I’ve shared a LOT of brownie recipes throughout the years. Not to mention my Ultimate Brownie Guide.

If you couldn’t tell, I really love brownies from scratch. I love them because they satisfy my chocolate craving and are the perfect amalgamation of cake, cookie, and fudge.
There are a LOT of brownie recipes in the archives. They all meet different texture and taste cravings.
This recipe? It’s the definition of FUDGY. As dense, rich, and fudgy as a brownie could be without actually being candy.
It only took 6 batches to perfect. Yes, 6 batches. That’s how much I love brownies and love you guys!! I want to give you the ultimate version of my favorite goodies because I’m here to make your life more delicious.
How to Make the Ultimate FUDGY Brownies

Let me explain the madness behind this brownie recipe. You can skip this if you don’t care WHY these brownies are the way they are and you just want them in your mouth like, now.
What kind of chocolate is best in brownies?
With fudgy brownies, melted chocolate is key. If we add cocoa powder to this recipe they become more cakey or chewy instead of rich and dense.
In this recipe there are two types of chocolate: semisweet chocolate chips and unsweetened chocolate. They’re melted together with the butter to form the base of this recipe.
I find it gives the perfect balance of chocolate flavor without tasting too bitter or intense. Plus the chocolate chips play a secret role… they help to form that brownie crust on top!
Be sure to let the melted chocolate cool slightly before adding it to the batter, you don’t want to scramble your eggs with molten hot chocolate.
Butter for Brownies
The recipe takes 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter (6 ounces, 170 grams, or 12 tablespoons) and melts it down with the chocolate. This helps prevent the chocolate from seizing if melted by itself, and allows the ingredients to become homogenized.
To make these brownies ultra thick and tall, we’re basically baking a 9×13-inch pan worth of batter in an 8×8-inch pan. That’s why there seems to be so much butter.
The reason we melt butter in brownie recipes instead of beating room temperature butter with sugar is because that helps give a rich, chewy, fudgy texture. Beating butter incorporates air and gives a more light, airy, cakey texture which we don’t want in a brownie. Well, you might want that but I don’t!
I actually recently experimented with Butter vs. Oil in Brownies to see how the type of fat used affects the final result. Check out my Butter vs. Oil in Baking article for a full breakdown on each of these fats and how they affect tenderness, flavor, and texture in baked goods (and not just brownies). You might just understand why I opted to only use butter in these Fudgy Brownies!

Can I use salted butter instead?
Yes, just omit the salt called for in the recipe.
How much sugar in brownies?
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar is called for in this recipe. Again, if this seems like a lot that’s because these are very tall brownies so there is a lot of batter. Also, we’re using a large amount of unsweetened chocolate so we need to sweeten the brownies up a little.
Important to note: the sugar doesn’t just provide sweetness, it also affects the texture. Sugar is essential to creating ultra moist and rich brownies. If you reduce the sugar, the brownies become more dry and cakey.
How to get brownies with that crackled crust on top?
In this recipe we whip the eggs with the sugar.
That’s right, we use an electric mixer to beat the sugar with the eggs for three whole minutes until the mixture is light and ribbon-thick. Why? This ensures the sugar is dissolved into the batter, enabling a soft yet fudgy texture and crackly crust. I learned this technique from this brownie recipe. More tips for achieving those perfectly crinkly crusts in my How to Make Brownies with Shiny, Thin Crust article. Lots of shocking side-by-side comparisons included, like this one below:

Note: the amount of time it takes for your mixer to beat the eggs and sugar will vary. You’re looking for the mixture to become lightened in color and really thick. This can take anywhere from 3 to 8 minutes depending on your machine.
Want fudgy brownies? Add an extra egg yolk!
As you may know, eggs not only act as a binding agent in baked goods but they also add structure, richness, and enhance texture. This recipe calls for three whole eggs plus one egg yolk. Why the yolk?
The fat in the yolk creates a rich, moist, fudgy, chewy texture that just melts in your mouth. I love adding an egg yolk to my cookie recipes too to get them really chewy. Try it!! Also be sure to use large eggs. I was so pleased when I discovered I was able to add an egg yolk and STILL get that tissue-thin crust on top. Beating the eggs and sugar is pretty magical.
Which flour to use for brownies?
All-purpose flour is the way to go here. Cake flour makes these brownies way too tender and light. To make chewy fudgy brownies, we only need to use a little bit of flour. Any more flour will create tougher or cakier brownies.
