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!
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
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.
Email This Recipe
Enter your email, and we’ll send it to your inbox.
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.
I’d been craving chewy chocolatey brownies & these definitely satisfy! After accidentally leaving my 8×8 pan at my in-laws over the holidays had to improvise & split the batter between two 4×6 loaf pans. After adding about 12 min to baking time I was rewarded with warm chewy chocolate middle and a lovely crunchy (but not hard) top. Love the baking powder’s effect on the brownie top. Who knew? The crunch is spectacular & exactly what I was looking for. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
So happy you loved this recipe! Love the idea of a brownie “loaf”, yum!
They definitely were not done in the 30 minutes but they are delicious, I would just add a little extra time
It’s a great recipe. Perfect chewiness and beautiful crinkle too and I would suggest to use mix of dark and milk chocolate chips so as to balance the sweetness.
Thanks for your feedback! So glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
I cannot for the life of me figure out why my brownies keep sinking in the middle. I made both your chewy brownies and ultimate fudgy brownies and they baked exactly the same.
I use the USA 8×8 light colored aluminum tin. I whisk my eggs and sugar thoroughly to make it nice and airy and light. I weigh all my ingredients perfectly with a scale. I do not over mix the flour. And I do not over-bake. In fact I can’t get them to bake more in the middle. They turn out too gooey, and slightly fall in the middle. The brownie “skin” on top is beautiful and shiny and slightly crackly, and the flavor is awesome!
But How can I ensure them to get an even rise? Should I add more leavener or just try a different size pan ? And do you suggest using natural or dutch processed cocoa ? I don’t want Cakey brownies, but I don’t want too gooey either. How do I achieve that in-between ?
Sorry to hear of your issues, Lexi! USA Pan is a great brand and one we recommend. Do you bake at high altitude? The type of brownie that you’re looking for (not cakey or gooey) is exactly these Chewy Brownies. For the cocoa, Tessa calls for unsweetened (natural) cocoa powder. You don’t want to substitute the cocoa powder called for in a recipe if the recipe contains baking powder or baking soda (more details can be found in this article HERE). Sunken brownies typically happen due to overmixing, but you said you didn’t do that. It can also happen if your oven isn’t at the correct temperature. All ovens are different. My oven takes an additional 15 minutes after beeping that it’s ready for it to be at the correct temp. That additional 15 minutes makes a difference of 70°F for me, so definitely get an oven thermometer if you don’t have one already. I wish we could bake right along with you to see what happened for sure, but hopefully this helps. I hope that you give this recipe (and the ultimate brownies) another try! Please let me know if you have more questions, and definitely let us know how it goes with your next attempt.
Is it all right to double this recipe and use a13x9 pan? Thanks
Yup!
Made a double batch of HTH’s Best Ever Chewy Brownies and, let me tell you, Tessa wasn’t kidding when she chose to name them that. My mind was completely blown at how completely perfect these turned out. I have never in my life seen nor tasted such a model brownie. I’m not even a brownie lover but I thought these were phenomenal!
Yay! So happy to hear how much you love this recipe, thanks for taking the time to comment and let us know! 🙂
Followed recipe to the letter including weighing everything and testing oven temp. Undercooked and cakey. Boo!
Sorry to hear that, Jenny! Something definitely went wrong, what kind of pan did you use? Did you substitute any ingredients?
Excellent take on CI’s recipe without all the superfluous verbiage they never fail to add. This recipe really works with the addition of 2 tsp of coffee extract or 1 tbsp instant espresso + 1 tbsp hot water. Coffee just brings out the flavour of chocolate.
One question for the chef: why the metric system for measurements?
So glad you loved this recipe! We always recommend measuring ingredients with a digital scale as it guarantees precision. Plus, it’s quicker and easier than measuring cups. And less to clean up! What’s not to love? 🙂 Not using a digital scale to measure ingredients for this recipe specifically (especially the flour) can result in drier or cakier brownies. I hope that helps!
Hi! If I substituted for milk chocolate chips, how much would I have to cut back on the sugar ?
Hi Stephanie! We haven’t tried milk chocolate chips with this recipe, semisweet is our favorite for the brownies, but other readers did not reduce the sugar when substituting milk chocolate chips noting they just preferred the sweeter taste. You’re more than welcome to give it a try, but personally (milk chocolate is my fave in life), I actually prefer semisweet chips in this recipe. It’s balanced perfectly! Please let us know what you think when you give this recipe a try 🙂
The way you’ve set up these pages I can NOT print just the recipe, or anything really!
Hi Cory! We offer two different areas to print from: one at the top of the page, right below the Yield, Prep Time, and Cook Time (it’s a red printer icon), and the second if you jump down to the recipe, it’s the same red printer icon right below the title of the recipe. Make sure you don’t have popups blocked as the printable recipe does open in a separate tab. I hope that helps! Please email me at [email protected] if you still experience issues, I’m happy to help further!
I think you have the flour and sugar measurements listed incorrectly.No I did not make this recipe the 63 grams of flour and 249 grams of sugar were a deterrent. I am questioning the accuracy of the recipe as posted.
Hi Sharon! Nope, this recipe has been tested numerous times by our HTH team, as well as by hundreds in the HTH community (with 660 reviews!). Recipe is correct as written 🙂 You can find more details about each ingredient in the pink tip box above the recipe. I can’t wait for you to enjoy these brownies, they’re my favorite!
This recipe was easy and delicious.