Better than box-mix by a thousand miles, these easy brownies from scratch are made in just one bowl! They’re outrageously fudgy, chocolatey, and absolutely irresistible. Recipe includes a how-to video!
Never Buy a Box-Mix Again
Toss the box-mixes (and their artificial flavors and whatnot) and scrap any other brownie recipe you may have saved, today I’m introducing you to your new favorite. This is an easy recipe for one bowl, ridiculously fudgy, chocolate-chip-stuffed, brownies from scratch.
I shared this recipe years ago and it’s one of my personal favorites on the blog, a classic right up there with my “worst” chocolate chip cookies. It’s been used over and over again here as base of many of my other recipes (most deliciously, my cheesecake brownies) and is perfect for beginner and advanced bakers alike.
At its core, this is really a no-frills, easy brownie recipe that really needs little introduction, but if you’re like me and love nerding out about nitty gritty recipe details, please read on (otherwise, hit that big “Jump to Recipe” button overhead!
Why You’ll Love This Brownie Recipe:
- Easy! Comes together in just one bowl in 10 minutes. Minimal mess & no mixer needed!
- Intense chocolate flavor. True chocolate lovers will enjoy the rich, fudgy decadence of these brownies coupled with the added chocolate chips!
- Shiny, crackly tops. While this may merely be an aesthetic issue, everyone loves those shiny meringue-like tops and this recipe delivers!
- True brownie texture. They’re moist, dense and chewy, no cakey brownies here!
Ingredients
We won’t go over every ingredient in detail (who has the time when there are brownies to be made!), but I think you should know what it is that truly makes these the best brownies from scratch. The ingredients are common enough, but there are a few extras mixed in, along with a bit of technique… (more on that later). Let’s dig in.
- Sugar. A blend of granulated and brown sugar is the way to go in almost every recipe, honestly, but especially here. The subtle molasses-ness of the brown sugar rounds out the flavor of the chocolate and adds extra chew to our brownies!
- Eggs… plus an extra yolk! While egg whites are important here and help account for the meringue-like crackly top (coupled with the above sugar), adding a whole extra egg, yolk and call, would make these brownies cakey. Adding an extra egg yolk enriches the brownies and makes them more tender and fudgy!
- Chocolate. When I make brownies from scratch I don’t mess around. For a truly intense chocolate flavor, we build the brownies on a base of melted chocolate and butter and then toss in some cocoa powder while the mixture is still warm (to help bloom it, as we do in my chocolate cake). This gives us the richest, chocolatiest (I’m being told this isn’t a word, but you know what I mean!) results possible. Oh, and then we toss in some chocolate chips at the end, too!
- Instant coffee. If you prefer chocolate that’s a bit on the darker side, this is a must-add. Just half a teaspoon of instant coffee granules enhances the chocolate flavor, particularly the more bitter flavors that you’ll find in dark chocolate.
Sam’s Tip: Chocolate chips work just fine here, but when I have baking bars on hand I much prefer to use them instead (for melting with the butter). Use semisweet baking bars, or, if you like a darker chocolate, use 60% cacao instead!
How to Make Brownies from Scratch
- Melt together butter and chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate bar). I recently shared in my post on how to melt chocolate in the microwave that it’s critical you heat the mixture slowly and in short increments, stirring well in-between. That applies here as well!
- Stir in the cocoa and instant coffee right away, while the mixture is still warm.
- Stir in the sugars and then the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time and stir vigorously after each addition. Is it a bit of an arm workout, sure, but it’s worth it for those crackly tops!
- Add the vanilla and salt and, finally, flour. Stir very well, then stir in some chocolate chips, spread into a 9″ pan and bake until a toothpick comes out fudgy.
Just one bowl and 10 minutes and you’ll truly have the best brownies from scratch… or really just the best brownies, period.
Tips for Perfect Brownies
- Melt the butter and chocolate slowly. I touched on this above, but it’s worth reiterating. Heat the butter and chocolate in 15-20ish second increments and stir well in between. If your mixture becomes gritty or grainy, it’s been heated too quickly or for too long and will need to be tossed.
- Stir the eggs very well. This step helps to encourage those delicate meringue-like crackly tops. With many of my recipes (like my muffins) I encourage mixing gently and slowly, but there’s no need to worry about over-mixing here.
- Chill the dough… or don’t. This one’s optional, but it’s a step I used to use consistently when making brownies from scratch. Chilling the dough in the refrigerator for as little as 30 minutes or for as long as overnight can give you a fudgier brownie with a cracklier surface. This is a tip I learned long ago from Bon Appetit. I wanted to include this because I used to always chill my brownies before baking, but recently I’ve been skipping this step to save time, and honestly no one has noticed a difference.
