Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Ultra chocolaty. I think a lot of us enjoy the texture of box mix brownies, but they typically have an utter lack of wonderful chocolate flavor. This recipe uses a combination of semisweet chocolate chips and unsweetened chocolate to give you a knockout punch of chocolaty goodness.
Texture: The best part. These brownies are thick, fudgy, and chewy. They are ultra moist without feeling heavy and underbaked. They have that perfect crinkly crust on top which I’m completely obsessed with. They are perfect to me!
Ease: There are definitely easier brownie recipes out there, however the ULTIMATE brownie takes a bit of extra work. You can still get these in your mouth within an hour but you’ll be melting chocolate and whipping eggs and sugar in an electric mixer. It’s all worth it!
Appearance: Ultra thick with a crackled crust on top!
Pros: Brownie perfection. At least I think so.
Cons: With the exception of a few dirty dishes, there aren’t many bad things about this recipe.
Would I make this again? Uh, yeah. Duh.
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These Ultimate Brownies are the definition of FUDGY. As dense, rich, and fudgy as a brownie could be without actually being candy.
I’ve shared a LOT of brownie recipes throughout the years and have a lot of brownie recipes in the archives.
Each brownie recipe meets different texture and taste cravings.
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, all in one magical bite.
This recipe only took 6 batches to perfect. Yes, 6 batches.
I wanted to give you the ultimate version of this fudgy brownie recipe, because I’m here to make your life more delicious.
These Ultimate Fudgy Brownies are ultra fudgy, and also have the most incredible brownie crust imaginable.
I hope you love these brownies as much as I do!
How to Make the Ultimate FUDGY Brownies
What Kind of Chocolate is Best in Fudgy 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 this 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. Learn more about the role sugar plays in baking here.
How to Get Brownies With That Crinkly Crust on Top
- In this recipe, we whip the eggs with the sugar.
- Using an electric mixer, we beat the sugar with the eggs for three 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.
- 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 and kitchen environment.
- 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:
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 (about 56 grams in shell).
- 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 Fudgy 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 them 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 Brownies!!
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 gummy brownies instead of perfectly fudgy brownies. This is my favorite pan to use for brownies. Learn more in my Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans article.
How to Cut Brownies Perfectly
Science has shown our visual perception of food actually influences how tasty we perceive food to be. If you want to get perfectly clean, neat, and even brownie slices, check out my How to Cut Brownies Cleanly in 5 Steps article. Don’t worry – even if you don’t follow all these tips, your brownies will taste just as delicious.
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:
- Best Chewy Brownies
- Best Easy Brownies
- Coconut Oil Brownies
- Nutella Brownies
- Copycat Cosmic Brownies
- Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies
Ultimate Fudgy Brownies
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Let cool completely to room temperature before slicing. Serve at room temperature or chilled for an even fudgier texture.
Recipe Notes
This recipe was originally published in 2014 and updated with additional recipe tips and baking science info. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
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! Learn more about my monthly baking challenges here. Check out everyone’s brownies:
I just baked these brownies and absolutely loved them, as did the rest of my family! Will definitely make these again and again!
Yay! So thrilled to hear it.
Hi! These look absolutely amazing! I’m drooling over the pics I can’t wait to bake them!
These look amazing and I appreciate your thorough directions. I see under “substitutions” you said “feel free to add nuts.. etc.”. For one batch, is there an amount of nuts that you would assume would be appropriate as a ratio to the brownie? Thanks. 🙂
1 cup of nuts should work perfectly!
I made them again today and they fell apart when I cut them. I baked them for 38 minutes and let them cool completely. Is it because they might need to be left in the pan longer? Could this be in mixing the sugar and eggs at too high a speed or is it more in the mixing of the flour?
Did you let them cool in the pan or did you take them out? The whipped eggs and sugar should make the brownies rich, fudgy, and chewy without being dense. See more on that here: https://handletheheat.com/ultimate-brownie-guide/
Overmixing the batter can cause the brownies to develop too much gluten and dry out. Gently fold in the flour and stir until JUST combined. You may also want to refrigerate the brownies for a couple of hours before cutting to get nice clean cuts.
I made these brownies and one batch turned out pretty good, but the other one was hard around the edges an then after I took it out it sank in the middle and was wondering what might have caused this. Also, does it matter what kind of pan you use? I used a Winton 8×8 pan.
I love these brownies and would love to perfect them.
Hi! Interesting dilemma. I use this pan and love it: http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-685339/Sur+La+Table+Platinum+Professional+Square+Cake+Pan
I’m assuming you’re using a metal pan? The pan can definitely affect the final outcome. I would check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer, make sure to use a thick high-quality aluminum pan for even baking, and be careful not to overmix the flour into the batter. It’s hard to say exactly what happened without being in your kitchen sadly. Feel free to ask more questions!
gracias Tessa por tus recetas, necesitaba una buena receta de brownies y esta se ve perfecta . saludos
I’ve read about hard boiled yolks adding to texture in baked goods, but I don’t remember if that was about cookies or brownies. Could the last yolk in these brownies be hard boiled (so I don’t waste an egg white)?
And I love your videos! They make baking and cooking seem so much easier! Thanks!!
I’ve actually never heard of adding hard boiled yolks to baked goods. I would make this recipe as written – it took me quite a few trials to get it just right and I have no idea how a hard boiled egg would affect the brownies. Egg whites keep pretty well in the freezer! I’m glad you enjoy the videos 🙂
This is the best recipe ever…I have been making these brownies for over 2 years now and always recieve rave reviews
These were fantastic. One need- a weight for the one cup of chocolate chips. We noticed that there also is a difference between brands as to the total mass in a cup of chocolate chips. I know this will be my go to recipe for brownies.
Thanks!! 1 cup chocolate chips is typically 6 ounces. I actually just published a post about measuring and weighing ingredients and it has the weights of some of the common ingredients I use: https://handletheheat.com/2014/07/ultimate-guide-measuring.html
Hi,
I had to try out this recipe because I cannot resist the mouth-watering pictures.
And I only started baking recently (this was my 3rd attempt recipe) and it turned out to be the best results ever. Love the crinkly top and chewy texture…the only downside was I found it to be too sweet (had to cut down sugar for health reasons). Will I be able to minimize the sweetness (without compromising the taste/ flavour/ texture/ crinkly top) if I reduce sugar to just 1 cup? I had request to make anothee batch for a gathering this Fri. Please advise me.
And thanks for this wonderful recipe, I don’t think I’ll be able to try out another brownie recipe. This is too AWESOME!!
Yay!! I love hearing that. As for the sugar, you can try to reduce but I can’t promise the texture will be exactly the same. You can also swap out the semisweet chocolate chips for bittersweet chocolate chips to cut down the sweetness.
I tried them again today, and I’m so glad I did, they are by far my favorite brownie ever! Not sure why, but 40 min was perfect this go around. The only difference was I used a parchment lined foil the first time and the second time only used greased foil. So awesome! We had brownie ice cream sundaes and my 3 year old said, “I just want to eat these brownies everyday for the rest of eternity!”
Woohoo!! I’m so happy you had better success this time. That’s really interesting about the parchment lined foil vs. greased foil. Thanks so much for the update, your 3 year old is adorable!
I just made these using Better Batter Gluten Free flour and they turned out great – thanks for the inspiration!
That’s good to know – thanks for sharing!
maybe do you have the ingredients in grams for your European followers? 🙂