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.
I made these yesterday at my Mom’s house (she’s 82). They were so quick and easy. The brownies turned out tall with a beautiful shiny top and smelled wonderful. It was rainy all day due to hurricane Ian. When we finally lost electricity, we had these perfect brownies to enjoy by candlelight as Ian raged outside. Thank you for a great recipe.
I’m so glad you and your mom enjoyed these brownies, Gail! I hope you were able to stay safe and well during the storm!!
Made these brownies. Amazing! I’ve been looking for a chewy brownie and have tried many recipes. This is the best. I use processed cocoa and it taste great and it was easy to make. I used my scale to measure flour and cooked an additional 4 minutes. My new go to brownie recipe. Love this recipe as it gave many ideas in the highlighted areas as well. Great source of information.
Hi Mary Ann! Thanks so much for your wonderful review! We are SO happy to hear that you enjoyed these brownies so much, and so glad that you found Tessa’s tips and information helpful, too!! Thanks again, and happy baking 🙂
Delicious and decadent dessert! My family loved these pop brownies
These brownies really do live up to their name! Best ever indeed. I will make this recipe again and again, they’re so easy to whip up in under an hour. I will never use box mix again!
Yay!! Love to hear that, Laura! 🙂
The best brownies!
I swapped the flour to almond flour and used 1 cup coconut sugar and 1/4 cup powdered sugar instead of regular. I also just put in the full 3 eggs.
Anyways. So many modifications but somehow it worked out.
Will be sticking with this recipe for sure!
These brownies were absolutely amazing and they were eaten so quick! My new go to brownie recipe!
I baked them in a metal pan, but I still had to add on 8 extra minutes for the knife to not come out with wet batter on it.
I made this recipe without the cornstarch. 8 of them to be exact. It was a hit at my job. They were gone within an hour. Thank you for sharing.
This took way more cooking time then what it calls for. I’m really not sure what is going on but after an hour it’s still not done.
Hi Jazmyn! Oh no, it definitely sounds like something went wrong if these brownies are taking that long to bake fully! Are you using a metal pan to bake your brownies, or are you using a glass pan? Glass can take much, much longer to bake compared to metal. Read more about why, and which pans bake best, in Tessa’s article here! Another thing could be your ingredients. How do you measure your ingredients? By volume (using cups), or by weight (using a digital kitchen scale)? When measuring by volume, it’s so easy to mis-measure flour/sugar/etc and throw off the entire chemistry of a recipe. Tessa talks about how to best measure ingredients to ensure accuracy every time, in this article here! Your oven also could be running too cold. Ovens are almost always lying to us about their real temperature! We recommend using an oven thermometer, to ensure accuracy, and make sure your baked goods are baking correctly! Tessa talks about the importance of oven temperature accuracy and using an oven thermometer, in this article here! I hope you give these brownies another try sometime; they really are so delicious!
Caved in, couldn’t get done in the middle. I tried 2 different batches, both terrible. Tried a different recipe and it was great. Sorry. I won’t use this one again.
Hi Bev! It definitely sounds like something was going wrong when trying to make these brownies! I’m glad you found a different recipe that worked for you, but just in case you wished to troubleshoot, here are a couple of thoughts. How do you measure your ingredients? By volume (using cups), or by weight (using a digital kitchen scale)? When measuring by volume, it’s so easy to mis-measure flour/sugar/etc and throw off the entire chemistry of a recipe. Tessa talks about how to best measure ingredients to ensure accuracy every time, in this article here! Also, I wonder if you’re baking in a glass pan? We never recommend using a glass pan for baking brownies (or most things, really), as glass pans don’t conduct heat well, so the middle is often left gummy and raw. We recommend using a light-colored metal pan – you can read more about that here! I hope something here helped 🙂 Happy baking!
These turned out so wonderfully for my boyfriend’s birthday!
I had to make a few tweaks based on what I had available in my pantry (I only had bread flour instead of A.P. and about 3/4c of granulated sugar so I subbed brown sugar for the remaining 1/2c.) and it turned out splendidly. It’s an excellent base recipe! I also added 1.5tsp of instant espresso powder in with the cocoa powder and topped the finished, cooling brownies with flaky salt and truly they are DIVINE.
Really quick and easy, EXCELLENT effort to payoff ratio.
Moist, chewy chocolate deliciousness. Better than box, just as easy to make.
Yassss. I’ve been searching for years for an actual chewy brownie, that is as good as box mix. This is better, and really easy!
And obviously perfectly chewy! Absolutely love it, thank you so much.
I needed to use a slightly wider pan, and they were perfect after 26 mins for me.
I’m in the UK and sometimes find US recipes don’t seem to work as well as described (even with conversions), but this recipe was brilliant for me!
One note – cornstarch is ‘cornflour’ in the UK.
Thanks!!!!
Tessa, I like these but I like Cake-like brownies better. Do you have a good recipe for Cake-like brownies ? How could I modify this recipe if you don’t. I make the Ultimate Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies all the time and I love them.
Thanks, Scott
Hi Scott! Unfortunately, we don’t have a cakey brownie recipe, basically because Tessa doesn’t prefer cakey brownies! In order to modify these chewy brownies into cakier brownies, it will definitely take some playing around and experimenting. You will want to start by eliminating the extra egg yolk and cornstarch from this recipe, as they are both there to encourage chewiness. I would then recommend experimenting with creaming together the butter and sugar, as you would do for a cake, rather than melting them together as the recipe states. You will also want to play with the amount of flour (more flour = cakier brownies). I would also recommend adding more baking soda, to give the brownies lift and more of a cakey texture. Again, this will take some experimenting for you to find the process and ratios of ingredients to meet your desired outcome! Good luck and happy baking 🙂