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!).
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.
What Makes Cookies Chewy, Crisp, or Cakey?
My free guide reveals the ingredients and tweaks that matter.
As a trained chef, it surprises people to learn brownies are among my favorite things to bake at home. I don’t need something fancy, I need something satisfying and that chewy texture is where it’s at.
I have shared over 50 Brownie Recipes over the years. My Ultimate Brownies are rich, dense, and fudgy. My Brown Butter Brownies have the most stunning crackly crust. And my Toffee Brownies are have a unique crunch.
But these brownies are my everyday go-to reicpe. 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!!! ❤️
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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 this Brownie Recipe, 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.
Secret Ingredient: Cornstarch!
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. If you’re team cakey, don’t even bother with this recipe. It’ll be far too chewy and fudgy for you!
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:
- Malted Brownies – made with brown butter!
- Toffee Brownies
- Copycat Cosmic Brownies – ultimate nostalgia!
- Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies
Best Ever Chewy Brownies
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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.
Recipe Notes
The Ultimate Cookie Handbook
Learn the sweet SCIENCE of cookie baking in a fun, visual way to customize your own recipes frustration-free. Plus, my best 50+ homemade cookies!
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.
Hi Tessa
I have just found you. Your recipes look great and I am going to try some. Please can you tell me in your recipe’s you use Granulated sugar, is that the same as Caster sugar in the UK.
Thank you
Bonjour! Je cherche depuis 6mois la recette de brownie suffisamment humide car mon fils a un goût très précis en tête. J’ai lu toutes les explications techniques qui sont super intéressantes. Je suis française donc je ne connais pas vos marques de chocolats, pour la cuisson si au bout de 30 mns le gâteau n’a pas l’air cuit, je le sors quand même? Je vais tester votre recette et je vous tiens au courant. Bon week-end!
Thank you for this post; I like how well you explained your brownie recipe.
These are the BEST brownies ever! My husband says that in the 31 years we’ve been married and I’ve been baking these absolutely his favorite of all time. My only tweak was to add cinnamon to the batter (I add cinnamon to my coffee every morning so I’m as addicted to that as to chocolate). I made your buttercream for birthday cupcakes last month and it was amazing. You are totally my go-to place for baking hints and recipes. Thank you for all you do!
Wow, Susan!! I just love this! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a wonderful comment 🙂
We decided to try this recipe last night because my 6-year old niece is named Tessa, as well 😉 Boy, am I glad we did! We’ve been on a hunt to find the perfect chewy, gooey brownie recipe that matches the boxed texture & THIS IS IT! I didn’t have chocolate chips, so we left those out & I had to double the recipe – we just used 5 eggs, instead of 4 eggs + 2 yolks. The “substitutions” turned out great. The only [possible] drawback…the top of the brownies rose in the oven, then the inside caved as it cooled. This created a crater-like effect on the top (which also included some pieces that tasted like Brownie Brittle – YUM!!!) so they weren’t as pretty as yours, but they did taste delightful! Thank you for sharing!
Quick question – are these more chewy or fudgy?
They look amazing, but I’m really looking for a CHEWY brownie.
The name says it all 😉
Was so looking forward to these brownies. Unfortunately, they were so undercooked at 30 min. Tried another 15 min and stil undone. 🙁 The top crust, however, looked nice.
Is cornflour the same as cornstarch? if not, can I substitute cornstarch with cornflour?
I baked my brownies for 30 minutes as directed, but the middle was really liquidy and uncooked. I baked them for another 5-6 minutes and was worried about them overbaking but the middle was still uncooked. I don’t know what I did wrong, I followed all directions. Any suggestions?
Hi Kathy, what kind of pan did you use? Did you gauge the oven temp with a thermometer? Mine usually isn’t anywhere close to being preheated when it says it is (and it’s only a few year old!).
Hi these looked delicious so I decided to try them! I only had salted butter, so i omitted the salt. They don’t look the same as yours though, and I used everything else like the recipe. They also took a long time to cook, and I used a convection oven. Do you have any suggestions?
My quest is over! I have made dozens of brownie recipes searching for one that is chewy, crispy on the edges and with a great, deep chocolate hit. THIS is the recipe. I have made them twice already and I’m about to make a third batch (in as many weeks) for a friend of mine who loves this brownie style as much as I do.
I have two tweaks to this recipe:
1) I add 1 cup of toasted pecan pieces. (Brownies need nuts in my book. I plan to make a batch with peanuts at some point soon …)
2) For the cocoa powder I use 1/2 cup basic unsweetened cocoa and 1/4 cup King Arthur Black Cocoa. This cocoa is deep black and bitter – it’s best to use this as a cocoa supplement and not for 100% of the cocoa in most recipes.
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/black-cocoa-12-oz
I am now, thanks to Tessa, The Brownie King. Thank you so much!
So glad to hear that! Thanks for sharing!
Hi! I have a few qns! If i reduce the sugar how will the brownie be affected? Also what can i do to make the brownie even more chewy?