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 made these brownies & they’re delicious- chewy chocolatey awesomeness!! I followed the recipe as written but did add walnuts. I think I baked them a bit too long as the side ends were crispy😳 at 45 minutes so maybe the next time take out a few minutes before?
Hi Georgia, it’s not unusual for the edges of brownies to get crispy but did you happen to use a glass or dark-colored metal pan?
Hi Jenn!
I love your recipes! I got the ingredients for this brownie recipe to make today; purchased the Guittard 65% bars. I just notice that the bars are only a total of 6 oz – the recipe calls for 8oz 😳 so my question is I have a Hershey milk chocolate bar could I add 2oz of the Hershey to make up the difference?
Thanks so much!
Georgia
Yep that should be fine — and so glad you enjoy the recipes!
Yay! As I wanted to try the brownies today!
Would it be possible to use Unsweetened Chocolate and adjust the amount of sugar? I have 100% Cacao Ghirardelli baking chocolate in the cupboard.
Hi Kate, While you could use unsweetened chocolate here, you’d need to add some sugar (and I’m not certain how much). For the best results, I would recommend sticking with bittersweet or semisweet chocolate.
My husband took these to work and everyone in the office LOVED them, especially my husband!! The only change I made was that I toasted 1 1/2 c walnuts in the oven and chopped them and added them last to the batter. These will be the only brownies I make from now on!!
Great recipe as usual. Taste really good and very moist.
I made these brownies this week end and everybody absolutely loved them. They are delicious! I had been using another recipe for years but decided to try this one and so happy I did. It is crispy on top and soft in the middle just like on the picture.
Thank you Mrs. Segal for this recipe
Hi Jenn,
I have a question for you. I found some Ghirardelli bars in my pantry that expired more than 6 months ago and I’m wondering if it’s okay to use them in your brownie recipe. The packaging says “Best Before” by the date. I had bought the bars specifically for your recipe but I forgot about them. Can you please let me know if it’s okay to use them or if I should throw them away?
Thank you
Hi Rosy, They will be perfectly fine – definitely use them!
Tried these again today. I reduced the sugar by almost half, and the brownies were a bit sweet for my taste. I still ate way too many already 😂 so they are quite good.
They were done in 35 minutes. My problem is that they still do not really look right, in the sense that they are more like cakes than brownies. I can’t get that top thin crust that should be there. My guess is the whisk added too much air. I’ll try mixing the eggs, sugar, etc, with a wooden spoon next time. Any other suggestion?
Hi Anne, While it’s okay to reduce the sugar a bit in a recipe, cutting it in half is likely the culprit. Sugar actually adds moisture to baked goods, so reducing it by half would result in brownies that are more cakey (drier) than fudgy. Hope that clarifies!
Thanks! I was afraid of that. I tried it again today with gluten-free flour, before I saw your note. They are in the oven, and again with much less sugar. I’ll tell you if it works out. Should I just switch to 85% cocoa chocolate and more sugar?
Sure, Anne, what you’ve suggested regarding the chocolate/sugar makes sense. 😊
Because Jenn’s recipes have never failed, I decided I’d make these despite not being a baker. Then I read the reviews and saw more negatives than I’ve ever seen on any of her recipes, so I did a Google search on what makes a good brownie. The only post that stood out was mixing the sugar with the chocolate: the reasoning being that the sugar dissolving in the warm chocolate bound the ingredients together so they’d be fudgy. I tucked that in the back of my mind and went back to Jenn’s recipe, which I made. Did I do it right? Not really. Jenn preps her ingredients beforehand. Me? I tend to measure as I go. So when it came time to add ingredients to the chocolate/butter mix, I put it in the microwave for 5 seconds to be sure it was warm, in case the bit about the sugar was right. Another piece of Jenn’s directions I didn’t follow was to use a knife to level off the flour but that’s just because I forgot. And finally, I could smell the brownies after about 32 minutes of baking. I wound up taking them out of my gas oven (with the thermometer reading 350°) after baking for 35 minutes: a toothpick test came out clean, and there wasn’t any wobbling, so I was worried they wouldn’t be as great as I’d believed they’d be. I let them cool on a rack, the I let them sit overnight before cutting them. It wasn’t until I cut them that I learned — despite my slip-ups — that the brownies are fabulous: the outside has a nice crunch and the inside is perfectly fudgy.
The negative reviews may be due to differences in ovens, or in “measuring as you go” instead of prepping properly, but even with a few missteps on my part, these are as wonderful as Jenn’s recipes always are.
Made this today for a treat dessert tomorrow.
Recipe followed, oven times worked perfectly.
They are simply delicious, lovely and fudgy. They will be perfect with some vanilla ice cream tomorrow.
Cut the recipe in half and baked it in an 8×8 pan for 25-30 minutes. It was divine. My friends raved about it. Crispy top and fudgy, rich chocolaty brownie. Thank you!! Was such a hit.