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!).
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.
What Makes Cookies Chewy, Crisp, or Cakey?
My free guide reveals the ingredients and tweaks that matter.
As a trained chef, it surprises people to learn brownies are among my favorite things to bake at home. I don’t need something fancy, I need something satisfying and that chewy texture is where it’s at.
I have shared over 50 Brownie Recipes over the years. My Ultimate Brownies are rich, dense, and fudgy. My Brown Butter Brownies have the most stunning crackly crust. And my Toffee Brownies are have a unique crunch.
But these brownies are my everyday go-to reicpe. 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.
Secret Ingredient: Cornstarch!
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. If you’re team cakey, don’t even bother with this recipe. It’ll be far too chewy and fudgy for you!
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 – ultimate nostalgia!
- 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) 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
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.
Eureka! I’m always on the lookout for the best brownies ever. These win the prize. I’ve made them several times and told all my friends about them. Yum! To die for brownies. Thanks!!
another idea for my brownies thank you
I ‘ve been searching for a rich, decadent and easy brownie recipe, then I came across your recipe and tried it today. My son and sister-in-law gave 2 thumbs up for the recipe. This will be my go recipe for my upcoming coffee shop. What I love most is, you sharing the science of baking, learned a lot.
Wow Tesa Arias! “I’m so glad you finally shared your chewy brownie recipe! I’ve been a fan of your Ultimate Brownies for years, but I’ve always been on the lookout for a chewier version. These brownies are absolutely perfect! They’re so rich and decadent, and they have the perfect chewy texture. I can’t wait to make them again and again!”
So happy to hear these were such a hit for you, Oliver! 🙂
This is an excellent brownie recipe. I have made it twice (without nuts or chips). In addition to the rich taste and texture, it does not dry out quickly so I do not feel obligated to eat the whole pan in the first two days.
I made these exactly as the recipe states and used a scale. I added 1/2 cup of toasted walnuts. Texture is nice. Great recipe. My only complaint is that it’s way too sweet. i’ll try to use less sugar next time.
Hi Mayu! We really recommend sticking with the original quantity of sugar in any recipe, for many reasons. Sugar doesn’t just sweeten baked goods; it moistens, provides tender structure, assists with gluten formation, extends the shelf-life (meaning it will be fresh and moist longer), and assists in creating a taller and lighter finished product – just to name a few things! Reducing the sugar content in a recipe doesn’t just lower sweetness; it messes with the recipe’s chemistry and creates a totally different baked good. Learn more about this here. If you wish to reduce the sweetness here, we recommend using darker (bittersweet or even unsweetened) chocolate chips, and try using a little more salt too. I hope this helps! Happy baking!
I want to substitute the vegetable oil for apple sauce like I do with cakes.. mostly because i never have vegetable oil available.. would this mess the whole thing up?
Hi Heather! Feel free to experiment with this if you wish, but it will change the texture of these brownies greatly, and it may alter the flavor too. We really recommend making the recipe as written at least once, so you have a baseline to compare it to, and then feel free to tinker as you wish from there! Happy baking 🙂
Hi ! Ina really have bread flour on hand. Could I sub the bread for AP or do a combination ?
Hi Mel! We have never tried these brownies with bread flour, but it may work just fine – just note that it will likely made the brownies a little more dense and heavy. A combination would be better, if you can, but all AP flour will still be your best bet here. To use up your bread flour, check out these recipes: Homemade Hawaiian Rolls or Ultimate Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies 🙂
Why would my brownie goes very cakey? The first time was a success but after that I wasnt able to make it anymore
Hi Vic! How do you measure your ingredients? By volume (using cups), or by weight (using a digital kitchen scale)? When measuring by volume, it’s so easy to mis-measure ingredients (particularly flour, cocoa powder, and such dry ingredients) and yield inconsistent results. Check out Tessa’s article here, where she talks about how to best measure ingredients to ensure accuracy every time. I also recommend checking out the other tips and info Tessa has on this page, in the pink tip box above the recipe. I hope this helps, Vic, and I hope you’re able to nail these brownies again 🙂 Happy baking!
Love this recipe! Used a scale and followed instructions and they came out perfect! I did use a glass pan lined with foil, which seemed to add time when I cooked the brownies. It took about 30-35 minutes for them cook. The only substitution I made was with the chocolate chips. I used dark chocolate melting wafers! Turned out awesome, please try this recipe if you want a dense, decadent, fudgy brownie!!!
Sadly this still left a bitter/overly chocolate taste since it overpowered the sweetness, but it was hard to tell it it was done in the middle, I cooked for 30-32 minutes since I used a circle 8-inch.
But what should the texture feel like when touching/holding the middle pieces? Underbaked feeling or nice and sturdy?
Hi Fia! The middle texture will feel a little less sturdy while still warm (or if they’re underbaked), but pop the brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for sturdy, fudgy and super chewy brownies 🙂 As for the flavor, brownies should have a deliciously chocolatey flavor. If you’re looking for more sweetness, try using milk chocolate chips instead! Otherwise, if you’re really just not a big cocoa/chocolate fan, give this recipe a try: Blondies Recipe!
Very good brownies!! The batter was a lot thicker than some of the other brownies I’ve made, but they still turned out good! I used Olice oil instead of Veggie oil, and I’m wondering if that made the batter thicker?
Altogether, I loved this recipe and will be making it again 🙂
Thanks, Tessa!
Hi Izzy! So glad to hear that you enjoyed these brownies! I would recommend giving them a try with vegetable oil, for the best taste and texture, but the batter will still be fairly thick, to yield a perfectly chewy brownie 🙂 Happy baking!
If I were to make these brownies a the night before an advent and wanted to eat them the next day but wanted them to still be fresh and warm. Could I put them in the fridge then heat them up again and for how long and what temperature?
Hi Arabella! These brownies will keep perfectly for at least a few days if stored covered (and we actually like to store them in the fridge, as cold brownies are even more fudgy and chewy!) but I don’t recommend reheating them in the oven as this will likely overbake them by the time the center is heated through. You can either bake as directed, and then microwave slices individually to warm through before serving, or prep the batter and place it in your metal pan, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and then just bake as directed in the recipe the next day, adding a couple minutes to the bake time. This would be your best bet if you want warm brownies! I hope that helps! Happy baking 🙂
Thank you very much!!
I ‘ve been searching for a rich, decadent and easy brownie recipe, then I came across your recipe and tried it today. My son and sister-in-law gave 2 thumbs up for the recipe. This will be my go recipe for my upcoming coffee shop. What I love most is, you sharing the science of baking, learned a lot.
Hi,
I was wondering if I could add the dry ingredients to a jar so I could gift it for Christmas?
We haven’t tried that, so we can’t say for sure. Let us know how it goes if you give that a try 🙂