The Best Homemade Brownies

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Make brownies that are perfectly crackled on top, rich and fudgy on the inside, often called the best homemade brownies in the world – thanks to the helpful tips shared in this post. 

the best brownies in the world on a stack.

Best Homemade Brownies

Today, I’m giving you what I believe is the Best Brownie Recipe that you can make from scratch. I’ve shared so many brownie recipes, you probably have caught on that brownies are my go-to dessert for just about every occasion.

I’ve made countless pans of brownies over the years in search of THE best homemade brownie recipe.

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So, I decided to focus on the characteristics I think that the best brownies should have – and like I said, I’ve made a whole lot of brownies in search of that perfection.

What Makes The Best Homemade Brownie?

These are the characteristics I want my brownies to have. What is your favorite kind of brownie? Cakey? Fudgey? Gooey?

  • Be rich and fudgy with chewy edge pieces
  • Taste like a box mix, (except for that chemical flavor)
  • Have that characteristic crinkly top

This recipe nails all three. Read on for the ingredients and techniques you should use.

Making the best homemade brownies is actually very easy. All you need is about 10 ingredients and 10 minutes to stir them up. And you’ll need just a little patience while you wait for them to bake. 

The ingredients for the best homemade brownies in the world from scratch

How To Make The Best Homemade Brownies In The World

First, collect your ingredients. You’ll need butter, bittersweet baking chocolate, white sugar, vanilla extract, eggs (room temperature), cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chips or nuts (if desired). 

Begin by melting your butter and chocolate. You can do this in a skillet on the stove, but the easiest way I’ve found is to microwave it for 15 seconds at a time, whisking until melted.

Once it has melted, whisk in the sugar. Then, you’ll want to make sure the mixture is almost room temperature before you add the eggs, you don’t want to scramble them. 

a whisk in brownie batter

When the butter mixture has cooled to room temperature, add the eggs and vanilla. And beat the mixture very well. I use an electric mixer, but you can also use a sturdy whisk and some elbow grease.

This is an important step in order to achieve that beautiful and delicious crackly crust on top of your brownies. 

How to get the crackly crust on top of brownies?

The crust on brownies is formed by beating the eggs in well. Beating the eggs turns them into a slight meringue that makes a crust on top when the brownies are baked.

I use an electric mixer to beat the eggs on high for about 1-2 minutes. 

A mixer beating brownie batter

What kind of cocoa powder is best for brownies?

After beating in the eggs and vanilla, you’ll add the dry ingredients to the batter: flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder.

I find that dutch process cocoa is best for getting that rich, chocolatey flavor like the box mixes.

Dutch-process cocoa is less acidic and has a deeper chocolate flavor. The color is darker and closer to what you expect from a box mix.

Can I use regular cocoa instead of dutch process in brownies?

I’ve made this recipe with regular cocoa powder many times and the brownies turn out great that way as well. The brownies will be lighter in color and with a slightly different chocolate taste, but will still taste amazing. 

As you stir in the dry ingredients to the batter, take care over-stir them. Stir only until the flours are incorporated.

Over-beating brownie batter will incorporate more air into the brownies and make them less fudgy.

Did you know that you can make brownies with only cocoa powder? Next time you’re out of chocolate chips, you’ll want to remember this recipe Cocoa Powder Brownies too.

a 9x9 pan of the best homemade brownies from scratch

How to tell if brownies are done?

I think the hardest part of baking fudgy brownies, is deciding when they are done. Over bake them and they will be dry, and nobody wants that.

It’s also hard to tell because they are so dark in color, you can’t see them starting to brown. 

I bake brownies in a glass pan lined with parchment paper. If you use a metal pan or even a metal pan with a dark coating, they will cook faster, so keep that in mind. 

28 to 30 minutes is about the perfect time to bake an 8×8-inch pan of brownies.

You’ll know to take them out of the oven when the top of the brownies is shiny and starting to crack and the center of the brownies doesn’t wiggle when you jiggle the pan.

You can not use the traditional toothpick test on brownies, because by the time the toothpick comes out clean, the brownies will be over baked. 

the best homemade fudgy brownies in the world

What makes brownies fudgy?

This brownie recipe is fudgy rather than cakey thanks to a high fat to flour ratio. 2/3 cup of butter to ½ cup flour and ½ cup cocoa.

Cocoa acts like flour in brownie recipes and the melted chocolate adds a bit more fat. With almost as much fat as flour in the recipe.

You can rest assured these brownies will not be cakey. If you’re looking for a cakey brownie recipe, this one is not for you. 

How to store brownies to keep them soft?

Brownies will keep on the counter for about 2 days in a tightly sealed container.

If you want them to last longer than that, place them in an airtight container with wax paper between the layers and freeze them. Brownies will keep in the freezer for several weeks. 

If you’re anything like me and enjoy brownies best when they’re warm, allow them to thaw completely after freezing. Then reheat for a few seconds in the microwave.

Is there anything that beats a warm brownie topped with cold ice cream? 

Best Homemade Brownies

Why are my brownies dry? 

The two biggest culprits of dry brownies are over baking them and measuring the flour wrong. I test and write my recipes using spoon and leveled flour.

To correctly measure flour, spoon it into the cup, and level off with the straight side of a butter knife. Scooping the flour out of the container with the measuring cup, packs it into the cup and the result is too much flour added to the brownies, making them dry.

The other reason may be over baking the brownies. Read the section above for more info on how to tell when brownies are done. The goal is to bake them only until the center is barely set, crackly, and they don’t wiggle when you gently jiggle the pan.

