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:
Reader Love
Absolutely amazing. From the way the brownies cracked delicately along the top crusty layer, to the gooey chocolate chips throughout…perfect chew…just perfect.
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 and Baking Science photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
yep, she’s right. they are the best chewy, fudgy brownies i’ve ever had. i added cinnamon to mine bc we love it with chocolate and they were defrigginlish!
This recipe was the first ever brownie recipe I’ve ever made. IT WAS FIRE. I didn’t even get to take a picture 😭 before they tore it upp but it was GREAT. Although I made a little changes to the recipe. Instead of using only white granulated sugar, I used brown sugar with it and a little baking soda because I didn’t have Dutch processed cocoa🫣. Maybe because of that it tasted a little bitter but not too bitter to the point where you can’t eat it.
But overall it was great 10/10. Would make again.
I don’t know you but actually marry me, THESE ARE SO GOOD. IM CURRENTLY ON MY MONTHLY REMINDER THAT IM NOT PREGNANT AND YOU DONT UNDERSTAND HOW AMAZING THIS IS TO EAT AT MIDNIGHT ON MY BATHROOM FLOOR. This is the typa greed they speak of in the bible, but I’m DEMOLISHING this whole tray. Thank you.
I love this recipe! I’ve made it countless times and it’s always delicious! However, the most recent time I made it, I realized too late that I didn’t have enough sugar 😭 I went ahead and still made it, but it obviously wasn’t the same. Is there recipe adjustments I can make if that happens again?
This recipe was great! I even bought a metal cake pan to bake them in. I had to bake them an extra couple of minutes, but they came out PERFECT. I am eating one (next day) right now and they are so chewy and yummy. I followed the recipe to a T. Would def add pecans or walnuts next time.
A bit disappointed that my brownies didn’t turn out to be chewy at all. It’s more dense, fudgy, and paste-like tasting in the mouth. It’s also too sweet for my liking. Not sure what I might have done wrong when I followed the steps, the measurements with a scale, and the bake time/temperature exactly. After tasting, I thought maybe baking a bit longer would help, but that didn’t change much besides crisping the bottom. Perhaps this recipe isn’t for me as I have made other ones I love before 🙁 I’m happy a lot of people love this though!
This is my favorite brownie recipe!
Though I’m wondering if in the past few months it was altered? I made it again and it seemed a lot sweeter than before?
So glad you love this one! We haven’t made any changes to the recipe, did you happen to use a different ingredient brand than you’ve used before? That can sometimes affect sweetness, or it could simply be a slight mismeasure of an ingredient. If it still tastes a bit sweeter for you next time, try swapping the semisweet chocolate for dark or bittersweet chocolate. It helps balance the sweetness nicely!
Best chocolate brownies ever. Easy to make. I added pecans to mine and we just love them.
Best brownie recipe ever!! I’ve been trying forever to replicate that box brownie texture and this NAILS it. They were chewy and even had that shiny top! It was also super easy. 5 stars
Yay, so happy to hear how much you love the recipe, Hayley! 🙂
My sister has made brownies with this recipe, and I can’t stop thinking about how delicious they are! One thing I would say is THIS RECIPE MAKES BROWNIES ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!!
I have made this recipe several times and I really like it for the taste and look I am going for in a brownie. Question: I want to cut my brownies in large 3″x3″ squares but with the 8×8 pan, I won’t get that size. If I were to make a recipe plus a 1/2 recipe, could I use a 9″x9″ pan so that I can get the 3×3 size I want? And if so, how would you recommend adjusting the time? Thank you!
So happy to hear you’ve been enjoying the recipe! 🙂 Yes, I think a 1 1/2 batch in a 9-inch square pan should work just fine and give you thicker brownies that can be cut into those nice big 3-inch squares (yum!).
We haven’t tested that exact variation, so I’m not sure of the precise bake time. I’d just plan for it to take a little longer and start checking for doneness a few minutes after the original bake time. Look for the brownies to be set with moist crumbs attached to a tester inserted into the center. Just be careful not to overbake them, that’s the secret to keeping them nice and chewy!
I made these brownies today. They are absolutely delicious. I added a tablespoon of espresso powder. Very easy to make. Like using one bowl. They taste so much better than box brownies. ⭐️