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.
Donald
Hi Sam would you know the fat content in these my wife would love to make these with me but she would also like to eat them but doc. Low fat diet because of her bad cholesterol. Thanks a lot
Sam
I’m not exactly sure. You could check out a nutrition calculator like myfitnesspal.com. That’s where I would typically find the info. Sorry I can’t be of any more assistance.
Mel
Made these tonight. The family LOVED them. **I was lazy & put in 3 eggs instead of 2 & 1 yolk. They still turned out amazing. Thank you, we will be keeping this recipe.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Emily Joy
Hello! I used your recipe for a process essay in a college class im taking. I’m trying to access the video on youtube but it isn’t showing up. could you comment the link? (Im going to cite where and who I got everything from to avoid plagiarism)
Sam
Hi Emily! Citing the website would be sufficient in this instance as the video is hosted on my webpage. It isn’t actually a YouTube video. Let me know if there are any other questions. ☺️
Louise
This recipe is really great! I made them twice. I used less sugar the 2nd time and i liked them a little bit better that way. Thank you for sharing!
Megan Croft
Do you think peanut butter chips could be used in place of the semisweet chocolate chips? Haven’t made them yet but I’m about to make them.
Sam
Hi Megan, I am not sure exactly how it would work. It will work if you use them the second time you add chocolate chips but I am not sure about the first. 😃
Megan Croft
Sorry I should have been more specific. I was talking about the 2nd time. I made them and they are delicious. They had to sit in the pan for a good hour before I could even think about getting them out due to them being so moist. I’m almost positive it was because of the peanut butter chips adding oil. When I cut into the brownies I was reminded something that my grandma told me when she made her famous peanut butter cake which is use about half the oil the cake recipe asks for if your adding peanut butter.
Sam
I am glad they worked out for you Megan!! 😃😃
Melissa
I am trying the peanut butter chips tonight. They are in the oven now and I can’t wait for them to be done! I’ve used this recipe before and they were the best brownies I’ve ever eaten, and by far the best I’ve ever made at home. I did use a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water instead of a microwave because mine need replacing, but I don’t think this will change anything though.
Lisa Cohen
These were a big hit and worth the extra effort rather than coming from a box. I used dark cocoa powder, since that’s all I had on hand and everyone loved them.
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them Lisa! 😃
Leah
These brownies are amazing. I have not tasted anything so chocolatey in my life. Just yum. Delightful texture of pure fudgy goodness. Thank you!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them Leah!! 😃😃😃
Dawn
This is my go to brownie recipe since discovering earlier this year! They have been a hit every time ! Was thinking of mixing in caramel chips but never used them. Was wondering if they react similarly to the semi sweet chips. Any thoughts?
Sam
I haven’t made these with caramel chips but I think that would work great (and now I want to try it for myself!). I’m glad you have been enjoying the recipe, Dawn!!
Elizabeth
I couldn’t get these to cook through for anything. The edges and corners were nearly burnt and the middle was still almost raw, cooking them on 350 for nearly an hour. Not fudgey, like in order to eat them you’d have to spoon out the middle.
Sam
So odd, I’ve never had this happen and am really not sure why they might have turned out this way for you, sorry to hear that happened for you Elizabeth!
Nikki Helsley
Mine were also raw in the middle. The flavor was AMAZING though. My 17 year old stepson had no problems eating them, but my super finicky husband hates doughy food. I’m so bummed!
Sam
By chance did you use a glass baking dish?
Rachael
I just made these brownies tonight because my daughter was craving them and we ran out of box mix. All I can say is Wow! These were so easy and have SO much more flavor than the box kind. Best homemade brownie recipe that I’ve ever made!
Sam
So much better than a box! I could never go back! I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Matt
Hi Sam. I’m new to baking, and I am planning on trying this recipe (it looks amazing). I was wondering whether I should sift the flour before adding it. I’ve seen others sift flour before baking, but I’m not sure if it is something that should always be done or not.
Sam
Hi Matt! No need to sift the flour for this recipe. I hope you love the brownies 🙂
Matt
I made the brownies and they were amazing! Everybody loved them. I was really worried about making something from scratch for the first time, but this recipe explained everything so clearly that it was surprisingly easy to do. Thanks for posting the recipe!
Mel
I made these today in a 9×9 pan. They turned out so good! 🙂 Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Sam
I’m so glad they were a success! Thank you for commenting, Mel!
Aly
This recipe is truly amazing, Sam! I tried this recipe tonight after perusing many, many, MANY other ones that either a. were too much effort for late night baking or b. I didn’t have the ingredients for. I think the key element in what makes these brownies to die for is the melting of the chocolate chips and butter together, and then combining it directly with the cocoa powder. As you said, this resulted in a more rich, decadent taste and texture. A was a little weary about the thickness of the batter at first, but the video provided was reassuring and provided a very helpful picture as to how the batter should look each step of the way. Personally, I would’ve never thought to use parchment paper for brownies! (I generally use it for cookies, pizzas, etc.) It made clean up super easy! These brownies are so fudgy and melt in your mouth so easily. They are great to pair with milk or ice-cream too! Overall, I doubt I will ever use another brownies recipe from here on out. My family and I loved them! Thank you so much Sam!
Kristy Valenzuela
Hi Sam. I came across your recipe and I want to make these now but I don’t have the Chocolate chips. Could I substitute them with Chocolate syrup? Would it change how long I have to cook them?
Sam
Hi Kristy! I haven’t tried them this way but unfortunately I don’t think it would turn out the same with chocolate syrup
Chelsea
My batter did come out thick,but I think that’s how they are supposed to be??