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.
I made these brownies last week. I liked them but my family not so much. They said it was too fudgy. I used a 9×9 pan as well didn’t change anything. By the second and third day I liked them and I called my sister to try. She agreed they were much better the following day. I’ll try less chips next time I make to make it less fudgy. Thank you for sharing.
Love this recipe so much!!! really delicious and surprisingly simple
Would it be possible to start including the calorie per portion in the recipes by any chance I calculate it sometimes to help me get an idea of my calorie intake for the day, for example with the ingredients I used, per piece, this recipe is 414 kcals
Hi Christina! We’re so glad to hear that you enjoy Tessa’s chewy brownie recipe! We don’t have nutritional information for our recipes, as we believe that dessert should be an indulgence! Feel free to keep track of your calorie intake with an app or nutrition calculator you should be able to find online 🙂
I really appreciate all your comments on the science behind specific ingredients! I’m curious about stoneware pans vs the metal? Also, I need to make ahead for a large party, I was hoping to make and freeze, the only other option is a day ahead, but I’ve already got a lot of other things planned to do.
Hi Michelle! Yes, you can absolutely make these brownies ahead! Wrap individual slices (or the entire uncut slab) very well in plastic wrap, and then inside a ziptop bag or airtight container and freeze for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving. Bonus tip: these are even better when cold, because they are extra extra fudgy when cold!
You can also make the batter for these brownies 24 hours ahead. Prep as the recipe states, pour the batter into the prepared tin, and cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake. You can bake straight from the fridge (assuming you’re using a metal pan, so it won’t shatter!) and you may just have to bake a few minutes longer than the recipe states, to account for the batter being cold.
As for your stoneware question, Tessa doesn’t prefer to use stoneware for baking. Light-colored metal conducts heat so well, without drying out the edges – learn more about that here!
Let us know what you think of these brownies once you have given then a try! Happy baking!
worked out brilliant for me i always buy box as so many are dry but this is great, ild prefer them a little more chewy though what would i need to add more of to get a more chewy texture please xx
I just mage these for my husband and they came out great! thank you!
Made this recipe on a Sunday, the whole batch of brownies were gone by Monday! Another batch coming up!
I’ve been looking for a good fudgey, slightly chewy and soft brownie recipe that also doesn’t get hard around the edges, and I’ve finally found it!!!
Thank you for sharing, this is my now go-to brownie recipe that I can whip up in under an hour!!!!
Tessa, if I wanted to make these brownies in a 9 x 13 and make them twice as thick (4 x the recipe) how would you recommend baking them or have you tried?
Hi Suzanne! I’m sorry but we haven’t tried that, so we can’t say for sure! Let us know how it goes if you give that a try 🙂
Not sweet, has a very cocoa powder taste, I did not care for that. Also, not chewy as I understand chewy brownies to be. I would not make these again.
Hi Ng! I’m sorry to hear that these brownies didn’t turn out as they should! They should be perfectly balanced, sweetness-wise, chewy, and not have an overbearing cocoa powder taste. I wonder what type of cocoa powder you used? Darker cocoa powders with a low fat percentage can be drying and leave the brownies with an unpleasant flavor and a dry texture. Check out this article, all about cocoa powders! Also, 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 ingredients (particularly flour) and throw off the entire chemistry of a recipe. Check out Tessa’s article here, where she talks about how to best measure ingredients to ensure accuracy every time. I hope something here helps, and I hope you do try these brownies again sometime – they really are delicious! Happy baking 🙂
On my second batch today.
Keeper! I love how non fussy this recipe this is!
Can make brownies with little mess and little prep time
Whooo!!! And so delicious
Thanks so much!
Delicious!!
Hi! I’m planning on making this brownie, but I don’t have a metal 8×8 baking tray. Can I use an aluminium disposable baking tray (8×8)? Thank you! 🙂
Hi Jo! We haven’t tried that, but it should work okay – just be sure to read over Tessa’s tips in the pink tip box (above the recipe) so you’re totally aware of what you’re looking for, to know when these are done 🙂 Let us know what you think once you’ve given these a try!
Hi Kiersten, thanks for the answer! The aluminium disposable baking tray worked well, I baked the brownie for exactly 30min and it turned out delicious!!! I will definitely keep this recipie saved 🙂
Hi Tessa,
Can I sub granulated sugar with caster sugar? That’s the only one I have now in the pantry and I am dying to bake this now
Thanks. D.
Hi Didi! We haven’t tried this recipe with caster sugar, so we can’t say for sure – but it should work fine! Let us know how it goes 🙂