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.
Excellent brownies!
I’ve been baking for many years and do know about calibrating ovens, quality of cocoa, etc. but I still needed to bake the brownies an extra five minutes, and then another four minutes at 350 because I couldn’t get any crumbs on my tester stick.
I’m only mentioning I had to do this because these brownies are so delicious and I wouldn’t want someone to think they won’t turn out. Sometimes ovens have a mind of their own.
Fantastic! I used 1:1 KA GF flour and they were great! This recipe is a keeper! I also used Kerry Gold no-salt butter as my husband struggles with both enriched processed flour and regular processed butter/dairy.
Is 1/3 teaspoon of baking soda too much? My sister made them, and accedentally did 1/3 tsp. I havent tried one though.
Hi Kaylee! Additional leavening agent may make these brownies rise a little more, and make the texture a little more cake-like. They should still taste good, though! Let us know how it went 🙂
I followed this recipe EXACTLY! Measured everything using measuring cups. First time I made them was last week.. they were so perfect & my family loved them. The last 2 days I’ve made these they are still doughy in the middle. Yesterday I baked them an extra 20 mins & finally took them out .. still doughy but you could tell they tasted over-baked. Today again, took them out after 30 mins & still doughy
Hi Michelle! I’m sorry to hear that you’re experiencing sporadic issues in making these brownies. It sounds like a couple things may possibly be happening here. Firstly, do you have an oven thermometer to check that your oven is running accurately? They are inexpensive and really help your baking so much! This oven thermometer is one of Tessa’s favorites. Most home ovens are inaccurate – mine sometimes runs 10 degrees hotter than it’s set to, and sometimes up to 50 degrees hotter than it’s set to! So I really have to keep an eye on my thermometer, to ensure the temp is correct, and to ensure it stays that way throughout the whole bake. Check out Tessa’s article here about ovens, full of tips. I also wonder what type of pan you’re baking the brownies in? Glass vs metal pans can make a big difference on the baked result, as Tessa shows in this article here. I hope something here helps, Michelle, and I hope you’re able to nail the problem down so you can make delicious, perfect brownies every time! Good luck and happy baking!
These are amazing!! I made just as the recipe states and my family was in heaven definitely making a double next time, Thank you for sharing!!
Literally the best brownies I’ve ever put in my mouth
Hi,
Do you think it’s possible to substitute the butter with a plant based butter? I was looking at Miyokos unsalted plant milk butter. Any recommendations would be appreciated, I am making these for someone that cannot have dairy.
Thanks,
Maddie
Hi Maddie! We don’t bake with dairy-free ingredients, so I can’t say for sure! Let us know how it goes if you give that a try 🙂
I have successfully done this recipe with both regular butter and county crocks olive oil plant based butter sticks
You could try margarine are a plant base butter from cashews
Question! 1/3 cup of vegetable oil is mentioned a few times (Ingredient list and ‘Fat’ notes), but isn’t mentioned anywhere in the actual baking instructions… does the recipe need the 1/3 cup of vegetable oil PLUS the 5 tbsp of butter?
Thank you!
Yaz
Hi Yaz! Yes, the oil + butter is essential here – it’s added after the eggs, mentioned at the end of Step 2: “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, egg yolk, and vanilla. Stir in the oil and cocoa powder.” Let us know what you think of these brownies once you have given them a try 🙂
Yes! So sorry – I caught it after but couldn’t delete or reply to the comment until it had been approved.
Thanks so much!
Yaz
No problem at all! Enjoy your brownies 🙂
I found these to be just ok. They were somewhat bitter and (maybe this is just me) they were almost TOO sticky and somehow dry at the same time? I say that because I found myself having trouble swallowing these – it’d get stuck in my esophagus lol. not in a choking-hazard way, I just noticed I was struggling to get it moving
Hi Brittany! I’m sorry to hear that these brownies didn’t turn out as they should! Here are a few tips for next time:
– 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 and cocoa powder) and throw off the entire chemistry of a recipe – resulting in dry brownies. Check out Tessa’s article here, where she talks about how to best measure ingredients to ensure accuracy every time.
– What type of pan did you bake the brownies in? Glass vs metal pans can make a big difference on the baked result, as Tessa shows in this article here. This could be why your brownies had a strange texture.
– If you’re noticing a bitterness, that’s likely your cocoa powder. I recommend giving a different brand of cocoa powder a try! Learn more about cocoa powders here.
I hope something here helps, Brittany, and I hope you’ll give these brownies another try – they really are fantastic!! Good luck and happy baking 🙂
Finally a brownie recipe that works flawlessly! They were so absolutely delicious and looked perfect! The dream brownies! And they were so easy to make. I basically devoured them on my own. Thank you!!!
very yummy and easy
Amazingly good! I’ll never buy boxed brownie mix again! These came out almost perfectly – something I could never accomplish before. Of course that’s just one dragon to slay when baking any type of dessert. The main desire is how it tastes.
These brownies are ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️!!!
Thanks for reading
Thrilled to hear that these were such a hit for you, Kim!! 🙂