Best Brownie Recipe
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The search for the very best brownie recipe ends here. These brownies are fudgy, deeply chocolaty, and absolutely worth making from scratch.
I’ve made a lot of brownie recipes over the years, but I always come back to this one. The brownies are thick, deeply chocolatey, irresistibly fudgy in the center, and topped with a paper-thin, crackly crust. The secret? While most brownie recipes—and nearly all boxed mixes—rely solely on cocoa powder, this one is made with real melted chocolate for exceptional richness and flavor.
The recipe originally comes from pastry chef Nick Malgieri’s Chocolate cookbook. It’s been around for decades and featured in numerous cooking publications, such as The New York Times, Saveur, and The Splendid Table. Try it for yourself and see why people have been making it for so long.
Why You’ll Love This Brownie Recipe
- One bowl and no mixer required
- Perfectly fudgy with crackly tops
- Made with simple ingredients
- Easy to make ahead and freeze
- Perfect for parties, bake sales, and gifting
- A time-tested recipe that’s been loved for decades
“The name does not lie!! These are hands-down the BEST brownies I have made!!! My entire family devoured them.”
What You’ll Need To Make Homemade Brownies
- Unsalted butter: Adds richness and moisture, creating the brownies’ signature fudgy texture. Using unsalted butter lets you control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Bittersweet or semisweet chocolate: Since chocolate is the star here, use a good-quality chocolate bar, such as Ghirardelli or Guittard. I recommend bars instead of chocolate chips, which contain stabilizers that prevent them from melting as smoothly.
- Eggs: Provide structure while keeping the brownies rich and chewy. Use large eggs, and let them come to room temperature if possible so they blend more easily into the batter.
- Granulated sugar: Helps create the brownies’ signature shiny, crackly top while adding sweetness.
- Dark brown sugar: Adds moisture along with a subtle molasses flavor that makes the brownies even richer and fudgier. Light brown sugar will work in a pinch, but you’ll get a milder flavor and slightly less moisture.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the chocolate flavor without overpowering it.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and makes the chocolate taste even richer.
- All-purpose flour: Just enough flour gives the brownies structure while keeping them dense and fudgy instead of cakey. Measure using the spoon-and-level method for the best results—packing the cup or scooping straight from the bag adds too much flour and dries out the brownies.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Melt the butter and chocolate. Melt the butter until it’s hot and bubbling, then add the chopped chocolate. Let it sit for about a minute before whisking; the residual heat from the butter is usually enough to melt the chocolate completely. If a few pieces remain, microwave the mixture briefly and whisk again until smooth and glossy.
Step 2: Mix the eggs, sugars, and flavoring. Whisk the eggs with the sugars, vanilla, and salt until smooth, making sure there are no lumps of brown sugar. You don’t need to whip a lot of air into the mixture—just whisk until everything is evenly combined.
Step 3: Finish the batter. Whisk the melted chocolate into the egg mixture, then stir in the flour just until no streaks remain. The batter will be thick and glossy. Avoid overmixing at this stage, which can make the brownies a bit tougher.
Step 4: Bake. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides so you can easily lift the brownies out after baking. Spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray, then spread the batter evenly into the corners and bake until the top is shiny and set. If you’re unsure whether they’re done, it’s better to err on the side of slightly underbaked than overbaked. The brownies will continue to set as they cool.
Step 5: Cool and cut. As tempting as it is to cut into warm brownies, letting them cool completely gives them time to finish setting, making them easier. Once cool, use the parchment overhang to lift them from the pan, then trim the crispy edges (chef’s treat!) and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze for longer storage.
Choosing Your Pan
This recipe is written for a 9×13-inch metal pan (24 brownies). Some helpful adjustments:
- 8×8 or 9×9 pan: Halve the recipe. Start checking for doneness around 30 minutes.
- Two 8×8 pans: Keep the full recipe and split the batter between two pans (great for trying different mix-ins). Bake about 30 minutes.
- Glass or ceramic instead of metal: Drop the oven to 325°F rather than adding time at 350°F. Both retain heat more than metal and can burn at the edges before the center’s done. Glass is the more stubborn of the two; ceramic tends to be a bit more forgiving.
Variations and Mix-Ins
- Add nuts: Fold in ½ to 1 cup of chopped toasted walnuts or pecans along with the batter for crunch.
- Deepen the chocolate flavor: Add 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the melted chocolate-butter mixture. You won’t taste coffee; it just intensifies the chocolate.
- Go extra chocolatey: Fold in ½ to 1 cup of chocolate chips along with the flour for pockets of melted chocolate throughout.
Video Tutorial
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Best Brownie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 8 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped (I use Ghirardelli bars)
- 4 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set a rack in the middle position. Line a 9 x 13-in (23 x 33-cm) pan with parchment paper (bring parchment up sides of pan so there is a slight overhang) and grease with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave until bubbling. Add the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted. The heat from the butter should be enough to melt the chocolate completely, but if not, place the chocolate-butter mixture in the microwave and heat for 20 seconds or so, then whisk again. (Alternatively, combine the butter and chocolate in a heat proof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted.)
- Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the salt, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla; whisk until smooth (be sure no lumps of brown sugar remain). Whisk in the chocolate-butter mixture, then add the flour and whisk until the batter is uniform.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the top has formed a shiny crust and the batter is moderately firm. Cool completely in the pan on a rack.
