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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These are the BEST EVER brownies in ALL history! Absolutely Nothing compares to this recipe! I use this brownie recipe for my triple mousse ganache chocolate brownie cake and for my Oreo cream cheese brownie squares! So Don’t be afraid to use this recipe in ANY recipe ! Mix n match! Enjoy ! WE do!
When you say 2 sticks (1/2 lb), does that mean 1/2 lb each stick or 1/2 lb total? Thank you!
Hi Caroline, 2 sticks are the equivalent of 1/2 pound. Hope that clarifies and that you enjoy the brownies!
These are amazing and easy!! Love not having to use a mixer.
I love these brownies but I was curious about Nick Malgieri’s recipe so I looked it up. His recipe has 200 grams of dark brown sugar but yours has 230 grams. Why the difference?
Hi Larry, Glad you like these. We actually use the same amount of brown sugar (1 cup). The difference is in our conversion to grams. When I weigh my dark brown sugar 1 cup comes out to 230 g. (You’ll definitely find variation online when you look at conversions to grams but I’ve always had success with the 230 g of brown sugar.) Hope that clarifies!
I made these brownies and measured by weight but they turned out undercooked even leaving them in for 30 plus minutes longer. They are very chewy on the sides but now taste burnt. I have made them before and turned out better than this time but do you know what might have caused them to stay too wet and moist than they should be?
Hi Tamara, I’m guessing you just cooked them too long. They are quite fudgy straight out of the oven, but firm up once cooled.
These turned out to be my favorite brownies ever! I added 1/2 teaspoon of espresso powder to enhance the flavor a little bit. I think I can easily double this amount, but they turned out so good I may not need to!
The flavor of these would pair well with crushed pecans. I am thinking of finely grinding some and incorporating them into the batter, maybe do a small batch just to test this hypothesis! Yummy! This recipe is a keeper for sure.
The BEST!!! Quick question…I never buy unsalted butter. Since I use salted butter should I eliminate or cut back on the added salt? BTW, sending these back with my college freshman to share with the others on his floor. I can’t think of a better way to make friends than with these brownies!
Glad they were a hit (and good idea to send them to school with your son)! While it varies by brand, most salted butter has approximately 1/4 tsp. salt per stick, so you can use the salted butter and reduce the salt in the recipe as needed. Hope that helps!
Thank you, it does help! And BTW, some of m my son’s new friends who I’ve never met left me a voicemail raving about these brownies. They are THAT GOOD!!!
These came out terrible. First of all it’s too much butter. Each bite is of liquid butter. Secondly it’s not chocolatey enough. Please steer clear of this recipe until it’s revised.
When several hundred other people have no problem, it’s likely not the recipe that’s the issue.
Hi Jen,
Could I replace the chocolate for powdered cocoa? And if so, how much do you recommend using? I live in a remote town and next major grocery store in an hour away. 😅
Hi Ellie, Unfortunately, this wouldn’t work with that substitution — sorry!
Wow! This brownie recipe is a keeper. Chewy brownies with a perfect crispy top. Not too doughy—they came out cooked through but still chewy. They’re in that sweet spot, not too dense but still definitely brownies, not cakey. We had to reduce the baking time by 5-10 minutes, so start checking early.
made these for some out of town friends. I made them with chopped pecans, and then, to gild the lily, I added more goodies. To one third of the pan of baked brownies I spread homemade raspberry jam, to another, marshmallow cream, and to the last, nothing. then sweetened condensed milk french fudge spread over over the top. i made sure everyone got all three kinds in her package. i realize some people will think i went too far, but these were for fabulous people. a great hit. Thanks for a super special recipe!