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 100 times. It’s truly the best!
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.
I have shared a whole lot of Brownie Recipes over the years – over 50, in fact! I have brownie recipes to please everyone. My Ultimate Brownies are rich, dense, and fudgy. My Brown Butter Brownies have the most stunning crackly crust. And my Toffee Brownies are full of super fun mix-ins and flavors.
Frustrated with blah brownies?
This cheatsheet has everything you need—from essential tools to foolproof tips plus two crave-worthy recipes—to help you master perfect brownies every time!
But these brownies are special. 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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Tessa’s Tip
Struggling with gummy, collapsed, underbaked, or dry-edged brownies? Ditch the glass pan and use a light-colored metal baking pan instead. Learn more about the differences between Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans here.
Sprinkle of Science
How to Make Chewy Brownies
The Cocoa Powder
I recommend using Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a deeper flavor and fudgier texture. Natural (aka unsweetened) cocoa will offer a milder chocolate flavor and a slightly drier but chewier texture. My favorite Dutch cocoa powder for brownies is Penzey’s or Guittard. 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–just keep in mind it will affect the sweetness of the brownies. You can also add 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans in addition to the chocolate chips. Just don’t skip the chocolate chips entirely, as they’re key to achieving that shiny, crinkly crust on top of brownies. 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 overmeasuring. If you don’t have a digital scale, use the spoon-and-level method described here.
Cornstarch in Brownies?
Cornstarch mimics the texture of box mix brownies, creating thicker, chewier brownies with a nice shiny crust. Don’t skip it if possible!
Avoid Leavening for Fudgy & Chewy Brownies
I prefer no baking soda or baking powder for rich, dense brownies that are not even remotely cakey.
Can I Double this Chewy Brownies 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.
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 even more fudgy when they’re chilled!
To freeze, wrap the cooled whole slab or individual slices of brownies in plastic wrap inside an airtight container. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or for a couple hours at room temperature, before serving.
Brownie Substitutions
This Chewy Brownie recipe is written to yield a perfect chewy brownie. Altering any ingredients will change the outcome. If you can’t use one of the ingredients listed, check out my extensive brownie recipe index for tons of other brownie options (including coconut oil brownies).
More Brownies Recipes You’ll Love:
- Malted Brownies – made with brown butter!
- Toffee Brownies
- Copycat Cosmic Brownies
- Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies
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) vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup (75 grams) cocoa powder*
- 1/2 cup (63 grams) all-purpose flour, measured correctly
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon 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
The Ultimate Cookie Handbook
Learn the sweet SCIENCE of cookie baking in a fun, visual way to customize your own recipes frustration-free. Plus, my best 50+ homemade cookies!
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.
Hello, I am hoping to make these brownies soon and was wondering if I am able to replace the granulated sugar with brown sugar and also if a dark coloured metal pan would make any difference to the results?
Thanks!
Hi I want to try this recipe to send to my son’s class party.
Will it work the same if I put the batter on individual brownie cases?
Thanks
I tried so many brownie recipes in my life, but this one beats them all. I was so proud of myself for making such perfect brownies (which everyone loved) that it lowkey drove me crazy. I looked up other recipes from handle the heat and began cooking like a maniac for 12 hours. I reckon I baked 4 different types of cookies and EVERY SINGLE TIME they came out perfectly. This had never ever happened to me before. I even tried to purchase the book online. I have never written a review before, maybe one, but I just felt the urge to write one about these brownies and handle the heat recipes.
Wow, thank you so much for sharing this, Ali! I’m beyond thrilled to hear these brownies were a game-changer for you and that you had such success with our other recipes, too! Baking marathons are SO much fun, and we’re so glad to hear everything turned out perfectly.
Thanks for taking the time to write a review—they truly help us more than you know and encourage other readers to try our recipes. Oh, and if there are any leftover brownies or cookies, feel free to send them our way… if you can spare them! We’d be more than happy to take them off your hands! 😉
This was delicious but i followed the recipe EXACTLY and it came out almost raw, i even put it back in the oven for 15 minutes, nothing. I properly preheated, and let it set but it was so gooey i could even hold it without it falling apart.