If you want to be super accurate and weigh your flour, which I highly recommend, 3/4 cup equals 94 grams or 3.3 ounces. Otherwise be sure to use the spoon and level method to measure your flour to avoid dry brownies.
IMPORTANT: How to tell when brownies are done baking?
Bake these brownies in a 350°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes. There will absolutely be moist crumbs attached to a tester by the end of the baking time. That’s what we want. The brownies will continue to set as they cool. This recipe must be served after they’ve cooled to room temperature completely. In fact, they solidify into even more fudgy brownie bits if you chill in the fridge before slicing and serving.
If you prefer less rich and gooey brownies, add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.
Use a METAL PAN for this recipe!!
Glass and ceramic pans will not work for this recipe. They take longer to heat up and will prevent the center of the brownies from cooking before the outside edges are too hard. You’ll be left with gooey gummy brownies instead of perfectly fudgy brownies. This is my favorite pan to use for brownies.
How to store brownies:
The brownies definitely taste best the day they are baked, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature or up to 4 days in the fridge. They are even more fudgy when they’re chilled.
Substitutions
This brownie recipe is written exactly the way it is for very specific reasons, as noted in the explanations above. If you try to reduce the sugar, use a sugar substitute, use a butter substitute, or make this recipe vegan the results will NOT be the same. Feel free to add in nuts, chocolate chips, toffee bits, or anything else to the batter.
More Brownie Recipes:
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1
cup
(170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
-
4
ounces
(113 grams) high quality unsweetened chocolate,
chopped
-
1 1/2
sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter,
cut into pieces
-
3
large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
-
1 1/2
cups
(300 grams) granulated sugar
-
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
3/4
cup
(94 grams) all-purpose flour
-
1/4
teaspoon
fine sea salt
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch metal baking pan with foil or parchment and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Do NOT use glass or ceramic baking pans for this recipe, they will not allow the brownies to cook through the center.
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In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, unsweetened chocolate, and butter. Microwave for 1 minute, then stir. Continue heating in 30-second bursts, stirring between each burst, until the mixture is melted and smooth but not scorched. Remove from the microwave and let cool slightly.
-
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs, egg yolk, and sugar on medium-high speed until light and thick and ribbony, about 3 to 5 minutes or more depending on your mixer. Beat in the vanilla extract.
-
Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in the cooled chocolate butter mixture. Gently fold in the flour and salt until combined.
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Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake until a tester comes out with moist crumbs still attached, about 35 to 40 minutes. Do not overbake the brownies as they will continue to bake once they’re out of the oven.
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Let cool completely to room temperature before slicing. Serve at room temperature or chilled for an even fudgier texture.
To double this recipe, use a 9x13 pan and bake for the same amount of time.
May 2021 Baking Challenge
This recipe was the May 2021 pick for our monthly baking challenge! Every month you can join the challenge by baking the recipe and snapping a photo for a chance to win prizes! Click here for full challenge details. Check out everyone’s brownies:
This recipe was originally published in 2014 and updated in 2021 with more tips and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! Made these for my track team and they vanished Best brownie recipe I’ve tried!! 5/5
YAY!! So happy to hear you and your track team loved these brownies, Gwen!! 🙂
2 question: We want to make these but instead of putting them in a regular pan, we want to make them bites using a silicone mini muffin pan. The cups in this pan are square and are 1.5 x 1.5″ and .5″ deep. 1) How full should each cup be and 2) how long should it bake for? The pan sits on a a cookie sheet for stability.
We haven’t tried using a silicone pan before with this recipe, so I can’t say for sure! Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try. Good luck!
If I could give this a 10 star rating, I would. Honestly, the best brownies I’ve ever made or had. Easy to make and follow. It has a wonderful layer on top and a gooey chewy middle and a rich chocolate taste. I’ve made these several times bc I get requests for them all the time. If you have not made these brownies yet, you should. Like right now.
So happy you love this recipe so much, Michelle! Thanks for taking the time to comment, we appreciate it! 🙂
The brownies tasted AMAZING! However I found them really hard to cut neatly so they didn’t look beautiful (that didn’t stop my family from gobbling them up!).
Any tips on how to cut neatly?
Hi Julia! Try running your knife under hot water before slicing. Then wipe off the knife in between slices 🙂
Hello Tessa,
I hope all is well and wonderful. This brownie recipe is absolutely phenomenal, and I cannot thank you enough for sharing it. 3 days after the first time I made them, my husband proposed. I always joke with him that these brownies were the reason why.
From co-workers to my in-laws, these brownies are the most frequently requested recipe from my repertoire. Your soft batch chocolate chip cookies are the 2nd, and your oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are the 3rd. Also, your pie crust recipe has never let me down.
