Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: The perfect balance of chocolate sweetness.
Texture: CHEWY, of course 🙂
Ease: Super easy. One bowl, no electric mixer needed.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: This Brownie Recipe is WAY better than a box mix and almost as easy. It’s my go-to recipe!
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These Chewy Brownies are my go-to recipe when I need a quick, easy, crowd-pleasing dessert. I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve made it over 200 times. It’s truly the best!
There’s even a secret ingredient that helps to mimic that box-mix texture (but with way better flavor!).
These brownies are my everyday go-to recipe. Check out just one of the 1,000+ 5-star reviews for these best homemade brownies:
Reader Love
I have been using this recipe for about a year now! It is the easiest recipe I have ever used, I get so many compliments on these brownies!! Thank you thank you thank you!!! ❤️
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The Kitchn tested this recipe, raving about how quick and easy it is! Even Bon Appétit used the recipe as part of their research in their quest to create a perfect chocolate brownie.
Sprinkle of Science
Ingredient Notes for Success
The Cocoa Powder
I recommend using Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a deeper flavor and fudgier texture. Natural unsweetened cocoa will offer a more nostalgic chocolate flavor and a slightly drier but chewier texture.
My favorite Dutch cocoa powder for brownies is Penzey’s or Guittard. Ghirardelli is also great in a pinch. Learn more about how Natural and Dutch-process cocoas affect your baking here.
The Chocolate Chips
I prefer semisweet chocolate chips, but you can use any kind you like. They strengthen the chocolate flavor, thicken the texture, and help develop that shiny, crinkly crust on top.
You can also add 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans in addition to the chocolate chips.
Learn my top FOUR methods for achieving a shiny thin brownie crust here.
The Fat
- Melted butter plus vegetable oil provides the best taste and texture.
- You can use avocado oil or any other neutral-flavored oil instead of vegetable oil.
- Make sure your oil is fresh to avoid any off flavors.
- Check out my side-by-side baking experiments with Butter vs Oil here.
The Sugar
Don’t reduce the sugar in this Brownie Recipe, as this will cause dry, crumbly brownies that will stale faster. Learn more about sugar’s functions in brownies here.
The Eggs
These Chewy Brownies use two whole eggs plus an additional egg yolk for EXTRA chewiness and richness. Using cold eggs prevents doming and increases moisture.
The Flour
A small amount of all-purpose flour is essential for creating Chewy Brownies — but avoid adding too much, as this can cause dry, cakey brownies. Use a digital kitchen scale to prevent accidental over measuring. If you don’t have a digital scale, use the spoon-and-level method described here.
Secret Ingredient: Cornstarch!
Cornstarch mimics the texture of box mix brownies, creating thicker, chewier brownies with a nice shiny crackly top. Don’t skip it if possible.
The Best Pan for Brownies:
Struggling with gummy, sunken, underbaked (even raw) or dry-edged brownies? Ditch the glass square pan and use a light-colored metal baking pan instead.
Metal conducts heat far more effectively. If all you have is glass or ceramic, add an extra 5-10 minutes baking time. Learn more about the differences between Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans here.
Storing & Freezing Brownies
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge. They are fudgier when they’re chilled!
To freeze, wrap the cooled whole slab or individual slices of brownies in plastic wrap inside an airtight container. Store in freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or for a couple hours at room temperature, before serving.
FAQs
Can I double this brownie recipe?
Yes! Double all ingredients and bake in a 9 by 13-inch light-colored metal baking pan (don’t use a glass pan!) and add a few minutes to the baking time.
Why is there no baking soda or baking powder?
I prefer no baking soda or baking powder for rich, dense brownies that are not even remotely cakey. If you’re team cakey, don’t even bother with this recipe. It’ll be far too chewy and fudgy for you!
Can I leave out the chocolate chips?
You can, but note that the brownies will be thinner and may not develop that shiny crust on top.
Why use melted butter instead of creamed butter?
Not only does this make the recipe quicker and easier, but it yields denser, chewier, and fudgier brownies.
Can I use gluten-free flour?
I haven’t tested that, but readers have had success with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. You may need to add 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum if your GF blend doesn’t have any binders.
Can I make this recipe dairy free?
Yes, replace the butter with an equal amount of a vegan butter block that’s firm at room temperature. Use dairy-free chocolate chips. Or, try my Coconut Oil Brownies with dairy free chocolate instead.
Can I make this recipe egg free?
I have not found a suitable replacement for the eggs in brownies yet. Feel free to experiment!
How to tell when brownies are done baking?
A cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center should come out with moist crumbs attached. For me, 30 minutes yields my perfect brownie that’s just ever-so-slightly gooey in the center. If you prefer a drier consistency, bake for 33-35 minutes.
What’s the best way to cut clean brownie slices?
Surprisingly, the best tool is a plastic knife! Yes, like the ones you buy for a picnic or BBQ. If you don’t have one, use a large sharp knife and run under hot water and wipe off after each slice.
