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.
Hi!! I made these the other night and they are absolutely delicious! Thank you so much! I was just wondering, does more cornstarch = more chewy? I was hoping the brownies would be a tad more chewy so that they truly match up to my favourite boxed brownies! x
I was looking for a just-as-good or better-than boxed brownies recipe, and this is one tried. The brownies are really good and I think are hitting that sweet spot in the texture that I like about boxed brownies.
I had a similar problem as other commenters where the brownies were still gooey batter in the middle after the described cook time. I cooked them an additional 10 min or so then remove the pan and let them cool. I checked it and decided they were cooked enough, so I reheated the oven and did another 10 min. I think they were still a bit under-cooked, but they are delicious nonetheless!
I cooked in a glass Pyrex dish lined with parchment paper in the top (small, one-rack) oven of a double oven at 253 feet. I’m going to try this recipe again to see if I can get the desired done-ness.
*removed the pan
*weren’t cooked enough
I tried the recipe again and got the brownies cooked through at 350 degrees for 40-50 min. I cooked them in a glass Pyrex dish that was oiled with vegetable shortening. Yum!
I just made these now, it was really easy to follow the recipe but I cooked them for 30 minutes until the top was cracked and set but after they cooked they were liquidy in the middle. I just tossed the whole pan back in the oven to try to salavage them seems how I made a double batch and didn’t want to waste all those ingredients.
The recipe above says 1/8 tsp baking soda but I saw in a previous comment you told someone 1/4 tsp of baking soda. I used a 1/4 tsp for a double batch, which measurement is accurate?
Yes, it would be 1/4 tsp. for a double batch.
These were so gooood!! I accidentally used baking powder instead of baking soda, but everything turned out gooey and delicious!
I made these on Friday night with my daughter. I love how easy they are to make and they tasted so yummy. Thanks for the recipe.