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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Jenn: Just making these Supernatural Brownie for the first time. Every recipe of your’s has been sooo good in have high hopes for the brownies too. Just wondering how well they freeze, do you know?
Thanks, Pennie. So glad you’re enjoying the recipes. They freeze beautifully 🙂
Hello! I am planning to make these brownies for my sister’s birthday and I need to make a test batch first. Do I need to add more sugar if I am using unsweetened chocolate bars instead of bittersweet ones? Thank you in advance 🙂
Hi Sam, theoretically I guess you could use unsweetened chocolate and add sugar, but I’m not certain how much. For the best results, I really would recommend using the bittersweet chocolate.
Hi Jenn – Your recipes are making me into the baking queen of my neighborhood. Folks ask what I’m going to make next (… will probably try your chocolate frosted cupcakes). Since I follow your recipes exactly, I want to check with you before I make a change. Do you have tips for adding walnuts, chocolate chips or Heath bar chips to the recipe? I’m interested in when to stir them in and how much to use? Also do I make other adjustments? And finally, I prefer a chewy brownie, which I achieve by freezing them before I serve them. Do you have tips for baking a chewy (rather than a cakey) brownie? Thank you!
Hi Karen, I’d probably add 1 cup each chocolate chips and nuts (or heath bar chips and nuts). Cook time might be a tad bit longer. These brownies are more on the fudgy side, with a cakey exterior. They get cakier the longer you bake them, so just be sure not to overcook. Hope the neighborhood enjoys 🙂
Thanks for your speedy reply, Jenn. And thank you for your terrific recipes. Yes, I just shared my most recent batch of brownies with neighbors and they were a hit. My oven runs very hot so I actually bake them for about 35 minutes or so (rather than 45) and they are just right. I’m on to your next recipe. Signed, A Devoted Fan!!!
Hi Jenn, this is my favorite brownie recipe! I love the crust so much that I cutted them all off for myself as soon as it was cooled! The top was flaky, which I love. I will definitely have to make it again.
Can I reduce the sugar by half if I am using semi-sweet chocolate? I found it a bit too sweet for me, although everyone else loved it.
Hi Serena, I would cut it back just a tad (maybe by a 1/2 cup at the most) — otherwise the texture will be off.
These brownies are absolutely delicious. I will be making these often! My family loved them. Thanks for such a great recipe.
What is the best way to chop chocolate for baking? Thank you
Hi Jo Ann, I just chop it with a chef’s knife on a cutting board.
These are so good! They stayed moist for days. I used half semisweet and half dark chocolate… I think I will use all dark chocolate next time.
Hi! I noticed in the pictures that you used a metal pan. Will it make a difference if I use a glass Pyrex 13x9inch pan? Thank you!
Hi Lindsay, I would lower the temperature 25°F.
I will never buy boxed brownie mix ever again after making these brownies. I have a low success rate with boxed brownies – they always falls apart when I cut them up, even if I wait until they are perfectly cooled. Naturally, I was hesitant making brownies from scratch, but I followed this recipe as closely as I could. I only had one 4 oz bar of Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate, but had 4 oz of Ghirardelli semi sweet chocolate chips, so used both. I adjusted the amount of flour, increased oven temp and decreased baking time per the King Arthur’s web site that Jen has mentioned for high altitude baking (I’m at 5280ft). This recipe has restored my confidence in baking brownies.
I totally loved these brownies. They are super easy to make even at our high altitude. I loved the parchment paper tip which made clean up a snap. I did substitute coconut sugar for the brown sugar, but it totally worked. I do think I need to bake them a bit longer next time, but they are delicious nevertheless. Thanks for a great recipe.