Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: The perfect balance of chocolate sweetness.
Texture: CHEWY, of course 🙂
Ease: Super easy. One bowl, no electric mixer needed.
Pros: Better than boxed brownies and almost as easy.
Cons: None.
I make this again? I make these ALL the time!
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These Chewy Brownies are my go-to recipe when I need a quick, easy, crowd-pleasing dessert.
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.
But these brownies are special. Check out just one of the 1,000+ 5-star reviews for these best homemade brownies:
Free Brownie Cheatsheet!
Frustrated with under-baked centers or brownies that turn out too dry and cakey? 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!
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 Chewy Brownie recipe, with author Grace Elkus raving about how quick and easy this recipe is! Bon Appétit also recently used this Chewy Brownie recipe as part of their research in their quest to create a perfect chocolate brownie.
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 these brownies, 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:
Best Ever Chewy Brownies
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 vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup (75 grams) cocoa powder*
- 1/2 cup (63 grams) all-purpose flour
- 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, egg yolk, and vanilla. 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
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.
I’ve tried several brownie recipes in recent months and this has been my favorite! Its my new go to. I made it exactly as instructed except I realized during measuring I was about 10 g short in cocoa I had left and I added some chopped walnuts. Still turned out amazing! I loved the crackly top.
I love these brownies. Always perfect. I do a double batch, and bake in a baking tray, swap white for dark brown sugar, and add whatever yummy chocolate things I like- today was a bag each of white, milk and dark chunks.. take out of oven, sit on bench until cool, then pop in fridge overnight and the yummiest ones ever! I would have to say I bake at least a batch of these every fortnight! It’s a regular in my baking diary.
How can I melt the butter and sugar without microwave
Hi Rhema! You can also melt the butter mixture in a medium saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat.
May I just suggest a cake pan wrap around the brownie pan. I never see anyone recommend this, but it makes a big difference. With the quilted wrap you don’t get hard crusty edges. The brownies all bake perfectly even. Just saying! Also, I added a dark chocolate mocha candy bar to this instead of the chips. This is a good recipe.
Delicious brownie recipe. I especially love the chocolate chips inside of them and how flavorful they are.
The perfect brownie!! It’s my go to!
This is so good! I’ve made Tessa’s various peanut butter brownies for the longest time (that are really popular with my friends) and decided to try something new this time, and I am wowed. Definitely chewy and oh so divine!
Oh my the most moist and completely yummy brownies I ever made and could not be easier. The last time I made them I decided to make a cream cheese filling and put half the batter into pan then cream cheese then rest of batter. I added about 5 minutes bake time. After cooling I really went whacked and made a fudge frosting for it as well. Good too but you don’t need to mess with the original recipe it’s just tooooo delicious!!!!
Yes you can. This is Carol. I’m a professional cookie and cake baker. Brown sugar is terrific because of the molasses in it and the great taste it gives.. I often use brown and white together
Very good taste.
I have a question! Can I use half brown sugar and half while instead of all white or would it mess it up?
Is this brownie recipe half kg?
Can I add brown sugar only instead of brown sugar
White sugar*
I know this brownie was posted in 2017, but my gad! This is the brownie I’ve been searching for!!! Chewy and fudgy to the point where it stucks on my teeth, this is my childhood brownie! I tweak a few things in this recioe but still the original is still the best!
So happy to hear that, Mhai!
Also what is weight of your eggs+yolk (without shell) in grams??
50 whole egg; 20g yolks, 30g whites…
Hi Aiman! You’ll need 100 grams for the eggs (without shell) and about 19 grams for the egg yolk. For future reference, large eggs in shell weigh 56 grams, out of shell weigh 50 grams, and egg yolks are about 19 grams. I hope that helps!