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.
David
Just the perfect brownie!
I doubled the batch and used 2 – 13 x 9″ Pyrex pans.
Also used 1/2 Hersey’s Special Dark and 1/2 Hersey’s Regular Cocoa Powder
Sam
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed! Thank you for commenting, David 🙂
Nicole
Best. Brownies. Ever. And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t pick chocolate as my first choice. But today I had a craving for something sweet and with the horrible weather we’ve been getting I didn’t feel like going to the store. I came across this recipe and an hour and a half later I had my dessert! I only stirred in about a 1/3 c. of chocolate chips at the end and added walnuts! Delish. Thanks for the recipe. This is a keeper and I have already decided it will be my go-to for holidays, birthdays, whatever!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the brownies, Nicole! 🙂
Alysan
Can I substitute natural cocoa powder for Dutch cocoa powder?
I’m unsure what type of cocoa powder I have at home (it’s from bulk barn) so wondering if they are interchangeable since there’s no baking power or soda involved
Sam
Hi Alysan! I think that substitution would work fine in this recipe. 🙂
Mandie Lou
I am in the process of baking these… but didnt chill them. Do I bake them for less time? I have them in a 9×9 and im starting at 13 min?? Help?? My gut says 13-16 min, checking them as I go. Is this correct?
Sam
Hi Mandie Lou! No you do not need to bake them for less time if you didn’t chill them. I hope you love the brownies!
Steve G
January 22, 2019
I was surprised there was not any baking powder or baking soda added to help the brownies rise. Mine have come out quite flat. It’s not that they don’t taste great, it’s just that I was expecting it to be a bit higher.
Did I miss something? Or is that the way they’re supposed to be? Thanks
Sam
Hi Steve! No mistake there, there’s no baking powder or soda, these are supposed to be dense, rich, and fudgy and the addition of one of those leaveners would diminish that. Hope that helps clear things up! 🙂
Lorraine
I dont usually do comments…BUT
these brownies are so
delicious!!!!
I will make them over and over!
The recipe is also explained perfect!❤
Sam
I am SO happy to hear this, Lorraine!! Thank you so much for commenting and letting me know how they turned out for you, I really appreciate it! <3
Dennis Hall
Love the recipe. They look and smell wonderful. Can’t wait to try them. I’m torn between heating one back up with a scoop of ice cream or creating a peanut butter topping. Maybe I’ll do both. LOL
Sam
I vote for both! Enjoy! 🙂
Ash
love your recpies! These were a little too chocolate-y for my liking! I will try again and leave out some amounts of chocolate i think 😁
Sam
Hi, Ash! I am so glad you enjoy my recipes! Did you add the coffee in with the brownies here? That really helps enhance the chocolaty flavor of these brownies, so you might want to try them without, but they are still a pretty chocolaty brownie. I do have a few blondie recipes if you’d still like the brownie texture without all of the chocolate. 🙂
Nancy
I Made brownies to this recipe a couple of nights ago. Best dang brownies ever! And so easy.
Sam
So glad to hear you enjoyed them, Nancy! Thank you for commenting 🙂
Minoo
I made this recipe tonight and it was incredibly delicious. I just had one problem: Although I did step 12, l couldn’t make the perfect crackle-topped like your pictures. Maybe it was due to my oven heat. Should I chang the mentioned temperature for my SolarDOM lightwave oven?
Sam
I am not familiar with this type of oven. Maybe try leaving the brownies in the refrigerator for a few minutes longer to get a little cooler. 🙂
Les
My favorite part is right at the end…..the caloric count…….188 calories. Right…..maybe for a crumb. That said, making it now…..can’t wait to devour all those cals
Sam
If it tastes good calories don’t count right?! 😂 I hope you love them.
Michael Hinchey
Seems to me that 16 to 18 min in a 13*9 pan was really too short of time for 350 deg. Wondering if this number was correct?
Your other brownie recipe was much longer.
Sam
Hi, Michael. They will be much thinner in a 13 x 9 so won’t need as much time. Of course I always recommend checking them. 🙂
Val
I really don’t like brownies. I just wanted to bake some brownies for my hubby from scratch rather than out of a box mix. Oh M Gee….I can’t stop eating these brownies!!! I used Ghiradelli chips and followed the recipe to the tee. Soooo goooood!!!!! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. I will make them again and again and renew my membership to Planet Fitness again and again to keep off the calories. Lol
Sam
😂 I am so glad you enjoyed them, Val!
Val
I can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Callie
Best brownie I’ve ever had! Moist really good flavor and crisp on outside .
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed them, Callie. ☺️
DAVENA TURVEY
Hi; I was told that I had nailed it after making these brownies. Since I wasn’t sure what they were supposed to look or taste like (I’m an immigrant) I was delighted to take the credit that should have been yours, so thank you. I’m making more for my grandson who is away at university, and would like to know if these freeze at all?
Sam
Honestly I have not frozen them myself, but I think they would do just fine in the refrigerator.