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.
This is so fire!!
Yay! Glad to hear that!
Perfect! Sooo chewy and easy to do…I just reduce the amount of sugar.. thanks!
Oops! I did look over the corn starch part! Thanks!
Thanks for the tip on whole wheat!
Wow, thank you so much for breaking down each ingredient and educating us on the effects of each one! Just curious, what is the purpose of the corn starch? and what would happen if it’s substituted with flour? Also, what do you think would happen if I use all purpose whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour?
Hi Jackie, did you miss the line explaining why cornstarch is called for? Here it is, “Cornstarch This little secret ingredient really helps to improve the texture of these brownies so they’re that much closer to the box mix kind.” You can think of it as a tenderizer. I would reccomend following the recipe exactly as I’ve written it the first time, then experiment with changes.
Whole wheat flour would make the brownies denser with a more pronounced wheat flavor. I would start with no more than 50% whole wheat, 50% all purpose.
These required much longer than 30 minutes in the oven. They were still completely gooey throughout. Not sure what happened.
Hi Esther, what kind of pan did you bake them in? And did you track your oven’s temperature with an oven thermometer?
Too tart,,not enough sweetness. Cocoa powder needs to have more sweetness to balance flavour.
Fudge but not the best recipe.
I’m sorry to hear that, Karen! But 1 1/4 cups sugar for an 8-inch brownie plan should be plenty of sweetness. And based off the other positive reviews, I’m thinking that maybe next time a different brand of cocoa powder might work better 🙂
Whoah so good this is an awesome website thanx for this recipe Tessa!
WOW. These are SO good. I usually don’t follow instructions perfectly, and my baked stuff is really tasty (for me and my hubby and kid anyway!). But I loved the way you broke down WHY things needed to be done a certain way. Like, normally when I see “let it cool”, I just ignore that (shh) but I let the batter cool as you instructed. I used olive oil since we don’t usually have veggie oil. Anyway, long story short, this is my new go to brownie recipe! And I can’t wait to check out other goodies from your site!
Hi Tessa. This recipe looks so yummy I can’t wait to try it out in a few days! The only problem is that why is the 3/4 cup (128 grams) semisweet chocolate chips and the 3/4 cup (75 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder the same amount in cups if the grams are different? What I mean is that both are 3/4 cups but they are different amounts of grams. Would love if you could answer back asap. Thank you! ☺It does not really matter as I can figure it out in grams but just asking to be prepared when I make them!
The reason for the difference in grams is because of the weight difference in the chips, which are heavier, than the cocoa powder, even though both are the same measurement of 3/4 cup.
Tried so many brownie recipes but none of them ever turned out as fudgy! Added some hazelnuts in for an extra crunch. My family absolutely loved the brownies. Will definitely stick to this recipe from now on. Thanks Tessa!
So happy to hear that, Rebecca! 🙂
Hi. i know this might quite a weird question. but after putting the butter and sugar into microwave for 1 minute, would i expect the sugar to be melted along with the butter ? or only the butter would be melted ? I haven’t make this yet but want to make sure what i should expect it to be upon melting both. thanks !
No.. it should just begin to dissolve slightly into the butter but sugar requires a very high temp to melt.
Thank you so much for this recipe! It was exactly what I was looking for. I made a double match and it was a hit!