Many thanks for your time, your recipes, and for making mu kitchen my family’s favorite room.
Elizabeth
Oh wow, love this!! Another reader’s husband proposed after she made our Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies! I’ll be sure to pass this along to Tessa, it’ll make her day! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment, I’m so thrilled you’re loving our recipes 🙂
My most requested brownie! thank you for an awesome recipe.
Hi Tessa
I’ve been following ur recipes for a long time now and they are my favourite go to recipes
Thank you for sharing your recipes and helping us home bakers grow our business
I would like to ask if we can substitute chocochips with chopped up dark coverture chocolate ?
Thanks so much for sharing, I’ll be sure to pass along your kind words to Tessa. You can try coverture chocolate, but keep in mind that chocolate chips actually help to form the brownie crust on top, so your results may be a bit different. Please let us know how it goes 🙂
I’m a terrible baker so this is probably a dumb question. Can I use one of those brownie pans that makes all the individual sections with edges?
We haven’t tried that, but it should be fine! You will need to adjust the baking time though. Let us know how it goes!
Hi I made the brownie but it became gooey and sunk in the middle, I use convection type microwave oven, I set the temp 180deg C, rough conversion of 350F. Where did I go wrong? I used the 8 inch pan and it’s non stick type pan. Is it due to pan or temp setting, my brownie went wrong?
Hi Gayathri! When using a recipe that doesn’t call for a convection oven, you’ll actually need to make some adjustments. Click this link HERE to be taken to our Oven 101 article for more details. Sunken brownies are usually due to over mixing. Did you use a metal baking pan? Glass or ceramic pans bake the edges a lot quicker, and the edges can start to dry out before the center finishes baking, resulting in gooey brownies instead of perfectly fudgy brownies. I hope that helps, and I hope you give this recipe another try! Let us know how it goes the second time around 🙂
I am trying to duplicate the OD cookie from the American Cookie Co. it is a flat chewy cookie, my nieces favorite. Would this work scooped out and flattened or do you have another suggestion. I love your cookie recipes. My favorite is the bakery chocolate chip.
Hi Terri, are you commenting on the correct post? Did you mean to post this question on one of our cookie recipes? I’m not familiar with the OD cookie, can you describe it more so I can help hopefully find a great option for you? Thanks!
I’ve tried many brownie recipes but this one is my favourite. It was so easy to make, it tasted amazing. So fudgy. This will definitely be my go to
Yay!! So happy to hear this recipe is your go-to! Thanks for letting us know 🙂
Hi, can you let me know what kind of unsweetened chocolate use?
Thank you,
Cammie Wilson
Hi Cammie! Our favorite unsweetened chocolate bars are from Ghirardelli or Baker’s 🙂
These look amazing What percentage of chocolate is semi sweet chocolate chips? What percentage is the unsweetened chocolate? In Europe we only have percentages, not semi sweet. Also if I want to do only half of the recipe how do I measure eggs and what pan size?
Hi Maria! We use either Ghirardelli or Baker’s unsweetened chocolate bars, which is 100% cacao, no sugar added. For semi-sweet chocolate chips, we use either Ghirardelli or Nestle, which is about 60%.
We haven’t halved this recipe, but you’d want to split it right in half. One large egg yolk = 18.6 grams to help you easily divide that in half 🙂 You can also just make a regular batch and throw half of it fully baked cut up in an air-tight container in the freezer for future enjoyment. Frozen brownies taste excellent with ice cream! Click here for a great article to help you learn how to adapt baking recipes with different sized pans. Note that depending on the size pan you choose, the time it takes to bake your brownies will be different. Hope that helps!
These are amazing! Thank you for this great recipe.
Easy peasy – great instructions and perfect result! Had room temp taste first, and now will try the chilled version. Detailed recipe always appreciated – thanks Tessa!
I am a Choc-O-Holic and these did not disappoint! So fudgy and delicious. Not dry at all which is a problem I’ve had in the past.
This is so great to hear!
Hi Tessa! How many whole eggs do I use if I try to half the recipe? I’ve tried both chewy and fudgy brownies and both were awesome!
I haven’t halved this recipe, but I’d split it right in half. You can also just make a regular batch and throw half of it cut up in an air-tight container in the freezer 🙂
I do not have an 8×8 metal pan so I am planning to 1.5 or 2x the recipe and put it in a 9×13 pan. Would 1.5 or 2x work better do you think? And if I do 1.5x how should I increase the 3:1 ratio of whole egg to egg yolk? Thank you
To use a 9×13 pan, double the recipe 🙂 Enjoy your brownies!