- Don’t over-bake. This will yield dry, tough brownies. Always better to slightly under-bake rather than over-bake. Your toothpick should yield fudgy crumbs (not wet batter, and make sure you didn’t accidentally spear a chocolate chip with your toothpick!). A completely clean toothpick indicates brownies that may be over-done.
FAQ
An extra egg yolk, a bit of brown sugar, real melted chocolate, a bit less flour than you might expect, and no baking powder or baking soda all contribute to the rich fudginess of these brownies. If your brownies turn out cakey after following my recipe, it may be that your flour was accidentally over-measured.
After lots and lots of testing, I can definitively say that butter yields the best flavor, the best crackly tops, and the best texture. While there’s a case to be made for substituting a small bit of the butter with some oil and most box-mixes do best with oil, I recommend using all butter when making brownies from scratch (and even recommend this in my homemade brownie mix).
Unfortunately, a straight substitution of the chocolate called for with white chocolate yields results that are too sweet and a bit oily. This is due to the ingredients that make up white chocolate. However, I do have a white chocolate brownie recipe that I recommend you try instead, or for a chocolate-less version try my blondies!
This is truly the easiest, ultimate, best brownie recipe. And I really think you are going to love it.
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Brownies from Scratch
Ingredients
- 12 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces (170g)
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips (100g) or you may use a 4 oz semisweet baking bar, chopped
- ½ cup natural cocoa powder (unsweetened) (50g)
- ½ teaspoon instant coffee grounds optional
- ¾ cup sugar (150g)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar firmly packed (150g)
- 2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125g)
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips (150g)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9×9 baking pan¹ with parchment paper²
- Combine butter and ½ cup (100g) semisweet chocolate chips in a large, microwave-safe bowl.
- Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well, microwave for another 15 seconds and then stir well again. Repeat for 15 seconds until chocolate and butter are completely melted and well-combined.
- Add cocoa powder and instant coffee (if using), stir well.
- Add sugars, stir until completely combined.
- Add eggs, one at a time. After each addition, stir well, and then stir another 30 seconds (the better you stir your batter, the cracklier your brownie tops will be).
- Stir in vanilla extract and salt.
- Add flour, stir until completely combined. You cannot overmix this batter, make sure it is mixed very well.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Spread into prepared 9×9 pan.
- Optional: for crackle-topped brownies: Place pan with batter in refrigerator for 15-30 minutes to chill (you can skip this step if you don't have the patience to wait!).
- Remove from refrigerator and bake on 350F (177C) for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out slightly fudgy, but not wet with batter.
- Allow to cool before cutting and serving.
Notes
¹Using different pans
This recipe can also be made in a 13×9 pan, it will need to bake for about 16-18 minutes in a 13×9. I used a metal baking pan for this recipe, if you opt to use a glass dish keep in mind that the brownies may need to bake for longer.²Greasing the pan
Alternatively you may lightly grease the pan with butter — the parchment paper is a little wiggly when you’re trying to spread your batter into it, but I prefer it for ease of cleanup.Adding nuts
You may add chopped nuts to this recipe if you would like. Stir up to ¾ cup of nuts in at the end with the chocolate chips (you may leave out the chocolate chips if you prefer). Pecans and/or walnuts make great additions!Storing
Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
I originally shared these brownies from scratch on 02/01/2017. Recipe remains the same, but I’ve updated some of the photos and added a video and tried to make the post itself more informative.
connie ratner
this is my go to brownie recipe. I want not make these for a camping trip but host is gluten free. can I substitute gluten free 1 to1 flour? thank you for this recipe and tips measuring flower.
Sam
Hi Connie! Others have tried it and weren’t pleased with the results. I do have a flourless brownie you could check out though. 🙂
connie
Hi Sam,
thank younger quick response. Everyone loves your brownie recipe so much that I am hesitant to try your flourless brownie recipe . I will try it sometime but for this camping trip I am making your flourless peanut butter cookie and your regular brownie recipe.
thank you again for sharing your delicious recipes
ps
your video for flourless brownies really helped ease my hesitation to make them, you make it look all so easy. I guess I’m buying a metal pan.
thanks again,
connie
Joy
Can espresso power be used in the brownie recipe?
