Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste:ย The perfect balance of chocolate sweetness.
Texture: CHEWY, of course ๐
Ease:ย Super easy. One bowl, no electric mixer needed.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:ย 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. Iโm not exaggerating when I say Iโve made it over 200 times. Itโs truly the best!
Thereโs 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 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!!! โค๏ธ
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The Kitchn tested this recipe, raving about how quick and easy it is! Even Bon Appรฉtit used the recipe as part of their research in their quest to create a perfect chocolate brownie.
Sprinkle of Science
Ingredient Notes for Success
The Cocoa Powderย
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 Penzeyโs or Guittard. Ghirardelli is also great in a pinch. 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. They strengthen the chocolate flavor, thicken the texture, and help develop that shiny, crinkly crust on top.
You can also add 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans in addition to the chocolate chips.
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.ย
- 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
Donโt reduce the sugar in this Brownie Recipe, as this will cause dry, crumbly brownies that will stale faster. Learn more about sugarโs 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 โ but avoid adding too much, as this can cause dry, cakey brownies. Use a digital kitchen scale to prevent accidental over measuring. If you donโt 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 crackly top. Donโt skip it if possible.
The Best Pan for Brownies:
Struggling with gummy, sunken, underbaked (even raw) or dry-edged brownies? Ditch the glass square pan and use a light-colored 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.
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 fudgier when theyโre chilled!ย
To freeze, 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 (donโt 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 youโre team cakey, donโt even bother with this recipe. Itโll 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 havenโt 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 doesnโt have any binders.
Yes, replace the butter with an equal amount of a vegan butter block thatโs 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 thatโs 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 donโt 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 325ยฐF. 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 Youโll Love:
- Malted Brownies โ made with brown butter!
- Toffee Brownies
- Copycat Cosmic Brownies โ ultimate nostalgia!
- Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies
- How to Make the Perfect Caramel Sauce
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.
Omg!!! So, so, so good! Easy, fast and the best recipe Iโve tried! I put them in the fridge and served them cold. Incredibly fudgy! ๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป
These were SO GOOD! I doubled the recipe and made them in a 9×13 and they are perfection. Thank you for this amazing recipe and the very helpful pan tips!
I have been making brownies for years and finally gave up because the end results were always disappointing. They either came out too gooey or too dry. You’re recipe finally gave me the perfect texture and chewiness I am looking for! They key differences in your recipe is that you note to weigh the ingredients (especially the flour), use Dutch processed cocoa and add corn starch. The brownies had the crinkly top just like your photos and instead of chocolate chips (which I don’t like in my brownies), I used chopped pecans. Even without the added chocolate chips, the flavor was intense and perfect – not to mention the aroma! Thank you for bringing the love of baking brownies back into my life. I will be making these brownies over and over again!
The brownie came out delicious! It just came out abit bitter (but maybe that was just my cocoa powder). Overall it is amazing, was chewy, had a crackly top. I’m very happy!
This was soooo good. It was chewy and the slightly crispy top was perfect. Instead of doing 2 eggs + 1 yolk, I only did 2 eggs (I didn’t want to waste another egg just to use the yolk) and only 50 grams of semisweet chocolate as my family isn’t fond of choco chips in brownies. It came out amazing and best part? It wasn’t too sweet which is something I’m very particular about.
I bake regularly and have for many years. I weighed the ingredients as noted and baked in a metal 8×8 pan. The brownies looked perfect after baking. I served them for dessert a few hours later. Unfortunately, I was not satisfied with the taste. For me it was too cocoa tastingโkind of bitter. I used Hershey Cocoa (regular). I wonโt repeat the recipe, but Iโm glad I tried it, and Iโm glad most reviewers liked them better than I did.
Some brownie recipes I have seen can be slightly adjusted and baked as cookies. Do you have a conversion for this recipe? Thanks
One of the best and easiest brownie recipes Iโve made. Great taste, great texture, crackly top as promised. I wonder if the commenters who found them too sweet used natural cocoa powder – I used Dutch processed and mine arenโt too sweet at all.
My go to recipe. Pans matter! I have used ceramic glass and metal and I got the best crackle crust in my ceramic pan. I also have added espresso powder and it added some OOMPH
Nope. Not it. Like so many other reviewers, I followed the recipe exactly, and didn’t get the shiny, crackly top, and the texture was barely brownie-like.
This recipe either needs more testing, or needs to be updated so the instructions yield consistent results.
Trust me,I’m doing this recipe for years and the only times when it didn’t came out good it was because I messed something up.Try again and you’ll see how good it is.Try to respect the amounts ,the ingredients ,they are very important.
What, this is the best recipe and I ended up losing this recipe for approximately eight years trying to re-create it and then I luckily ended up finding it in a folder and I had the recipes website and Iโm so glad that I found it again. You must be messing something up because these are the best brownies. Iโve tried hundreds of recipes over those eight years and use a scale measure the ingredients if you have to.