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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First homemade brownie recipe I ever made. My family and friends loved the brownies so much, I’ll never need to look for another brownie recipe. I agree, Ghirardelli chocolate all the way!
Hi! Love all your recipes. (Made chai-spiced banana bread last week.)
Can I halve this recipe and put it in an 8×8 pan? I only have one bar of
Ghirardelli on hand. Thank you!
Glad you like the recipes, Mara! Yes, you can halve this and use an 8 x 8-inch pan. Baking time should be about the same but keep a close eye on them. Enjoy!
I have been making this brownie recipe for years, out of Nick Malgieri’s chocolate book. I never make any other recipe because it’s the best.
Do you think this would be ok to make into cupcakes instead of using a pan to cook them in?
Hi Asmae, I’ve never made these in a muffin tin, but I think it would work. Please LMK how they turn out!
Can we substitute almond flour for white flour? Thank you!
Hi Roopa, I wouldn’t recommend it — sorry!
These were really perfect brownies, melt-in-your mouth, with nice crunchy edges and a soft center. I was craving a brownie so I didn’t reduce the sugar in the recipe like I always do— the sugar really makes the brownies brownies, otherwise, as others have said, you get more of a chocolate cakey bar. I added some espresso powder in an attempt to cut the sweetness, but it didn’t really. Also, I didn’t have the right size rectangular pan, so I fit the batter into two glass pie pans, one 8 inches and the other 9 inches, and I was happy with the thickness of the brownies.
Hi
I followed the recipe. I do not what went wrong but the are dry and not fudgey . All of the other Jenn Segal recipes are amazing. Will try again.
can I use unsweetened chocolate for this recipe
Hi, 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.
I want to know the % of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
Typically, “semisweet” contains 35 to 45% cacao and is sweeter than dark/bittersweet chocolate. But there are no legal regulations to distinguish between dark, bittersweet and semi-sweet. They all simply must contain at least 35% unsweetened chocolate and can only contain up to 12% milk solids.
I love these brownies. I’ve made them several times now. I’m curious about something, though. The original creator of this recipe (Nick M) melts the sugar with the butter and chocolate. I see you modified that and I’m curious what the reason is. Thanks!!!
Hi Rachel, Nick Malgieri’s recipe is different than mine in that he melts the butter in a saucepan on the stove instead of the microwave, but based on the version I see, he doesn’t melt the sugar with the butter and chocolate. You can check it out here. (And so glad you like them!)
This recipe is amazing! Perfect brownies every time.
Hi there! Thank you so so so much for this recipe – my best friend makes it and they turn out to be DELICIOUS. Just wondering, is there a way to make these eggless?
Thank you so much!
Hi Sanya, So glad you like these@ I’ve never made an eggless version of these, but you may want to experiment with an egg substitute. Two of the best substitutes I’ve heard about (I haven’t personally tried either of them) are a combination of water, oil, and baking powder, and carbonated water. Scroll down to the bottom of this article for more information about both. I would assume many recipes would also work with some kind of store-bought egg substitute. Hope that helps!
I know it would be gilding the Lilly but I would like to add a chocolate frosting. Would you recommend one?🤡
As you said, it would be gilding the lily and don’t think it’s necessary, but if you’d like to frost them, I think using the frosting from this recipe would work. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Love love love these brownies!!! Perfect texture – exactly how brownies should be! I made these for my family in February for a birthday treat and will be making them again this weekend for my other nephew’s birthday since they were such a big hit. Thank You!!