The Best Brownie Recipe
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If you’ve been searching for the ultimate homemade brownie recipe, look no further. This is it!
The best brownie recipes 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. Made with melted bittersweet chocolate bars, the brownies are fudgy in the center, cakey on the surface, and just plain out of this world. 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!
Table of Contents
“The name does not lie!! These are hands-down the BEST brownies I have made!!! My entire family devoured them.”
What You’ll Need To Make The Best Brownie Recipe
- All-Purpose Flour: The base of your brownies, providing structure. Be sure to measure it 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: Essential for binding the ingredients together. Eggs also add moisture and help create a rich texture in the brownies.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and flavor. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Vanilla Extract: Complements the chocolate and adds depth of flavor.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavors of the brownies.
- Semi-Sweet or Bittersweet Chocolate: The star of the show. It’s crucial to use good quality chocolate, like Ghirardelli or Guittard, because the chocolate flavor is prominent in brownies. 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.
Add the sugars, salt and vanilla.
And whisk to combine.
Whisk in the chocolate-butter mixture.
Then add the flour.
Whisk until just combined.
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!
Frequently Asked Questions
To keep brownies fresh, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. They typically keep well for up to 4 days. Brownies can also 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.
Absolutely! You can customize your brownies by adding a variety of mix-ins. Popular choices include chopped nuts (like walnuts or pecans) or chocolate chips or chunks.
The main reason cocoa powder is often used in brownie recipes is due to its convenience and ease of use. Cocoa powder, being a dry ingredient, can be easily measured, and it eliminates the extra step of melting chocolate. However, in my opinion, brownies made with melted chocolate are far superior—fudgier, denser, and just much more delicious!
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Video Tutorial
The Best Brownie Recipe
If you’ve been searching for the ultimate homemade brownie recipe, look no further. This is it!
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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I made these brownies twice now and they are super simple to make and taste as good as the great ingredients you use like the giradelli ? chocolate. No more brownie mix for me!
I have wanted a recipe like this forever. The brownies are fabulous. Even my son thinks these are better than his recipe. Really easy to make. Used bittersweet chocolate and a glass pan.
Wonderful classic brownies recipe. Love the shiny, flaky crust.
Easy and delicious! I made these for my husband’s co-worker while he was here for an extended trip from out of state so he could have a treat from restaurants and convenience foods and my husband said he raved about them every day the entire week! Thanks so much for sharing such great recipes!
I tried these in an ‘edges only’ pan and they turned out so good. Chewy and delicious!!
Hi Jenn, I love this brownie, it’s my only go-to recipe and each time is a success! I am wondering if I wanna bake them in those nordic ware cakelet/tea cake pan, how long should I bake them for? And do I keep them at the same temperature? Also the same question for your banana bread recipe. Thank you!
Hi Serena, glad you like the brownies! I’ve never tried this in a pan like that, so I’m really not certain how long they’d take, but I know they took another reader about 13 minutes in a mini muffin pan, so I would guess it would be in that range (but keep an eye on them). I think it would be about the same for the banana bread. (And I’d keep the oven temp the same.) I’d love to hear how they turn out!
I tried it with your banana bread recipe today in small cakelet (2 bites) and a larger cakelet (about a muffin size) pans tonight, 2 bites cakelet pan only needed about 10-12 mins, muffin size cakelet pan needed around 15-20 mins, depends on the amount of batter. Love it, crunchy crust and warm and soft inside! Ate three small ones right off the bat!
Best. Brownie. EVER <3
Love this recipie it’s great on its own or I have also used it for a base to tiramisu brownies ?
Maria – You need to send me your recipe for tiramisu brownies! ? ?
Hello Jennifer,
I have some Baker’s Unsweetened Baking Chocolate on hand. Can i use them in these brownies? Thank you! I love all your recipes 🙂
Hi Swathi, I guess you could use unsweetened chocolate, but you’d need to add some sugar (and I’m not certain how much). For the best results, I would recommend sticking with the bittersweet chocolate.
These brownies are my new go to brownie recipe.
Hi Jenn,
Just made your brownies which are delish! However, the top didn’t get shiny and it was also quite dry on the top. It cracked and lifted rather badly when I cut it into squares. Could this be because I had to use a non dairy fat rather than butter or am I doing something wrong?
By the way, your dishes are fab. Made your Thai red curry chicken the other day. My husband took one mouthful and declared it fantastic and I have to make it again!
Have just made your sautéed zucchini with tomatoes and garlic which I’ve made several times. Could you please just confirm how much a pint of grape tomatoes actually is – I live in the U.K. and we don’t use this type of measurement!
Thank you!
Kathie
Hi Kathie, So glad you’re enjoying the recipes! I do think the non-dairy butter is the likely culprit with the brownies. What fat did you use? Re. the tomatoes, one pint is about 300 g.