Best Ever Chewy Brownies
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Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups (249 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, cold
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (74 grams) neutral oil (like vegetable or avocado)
- 3/4 cup (75 grams) cocoa powder*
- 1/2 cup (63 grams) all-purpose flour, measured correctly
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3/4 cup (128 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line an 8 by 8-inch light-colored metal pan** with foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and sugar. Microwave for about 1 minute, or until the butter is melted. Whisk in the eggs and egg yolk, whisking vigorously for 1 minute. Whisk in the vanilla, then stir in the oil and cocoa powder.
- With a rubber spatula, stir in the flour, cornstarch, and salt until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the brownies are set and a cake tester inserted into the center has moist crumbs attached. Do not overcook. Let cool completely to solidify before cutting and serving.
- Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Brownies will be gooey when served warm, chewy when served at room temperature, and fudgy when served chilled.
Recipe Notes
More Brownies Recipes You’ll Love:
- Malted Brownies – made with brown butter!
- Toffee Brownies
- Copycat Cosmic Brownies – ultimate nostalgia!
- Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies
- How to Make the Perfect Caramel Sauce
This recipe was originally published in 2017 and has been updated with additional baking tips and new photos. Recipe photos by Joanie Simon and Baking Science photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
Hi! I love this brownie recipie, and was wanting to make them as brownie bites in a cupcake tin. Do you have any recommendations in terms of baking time/temperature/ basically anything I’d need to adjust? I was also wondering if this recipie would be easily adaptable into a peanut butter brownie by just swirling some in before baking, or if that’s not reccomended? Thank you!
Absolutely amazing. From the way the brownies cracked delicately along the top crusty layer, to the gooey chocolate chips throughout…perfect chew…just perfect.
I’m so sorry, I followed this recipe by the letter (even using a food scale) and they taste absolutely awful. They’re bitter, dense, not chewy at all. Very very disappointing 😞 I read the recipe twice and was reading it as I was going along and yeah they’re just not good.
Recipe is perfect! I only had a ceramic dish so I added 5 minutes to bake time. Used all butter instead of oil and didn’t have corn starch so I just added a table spoon of flour extra and it turned out still so incredibly delicious! It was ooey gooey after sitting out for 30 minutes and still the next day, chewy and delicious. Will use this recipe again because it did not fail even with having to sub some ingredients.
very good I’m ten and I made these brownies but if you make the sugar and butter on a stove top don’t over cook or it will turn into homemade rock candy
I surprised my husband who woke up to the smell of brownies. I used ghee for my oil, Ghirarhdelli dark chocolate chips, ghee greased parchment paper in a 8×8 dark metal pan. I feared my brownies wouldn’t have crispy edges and boy was I wrong! This recipe WILL be my ONLY brownie recipe! The Mister LOVES them!
These are perfect! I only have one question. In the video you add baking powder, but in the recipe it doesn’t have the amount of baking powder.
Very good. Matches well against box recipes. Great brownie crust. Doubles well too. Recommend.
So originally I was a fool and tried to make this in a 9×13 metal pan, by x1.8’ing the ingredients. I don’t know why I did that. I also only used 90% of the sugar without reading into it too much. I used vegetable oil, non-dutched Ghirardelli’s cocoa powder, and the 60% cocoa ghirardelli chocolate chips. They came out exactly how Tessa warned, cakey, crumbly, bitter. Just not good. I even remember the batter tasting not great. They matched the example pictures of the 50% sugar pretty closely.
So the next day I tried again in a small stoneware 8.75″x8.75″ pan, and tried my best to follow the recipe as written, and used a scale to measure out anything given in grams within +/- about 5 grams. Some ingredient choices I made are:
Chosen Foods Avocado Oil
Ghirardelli Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
Gold Medal All Purpose Flour
Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips
Immediately I could tell the batter tasted so much better.
I baked for about 30 +/- 1 minute as said, and let cool for about 20 minutes, but it was still too soft underneath the crust, likely due to using stoneware
Edges came out slightly crispier than I was expecting, probably due to the stoneware pan instead of metal pan, so I would cover the top with foil mid-bake if I were to repeat this recipe.’
I threw them back in the oven on 325 for about 5-10 minutes, and let them cool again. They’re still just a tad more gooey than i’d like, but since they’re just for me I’ll tolerate it lol.
If i were to make them again in the stoneware, i’d probably aim for 40 minutes of uninterrupted baking, maybe throw a sheet of foil on top around 20 minutes to keep the top from getting too crispy
The top was shiny and crackly, the edges are crispy, and the middle is perfectly fudgy. It was even fudgier if you put it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. I did have to leave it in for a few extra minutes, but otherwise it was perfect. We ran out after one weekend.
I followed the recipe exactly, and cooked them 10 minutes longer than the recipe said to beauty they weren’t done at 30 minutes. Let them cool, cut into them, and still the middle was straight up batter. Had to bake them for 13 more minutes at 350° before they were actually baked. Tastes good, but cook time is way off.
Thanks for your feedback, Mackenzie! Did you happen to use a glass baking pan? Those take longer to heat up and will cook the edges faster than the center, leaving it underdone. We recommend using a light-colored metal baking pan for best results, but if glass is all you have, you will need to bake them for longer. See Tessa’s tips above the recipe here.
I made these and they were soooo chewy. Definitely the chewiest and crackliest homemade brownies I’ve ever made. Great recipe!