added chocolate chips put these brownies over the top. Add a pinch of instant coffee or espresso powder to the batter for an even more decadent chocolate experience.
- Shiny, crackly tops. While it may seem like just aesthetics, shiny and crackly tops are something that I personally love about brownies and that I wanted my own version to have. I spent years cracking the code on this and am very happy to share what I’ve found with you (it’s all about mixing the eggs and sugar… more on this below!).
- Easy, for when you need a chocolate fix in a hurry! My homemade brownies come together in just 10 minutes. Minimal mess & no mixer needed.
- Perfected recipe (true brownie texture!). This recipe was carefully (and repeatedly) tested to yield brownies that are dense, fudgy, and super chocolatey with the aforementioned shiny, crackly tops. I must’ve baked 100 different batches before landing on this version.
Ingredients for Homemade Brownies
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 brownie recipe. 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! The egg whites play a critical role in giving you brownies with a shiny, crackly top. When coupled with the sugar and whipped, you’ll be able to achieve exactly that boxed-brownie look. An extra yolk enriches the batter and makes the brownies even more tender and fudgy.
- Chocolate. For intensely chocolatey homemade brownies we build the batter 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). Chocolate chips work in a pinch, but baking bars are best. Use semisweet baking bars, or, if you like a darker chocolate, use 60% cacao instead! Then, at the end, I do recommend mixing in some chocolate chips for an extra punch of chocolate.
- Instant coffee. If you’re someone who prefers dark chocolate, you’ll want to add this. It adds depth and enhances the chocolate flavor, particularly the more bitter flavors that you’ll find in dark chocolate. You can make things even more intense by swapping this with espresso powder, or if you’re not a fan feel free to omit it.
Sam’s Tip: These brownies were specifically and carefully designed to be dense and fudgy, and not cakey. However, if you like a lighter brownie you can stir in a quarter teaspoon of baking powder with the flour.
How to Make Brownies from Scratch
Whisk the eggs and sugar
I’ll usually melt my chocolate and butter together first (do this in intervals, stirring in between, just like when melting chocolate in the microwave). Then set this aside and combine your eggs and sugar and stir vigorously. Whisking together the eggs and sugar almost as if you were making meringue is critical to creating those shiny, crackly tops that you’ll see at the end!
The vigorous whisking can be an arm workout, but can absolutely be done by hand (usually takes me 60 seconds or so). You could alternatively use an electric mixer for this step!
Once the eggs are well-mixed, stir in your vanilla extract and salt.
Add the melted chocolate
Stir the melted chocolate into the batter. Everything should be thoroughly combined, but you don’t have to worry about whisking aggressively or vigorously, like you did with the eggs and sugar.
Finish the brownie batter & bake
Add the flour, followed by the chocolate chips. Once again, the batter just needs to be uniformly combined, no need to go crazy with mixing here! Once everything is combined, scrape your brownie batter into a 9×9″ baking pan, smooth it into an even layer (add a few more chocolate chips on top if you’d like, for good measure!) and bake!
SAM’S TIP: I recommend baking your brownies in a metal pan, as glass pans can take longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
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 years of making homemade brownies from scratch, I can tell you with confidence the secret is following a good recipe. Use one that recommends vigorously whisking the eggs and sugar, enriches the batter with melted chocolate, and for good measure adds a pinch of instant coffee or espresso. Obviously I’m biased, but my recipe really does crack the code for perfect brownies, and I’m excited for you to try it.
Unfortunately, a straight substitution of the chocolate called for with white chocolate yields results that are too sweet and a bit oily. However, I do have a white chocolate brownie recipe that I recommend you try instead, or for a chocolate-less version try my blondies!
More Chocolate Desserts
This is truly the easiest, ultimate, best homemade 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
Fudgy Homemade Brownies from Scratch
Ingredients
- 12 Tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces
- 4 oz (113 g) semisweet chocolate bar chopped into small pieces
- ½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee grounds optional
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated 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 (127 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a 9×9 baking pan¹ with parchment paper²
- Combine butter and chopped chocolate in a large, microwave-safe bowl.12 Tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter, 4 oz (113 g) semisweet chocolate bar
- Microwave in 25-second intervals, stirring well in between, until completely melted and smooth.