Thanks for your feedback, Cassey! If you used a glass or ceramic pan, that was likely the issue. Tessa mentions this in the Tessa’s Tips box above the recipe and also specifies a metal pan in the recipe card, since glass doesn’t conduct heat as well and often leaves the center underbaked when the edges are done. We actually did a side-by-side comparison of glass vs. metal pans with photos showing exactly how they affect brownies—and what adjustments you can make if glass is all you have.
Switching to a light-colored metal pan will make a big difference! If that’s not an option, try lowering the baking temp by 25°F and extending the bake time by 5 to 15 minutes. An oven thermometer is also really helpful to make sure your oven’s running at the correct temp. Hope that helps, and that you’ll give it another go!
Make these regularly, they’re so easy and phenomenally delicious!
I loved this recipe as it’s the first recipe where it delivers on the promise of chewy, fudgines goodnesss. I made this recipe twice this week it was so good! Only difference from the first batch to the second batch was I reduced the second batch by 100 grams of sugar as I did feel the first was too sweet for my taste and the recipe with less sugar brought out the chocolatey-ness even more.
This is THE BEST Brownie I’ve ever baked and eaten, It’s foolproof and fantastic. The batter alone is gourmet. It can be made on any crappy oven, and may seem raw at first but let it cool and it’ll turn into a masterpiece.
Best review!
You convinced me to try it, it’s amazing
Thanks Bill, I’ll try it and let you know
My new brownie recipe for life!
Change from my usual recipe to this one for my partner’s birthday, who’s a big brownie lover, won’t be doing any other brownie recipe ever!
Great taste, amazing texture!
I added 3/4 cups of walnuts and it’s just perfection!
Thank you, Tessa! ❤️
I don’t know what every one is talking about I think my brownies turned out perfect and I am 10 and got no help from my parents or siblings and they are delicious
So happy to hear that, Lily! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Failure. This recipe is too persnickety. And I never saw where to add the sugar. Flat and rubbery. What a waste of good ingredients.
Number 2. First line.
This recipe was good, but it’s not a chewy recipe. I followed the recipe to a T, even used my scale and baked for 30 minutes. It was really really fudgey, like borderline raw in the middle. This recipe should be called a fudge brownie recipe, because it’s not chewy at all
Hi, Victoria! It sounds like your batch could’ve used some more time in the oven. Every oven is different, and if you’re using glass or ceramic baking pans it will take longer to cook through the center. Also, these brownies get chewier the longer they sit after baking. Hope that helps!
They were cakey. I did not over mix either. I made these for someone and almost didn’t want to give them to them. I was disappointed. On to the next recipe
I did use a glass pan, and apparently at the bottom of the recipe card it says not to use a glass pan (kinda odd) but we basically could only eat the perimeter of the pan
That was likely the cause of the problem, and why I mention avoiding using a glass or ceramic pan in my Tessa’s Tip box in the text above the recipe card, as well as specifying a metal pan in the recipe card itself. In baking, these little things can make a surprisingly difference. Glass simply does not conduct heat as effectively as metal. Switching to a metal pan will greatly improve your brownies, promise! If you can’t invest in a metal pan, you’ll need to extend the baking time anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.
These were delicious! I did have a question though. Mine leaned more fudgey than chewy. Does that mean I needed to bake longer? I had to Google images of cake testers for brownies and it was still hard to tell… will definitely make again! Thank you
If you’re using a glass baking pan then it won’t conduct heat as well, so I suggest switching to a metal baking pan if available. If you’re already using a metal baking pan, try to bake your brownies for 5-15 minutes more. Check every five minutes with a toothpick & once it comes out with sparce crumbs your brownies should be done. Allow them to cool before cutting for best results. Best of luck baking!