Sam
Hi Joy! Espresso powder will work, just keep in mind that it is a bit more potent than instant coffee. 🙂
Robin
These brownies are to die for. I have a home baking business and my customers LOVE THEM!!!! My question to you Sam is can I use a Kitchen Aid Mixer because I have an arm that is hurting and all of that stirring really didn’t help! I notice that you said in the recipe that the batter needs mixed very well and you can’t mix it too much as if to overmix it. Thank you so much!
Sam
Hi Robin! This will work in the kitchenaid mixer. I hope your arm recovers quickly! 🙂
Robin
Thanks so much Sam!
Ange
Hi Sam, if my pan is a 9×13 stainless steel pan, should i increase the amount of ingredients, and by how much? What wld be the baking time? For the oven, do i use fan assisted setting, or not? Thanks! i’m from Singapore by the way, and am v glad to hv found your website 🙂
Sam
Hi Ange! You would likely need to increase the recipe by 50% to get enough for your 13 x 9. I’m not sure on the bake time. I use a conventional oven. 🙂
Robin
Could I replace any of the semi sweet chocolate chips with milk chocolate ones?
Sam
Hi Robin! I think it would probably be ok.
Robin
They came out PERFECT!!! Delicious! I used half milk choc chips and had no instant coffee granules. Another blue ribbon recipe from you. Thank you.
Robin
Wow!! I can’t believe you answered this question so quickly!!! Thank you so very much!!! I love watching your videos and everything you do is AWESOME!!!!
Missy
Hi, my 17-year-old brownie lover son approves. Thumbs up! So happy I found your blog. You break down the recipes so nicely and you use ingredients I have on hand. I like that you use butter! I don’t like oil. 🙂
Sam H
A staple recipe for me. This time around I had some almond flour I wanted to burn so I substituted that one-for-one for the all-purpose flour. Then did 3 eggs instead of 2 plus a yolk (I’m told that doing an almond flour substitution necessitates more liquid and the extra white seemed simple enough—idk if there’s any heuristic the people here would recommend).
They turned out good enough for most purposes although not as good as the original (and of course lacking the signature cracked top).
Natasha
hey can i mix the butter and chocolate on the instead ofthe microwave.
Sam
It can be done on the stove top, just use low heat and stir often. 🙂
Christine
Can you double the recipe and use a 9×13 pan
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Christine! That will work just fine. The brownies will be a little bit thicker in the 9×13, so your bake time may vary a little bit 🙂
Shelley
I’m cringing as I ask this question…..
May I reduce each of the sugars a bit?
Sam
I haven’t tried to say for sure how it would turn out. 🙁
Josie
These brownies are so delicious both chewy in the center and crispy around the edges. I used instant espresso powder and it really enhances the chocolate. I also used salted butter and less salt. Definitely my new go to recipe.
Haidy
The most easy and successful recipes I have found .
Sam
Check your email. I’ll send it over. 🙂
Margarett
Hi Sam! OMG- on these brownies! Best ever. I am a pro chef for over 35 yrs, and your site is my go-to for sweets [especially] and so much else. I truly enjoy all of the hard work and perfecting that you do with all recipes. Again, OMG on these brownies, love, love, love. To me? The coffee granules send it over the top..I have you bookmarked for at least three years now. You go!
Sam
Thank you so much, Margarett! I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much! 🙂
Kristen
Made these. Perfect crinkly top. Had to skip the instant coffee since I don’t have have any. I replaced some of the chocolate chips added at the end with guiradelli white chocolate chips. Absolutely beautiful and delicious brownie. I fish around all the time for different recipes until I find a go-to for that particular recipe, so I definitely bookmarked this one. Thank you so much!
Dhannya
Hi Sam.
I’m a biiigg fan. Your recipes are spot on and this one is a winner. I have made these brownies repeatedly and have recieved nothing but praise. I have a query. If I substitute the eggs for Greek yoghurt…would it work?
Thanks a bunch.
Sam
Hi Dhannya! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed them so much! Unfortunately I haven’t tried that substitute so I can’t say for sure how it would go. 🙁
Dhannya Prakash
Thank you for your reply. Can I reduce the ingredients by half for a 7inch pan?
Sam
You would probably need to reduce the recipe by 25% to fit into a 7 inch pan. You could always just make the brownies thicker or dispose of any extra batter. 🙂
Courtney
Hi I love using your recipes, can you use egg replacer like ener-g with these or will it negatively effect the texture?
Sam
Hi Courtney! I am not familiar with using egg replacers so I can’t say for sure. That being said, this is a pretty forgiving recipe so I think it has potential to work. Let me know how it goes if you try it! 🙂