- Immediately add cocoa powder and instant coffee (if using), stir well.½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder (unsweetened), ½ teaspoon instant coffee grounds
- In a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl, combine sugars and eggs. Whisk vigorously, until well combined and lightened in color (at least 60 seconds of vigorous whisking, this ensures shiny, crackly tops! Feel free to use an electric mixer!).¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar, ¾ cup (150 g) light brown sugar, 2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
- Stir in vanilla extract and salt.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt
- Drizzle chocolate mixture into egg mixture and stir until completely combined.
- Add flour, stir until completely combined.1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- Stir in chocolate chips.¾ cup (127 g) semisweet chocolate chips
- Spread into prepared 9×9 pan.
- Bake in center rack of 350F (175C) oven 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 (they'll be messy and seem underdone otherwise).
Notes
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 this brownie recipe on 02/01/2017. I’ve made small changes to the recipe to make the tops crackly (changed the step for beating the eggs well instead of mixing the batter well as a whole), and I’ve updated some of the photos and added a video and tried to make the post itself more informative.
Aiden
I forgot to put my brownies in the fridge and 5 min through baking I remembered and put them in the fridge do you think the end result will be okay even though I pulled em out in the middle of baking?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Aiden! I think that you SHOULD be ok. Keep me posted on how they turn out. 🙂
Aiden
Can I use Nescafe instant coffee
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Aiden! Yes, that will be fine. I hope that you enjoy your brownies. 🙂
Sasha
Hi can you make this without the brown sugar?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Sasha! You can use granulated sugar in place of the brown sugar, it will just alter the taste slightly. I hope that you enjoy them. 🙂
Greg
Sam:
I have just printed a bunch of your recipes. We are retired and sheltering-in-place; one in the same thing really, so am going back to my baking roots.
Going to make Brownies tomorrow. Your recipe and details (very important) are so enticing.
It is so refreshing to look at the posting dates and find they are only days old. Makes it all the more real.
I’ll let you know how it goes.
Oh, just bought a silicone donut mold. I’ll search and see if you have any recipes.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much for trying my recipes, Greg! I am happy that you have enjoyed them and my blog overall. I hope that your brownies turn out amazing today and you put your new donut mold to good use soon. Here are a few donut options to try: chocolate donuts, sour cream donuts, peanut butter donuts, or pumpkin donuts. 🙂
Greg
Hey Sam:
I made the brownies! Excellent! The brownie I have been searching for forever; fudgey/not cakey. I used chopped pecans and milk chocolate chips.
As always when I bake I measured by grams all the ingredients, prepped them, lined them up, then went to work. I did use an electric hand mixer not my trusty KitchenAid that I bought in 1977. Not sure if using mixer made a difference in final product (what do you think).
Lined a 13 by 9 metal pan w/ parchment cooled in fridge for 30 minutes and ended baking for 20-25 minutes. Being thin it was hard to determine doneness.
Cooled on rack for an hour then sliced 6×7 cm about 1/2 inch thick.
Last item in the cookie jar were homemade shortbread cookies and needed a chocolate fix.
I am making a German Chocolare Cake this week for my husband’s 69th birthday.
Sam
I’m glad they were so good, Greg! I’m not sure that a mixer would make any difference here. I ALWAYS need a chocolate fix! 🙂
Lou
Hi,
I’ve tried this and your blondie brownie recipes. I found the blondies rose nicely but this brownie (choc) didn’t. I have figured it was because I didn’t add baking powder. On comparing the 2 recipes this one uses 160g less flour as well.
Could this be the reason?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Lou! The brownies are fudgier than the blondies. The blondies also contain baking powder where the brownies do not. This helps them to rise. As for the flour, the brownies do not require as much because of the fudgy consistency. I hope that you enjoyed them regardless. 🙂
Abi
Hi, I made these exactly as directed, baked for 30 minutes, and they’re crumbly and dry. Any idea why?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so sorry that you are experiencing an issue, Abi. It sounds like too much flour was added. Over measuring your flour is the biggest mistake in baking so I have created a guide on how to measure flour properly that can be used as a reference for next time. Another possibility could be that your oven is running hotter than it lets on and they were over-baked.
