Ultimate Fudgy Brownie Recipe
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If you’ve been searching for the ultimate homemade brownie recipe, look no further—this is it! Made with melted chocolate, the brownies are fudgy in the center, crackly and cakey on the surface, and just plain out of this world.
The best brownies start with real melted chocolate, which is why store-bought brownie mixes made from cocoa powder lack the rich, fudgy flavor of homemade brownies. My all-time favorite brownie recipe comes from pastry chef Nick Malgieri’s cookbook Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers.
The recipe has been around for decades and praised by top cooking publications such as The New York Times, Saveur, and The Splendid Table, to name just a few, so you don’t have to take my word for it—try for yourself and see!
“The name does not lie!! These are hands-down the BEST brownies I have made!!! My entire family devoured them.”
Video
What You’ll Need To Make Homemade Brownies
- All-Purpose Flour: The base of the brownies; measure using the spoon and level method for accuracy.
- Sugar and Brown Sugar: White sugar adds sweetness and a light texture, while brown sugar contributes to moisture and a deeper flavor due to its molasses content.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together, add moisture, and help create a rich texture in the brownies.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and flavor.
- Vanilla Extract: Complements the chocolate and adds depth of flavor.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
- Semi-Sweet or Bittersweet Chocolate: Use good quality chocolate, like Ghirardelli or Guittard, and opt for real chocolate bars instead of chocolate chips. Chocolate chips contain stabilizers and are designed to retain their shape when baked, making them less suitable for recipes that require melted chocolate.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by melting the butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the chopped chocolate. (You can just break it apart with your hands; no need to dirty a cutting board.)
Whisk until the chocolate is melted. The heat of the butter should be enough to melt the chocolate completely, but if not, heat the mixture in the microwave for 20 seconds or so and whisk again.
Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then add the sugars, salt and vanilla.
Whisk to combine, making sure no lumps of brown sugar remain.
Whisk in the chocolate-butter mixture, then add the flour.
Whisk the mixture until just combined and no lumps of flour remain.
Line a 9×13-in baking pan with parchment paper, then either spray the paper with non-stick cooking spray or grease with butter. Be sure to leave an overhang; this makes it easy to lift brownies out of the pan before cutting. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top has formed a shiny crust and the batter is moderately firm.
Cool completely on a rack, then use the parchment overhang to transfer the un-cut brownies to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to trim the hard edges (those are for the cook!). Cut the brownies into squares and enjoy! The brownies will keep well in an airtight container for up to 4 days; freeze for longer storage.
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Ultimate Fudgy Brownies
These homemade brownies are perfectly balanced with a fudgy center and crackly top—irresistibly delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (½ pound) unsalted butter
- 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped (I use Ghirardelli bars)
- 4 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off with knife
Instructions
- Set the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan with parchment paper (bring parchment up sides of pan so there is a slight overhang) and grease with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave until bubbling. Add the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted. The heat from the butter should be enough to melt the chocolate completely, but if not, place the chocolate-butter mixture in the microwave and heat for 20 seconds or so, then whisk again. (Alternatively, combine the butter and chocolate in a heat proof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted.)
- Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the salt, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla; whisk until smooth (be sure no lumps of brown sugar remain). Whisk in the chocolate-butter mixture, then add the flour and whisk until the batter is uniform.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the top has formed a shiny crust and the batter is moderately firm. Cool completely in the pan on a rack. If not serving right away, store them at room temperature, for 3 to 4 days. To extend their shelf life for a day or two, you can refrigerate them.
- To cut brownies, first lift them out of the pan using the parchment overhang and transfer them to a cutting board. Separate the parchment from the edges. Using a sharp knife, trim away the edges and cut the brownies into 2-in squares.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The brownies can be frozen for up to 3 months. After they are completely cooled, cut them into squares, wrap tightly in foil, and then place them in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 brownie
- Calories: 212
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Sugar: 22g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Sodium: 66mg
- Cholesterol: 51mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Would you suggest a dark 9X13 baking pan or an aluminum light colored one? Any change in baking temperature for a dark pan for these brownies?
KJ
Hi Kim, if you have both, I’d go with the light colored one. You don’t need to change the oven temp if you use a dark one unless you see the edges browning a lot before the center is fully baked.
These brownies were the best I have ever made! Very easy to make and so delicious! Thank you for sharing. My family loved them!
Two things about these brownies.
1: brought them to a family gathering and some of my relatives refused to believe I hadn’t purchased them from a bakery because they’re that good;
2: tonight I made them using browned butter and stirred in a packet of butterscotch chips and HOLY MOLY. Highly. Recommended.
This is a great recipe Except for two things: 1) At least with my oven, they only need to be baked for 30 min. 2) There is No Need for the parchment paper. Simply butter the pan. There will not be any overdone edges to remove. Yummy!
Can I substitute the chopped chocolate for cocoa powder?
Unfortunately, that won’t work – sorry!
Kind of a weird question. But what would homemade brownies accomplish, that you wouldn’t get from boxed brownie mixes?
Hi Tina, I think homemade brownies taste better than boxed ones because with homemade, you can control the quality and quantity of ingredients (like using high-quality chocolate and butter instead of artificial flavorings and oils). Hope you enjoy these if you try them!
My husband loves walnuts in brownies. Can walnuts be added?
I haven’t made them yet, but I love every recipe of yours that I have tried.
Sure, Sandy, it’s fine to add walnuts. Enjoy!
I used Hershey’s Cocoa Special Dark 100% (powdered baking chocolate) and the results were divine. I followed Hershey’s instructions on the container to substitute. (Blending the dry cocoa with shortening and sugar) I think this is what the other viewer was asking. (not the same cocoa used in milk for a beverage.