Fudgy Brownies Recipe

The best homemade fudgy brownies recipe! Super easy to make and chocolatey delicious.

BEST fudgy brownies recipe

I've been making this fudgy brownies recipe since high school. In other words, for decades. They are easy to make from scratch. No electric mixer required!

These brownies do not have cocoa powder or baking chocolate, which is a bit different from traditional recipes. The chocolate goodness comes from semi-sweet chocolate chips.

And of course, they have that classic crackly brownie top.

For double chocolate brownies that use both chocolate AND cocoa powder, check out our chocolate cookie bars.

more bar cookies you'll love

ingredients you'll need

You'll need the ingredients below to make brownies.

FLOUR -- Use all-purpose flour.

BAKING SODA -- Just a bit of baking soda helps the brownies rise.

SALT -- Salt adds the necessary bite to bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.

BUTTER -- Because I like the taste of sweet and salty, I bake with salted butter. However, traditional bakers use unsalted.

SUGAR -- You'll need some granulated sugar.

CHOCOLATE CHIPS -- Because this brownie recipe is already sweet with the sugar, use semi-sweet chocolate chips.

VANILLA -- As always, I recommend pure vanilla extract over imitation.

EGGS -- Use two large eggs.

TOOLS and EQUIPMENT

For thicker brownies, I use an 8-inch square baking pan. For thinner brownies, you may use a 9-inch square baking pan, but be sure to adjust the time and set the timer for a few less minutes than the recipe calls for.

When baking brownies, it's better to use a metal baking pan than a glass baking pan, as metal conducts heat more evenly.

You'll need a medium-sized sauce pan and large bowl.

It is not necessary to use an electric hand mixer or standing mixer, but you may if you like. Just mix until just combined to avoid over-beating.

I combined ingredients using a whisk and a silicone spatula.

You may grease your baking pan very well with cooking spray or butter. OR, line your baking pan with non-stick foil or parchment paper.

While our recipes provide both the metric and non-metric amounts, for best results, we recommend a  digital scale.

I use an oven thermometer for accuracy. (This is how I know my oven runs 25 degrees cold.)

how to make brownies

Grease your square baking pan very well with cooking spray or butter, OR line with non-stick foil or parchment paper. Set aside.

In a bowl, briefly whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Start to melt the butter over low heat in a saucepan.

Add the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water, stirring frequently.

Increase the heat to medium, and let the mixture come to a boil (still stirring frequently). Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract and half of your chocolate chips.

Stir well. The residual heat should fully melt the chocolate chips.

Scrape the mixture into a large bowl. Beat in the eggs (you may use a mixer or just a spatula) one at a time.

Gradually stir in the flour mixture.

Fold in the remaining chocolate chips.

Pour into the baking pan. Bake in a preheated 325 degree F oven for 35 to 45 minutes.

TIP: If desired, stir in ½ cup of chopped nuts when you stir in the chocolate chips at the end.

how do I know brownies are done?

Set the alarm for 35 minutes so you don't overbake the brownies. (They will likely still need additional time.)

Brownies are done when the sides pull away from the pan. When you remove an inserted toothpick, some brownie crumbs will stick to the toothpick.

For fudgier brownies, bake for less time. For cakier brownies, bake for additional time.

Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

printable recipe

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Yield: 16

fudgy brownies recipe

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Delicious, easy, one-bowl fudgy brownies recipe. No cocoa powder or baking chocolate, only semi-sweet chocolate

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes

Ingredients

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour (96 grams)
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup butter (76 grams)
• ¾ cup sugar (160 grams)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (12 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Line an 8-inch square baking pan (metal preferred) with non-stick foil or parchment paper. OR, grease well with non-stick cooking spray or butter.
3. You may also use a 9-inch square baking pan. Just reduce the baking time by a few minutes.
4. In a bowl, briefly whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
5. In a saucepan, begin to melt the butter over low heat. Add the water and sugar.
6. Stir frequently. When the mixture is melted, turn the heat up to medium and continue to stir until the mixture comes to a full boil.
7. Remove from heat and stir in HALF (1 cup or 6 ounces) of the chocolate chips. Stir well until fully melted.
8. Stir in the vanilla extract.
9. Scrape the mixture into a large bowl. Beat in the eggs one at a time. (You may use an electric mixer or just a silicone spatula.)
10. Gradually stir in the flour mixture.
11. Fold in the remaining chocolate chips.
12. Scrape the batter into the baking pan.
13. Bake for 35 to 45 minnutes.
14. For fudgy brownies, the sides will pull away from the edge of the pan and the middle will just set when jiggled. For cakier brownies, bake for additional time.
15. When a toothpick inserted is removed, the toothpick should still have a few crumbs of brownies on it.
16. Let cool completely (about an hour) before cutting into squares.

Notes

I recommend using a digital scale for accuracy. However, if you don't have a scale, measure flour by using a spoon to scoop into the measuring cup.

For variation, try adding ½ cup of chopped nuts when you stir in the chocolate chips at the end.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 205Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 94mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 21gProtein: 2g

HowToMakeEasyCookies.com offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you use to create this recipe.

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Meaghan Mountford

Hi! I’m Meaghan, the creator behind the edible art and recipes at TheDecoratedCookie.com. I’m the author of two food craft cookbooks: SUGARLICIOUS and COOKIE SENSATIONS. I’ve teamed up with Beth for more fun in the kitchen making easy, sweet treats.

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