Brownies Recipe
This Brownies Recipe produces the fudgiest, richest and most deeply chocolatey brownies you will ever taste. A paper thin crinkly top, a dense and fudgy center and an intensely dark chocolate flavor throughout. Furthermore, they are ready in just 40 minutes using simple everyday ingredients. Moreover, they are the most requested bake at every party, gathering and bake sale without exception.
DessertsThis Brownies Recipe is the one that ends the search for the perfect brownie. Rich, dense and deeply fudgy with that iconic crinkled shiny top and an intensely chocolatey flavor that stays with you long after the last bite. Furthermore, this Brownies Recipe uses melted chocolate rather than just cocoa powder. Consequently, the chocolate flavor is deeper, richer and far more complex than any other method.
Additionally, these brownies keep beautifully for several days and actually taste even better the day after baking. For more indulgent desserts, explore our classic Cheesecake Recipe, our golden Apple Pie Recipe and our full Desserts collection.
The Secret to This Brownies Recipe
The secret to an extraordinary Brownies Recipe lies in three things. First, using real melted chocolate rather than relying solely on cocoa powder. Second, not overbaking — the brownies should come out of the oven looking slightly underdone in the center. Third, whisking the eggs and sugar together for a full 3 minutes until pale and thick. This step is what creates the iconic crinkled shiny top.
Furthermore, allowing the brownies to cool completely in the tin before cutting is essential. Moreover, cutting them warm produces ragged, messy edges and a gooey center that has not yet set properly. On the other hand, a fully cooled brownie cuts into clean, neat squares with beautifully defined edges.
Fudgy vs Cakey Brownies
This Brownies Recipe is firmly in the fudgy camp. Fudgy and cakey brownies are fundamentally different results that come from different ratios of ingredients. Therefore, understanding the difference helps you make an informed choice.
- Fudgy brownies — Higher fat ratio from both butter and chocolate. Less flour. Consequently, the texture is dense, rich and deeply moist with a soft, almost truffle like center.
- Cakey brownies — More flour and an extra egg. Additionally, baking powder is often added. As a result, the texture is lighter and more open, resembling a soft chocolate cake.
- Chewy brownies — The middle ground. More brown sugar and less butter than fudgy brownies. Furthermore, they have a satisfying chew and a slightly less dense texture than the fudgy version.
Choosing the Right Chocolate for Brownies
The chocolate you use is the single most important ingredient in this Brownies Recipe. Therefore, it is worth choosing carefully. Use a good quality dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids as the primary chocolate. Furthermore, this level of cocoa provides the deep, complex and slightly bitter chocolate flavor that makes great brownies so extraordinary.
Additionally, adding a small amount of cocoa powder alongside the melted chocolate deepens the color and intensifies the chocolate flavor even further. On the other hand, using milk chocolate produces a sweeter, milder and less complex brownie. Moreover, never use chocolate chips as the primary chocolate — they contain stabilizers that prevent them from melting smoothly and consequently affect the final texture.
Why Brown Butter Makes This Brownies Recipe Special
This Brownies Recipe uses brown butter rather than plain melted butter. Browning the butter first adds a deep, nutty and complex flavor that takes the brownies from good to truly extraordinary. Furthermore, the process takes only 3 extra minutes. The milk solids in the butter caramelize during browning. As a result, they add hundreds of new flavor compounds that complement the dark chocolate perfectly. Consequently, every bite tastes richer and more complex than a standard brownie.
How to Make This Brownies Recipe
The process has four simple stages. First, brown the butter and melt the chocolate together. Then, whisk the eggs and sugar until pale and thick. Next, fold in the chocolate mixture and then the dry ingredients. Finally, bake until set but still with a slight wobble in the center. The full step by step method is in the recipe card below.
How to Know When Brownies Are Done
Knowing when to take brownies out of the oven is the most critical skill in this Brownies Recipe. Therefore, pay close attention. Insert a toothpick into the center of the brownie. For fudgy brownies, it should come out with a few moist, fudgy crumbs clinging to it. Moreover, the edges should look set and the center should have only a very slight wobble when you gently shake the tin. On the other hand, a clean toothpick means overbaked and dry brownies.
Serving Suggestions for This Brownies Recipe
These brownies are spectacular on their own. However, these serving ideas elevate them into something truly special:
- Warm with a generous scoop of good quality vanilla ice cream — furthermore, the contrast between warm fudgy brownie and cold creamy ice cream is absolutely irresistible
- Drizzled with warm salted caramel sauce for an indulgent sweet and salty combination
- Dusted with powdered sugar and served alongside our classic Cheesecake Recipe for a full dessert spread
- With a dollop of softly whipped cream and fresh raspberries — moreover, the sharpness of the berries cuts through the richness beautifully
- Alongside our Apple Pie Recipe for a show stopping two dessert combination at any gathering
How to Store This Brownies Recipe
Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. They actually taste better on day 2 and day 3 as the flavors deepen and the texture becomes even more fudgy. Moreover, place a piece of bread in the container alongside the brownies — it absorbs any excess moisture and keeps them perfectly soft without becoming dry.