Hey, no I use fresh peaches from the farmer’s market. Chop a few of those up and pour some of their juice over the oatmeal cookie dough. Have to be a little careful when mixing so as not to shred the peaches. I put a little Peach Cobbler seasoning in it too.
Fyi, I know everyone always raves about local markets but if you get the chance to order peaches from Durbin Farms (Alabama) you should try them. There really is a difference.
Yum! So glad you were able to make that recipe your own with add-ins!
Thanks for the response. I’m gonna have to experiment with the ice cream in the batter. Also, your chocolate chip oatmeal cookies are really top notch. Really best oatmeal cookie I’ve had.
It’s even better if you replace the chocolate chips with peaches and caramel bits.
Thank you for letting me know that! The addition of peaches and caramel bits sounds really interesting and delicious! Do you just use chopped up dried/freeze-dried peaches?
Have you tried putting ice cream in your brownie batter? Specifically, salted caramel ice cream.
In the brownie batter? No, I haven’t! The extra liquid might mess up the outcome of the brownies. Now, have I tried these finished brownies IN ice cream? YES, and it’s heavenly 🙂
Super easy to make!
These come together so fast and are amazing
DELICIOUS fishy brownie recipe. I love a good fishy brownie and this was it.
I’m hoping you meant fudgy! 🙂
Wow, wow, wow this is chocolate perfection. So rich and creamy but not over sweet or over the top!
I love the texture of these! I added walnuts to the top of mine. They’re amazing!
Definitely making it again…
Gloriously fudgy. I made them for my grandma and she said they were perfect and “exactly what all brownies should taste like.” I completely agree.
So happy to hear this, Emma! 🙂
It was hard to find unsweetened chocolate but oh! So worth it! Definitely will bake this again!
Happy you enjoyed your fudgy brownies, Claire!
Love it!
Delicious flavor.
We really liked the Fudgy brownies over the chewy ones! They were softer and little more gooey
Flavor was great appearance and too weren’t my favorite. They were nice and fudgy and went great with a bottle of red wine
Very Good, Moist and Fudgy!
Awesome Fudgy Brownies! Very Moist and from my 85 year old Mom, ‘Very Good!’
So glad these brownies were a hit! 🙂
we love it!
it was delicious!
This recipe is incredibly fudgy & so delicious. Thank you, Tessa, for the great recipe!!
Madam, you are, fully, wholly, and undoubtedly the Empress of Brownies. Enough said.
Wow, what an honor!! Thank you so much, Victoria! 🙂
So fudgy and delicious!
I loved this recipe. I baked them for 40 minutes and it was perfect. I especially loved the way the edges were so chewy.
Wonderful, recipe is easy to follow, and definitely fudgy versus the Chewy recipe.
I like fudgy more than chewy
These brownies were so good!
I am a fudgy brownie fan, and I am very happy I made these. They were easy to make. I only had chocolate chips, so the crust on the top turned out pretty thick but I didn’t mind. When eaten cold from the fridge they are great!
So fudgy and delicious!! A great, super easy recipe for any lovers of nice rich brownies.
Best brownie recipe ever!!
Made these as part of the May Baking Challenge, they are very rich and fudgy. I made both the chewy and fudgy recipes and although I preferred the chewy, the votes from my family and friends came in at 5 for fudgy and 4 for chewy! It was a fun game to compare 🙂
These brownies are very fudgy. The problem I had with them was that when I went to take them out of the pan, they broke apart. I noticed that the crackly top and edges are thick and kind of crunchy like the brownie edge you buy to snack on. The brownie under it is very tasty and fudgy though.
Oh no, they definitely shouldn’t fall apart! Normally that’s a sign of overbaking them, but you had said the brownie underneath was fudgy. What kind of pan did you use? I’m wondering if it baked the top and edges too quickly before the inside was baked all the way.
Very chocolately flavor. Best ever according to my son-in-law!
So glad he loved them!!
Who knew making these fudgy brownies could be so much fun? From the start to finish i enjoyed making it. It was an ULTIMATE riot
haha awesome!!
It was amazing with some ice cream on top!
As always, easy-to-follow instructions from Tessa! My brownies came out a little wonky (collapsed and overbaked), but they were still fudge-like and delicious! I used a dark 8” cake pan because I don’t have anything else, but they came out decently.
Very Fudgy brownies!! Great taste!!
These brownies were nicely fudgy and I can’t wait to make them again!