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.
Jamie
I made these today and they turned out perfect! When I was making these, I thought, I wonder how many chocolate chips you keep on hand for all of your recipes?!
Sam
Hi Jamie! I am so glad you enjoyed the brownies so much. I typically have a wholllleee lot of chocolate chips on hand. You never know when you are going to need to baker yourself something right? 🙂
Teresa
I just made these with a little variation 😁 I didn’t have chocolate chips so I used white chocolate chips! I also added chopped pecans and Heath bits! Yes I have a sweet tooth 🙄 they were delicious!!!
Sam
I a so glad you enjoyed the brownies, Teresa! 🙂
Amanda
Just got these out of the oven and can’t wait to try them! I had sweet mint infused sugar and homemade mint extract. I exchanged these for the sugar and vanilla (doubling the extract). The batter had a light minty taste. The dough was amazing!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the brownies, Amanda! 🙂
Lisa
Hi Sam!! This brownie recipe looks AWESOME, and I’d love to use this instead of chocolate cake in a layered ice cream cake! Will they be too moist to cut horisontally into multiple layers?
Sam
I think if you refrigerate the brownies first so you should be able to cut them horizontally. I hope that helps!
Karen
Hi!
Wondering if I could substitute the butter with maybe 1/2 cup of oil but I’m not sure if that would work well? Thoughts on this?
Sam
I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe, sorry!
Patricia Staniforth
Just a quick couple of questions:
can i use these brownies as a base for a chocolate cake?
How long in advance can i make them?
Thanks!
Sam
Hi Patricia! I’m not quite sure what you mean by a base for a cake here. This recipe would certainly need some alterations to work as a cake. They will be good for at least a week at room temperature in an air tight container. 🙂
Daisy
I plan on making these brownies tonight..I just have one question about the butter I dont have unsalted butter is it okay to use salted butter and just skip the part where it says to add the salt?
Sam
Hi Daisy. You are correct. You can use salted butter and leave out the salt. Enjoy! 🙂
Breah
I love them best
Sam
Thank you so much, Breah! I am glad you enjoyed the brownies! 🙂
Angel Martin
Make these constantly. Perfect easy recipe, best brownies my husband and I have ever eaten. I like my brownies a little bitter so I double the instant coffee. Lol. That’s my only tweak.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoy the brownies so much, Angel! 🙂
Kelly
Best brownie recipe! The texture and consistency is perfect. Never buying a boxed brownie mix again. Thank you.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the brownies, Kelly! Homemade is always better. 🙂
LilyB
Sam this brownie were delicious, I made them for an event and they were GONE GONE, my party was a success. thank you for sharing you recipe
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them, Lily! 🙂
Lynn Petersen
Hi Sam,
This is the best recipe ever because I have never been able to make brownies come out right! Thank you, thank you, thank you! The directions were clear and easy to follow. Now I have another recipe in my repertoire! 😉
Sam
Thank you so much, Lynn! 🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
Trudy
I have a question about the sugar ingredient. Is the recipe using two different shade of sugar?
Sam
Hi Trudy! Yes you need granulated sugar as well as brown sugar in this recipe. 🙂
Mary Claire
These are amazing! My daughter has really gotten into baking lately and she made these today. They were so easy and the whole family loved them. My daughter said, “These are the best brownies I’ve ever had” and we have baked a lot of different brownies! Thank you for another tried and true recipe!
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoyed them, Mary! 🙂
Devika Sen
Can the recipe be halved? Also why are we adding cocoa as well as chocolate?
Sam
Yes, if you have a pan small enough (or don’t mind thin brownies, just make sure to reduce the baking time accordingly). These are really chocolatey fudgy brownies, you need both for the full experience 🙂
Heather Killeen
Holy cow. I am a brownie fanatic, and I’ve tried MANY recipes, but yours is by far the richest, most decadent, intensely chocolatey brownies EVER. Perfect for heating and topping with vanilla ice cream (my only use for vanilla!)…I made a 9×9 pan, and it actually lasted for more than 1 and a half days in our house, which is miraculous, and a testament to how rich and satisfying these brownies are.
THANK YOU!
***Heather
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the brownies, Heather! 🙂
debbie Lurvey
I would like to make them but can I double it for a 9×13 I
never make brownies in that small size pan you should make the recipe so you can use a bigger pan for big families
Sam
Hi Debbie! Check the notes, it includes instructions for a 9×13. I come from a family of 8 and this recipe has worked pretty well for us 😉