Freezing Brownies
Brownies freeze exceptionally well for up to 3 months. Therefore, they are an ideal make ahead treat. Cool completely, cut into squares and wrap each piece individually in cling film. Then place in a freezer bag. Consequently, you can take out individual squares as needed. Thaw at room temperature for 1 hour or microwave for 20 to 30 seconds for a warm, freshly baked result.
Easy Variations for This Brownies RecipeSalted Caramel Brownies — Swirl 3 tablespoons of salted caramel sauce through the batter before baking. Furthermore, sprinkle with flaky sea salt just before placing in the oven for a spectacular sweet and salty result.Nutella Swirl Brownies — Drop tablespoons of Nutella over the batter and swirl with a knife before baking. As a result, every slice has beautiful ribbons of hazelnut chocolate throughout.
Peanut Butter Brownies — Swirl 4 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter through the batter. Additionally, press a few salted pretzels into the top before baking for an extraordinary salty crunch.
Espresso Brownies — Add 2 teaspoons of instant espresso powder to the melted chocolate mixture. Consequently, the coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor dramatically without making the brownies taste of coffee.
White Chocolate and Raspberry — Fold 80g of white chocolate chips and 80g of fresh raspberries into the finished batter. Moreover, the tart raspberries cut through the richness for a beautifully balanced result.
Make This Brownies Recipe Today
In conclusion, this Brownies Recipe is the most requested and deeply satisfying bake on the entire TastelyBites website. Therefore, whether you are baking for a party, a bake sale, a special occasion or simply treating yourself on a weekday evening, this recipe always delivers extraordinary results. Browse more of our indulgent Dessert recipes and share your results in the comments below!
Recipe card
Brownies Recipe
Fudgy, rich and deeply chocolatey brownies with a crinkled shiny top. Made with brown butter and real dark chocolate for an extraordinary result.
- Prep
- 15 mins
- Bake
- 22 mins
- Cool
- 1 hour
- Total
- 40 mins
- Serves
- 16 squares
- Course
- Dessert
- Cuisine
- American
- Calories
- 210 kcal
Ingredients
0/9 ready · tap to tick off
The Chocolate Base
The Sugar and Eggs
The Dry Ingredients
Optional Add Ins
Equipment
- 20cm square baking tin
- Medium heavy saucepan
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric hand mixer or whisk
- Silicone spatula
- Baking parchment
- Oven thermometer (recommended)
- Sharp knife for cutting
Method
Tap a step when it’s done.
Nutrition
Per serving · 1 of 16 squares, without add ins
210
Calories
3g
Protein
26g
Carbs
11g
Total Fat
7g
Sat. Fat
1g
Fibre
19g
Sugar
95mg
Sodium
55mg
Cholesterol
* Nutritional values are estimates per square without add ins. Adding 80g walnuts increases fat by approximately 3g per square. Values are based on cutting into 16 equal portions.
Notes
- Do not overbake this Brownies Recipe. This is the single most common mistake. The brownies will continue cooking from residual heat after being removed from the oven. Consequently, they should look slightly underdone at the center when you take them out — they will set perfectly as they cool.
- Allow the chocolate and butter mixture to cool for at least 5 minutes before adding the eggs. Adding hot chocolate to eggs will scramble them and ruin the entire batter. Moreover, even slightly warm chocolate is fine — just not hot.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar for the full 3 minutes. This step cannot be shortened. It is what creates the iconic shiny, crinkled top surface that distinguishes a truly great brownie from an ordinary one.
- Cool completely before cutting. Cutting warm brownies produces ragged, gooey edges that look messy and feel underdone. Furthermore, the texture of a fully cooled brownie is dramatically better — denser, fudgier and more satisfying.
- This Brownies Recipe makes 16 squares from a 20cm tin. For a larger batch serving 24, use a 20x30cm tin and increase all ingredients by 1.5. The baking time increases to approximately 25 minutes.
Tips for success
- Use a light colored metal baking tin rather than a dark or glass tin. Dark tins absorb more heat and can cause the edges to overbake before the center is done. Furthermore, glass tins conduct heat unevenly and produce inconsistent results.
- Brown the butter all the way — do not stop early because you are worried about burning it. The deep golden color and nutty aroma are exactly what you want. Moreover, the flavor difference between properly browned butter and merely melted butter in this recipe is dramatic and immediately noticeable.
- Use a mixture of caster sugar and brown sugar if you can. The brown sugar adds molasses notes that deepen the overall flavor and contribute to an even fudgier, chewier texture. Furthermore, the combination produces a more complex and interesting finished brownie.
- For perfectly clean cut squares, chill the fully cooled brownie slab in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before slicing. Additionally, wipe the knife clean with a damp cloth between each cut. Consequently, every square has sharp, defined edges that look professionally made.
- Trust the toothpick test over the timer. Every oven is different. Therefore, start checking at 18 minutes and remove the brownies the moment the toothpick comes out with moist but not wet crumbs. The difference between a perfectly fudgy brownie and an overbaked dry one is literally 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add a pinch of flaky sea salt on top of the batter just before baking. On the other hand, if you prefer a pure chocolate experience without the salt, this step is completely optional. However, the salt amplifies the chocolate flavor in a remarkable and unexpected way.
