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 have these baking right now, and cannot wait until they come out of the oven and cool! The recipe was very easy to follow, and the article was helpful for informing why certain ingredients and techniques are used.
I’ve made this a dozen times. It fulfills that box-brownie perfection. Everybody loves them. Don’t leave out the chocolate chips!
I hadn’t made brownies often and was very insecure about the batter; it was incredibly thick and pasty. I thought it would bake dry and and wouldn’t rise; however, it turned out to be the perfect consistency – a bit of a crust, a papery top, and a fudgy middle. – and rose to a good brownie height. I baked it in a round cake tin as I didn’t have anything square and metal that was the right size. With ice cream or whipped cream it was perfect; without, it was almost a bit bitter from the cocoa, so my sweet tooth would maybe adjust that slightly next time. Overall, this was great, I was just really taken aback by the texture of the batter. I love all the helpful pictures in this recipe. It might be nice to include one of the batter before baking, so people can know what to expect…I almost just threw it away!
Best brownie I have ever made. Great
the best from scratch brownies I’ve ever made!
Just made these! I can’t stop eating them. I added some espresso powder about 1/2 tsp idk if that did anything to them.
HI,
I discovered the recipe on tiktok and i think it’s safe to say it’s a hit for the right reasons. I made this recipe in norway with nordic/european ingredients which is maybe why i felt the cacao was a lot in my case and made the brownies taste dark chocolaty. But could you help me in understanding why i did not get the top layer crispy. Mine had a great texture, very dark color and taste, but that top did not look like how you have it in the pictures. Please help because i’m definitely going for another round hehe.
Thank you and hugs from norway
Hi Gunika! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed these brownies so much! Take a look at Tessa’s article here, all about how to achieve that thin, shiny crust on the top of brownies! I hope that helps! Happy baking 🙂
really love this kind of chewy brownies! thank you for the recipe.
can you also please make this kind of chewy brownies but in matcha flavor?
Hi Izza! So glad to hear that you enjoyed these brownies! Tessa doesn’t currently have a matcha brownie recipe, but I’ll be sure to pass along your suggestion. Thanks again and happy baking 🙂
my favorite brownie recipe 🙂 i thought i just didnt like brownies but clearly i was stuck in an endless cycle of cakey brownie recipes. cant go wrong with these and the glass-like crust that i get on the top is so inviting and it got me so many compliments! 🙂
Yay!! So happy to hear you found your preferred texture brownie! These are definitely a favorite of ours too 🙂
Hello! Can you use canola oil if that’s all you have?
Hi Erika! Yes, any flavorless oil should work just fine 🙂
Too gooey. I followed the recipe to a tee and it was just too gooey for me. I cooked the brownies longer and it still wasnt the consistency I would have liked.
Hi Valencia! I’m sorry to hear these brownies didn’t turn out as they should. Did you bake these brownies in a light-colored metal pan? We recommend this pan, but something similar will work too! Using a glass or ceramic pan will change the baking process, as these types of pans conduct heat differently and less evenly – which could be the reason your brownies had an overly-gooey texture. Your oven also could be running too hot or too cold. Ovens are almost always lying to us about their real temperature, and when your temperature is off, it can give you the illusion that the brownies are baked through when they’re not. 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! Hopefully something here helped! Feel free to reach back out to us with any further questions – we are always happy to help!! 🙂
is it okay if I don’t choose chocolate chip cookies in this recipe?
Hi Arwa! You can skip the chocolate chips, but it will make the brownies thinner, less chewy and the shiny crust may not develop. Check out the pink tip box above the recipe for the reasons this happens! Let us know what you think after you give these brownies a try 🙂
I also don’t want chocolate chips. But I do want the brownie you describe! Can I add a little more butter as coco butter or whatever fat is in the chips is solid? I also want to say that I LOVE A BLOGGER WHO DOES THEIR OWN WORK!!!!! Your experiment articles are so informative. Very glad I found you! Thanks for doing what you do.
Hi Lisa! So glad you enjoy Tessa’s recipes, research and experiments! I wouldn’t recommend adding additional butter or cocoa solids to a recipe unless you’re up for some experimentation. This recipe was crafted very carefully and specifically to yield the brownies we describe – perfectly chewy and delicious. We always recommend making the recipe as written once, just to get a baseline for how they should turn out. You might be surprised and enjoy the brownies even with the chocolate chips! You can then experiment as you like, to see the differences and adjust accordingly until you reach your version of perfection! I hope this helps. Happy baking 🙂