Anita
Will it be overly sweet if I used milk chocolate instead? I’m just an avid fan of milk chocolate 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Anita! Everyone has their own level of sweetness. I would give it a try to see how it turns out. 🙂
Tmj
Used Cadbury’s milk chocolate because that was all I had with 20g less light brown sugar in a 9×13” pan
Took just over 20 mins for the crackly top with fudgy texture
Came out perfect! Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the brownies so much! 🙂
Kathy Bradley
Do you hand stir this whole recipe and do you mix the eggs before adding to the batter? I’m not an avid baker so please ex use my ignorance. Thanks!
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Kathy! Using my whisk, I mix the eggs directly into the batter. This post has a video that walks you through my process if you’d like to follow along or use it as a reference. Enjoy! 🙂
Lindsey S.
Hi Sam! I am obsessed with making these brownies and have made a batch weekly for the past month! I can’t thank you enough for your amazing recipes – they’ve seriously inspired me and I love how detailed they are.
I decided to watch your instructional video today and noticed that your batter pours relatively easily into the pan. Mine is almost mousse-like in texture every time and I’m wondering if this is due to my enthusiastic whisking? I measure out all of the ingredients using a scale.
Thank you so much for the joy of baking!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you have enjoyed the recipe, Lindsey! The batter is pretty thick. Your eggs could be on the smaller side? Or.. possibly too much flour has been added? Overmixing the batter… Hard to pinpoint the cause. Try adding in 3 whole eggs next time and see if that makes a difference. Thanks again for commenting. Let me know they turn out next time. 🙂
Daddy Ron
Interesting…thinking of making these. You don’t use baking powder in this recipe?
Sam
Nope. I hope you love them. 🙂
Kaitlin
Hi Sam! I’ve been looking for the perfect brownie recipe for a LONG time. An avid baker, yet I couldn’t understand why all the tips for the crackly crust in other recipes hasn’t worked out. I was craving a brownie today so I specifically visited your site since your recipes have never steered me wrong (your best chili recipe, for instance, is a family favorite) – these brownies didn’t disappoint! They are beautiful!!! It was a gleeful moment opening the oven door & seeing the shiny, crackly crust. They are perfectly fudgy and absolutely delicious. Thank you!
Sam
Thank you so much, Kaitlin! I am so glad you enjoyed the brownies so much! 🙂
Dawn
I just made these brownies and have them in the oven. After going over the directions again, I just realized I added in the whole egg instead of the just the yolk. Will that be ok? 🙁
Sugar Spun Run
That will be fine, Dawn! I hope that you enjoy them. 🙂
Jennifer
Hi,
First off let me start by saying I love your site, your banana bread and double chocolate muffins are the only recipe I use now, my family loves them. I followed this brownie recipe even with refrigerating for 15 minutes before baking and I found that my batter was very gritty and it took about 45 0 50 minutes to bake. Not sure what I did wrong.
Thanks and Happy Easter
Jennifer
Sam
Hi Jennifer! I am glad you are enjoying the site overall. For the grittiness of the batter, I wouldn’t worry about that. The sugars haven’t been melted yet and the batter should be a little gritty. That should resolve itself in the oven. As far as the time goes, if you used a glass dish they could take a little bit longer, or if your oven is running a little bit cooler than it says it is it may take a little bit longer. I actually just made these today and needed a few extra minutes just because I had to use a glass dish. 🙂
Alex
I don’t always follow recipes exactly but I did here and it really paid off. They were perfect.
Sam
So happy to hear it was such a hit, Alex! Thank you for commenting!
Lucy
This is the only brownie recipe i will ever use again these come out perfect every time!!!! Thank you so much for such a grate recipe!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you have enjoyed this recipe, Lucy! Thank you for commenting. 🙂