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 baked these brownies and they were delicious, very rich and full of chocolate flavor. I have a question as when I checked the brownies after 45 minutes, the center had ballooned up in perfect rectangle the shaped like my cookie pan. What caused that? Also, in my oven, they need 50 minutes baking time.
Having said all that, they still we absolutely delicious.
Hi Rick, Glad you liked them! Regarding the center ballooning up in the oven, it may be that you overmixed the batter a bit. The extra air that gets incorporated makes the brownies puff up like that.
So that’s what I did wrong! Otherwise the brownies taste good, although a little sweet for my taste. Will try following the instructions more closely next time (didn’t see the “just until combined” part 😊). I’ll reduce both the sugar and baking time too. Question: Would using a more shallow pan also have affected the result?
Using a more shallow pan won’t impact anything with the finished brownies. 😊
These were very good brownies – I baked mine for 33 minutes and they were just right. The recipe states 45 minutes -so I recommend that you start checking them before then.
I’ve been making this recipe since I bought Nick’s book. I also only cook it slightly over 30 minutes. I always get rave reviews.
I have tried 4 recipes from you so far. None have disappointed. These brownies, were perfection. Everything you want in a brownie, fudgey some parts cakey. Just so balanced and great. I officially want to live off the recipes on your site. Thank you so much for all your hard work.
❤️
Literally the best brownie recipe out there. I find that mine bake through in about 30-35 minutes so I usually just keep an eye on it and poke it until a stick comes out clean. Wonderful with chocolate chunks on top 🙂
Six stars!!! These are nothing short of amazing!
Best brownies I ever made! I only had white sugar and semi-sweet chocolate chips and no vanilla, but they still turned out totally amazing! I’ll definitely be making again!
Every time I make this recipe it is perfection! Thank you so much for this!
My husband and I are in trouble. Since the beginning of March, we haven’t run out of these brownies! LOL. I don’t use granulated sugar but instead I just use 1 3/4 cups of brown sugar, not packed. It turns out SO good! I’ve used Ghirardelli bars or chips — one is just as delicious as the other. I’ve also added 1 1/2 cups of walnuts or macadamias and we prefer macadamias, hands down. Thank you for this recipe! (I think, LOL)
Hello love your recipes, this turns our perfectly except that there is a layer of granulated sugar at the bottom of the Brownie and I can’t figure out how to get rid of it!
Hmmm… that’s really strange. Are you whisking the sugar and eggs together very thoroughly?
This recipe was brownie perfection. This will be my new go-to brownie recipe. Thank you!
Jen, all the stores seem to be out of Unbleached All Purpose Flour. I have no idea of what the difference is between the two. They seem to have bleached flour which makes me wonder if something is wrong with it. Can you please help me out on this one.
Many thanks,
Macky
Hi Macky, I added this recipe to the blog a long time ago and was suggesting unbleached flour at the time. Either one is completely fine here (and I’ve removed the “unbleached” from the ingredients to avoid confusion). Hope you enjoy the brownies! 🙂
Thanks Jen. Making these tomorrow. Appreciate your response.
I decided to try your brownie recipe and compare it to a recipe I’ve been using for awhile. The recipes are similar – the one I’ve used calls for 1/4 cup less flour, however, adds 1/4 cup baking cocoa and they are much denser (almost fudge). The flavor of both is outstanding, but I prefer the consistency of yours being more cake like. I’m hooked on your website for your never fail recipes – thank you- it’s been a bright spot during this weird and scary time.
Jenn: I only have unsweetened chocolate. How should I adjust the recipe to accommodate that? Thank you.
Marianne
Hi Marianne, While you could use unsweetened chocolate here, you’d need to add some sugar (and I’m not certain how much). For the best results, I would recommend sticking with bittersweet or semisweet chocolate.
Hello! May I know what will happen if I decide to use a mixer to beat the eggs + sugars till fluffy?
Hi Lyvia, While I don’t think it would be a problem, I’m not 100% sure how it would impact the texture of the brownies, so I’d just whisk the ingredients together as the recipe specifies. Hope you enjoy!