- Use the parchment overhang to lift the brownies out of the pan, transfer them to a cutting board, and separate the parchment from the edges. Using a sharp knife, trim away the edges and cut the brownies into 24 (2-in) squares.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I had only ever made box brownies before, and had been interested recently in testing if a recipe from scratch would actually be better! When I stumbled upon this recipe I could tell from the pictures it was my ideal brownie. I made these last night and they were heavenly – that texture just can’t be replicated with a box mix! These will be my go-to from now on, thanks so much for sharing this delicious recipe.
Such a great recipe! The reduced amount of flour guarantees a fudgy texture. I swirled peanut butter into the batter (after putting into the pan) for my Reese’s loving son and it was delicious!
Any tips on baking these in mini-muffin cups? I want to make bite-sized brownies topped with buttercream for my son’s 16th bday party. I am thinking I should check them for doneness around 20-25 minutes? Thx!
Hi Marybeth, I’ve never made these in a mini muffin pan so I can’t say from experience, but one reader commented that she baked them that way and that they were done after about 13 to 14 minutes so you may want to start checking at that time. Hope that helps and happy birthday to your son!
I’ve made a lot of brownie recipes. This was by far the best brownie I’ve ever made or eaten! Please do yourself and your friends and family a huge favor and make these brownies. I recommend following the recipe as written. You’ll see there’s no reason to improvise. Thank you Jenn for including this recipe.
I agree this is by far, the best brownie recipe I have ever tried! It is amazing!!!! We wanted to eat all of it after dinner but were too full and had just one amazing brownie. I really suggest this brownie recipe.
These are my favorite brownies. I used Godiva 69% cocoa baking chips. It was a 10oz bag so I took about a 1/4 cup out and melted the rest. Mixed in some chopped walnuts and after I put it in the pan I sprinkled it with the extra chocolate chips. I know baking times vary so I checked them at 25 minutes and they were done. Delicious! Thank you for this awesome, easy recipe.
So. Stupid. Delicious. Just make them. Trust me. Don’t modify, don’t adjust, just follow the directions exactly for brownie euphoria. I’ll never make a box brownie again.
Jen, I’m a little confused on how to freeze these. Plan to make again as one of my Thanksgiving desserts (small, immediate family). Are you saying to freeze each brownie separately in some kind of wrap and then put in a container or baggie as opposed to just placing all cut ones in a freezer container, sealed tightly?
Sorry for the confusion, Macky. If you plan on defrosting them all at once, it’s fine to place them all together in a freezer container.
Oh, thank you. That helps tremendously. I do intend to defrost them all at once. Appreciatively, Macky
Can I use one bar of semi sweet Ghirardelli chocolate and one bar of bittersweet Ghirardelli chocolate?
Yep that’s fine 🙂
Best brownies ever. Perfect texture, moisture content, and amount of chocolate.
Can I add nuts?
And When?
Thanks
Dee
Sure – I’d fold them in right before you pour the batter into the pan. Hope you enjoy!
I didn’t want to have to wrap each one so I just put them in a tupperware, separating layers with parchment. No problem, in fact I think they are even better right out of the freezer. This was just for a few days, can’t comment about long term.
Jen, I am guessing that it is not recommended, but I want to ask anyway. Is it possible to make this recipe with a sugar substitute like Stevia? I really want to make them for a diabetic family member. Your thoughts???
Hi Kate, I wish I could help but I’ve never worked with sugar substitutes so I can’t say how it would impact recipes. (If it helps at all, I have read plenty of comments from readers who have said they’ve replaced some or all of the sugar in a recipe with a substitute like Stevia and have had good results.) Hope that helps at least a bit!
Kate, You might try Swerve sweetener that measures one to one with sugar and they have a brown sugar sugar substitute.
As a side note, Nick Malgieri was my baking teacher when I went to cooking school in NYC 37 years ago!
Is it possible to use this recipe without brown sugar I just realized I don’t have any…please help
Hi Maria, You can replace it with more granulated sugar.
I have one other question. As I google cups to grams, I see about 3 or 4 different answers, starting with 120 grams up to 142. 142 was the one I had seen several months ago and the one I used and that is way more than the rest. I find this so confusing. What do you recommend? What’s amazing is that even though I used 142, the brownies were the best ever. Thanks, Macky Miller
Hi Macky, I know there’s some variability out there in terms of how many grams one cup of flour has. I use the spoon and level method for measuring flour and have weighed it many times. I consistently come up with 130 grams per cup. This recipe used to call for 125 grams, but I’ve changed it as I’ve gotten 130 grams as the result enough times when weighing it that I thought it was worth changing.
Thank you so much, Jenn. I shall go with the 125 or better yet, your spoon and level method. If it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for me!! Appreciatively, Macky
Oops, meant to say I’ll use 130 grams.
Hi Jen,
My brownies are in the oven and if they taste as good baked as they do raw, they’ll be a hit!
I realized after I put them in the oven that there’s no baking powder in the recipe. Curious to know why? Not urgent. If they come out the way they are supposed to, I’m making them again for Thanksgiving and if baking powder will make a difference, I’ll add it.
Be safe.
Macky Miller
Hi Macky, I don’t include baking powder so that the brownies are a bit more dense and fudgy. 🙂
Great, That explains it perfectly.