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 just made these for the very first time. It is now our favorite brownie recipe and will be my go to from here on out. Recipe called for semisweet or bittersweet chocolate. I used a 4 oz bar of Ghirardelli semisweet and 4 oz Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips. Perfect. I did add walnuts so that was a slight deviation from the recipe. I actually just pressed walnuts on top of batter. This was because I forgot to incorporate into the batter prior to pouring into pan. Turned out to be a happy misstep. Just enough crunch without being overpowered by walnuts.
I’ve made these in my oven before, and my boyfriend LOVED them. He said they were the best brownies that he’s ever eaten. I’m hoping to make some again for Valentine’s, but my oven has broken. I have a toaster oven, though, and I’m wondering if I could make these in the toaster oven?
If I can, what settings/time do you think would bring forth the best results?
Hi Damien, so glad that your boyfriend likes these! If you have a toaster oven that’s big enough to fit the baking dish and you’re able to use a bake function on it, I suspect it should work and I would stick to the same temperature and time. Please let me know how they turn out!
I have made this recipe at least over a dozen times. It’s my go to recipe for brownies. Best ever!! My entire family always requests I make these.
These brownies were a great combo of a little bit cakey and a little bit fudgey. I added 1-1/2 cups of walnuts because I’m a sucker for a nut brownie.
Hey Jenn!
I’ve already tried your New your cheesecake, and it was BOMB!
My family and I finished it in a single night!
I wanna try this recipe as well, so can I use an 8×8 inch pan?
I really wanna make this for a friend.
Glad you enjoyed the cheesecake! Yes, you can make these in an 8 x 8-inch pan, but you’ll need to halve the recipe. The bake time should be about the same but keep a close eye on them. Hope your friend enjoys!
Thank you so much Jenn!<3
This brownie came out beautifully, with a nice crackly top and fudgy and gooey!
Had this with ice-cream and some chocolate sauce, and it was AMAZINGG!!
Could I add chocolate chips to the batter?
Sure – enjoy!
I cut the sugar each by 1/2 and it still turned out great and tasted amazing. Really simple to prepare, this was a wonderful after dinner treat. Thank you!
My brownies did not turn out. The flavor is good but it is a very cakey texture which to me is not at all what a brownie should be.
disappointed.
Obviously you did something wrong. When every one gives this recipe rave reviews….5 stars….try again!!!
omg this is funny, Virginia went to every review that didn’t like the outcome and blamed the reviewer.
Different strokes for different folks. not everyone will enjoy the same food and that’s totally ok…
This is a recipe that goes in the recipe book. The brownies in this recipe are marvelous. Bravo, Jenn.
These brownies are absolutely a chocolate lover’s dream! I just cut these and they are delicious! I followed the recipe exactly.
i am in shock at how amazing these brownies tasted oh my goodness the amount of brownie recipes ive tried i’m never satisfied but these were absolutely perfect. If you’re going to make brownies make these ones no hesitations you will not regret it. Thank you for sharing this incredible recipe with us🙏🙏
These are delicious brownies. The chocolate really shines through. Ive made them four times now, and each time they’ve been indulgent.
I have one question though. I’ve never had the brownies bake longer than 30 minutes, and I take them out of the 9×13 glass dish right after they come out of the oven. They’re perfect every time, but I wonder why I’m nowhere near the recipe’s recommended bake time. Is it the glass dish instead of a metal pan?
Hi Mac, so glad you like these! It’s surprising that your brownies fully cook in 30 minutes. Things tend to cook more quickly in glass versus metal but it’s usually just the edges touching the glass that cook more quickly. It could be a combination of that and your oven may also run a bit hot. Hope that helps at least a bit!