Fudgy Brownie Recipe

Believe me when I say this is the best fudgy brownie recipe! They taste like a better version of your favorite box mix, with that cakey yet fudgy texture that we all grew up on!

This fudgy brownie recipe is far superior to box mix brownies! Whether you are an edge or a middle piece person, these brownies will rock your world! The edges have that crispy chew, and the centers are delightfully fudgy and soft! So add your favorite mix-in, or like with my one bowl brownies and brownie cookies, let them shine all on their own!

Now you know me, and I want my chocolate desserts to taste rich and chocolatey, so you know I couldn’t just let cocoa powder do all the heavy lifting! Just like in my banana brownies and brown butter brownies, I invited melted chocolate and an epic amount of butter to this party. However, it is still easy to mix, and everything comes together with a whisk and a little elbow grease.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• All-purpose Flour 
• Cocoa Powder: I use Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which just means it has been treated with an alkaline solution. It has a rich, deep flavor and a darker color. You can use natural cocoa powder or Hershey’s cocoa powder whatever you have on hand. 
• Kosher Salt
• Baking Powder 
• Unsalted Butter: Melting the butter helps create that crackly top and adds fat to make a chewy brownie. 
• Dark Chocolate: I prefer to use chocolate with at least 54% cocoa solids, but up to 65%, to balance the sweetness of the brownie. Chopping a bar of chocolate is a better bet than using semi-sweet chocolate chips because the bar will melt and incorporate more evenly. 
• Large Eggs: The eggs are here to add fat, moisture, and leavening. The fat from the yolk adds richness and helps keep the brownie moist. They also emulsify the batter, keeping everything texturally perfect.
• Vanilla Extract 
• Granulated Sugar

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations for The Best Brownies

• The perfect vessel for all your favorite candy mix-ins?! I’m thinking Reese’s, M&M’s, Snickers, or even OREO’s!! They’d also be delightful with milk chocolate, white chocolate or butterscotch chips! You could go completely in a butterscotch direction and make a batch of butterscotch brownies as well!
• Top them with frosting. Might I suggest a few options like this lemon buttercream frosting, cream cheese buttercream frosting, marshmallow frosting, or you can go chocolate crazy and add this chocolate fudge glaze! You can also make them festive by topping them with this peppermint frosting, like I do with these peppermint brownies!  
• Go nuts! Add some walnuts, pecans, peanuts, or hazelnuts to the batter! You could even do only half and just place them untoasted on top. 
• Add some coffee. Swap out the vanilla extract for coffee extract, or you can add a tablespoon of instant coffee to the melted butter and chocolate mixture.

How to Make This Fudgy Brownie Recipe

Use these instructions to make these perfectly chewy brownies! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Prep the pan. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Prepare a 9×11-inch pan with criss-crossed parchment paper to create a handle (photo 1).

I like to leave my parchment paper overhanging for easier removal from the pan. You can spray your pan with cooking spray as well; they just won’t come out as nicely. 

Step 2: Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder; set aside (photo 2).

If your cocoa powder is lumpy, I suggest sifting it before adding it to the batter, or you can end up with unwanted and unmixed pockets of cocoa powder. 

Step 3: Melt chocolate and butter. Melt together the butter and chocolate in the microwave or in a bowl over boiling water (photo 3).

Step 4: Whisk eggs and sugar. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and add the sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk until well combined, with no streaks of egg remaining (photo 4). 

Step 5: Add the melted butter and chocolate to the egg mixture and whisk until well incorporated (photo 5).

If your chocolate mixture is too hot, cool it in the fridge or over an ice bath, stirring frequently. 

Step 6: Add the dry ingredients. You can use a whisk or a rubber spatula to fold it in (photo 6). 

Step 7: Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 38-40 minutes or until the middle of the brownie has puffed and a cake tester comes out clean with no clinging crumbs (photo 7). 

Step 8: Cool completely before icing or removing from the pan (photo 8).

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Before You Go

I hope you enjoyed this nostalgic brownie recipe. Check out our other brownies and bar recipes like these Reese’s peanut butter blondies or these lemon blondies!