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.
connie ratner
this is my go to brownie recipe. I want not make these for a camping trip but host is gluten free. can I substitute gluten free 1 to1 flour? thank you for this recipe and tips measuring flower.
Sam
Hi Connie! Others have tried it and weren’t pleased with the results. I do have a flourless brownie you could check out though. 🙂
connie
Hi Sam,
thank younger quick response. Everyone loves your brownie recipe so much that I am hesitant to try your flourless brownie recipe . I will try it sometime but for this camping trip I am making your flourless peanut butter cookie and your regular brownie recipe.
thank you again for sharing your delicious recipes
ps
your video for flourless brownies really helped ease my hesitation to make them, you make it look all so easy. I guess I’m buying a metal pan.
thanks again,
connie
Joy
Can espresso power be used in the brownie recipe?
Sam
Hi Joy! Espresso powder will work, just keep in mind that it is a bit more potent than instant coffee. 🙂
Robin
These brownies are to die for. I have a home baking business and my customers LOVE THEM!!!! My question to you Sam is can I use a Kitchen Aid Mixer because I have an arm that is hurting and all of that stirring really didn’t help! I notice that you said in the recipe that the batter needs mixed very well and you can’t mix it too much as if to overmix it. Thank you so much!
Sam
Hi Robin! This will work in the kitchenaid mixer. I hope your arm recovers quickly! 🙂
Robin
Thanks so much Sam!
Ange
Hi Sam, if my pan is a 9×13 stainless steel pan, should i increase the amount of ingredients, and by how much? What wld be the baking time? For the oven, do i use fan assisted setting, or not? Thanks! i’m from Singapore by the way, and am v glad to hv found your website 🙂
Sam
Hi Ange! You would likely need to increase the recipe by 50% to get enough for your 13 x 9. I’m not sure on the bake time. I use a conventional oven. 🙂
Robin
Could I replace any of the semi sweet chocolate chips with milk chocolate ones?
Sam
Hi Robin! I think it would probably be ok.
Robin
They came out PERFECT!!! Delicious! I used half milk choc chips and had no instant coffee granules. Another blue ribbon recipe from you. Thank you.
Robin
Wow!! I can’t believe you answered this question so quickly!!! Thank you so very much!!! I love watching your videos and everything you do is AWESOME!!!!
Missy
Hi, my 17-year-old brownie lover son approves. Thumbs up! So happy I found your blog. You break down the recipes so nicely and you use ingredients I have on hand. I like that you use butter! I don’t like oil. 🙂
Sam H
A staple recipe for me. This time around I had some almond flour I wanted to burn so I substituted that one-for-one for the all-purpose flour. Then did 3 eggs instead of 2 plus a yolk (I’m told that doing an almond flour substitution necessitates more liquid and the extra white seemed simple enough—idk if there’s any heuristic the people here would recommend).
They turned out good enough for most purposes although not as good as the original (and of course lacking the signature cracked top).
Natasha
hey can i mix the butter and chocolate on the instead ofthe microwave.
Sam
It can be done on the stove top, just use low heat and stir often. 🙂
Christine
Can you double the recipe and use a 9×13 pan
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Christine! That will work just fine. The brownies will be a little bit thicker in the 9×13, so your bake time may vary a little bit 🙂
Shelley
I’m cringing as I ask this question…..
May I reduce each of the sugars a bit?
Sam
I haven’t tried to say for sure how it would turn out. 🙁
Josie
These brownies are so delicious both chewy in the center and crispy around the edges. I used instant espresso powder and it really enhances the chocolate. I also used salted butter and less salt. Definitely my new go to recipe.
Haidy
The most easy and successful recipes I have found .
Sam
Check your email. I’ll send it over. 🙂
Margarett
Hi Sam! OMG- on these brownies! Best ever. I am a pro chef for over 35 yrs, and your site is my go-to for sweets [especially] and so much else. I truly enjoy all of the hard work and perfecting that you do with all recipes. Again, OMG on these brownies, love, love, love. To me? The coffee granules send it over the top..I have you bookmarked for at least three years now. You go!
Sam
Thank you so much, Margarett! I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Kristen
Made these. Perfect crinkly top. Had to skip the instant coffee since I don’t have have any. I replaced some of the chocolate chips added at the end with guiradelli white chocolate chips. Absolutely beautiful and delicious brownie. I fish around all the time for different recipes until I find a go-to for that particular recipe, so I definitely bookmarked this one. Thank you so much!
Dhannya
Hi Sam.
I’m a biiigg fan. Your recipes are spot on and this one is a winner. I have made these brownies repeatedly and have recieved nothing but praise. I have a query. If I substitute the eggs for Greek yoghurt…would it work?
Thanks a bunch.
Sam
Hi Dhannya! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed them so much! Unfortunately I haven’t tried that substitute so I can’t say for sure how it would go. 🙁
Dhannya Prakash
Thank you for your reply. Can I reduce the ingredients by half for a 7inch pan?
Sam
You would probably need to reduce the recipe by 25% to fit into a 7 inch pan. You could always just make the brownies thicker or dispose of any extra batter. 🙂
Courtney
Hi I love using your recipes, can you use egg replacer like ener-g with these or will it negatively effect the texture?
Sam
Hi Courtney! I am not familiar with using egg replacers so I can’t say for sure. That being said, this is a pretty forgiving recipe so I think it has potential to work. Let me know how it goes if you try it! 🙂