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 a couple of the 1,000+ 5-star reviews for these best homemade brownies:
Best chocolate brownies ever. Easy to make. I added pecans to mine and we just love them.
I made these and they were soooo chewy. Definitely the chewiest and crackliest homemade brownies I’ve ever made. Great recipe!
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.
Ingredient Notes for Success
Butter and Oil: Melted butter plus oil provides the best taste and texture. This is key!! You can use any neutral flavored oil that’s liquid at room temperature (such as vegetable, canola, avocado, etc.). Make sure your oil is fresh to avoid any off flavors.
Sugar: White/granulated sugar will dissolve more easily into the batter than brown sugar, helping to produce that shiny crust on top. More important notes on sugar below in the Sprinkle of Science section.
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.
Eggs: Two whole eggs plus an egg yolk for extra chewiness and richness. I never worry about bringing my eggs to room temp for this recipe, and it always turns out perfectly.
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.
Cornstarch (secret ingredient!): Cornstarch mimics the texture of box mix brownies, creating thicker, chewier brownies with a nice shiny crackly top. Don’t skip it if possible.
Stop Baking Brownies In Glass or Ceramic Pans!
Struggling with gummy, sunken, underbaked (even raw) or dry-edged brownies? Ditch the glass or ceramic pan and use a light-colored alumnized 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.
Sprinkle of Science (open me!)
If you want that crinkly, shiny thin crust on your brownies, don’t skip the chocolate chips! The key to that crust forming is getting enough dissolved sugar into your brownie batter. This can be tough to do consistently, so adding chocolate chips (which contain dissolved sugar already!) is a great shortcut. Learn more about that shiny brownie crust here.
I’ve done extensive experiments with the amount of sugar in this brownie recipe. The takeaway? Reducing sugar yields drier, crumblier brownies that stale quickly. It also prevents that shiny crust from developing on top.
Storing & Freezing Brownies
Serving: For best texture and taste, allow the brownies to cool to room temperature fully before slicing and serving. Easier said than done! But warm brownies will taste more sweet and won’t be as chewy in texture.
Room Temperature & Fridge: 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!
Freezer: 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
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.
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!
You can, but note that the brownies will be thinner and may not develop that shiny crust on top.
Not only does this make the recipe quicker and easier, but it yields denser, chewier, and fudgier brownies.
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.
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.
I have not found a suitable replacement for the eggs in brownies yet. Feel free to experiment!
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.
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.
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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.
Notes
More Brownies Recipes You’ll Love:
- Malted Brownies – made with brown butter!
- Toffee Brownies – use store-bought or homemade toffee bits!
- Brookies – cookies + brownies combined!
- Copycat Cosmic Brownies – ultimate nostalgia!
- Oreo Brownies – tastes like an Oreo, but better!
This recipe was originally published in 2017 and has been updated with additional baking tips and new photos. Recipe photos by Joanie Simon.
Thanks for this recipe! These brownie are soo good!!!
I use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil, and it gives it a little bit of a coconut flavor, (if you like coconut).
At 325 after 30 minutes this was still just batter. You sure that’s not a typo?
Yes, the recipe is correct. If your brownie batter is still liquid after 30 minutes in the oven, I’d highly encourage you to get an oven thermometer to see what temperature your oven is actually at. Also be sure to use a metal baking pan and not glass or ceramic for best results. Let us know what you think of this recipe when you give it another try. Good luck!
I am so picky about brownies, I’ve been hunting for the right recipe for years and finally found one that works for me!
The only issue I had was that the brownies sunk a bit after I took them out of the oven. I assume it’s my oven temp (as I’ve never really trusted it) because I also had to bake them for an extra 10mins.
I have one question: would a high-fat margarine or plant butter work in place of normal butter?
Thank you so much for this great recipe! The search is over!
So happy you enjoyed them, Ali! It is possible the sinking was due to your oven temp, but you also want to ensure you’re not overmixing the batter as well. If you used a glass or ceramic baking pan, that would also have caused the brownies to take longer to bake and possibly sink in the center due to the middle being slightly underbaked. We have not tested this recipe with margarine or plant butter, but let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
I dont understand. This is mine i think 6 time doing this as recipe, and it came out flat, dark, oily, and kinda wet but this is not the right effect. I think im doing exacly as the recipe and still i have no idea what is wrong. I use scale
Like, the top doesnt Look like chocolate it looks like asphalt
Without having baked alongside you, it’s tough to say what went wrong! I’m sorry you’re experiencing issues, but hopefully I can help troubleshoot so your next batch is delicious! Have you made any substitutions to the ingredients? What type of baking pan are you using? Do you have an oven thermometer to ensure your oven is baking at the correct temp? I would recommend watching the recipe video that’s just below the recipe on our site and see if you notice a difference between how Tessa makes the brownies and yours. After reading through the links I shared above, please let me know if you have any other questions. I’d love to hear how your next batch goes. Good luck!
I don’t know what I did wrong, but I made these tonight and they took way longer to cook than 30 minutes. I wanna say like 45 minutes. What most likely happened here? (they were still delicious though…)
Hi Larissa! Glad you enjoyed your brownies! A longer bake time than listed is typically due to a couple of things: either using a glass or ceramic pan instead of metal, or your oven runs cold. If it’s the latter, I’d recommend getting an oven thermometer to double check what your oven is at when it’s preheated. All ovens are different – mine, for example, requires me to wait an additional 15 minutes after the preheated beep before it’s actually at temp! I hope that helps 🙂
I made these brownies today and they are sooo good. I did a few things different. I doubled the recipe and used 8 tbs (1 stick) of butter, not 10, I used salted butter because that is what I have. After they were in the pan I realized I forgot the salt so I just sprinkled it on the top and swirled it in, my husband said I should do it that way all the time. I also cut the sugar to 1 cup, not 1 1/4, and I replaced the oil with greek yougert.
i’ve made these brownies close to 10 times now – absolutely perfect every single time. only difference is i cut back on 10g on sugar, just so it’s less sweet but taste-wise, it is negligible. this has been my go-to for every pot luck, party, get together, and it’s so easy to make!
These are our favorite brownies. Also using a metal pan is a game changer. I switched all my baking pans to metal
These turned out so good, best brownie recipe I’ve followed by far
these brownies r amazing!!!:)
These were fantastic! The only oil I had on hand was coconut, but it added a nice subtle flavor to the brownies. Brought these to work and they were a big hit. Thank you!
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!!! ❤️