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
More Brownie Recipes You’ll Love
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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Oh my goodness…….I made these last night for our last holiday treat. As expected, they are the bomb, as I knew they would be. They were crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside, just like we like them. I used the bittersweet chocolate chips and they were perfect. We had vanilla ice cream on top of the warm brownies. I woke up this morning, cut them into squares and put the leftovers in the freezer so we didn’t eat them for breakfast. Thank you, Jen! 😊
Hi, Jen! Do I have to use baking chocolate for this recipe, or would even store-bought chocolate do the trick?
Hi, You just want to make sure you stick to bittersweet or semisweet chocolate. If so, that should be fine. 🙂
What’s to be said other than that these brownies are as good as brownies can get. Oh, yeah… they’re also ridiculously quick and easy to make. Even someone (me!) who likes chocolate well enough but isn’t a huge devotee is having a hard time staying away from these.
Sorry, but I think this recipe was no where near chololatey enough. Disappointed that I took the time and ingredients for this.
Did you use the chocolate specified in the recipe? These were VERY chocolatey and DELICIOUS!
This one was a miss for me.
The good: great texture! Mine came out very dense on the inside with a delicate crackly exterior, which I loved. Easy to make.
The not-so-good: hard to believe I am actually saying it, but these were both too buttery AND too sweet for my taste! And not nearly chocolately/fudgy enough, despite my using two Ghirardelli semi-sweet baking bars.
My quest for the perfect brownie shall continue…
If you made this recipe exactly as stated you shouldn’t of had a problem.
Hi Jenn,
This was considered a “10” by the entire family! Although I must confess that I added 1/4 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream to the batter since I was craving it with chocolate 🙂 It was great!
Whenever I make a new recipe my son always asks if it came from Once Upon a Chef, since he knows it will be good!
Thanks, Jenn and hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season.
Hi Jenn! I would love to make these for the Thanksgiving table. Would it be an issue if I reduced the sugar to about 1 cup instead and then used GF 1:1 flour? Thanks!
Hi Liv, I think you could reduce the total sugar to 1-1/2 cups, but I wouldn’t go any further than that. And the 1:1 GF flour should work. Please LMK how they turn out!
These brownies are amazing. I’ve tried many brownie recipes, and this is the first one to come out with a perfect crackly top, chewy edges, and fudgy center. This will be my go-to from now on!!
I have searched high and low for the best homemade brownie. My search is over! Everyone loved these and I am making them again this week because the first batch is gone! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Loved this! I used Jules GF flour instead of regular flour (but I suspect any GF flour would work) and it was delicious…even a couple days later. Funny thing they are actually the best the next day! Which is great if you are planning a big party for teenagers. Lol!
Hello! I love these brownies. This time, I am trying to make them in cupcake/muffin tins because I would like them to be round. Any idea on how long (and at what temp) to bake them for? I tried checking other reviews but didn’t see an answer to this. Thank you!
Glad you like these! I’ve never tried them in a muffin tin so I’m really not certain how long they’d take — I’d start checking them at about 25 minutes but keep an eye on them!
How long do these last stored outside or inside the refrigerator? I plan on freezing some of them. They smell divine!
All of your recipes are amazing – you are my 1st go-to when looking for inspiration for weekly meals. Thank YOU!!
Thanks for your nice words about the recipes — so glad you like them! The brownies keep well in a covered container at room temperature for several days.
I don’t have the bar chocolate, what I have is Hershey’s cocoa powder, can I use the powder and if I can how much should I use ?
Unfortunately, that won’t work — sorry!