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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Hi Jen,
Love these brownie and have made them several times. Do think I could use Ghirardelli semi sweet chocolate chips versus the baking bars? It appears less expensive that way. Is there something unique about baking bars in general? Thanks!
Hi Liza, In general, chocolate chips and chocolate bars are not interchangeable in recipes. Chocolate chips are made with stabilizers so that they hold their shape when hot and harden when cooled — a plus for chocolate chip cookies, but not always for other desserts. That said, you might be able to get away with it for this recipe; I just can’t say for sure because I haven’t tried it.
i just found this wonderful recipe a few weeks ago, and have made them twice: once with Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, as i had them on hand, and they were amazingly good. Today i made them a second time, for my grandson’s birthday and thought ahead, and got the chocolate squares. Same wonderful flavor and texture. Today i also added about a teaspoon or more of espresso powder–a perfect addition. Thank you for another fabulous recipe!
Could you substitute oil is so, how can I adjust the recipe.
Btw made these before. These are by far the best recipe ever. Thats why I Want to see if I can adjust it before I find a recipe with oil.
Hi Wanda, if anything, I’d replace the butter with margarine, but would suggest sticking with butter for the best results.
These were delicious! I undercooked them a tad, but they were still great…just extra fudgy : ) Very quick and easy to make too, which I appreciate. Many thanks for your work to develop these recipes.
Made the recipe for a Super Bowl earlier this year and they were amazing! Followed the recipe exactly and they turned out great for me. Thank you! Olga
5 stars–there are millions of brownie recipes and I’ve tried many of them in search of the perfect recipe. This is it. The brownie appeal not lovers of semi sweet and bittersweet chocolate. The texture combines a soft chewy center and a cagier edge. They’re easy to make. I usually have all the ingredients in the house so I can make them anytime with no special shopping or preparation. Delicious!
Best brownie recipe ever—so easy and exactly as Jenn described—-cakey and fudgy. Been looking for a “keeper” brownie recipe and this is it. Thanks Jenn!
Hi Jenn,
Following up on the brownies baked in a mini muffin pan; they turned out great! Filling them up about half way should yield about 48 brownies. I baked mine for 14 minutes, but probably could have gotten away with 13 min. My first batch I filled to the top and cooked longer, but they spill over the top and don’t look nearly as nice.
Thanks so much for the advice, and fabulous recipes! Your website has changed my life….seriously!
Debbie
So glad you enjoy the recipes Debbie! (And thanks for reporting back regarding the brownies 🙂
Hi Jen,
Do you think these could be baked in a mini muffin pan? If yes, what do you suggest for cooking time and temp?
Thank you!
Debbie
Hi Debbie, Yes, I think they could. I would keep the temp the same but significantly cut back the baking time– I’d start checking them at about 12 minutes. I’d love to hear how they turn out this way!
Hi, my family prefers cakey brownies. Should I adjust something in the recipe to make them cakey? Also I have only 14/10 inch dark pan and a 12.5 / 8.5 inch glass pan. Can I make it work out with those somehow? Can I make them maybe in muffin tin? What should I adjust? Sorry for the many questions, I’m new at baking. Thank you Jenn.
Hi Tanya, I haven’t tried them this way, but you could experiment with making them cakier by adding an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour. Also, the 12.5 x 8.5 pan should work fine. You just may need to leave them in for a minute or so longer. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much for your help!
This is my new brownie recipe from now on. I was afraid they were overdone, because of the crispy edges (which I am now eating), but they are perfect. They did get done in just under 40 minutes in a dark pan. A winner! Thanks, Jen!