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 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 🙂