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 had only ever made box brownies before, and had been interested recently in testing if a recipe from scratch would actually be better! When I stumbled upon this recipe I could tell from the pictures it was my ideal brownie. I made these last night and they were heavenly – that texture just can’t be replicated with a box mix! These will be my go-to from now on, thanks so much for sharing this delicious recipe.
Such a great recipe! The reduced amount of flour guarantees a fudgy texture. I swirled peanut butter into the batter (after putting into the pan) for my Reese’s loving son and it was delicious!
Any tips on baking these in mini-muffin cups? I want to make bite-sized brownies topped with buttercream for my son’s 16th bday party. I am thinking I should check them for doneness around 20-25 minutes? Thx!
Hi Marybeth, I’ve never made these in a mini muffin pan so I can’t say from experience, but one reader commented that she baked them that way and that they were done after about 13 to 14 minutes so you may want to start checking at that time. Hope that helps and happy birthday to your son!
I’ve made a lot of brownie recipes. This was by far the best brownie I’ve ever made or eaten! Please do yourself and your friends and family a huge favor and make these brownies. I recommend following the recipe as written. You’ll see there’s no reason to improvise. Thank you Jenn for including this recipe.
I agree this is by far, the best brownie recipe I have ever tried! It is amazing!!!! We wanted to eat all of it after dinner but were too full and had just one amazing brownie. I really suggest this brownie recipe.
These are my favorite brownies. I used Godiva 69% cocoa baking chips. It was a 10oz bag so I took about a 1/4 cup out and melted the rest. Mixed in some chopped walnuts and after I put it in the pan I sprinkled it with the extra chocolate chips. I know baking times vary so I checked them at 25 minutes and they were done. Delicious! Thank you for this awesome, easy recipe.
So. Stupid. Delicious. Just make them. Trust me. Don’t modify, don’t adjust, just follow the directions exactly for brownie euphoria. I’ll never make a box brownie again.
Jen, I’m a little confused on how to freeze these. Plan to make again as one of my Thanksgiving desserts (small, immediate family). Are you saying to freeze each brownie separately in some kind of wrap and then put in a container or baggie as opposed to just placing all cut ones in a freezer container, sealed tightly?
Sorry for the confusion, Macky. If you plan on defrosting them all at once, it’s fine to place them all together in a freezer container.
Oh, thank you. That helps tremendously. I do intend to defrost them all at once. Appreciatively, Macky
Can I use one bar of semi sweet Ghirardelli chocolate and one bar of bittersweet Ghirardelli chocolate?
Yep that’s fine 🙂
Best brownies ever. Perfect texture, moisture content, and amount of chocolate.
Can I add nuts?
And When?
Thanks
Dee
Sure – I’d fold them in right before you pour the batter into the pan. Hope you enjoy!
I didn’t want to have to wrap each one so I just put them in a tupperware, separating layers with parchment. No problem, in fact I think they are even better right out of the freezer. This was just for a few days, can’t comment about long term.
Jen, I am guessing that it is not recommended, but I want to ask anyway. Is it possible to make this recipe with a sugar substitute like Stevia? I really want to make them for a diabetic family member. Your thoughts???
Hi Kate, I wish I could help but I’ve never worked with sugar substitutes so I can’t say how it would impact recipes. (If it helps at all, I have read plenty of comments from readers who have said they’ve replaced some or all of the sugar in a recipe with a substitute like Stevia and have had good results.) Hope that helps at least a bit!
Kate, You might try Swerve sweetener that measures one to one with sugar and they have a brown sugar sugar substitute.
As a side note, Nick Malgieri was my baking teacher when I went to cooking school in NYC 37 years ago!
Is it possible to use this recipe without brown sugar I just realized I don’t have any…please help
Hi Maria, You can replace it with more granulated sugar.
I have one other question. As I google cups to grams, I see about 3 or 4 different answers, starting with 120 grams up to 142. 142 was the one I had seen several months ago and the one I used and that is way more than the rest. I find this so confusing. What do you recommend? What’s amazing is that even though I used 142, the brownies were the best ever. Thanks, Macky Miller
Hi Macky, I know there’s some variability out there in terms of how many grams one cup of flour has. I use the spoon and level method for measuring flour and have weighed it many times. I consistently come up with 130 grams per cup. This recipe used to call for 125 grams, but I’ve changed it as I’ve gotten 130 grams as the result enough times when weighing it that I thought it was worth changing.
Thank you so much, Jenn. I shall go with the 125 or better yet, your spoon and level method. If it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for me!! Appreciatively, Macky
Oops, meant to say I’ll use 130 grams.
Hi Jen,
My brownies are in the oven and if they taste as good baked as they do raw, they’ll be a hit!
I realized after I put them in the oven that there’s no baking powder in the recipe. Curious to know why? Not urgent. If they come out the way they are supposed to, I’m making them again for Thanksgiving and if baking powder will make a difference, I’ll add it.
Be safe.
Macky Miller
Hi Macky, I don’t include baking powder so that the brownies are a bit more dense and fudgy. 🙂
Great, That explains it perfectly.