Thick, chewy, and utterly delicious—these Homemade Brownies outshine any store-bought mix. Dive into a batch and you’ll never look back!
These homemade brownies, well, they’re are a game changer. After lots of taste testing I finally perfected the recipe bringing decadent homemade brownies to your kitchen. First of all they’re so easy to make. And they’re relatively quick too! I don’t like making a huge mess in the kitchen and I hate that brownies take so long to bake! This recipe requires melting the butter and the sugar together in the microwave and needs only 25 minutes to bake!
Chock-full of chocolatey goodness, these brownies have just the right amount of chew and softness. Your taste buds will thank you, trust me! For more chocolate heaven, try Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Double Chocolate Muffins, and Double Chocolate Silk Pie
Table of Contents
Reasons to Love These Brownies
- Homemade Brownies are baked fresh, offering a warm, comforting taste that can’t be matched by store-bought varieties.
- This easy brownie recipe is customizable. You can add nuts, caramel, or extra chocolate to suit your taste preferences.
- Baking brownies fill the house with an inviting, delicious scent.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter: I prefer using unsalted butter for baking, but if you like the flavor of a little extra salt, you’re welcome to use salted butter.
- Cocoa Powder: The best type of cocoa powder for a rich brownie is Hershey’s Special Dark Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder. Dutch process powder provides a rich and smooth flavor. If you are not too worried about it, you can use a typical unsweetened natural cocoa powder.
- Chopped Chocolate: I love using a Ghirardelli baking bar for the semi-sweet chopped chocolate. It enhances the chocolatey experience with a gooey texture and robust flavor.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Add-Ins: For a nutty crunch, mix in chopped walnuts or pecans into your brownie batter before baking. Another fun variation is to add Oreo chunks or edible cookie dough pieces into the mix. For those who enjoy a bit of color and extra sweetness, mixing in M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces adds a playful touch. Lastly, topping the batter with coconut flakes before baking gives the brownies a tropical flair and a slight chewiness.
- Sugar Variation: For a delightful twist on traditional brownies, consider using molasses or brown sugar instead of regular white sugar. Molasses will impart a rich, slightly smoky sweetness. Brown sugar, on the other hand, contributes a moist texture and a hint of caramel.
How to Make Homemade Brownies
Step 1: Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (163 degrees Celsius). Line an 8×8″ pan with parchment or foil, and set aside.
Step 2: In a microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and sugar. Heat in the microwave on HIGH for about 1 minute and 15 seconds. Remove, stir, and cool on the counter for 5 minutes, then stir in the vanilla extract and cocoa powder.
Step 3: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm (but not hot) butter/sugar mixture. With the mixing speed on low, add one egg at a time, mixing just until incorporated.
Step 4: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add the dry ingredients. Mix until no flour pockets remain. Remove the bowl from the stand and fold in the chocolate chips and chunks.
Step 5: Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Place in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the brownies are set. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30-45 minutes before cutting and serving.
Expert Tips
- Melting Butter: Melting the butter not only imparts a fudgy texture but also contributes to the shiny, crackly top characteristic of the best brownies.
- Mixing Technique: Avoid overmixing the batter after adding flour. Overmixing introduces too much air, which can make the brownies cakey instead of fudgy.
- Baking Time: Do not overbake the brownies. They should remain a bit soft in the center to ensure moist, fudgy brownies.
Frequently Asked Questions
To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the brownies; it should come out with lots of gooey crumbs. This indicates the brownies have achieved perfect fudginess.
Pre-cutting parchment paper to fit the pan exactly prevents the brownie batter from sticking and facilitates easier removal from the pan, ensuring your brownies are beautifully square and intact.
Cutting brownies can be tricky as they tend to get messy. The trick is to run a butter knife under hot water and dry it off before each cut. Clean the knife on a paper towel before making another cut. This method ensures clean slices without tearing the brownies.
Storage Info
STORE brownies in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them moist and chewy; they will stay fresh for up to 4 days. To FREEZE, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil. You can freeze it in your freezer for up to 3 months.
To REHEAT, unwrap the brownies and microwave them on high for about 10-20 seconds, or until warm.
More Tasty Brownie Recipes to Try
Homemade Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour*
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 11 tbsp unsalted butter - (1 stick +3 tbsp)
- 2 eggs - cold
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp cornstarch**
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips - milk or semisweet
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet baking bar* - chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (163 degrees Celsius). Line an 8×8" pan with parchment or foil, and set aside.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and sugar. Heat in the microwave on HIGH for about 1 minute and 15 seconds. Remove, stir, and cool on the counter for 5 minutes, then stir in the vanilla extract and cocoa powder.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm (but not hot) butter/sugar mixture. With the mixing speed on low, add one egg at a time, mixing just until incorporated.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add the dry ingredients. Mix until no flour pockets remain. Remove the bowl from the stand and fold in the chocolate chips and chunks.
- Spread the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan. Place in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the brownies are set. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30-45 minutes before cutting and serving.
Do you think I could sub the butter for coconut oil?
I haven’t tried that before… but you could definitely give it a try (I’ve been meaning to post a coconut oil brownie recipe so now you have me wanting to recipe test asap!) I would probably use 2/3 cup solid coconut oil and then melt it, that way you still get that shiny top!
I’m going to attempt this evening…I’ll let you know how it goes! *fingers crossed*
Can I sub the eggs with greek yogurt?
I would say probably not. The eggs are essential in creating the texture of these brownies. You could always give it a try, but I’ve never subbed them out for anything.
I just tried making these with a flax eggs (1Tbs ground flax + 3Tbs water per egg) and they turned out ok – I definitely needed to bake them longer, I probably baked them for 40 minutes and I think if I make them again I’ll go even a little longer. In my experience when you make brownies without eggs they end up a little on the greasy side, so I may cut back a little on the butter too and definitely do not grease the pan. Overall the taste was nice and even if they were a little gooey at least you aren’t eating uncooked egg!
Thanks for letting me know! I’ve never really substituted eggs in a brownie recipe before, because eggs are so crucial to the texture- I’d be more willing to use flax eggs in muffins. I’m glad you’re willing to experiment though, I hope you’re able to find the perfect recipe!
Yes, brownies are SO hard to get right without eggs – I tried it again with 1 TBS less butter, 1 Tbs extra flour, and a little extra baking soda and they were awesome! This (with the modifications) is my new go-to brownie recipe, I’m so happy with it!
Hi Natalie, this looks divine! Please advise if i would be able to sub the AP flour to almond flour and still be able to get the same chewy texture?
Thanks in advance! 🙂
I can’t really say because I’ve never used almond flour in them before. If you’re looking for a good gluten free recipe I have one (here) or you could use a cup for cup gluten-free flour for an easy sub.
hi. sorry.
do i have to melt the chocolates.
thank you 🙂
God bless!
Nope, you just fold them in at the end- they might melt a bit… but the warmer the batter is the shiny and more crackled the top will be 🙂
I have never had such a tasty failure! I doubled the recipe, and they were really oilly. So I tried again. Cut back on butter, didn’t grease the pan and half agained the flour. Still oily. But so, so yummy!! I had to cook an extra 15 minutes. Going to try one more time! I’m a little over 5000′, would that have an effect?
Hmmm… I don’t think it’s the 5000′- that’s about where I’m at too. I’ve doubled this recipe a few times, always with success. Maybe try adding an additional tablespoon each of flour and cocoa powder? And if you have parchment paper, try that instead of using any kind of spray or foil.