This is the chewy, fudgy brownie recipe I reach for more than any other. You stir it together from scratch in one bowl, with a handful of pantry ingredients, in about five minutes. Readers have called these the best brownies they have ever made.
They bake up thin, deeply chocolatey, and gooey in the middle, with a glossy, crackly top. Most of the flavor comes from cocoa powder, so they taste dark and rich without feeling heavy. If you love them, try my Brownie Cookies next.
What Makes These Brownies So Chewy and Fudgy
The chew comes from two things: melted butter and eggs. Melted butter coats the flour so the brownies bake up dense instead of cakey. The eggs are the only leavener here.
With no baking powder or baking soda, the batter barely rises, which keeps the texture close and fudgy. There is only half a cup of flour in the pan, so these are mostly cocoa powder. That gives them a dark, almost bittersweet edge, like the cookie part of an Oreo.
Variations
I love these brownies so much I make them for every occasion!
- Easter Brownies: Topped with mini eggs.
- Strawberry Brownies: Perfect for Valentine’s Day, summer berry season, and Christmas (because of the festive pop of red).
- Chocolate Mint Brownies with Peppermint Frosting: An obvious holiday choice, but excellent any time of year.
How to Store and Freeze Brownies
Store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. A slice of sandwich bread tucked in the container keeps them soft.
They freeze really well. Wrap each one tightly and freeze for up to three months. They taste dangerously good while still half frozen, straight from the freezer.
Tips for the Best Homemade Brownies
- Don’t overbake. Start checking early. A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- Use a thermometer if you want to be precise. Brownies are usually done around 180°F in the center.
- Use a metal pan if possible. Glass or ceramic start baking more slowly, then retain heat and can overcook the edges.
Common Brownie Questions
Cakey brownies usually have too much flour or a leavener like baking powder. This recipe skips both. The chew comes from melted butter, eggs, and just half a cup of flour.
Fudgy brownies are dense and gooey from extra fat. Chewy brownies add a little stretch from eggs and melted butter. These are both, with a fudgy center and a chewy edge.
Yes. You melt the butter, stir in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla, then fold in the cocoa and flour. It all happens in one bowl in about five minutes.
This recipe uses cocoa powder only. It gives a dark, rich flavor and a lighter feel than brownies made with melted chocolate, so you can happily eat two.
Insert a toothpick near the center around 30 minutes. A few moist crumbs means they are done. Wet batter needs a few more minutes. A clean toothpick means slightly over.
Dry brownies are almost always over-baked. Check them early and pull the pan while the center still looks soft. They keep setting as they cool.
Yes. Double everything and bake in a 9×13 inch pan. Add a few minutes to the bake time and test the center with a toothpick.
Whisk the sugar with the eggs until smooth and slightly pale before adding the dry ingredients. That dissolved sugar is what forms the thin, crackly crust.
More Indulgent Dessert Recipes
Chewy Fudgy Homemade Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter melted
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup all purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8×8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang, or grease well and coat with flour. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a large microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. (Alternatively, melt butter in a large saucepan on the stove, then turn off heat and proceed.) Add cocoa powder and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in sugar, salt, eggs and vanilla extract. Add flour and stir until well combined.
- Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan – you'll need to work at it, spreading it out with the back of a wooden spoon – the batter is very stiff. Bake for about 30 minutes, until edges are set and centre is firm but still just slightly underdone. A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let cool 10 minutes at least before lifting out by parchment overhang to slice into 16 brownies.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Anyone who has ten minutes of free time needs to make this brownie! Such a simple recipe, with easy clean up and maximum deliciousness!! The brownie was so fudgy and chocolatey even three days later!
Hi Nalini, thank you so much for the lovely comment. Yay!
OH NO. Ridiculously easy. Very delicious. Made it with a ganache that got hard. Now more of us need to put this out of our minds ? #lockdown2020 ?Di-Vine!!!! Instagramming my pic now!
Hello. Is cocoa powder just natural/baking cocoa powder or dutch processed cocoa powder?
can this recipe be made without the vanilla extract or will it affect the overall taste too much? if so, are there any substitutes we can use for the vanilla extract?
WOW! These were so fast and easy to make and for once I only used one bowl! They also taste really good. Thank you so much for this recipe! 🙂
Is 30 minutes baking time correct? It seems long, especially when the “cook time” says 9 min. Thanks in advance for clarifying. 🙂 Can’t wait to make these!
Oh! Figured it out after 9 minutes. ? I ended up baking them for 24 minutes because I was really nervous about over baking them and I also used a pan 14” x 8”… so they were a bit thinner. They are really tasty! And even better the next day. I love how they are rich but not overly sweet.
Just curious, have you experimented much with different cocoas?
Thanks again!
The baking time is correct at approximately 30 minutes 🙂
Would it be possible to swap the all-purpose flour for gluten free all-purpose flour or would it not yield the same results ?
After the 30 minutes it looked like almost water on top I put it in for another 10 we will see what happens..
Amaaaazing brownies and so easy.
Thank you so much, Karen!
Good recipe, my only suggestion would be to swap the wooden spoon for a spatula. Much easier to handle the batter and level/press in pan. Very quick to make!
Thanks for the tip about the spatula. ?