If you’ve taken care to do these things and you still end up with dry brownies, your oven temperature might be running hot. I recommend checking the accuracy of your oven temperature with a separate thermometer.

the best homemade brownies in the world from scratch with a melted chocolate chip

Brownie Add Ins

These brownies are even more delicious when you add nuts. My family has really liked walnuts added to theirs, but pecans are great too.

Nuts add a nice contrast to the richness of the brownie. For any chocolate purists, stick to high-quality chocolate chips and you’ll be in heaven.

I like to experiment with different flavors of brownies. Mint Chocolate BrowniesCookie Dough Brownies, Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies and Nutella Brownies are recipes that I recommend saving now for your next brownie craving.

Let me know if you make The Best Homemade Brownies and what you think. Tag me #chocolatewithgrace on Instagram and be sure to follow me there.

the best homemade fudgy brownies in the world

Best Homemade Brownies

4.84 from 12 votes
Make homemade brownies that are perfectly crackled on top, rich and fudgy on the inside, often called the best brownies in the world – thanks to the helpful tips shared in this post. 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Additional Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 brownies

Ingredients 

  • 2/3 cup butter
  • 2 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs, room temperature * see note below
  • ½ cup dutch process cocoa powder ** see note below
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup chocolate chips or nuts, if desired

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350° and line an 8×8-inch glass pan*** with parchment paper, or grease well with butter.
  • Melt the butter and baking chocolate together in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 15 second intervals, whisking between each interval. When fully melted, whisk in the sugar. Let the mixture cool until almost room temperature. (Take care not to add the eggs too soon, or they'll scramble in the hot mixture.)
  • Add the eggs and vanilla and beat with a hand mixer on high for 2-3 minutes or until lightened in color and fluffy. (Don't skip this step – beating the eggs well is what gives the brownies that characteristic crackly top.)
  • Add the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt. Stirring just until incorporated. Last, fold in the chocolate chips or nuts, if desired. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
  • Bake at 350° F for 28-32 minutes or until the tops of the brownies are shiny and crackly and the center doesn't wiggle when you shake the pan.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes. When ready to serve, use the parchment paper to lift the brownies out of the pan before cutting.
  • Serve warm or cooled completely. The brownies will store tightly covered on the counter for 1-2 days or in the freezer for a couple weeks.

Recipe Video

Notes

*the eggs should be at room temperature to keep them from chilling the butter back into a solid when you add them to the batter.
**Dutch process cocoa powder will give a more box like flavor and darker color. However, regular cocoa powder may be substituted with great results.
***This recipe may be doubled to fit a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

Nutrition

Serving: 1brownie · Calories: 220kcal · Carbohydrates: 23g · Protein: 3g · Fat: 14g · Saturated Fat: 8g · Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g · Cholesterol: 44mg · Sodium: 189mg · Fiber: 2g · Sugar: 17g
Tried this recipe?Mention @chocolatewithgrace or tag #chocolatewithgrace!

{originally published 2/4/19 – recipe notes and photos updated 1/14/21}

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  1. Jen says

    I haven’t had brownies in so long! These look absolutely perfect and just the motivation I need to make a batch. Thanks!

  2. Jamie says

    5 stars
    This truly is the best brownie recipe from scratch. And I’ve tried a lot of recipes. These are fudgy, delicious and tastes even better than the box mix. Thank you!!

  3. Kelly says

    5 stars
    Just made these, and they were FABULOUS!! I wouldn’t change a thing. I used dutch processed cocoa (that’s the secret in flavor), and added walnuts. I even had the nice chewy edges. I also baked mine in a glass pan. This is definitely a keeper.

  4. Nicole says

    I made this and the batter was very thick. Unlike any other brownie recipe. I did everything correctly and even double checked to make sure. I almost threw out the batter. Which was more like a dough? Is this correct? They are in the oven now

    • mark says

      i think the 1/2 cup of dry ingredients represents 65grams instead of 120grams. i just did this recipe and also found the batter really thick. probably it is because of the dry ingredients. will try it again with 65grams measurements.

  5. Brandi says

    5 stars
    These brownies were amazing! I’m interested in making brownie bites in mini muffin pans. Approximately how many brownie bites do you think this recipe would make and any suggestions on how to adjust the bake time? Thanks!

  6. henrique says

    Olá, boa noite. Seria possível confirmar a temperatura que você assa os brownies? Gratidão.

  7. Jill says

    5 stars
    These are wonderful. I have tested three different recipes for homemade brownie recipes in hopes I would find one I could make and serve at a wedding reception. This recipe won. However, with that said, I did beat the sugar and eggs in a separate bowl as how I was taught to in cooking school – just a me thing,
    I also doubled the recipe, used Dutch processed cocoa powder, GF flour – Bob’s Red Mill 1-1, and for mix-in’s used Guittard extra dark chocolate chips and used about half of the reccommended amount – just a personal preference for the chips. I cooked about 38 minutes with the last 10 min covered with foil. They came out delicious. We will be serving at the reception.

  8. BirriaADDICTION101 says

    I made this for twice now. However, why am I not getting a crackly top? I beat the eggs for high in 1-2 minutes until it looks lighter. Then, at the end, I sprinkle some chopped chocolate on top. Was that the main culprit as to why I can’t get a crackly top?

  9. Diana Buck says

    3 stars
    I made these and they turned out perfectly but had an odd taste that I couldn’t identify. Crackly on the top and fudgy in the middle but again, had a strange taste.