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:
Best chocolate brownies ever. Easy to make. I added pecans to mine and we just love them.
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.
Looks amazing! What’s the difference between this recipe, your ‘Ultimate Fudgy Brownies’ recipe (https://handletheheat.com/ultimate-brownies/#wprm-recipe-container-27226) and your ‘Best Easy Brownies’ recipe (https://handletheheat.com/best-easy-brownies/#wprm-recipe-container-25867)?
I’m having a hard time deciding which recipe to try because they all look delicious!
Haha, there’s a reason why I have over 40 brownie recipes, it’s tough to pick a favorite, which is why each recipe is a bit different to suit the craving I’m having 🙂 The fudgy brownies have a good level of chewiness, BUT they’re also very rich and fudgy. If you like fudge, you’ll LOVE the fudgy brownies 🙂
The biggest difference is that while the fudgy brownies have two types of melted chocolate, the chewy ones get their flavor from cocoa powder and chocolate chips. Adding cocoa powder to the chewy brownies makes them more “cakey” or chewy, and they also use butter and oil for best taste and texture as well as cornstarch and baking soda which makes them thicker and more cake-like, but still not cake in the slightest-they’re almost like a boxed brownie mix on steroids lol, and they’re quicker and easier to make than the fudgy brownies.
My Best Easy Brownies are just that-I wanted a recipe that was super easy to find the ingredients (or you already had them in your pantry!) along with a quick recipe and no mess 🙂 Personally, I’d recommend trying them all to see which is your favorite 🙂
i made this today. soooooo good and impressed with the simplicity of it. definitely a keeper.
Hooray!! I’m so happy you enjoyed your brownies!
I’m sorry to hear your brownies didn’t turn out correctly! My first question is if you use a digital scale to measure your ingredients? It sounds like you may have added too much flour/dry ingredients to the recipe if your brownies were crumbly. Did you substitute any ingredients? What kind of cocoa powder did you use? What kind of chocolate did you use?
These are great brownies. This one bowl brownie is moist and chewy with a great chocolate flavor. I used mini chips and they melted right into the brownies and are barely noticable. Thanx Tessa for another great recipe!
I’ve always struggled making the perfect, rich, chewy brownie and am so happy to have found the recipe that I will now refer to every time. Thank you for posting!
I’m absolutely thrilled to hear this is now your go-to recipe!!
Hi Tessa, Thanks for the recipe. These are absolutely delicious , I’ve made them twice already which means they’re a family favorite.
Ps. I added walnuts
I’m so thrilled your family loves these brownies so much! 🙂
Can I substitute the cornflour with tapioca flour?
I haven’t tried that, so I can’t guarantee the same outcome. I’d personally suggest following the recipe as is by using cornstarch 🙂
I made these for my husband’s birthday. We all loved them and the whole batch was gone in less than a day. Super easy to make. I was happy that these brownies did not taste overly sweet since I dislike very sweet things. I substituted the semisweet chocolate for 100% chocolate chips for my personal preference, but I normally do that.
Happy to hear you used this brownie recipe to celebrate with! I’m so pleased everyone loved them 🙂
Outstanding brownies. The perfect crunch , awesome gooeyness .
Cannot stop my hands …
Thankyou
hahaha I’m so glad you enjoyed these brownies!!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! It’s quick and easy to make and it tastes so good!!! This is my go-to brownie recipe now.
Wonderful to hear!
This recipe was easy to make! Im only 12 aand i single handedly did it. im very proud of my desert.
Awesome, Joelle!! I’m so happy to hear you loved these brownies! 🙂
I really loved these brownies. I did a test between these and the Ultimate Chewy Brownies. I loved these and some people loved the Chewy. These I think reminded most people of what we are used to in a box brownie. Delicious!