Fudgy Brownies

My new and improved fudgy brownies have a rich, dark chocolate flavor, chewy edges, fudgy center and the perfect crinkly top.

Why the new brownies

Ok so once upon a time I developed a brownie recipe that I thought was quite perfect and I named her my PERFECT Fudge Brownies. Read that post to see why I loved them so much.

Then fast forward like 5 years, after developing hundreds of new recipes, my standards have been raised & my sister so kindly brought to my attention that my brownies were sub-par *me choking*. 

So I set on a mission to make my brownies better for her. Then I realized it was for me because I couldn’t live with her saying boxed brownies were better than my brownies *blink blink*.

If you do love my original brownies, I have some other variations as well like biscoff, oreo fudge and hot chocolate, and peppermint marshmallow, that I think you’ll love! 

You can also use this brownie recipe as the base to make ANY of my other flavors/versions of brownies. That’s definitely what I’ll be doing from now on.

So what makes these brownies so much better?

1. First off, they taste better and the texture is better. They have a richer chocolatey flavor and the texture is slightly less eggy and more fudgy. 
2. They’re easier to make in my opinion. They follow the exact method of my other brownies, however, if you over-mix that one even slightly, you end up with a meringue on top (cuz of the extra egg) and then the center doesn’t bake well. So I would say these are more fool-proof.
3. They get that PERFECT crackly top EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. without the fear of over-mixing.
4. They’re fairly quick and super easy to make and ALWAYS a crowd pleaser. I’ve made them like five times last month alone lol. 

Ingredients & Substitutions

*full recipe is in the recipe card at the bottom!

• Butter: the butter gets melted so it doesn’t matter if it’s cold but it is quicker if the butter is already soft. I like salted butter but unsalted works too, just add an extra ¼ tsp of salt.
• Chocolate: you can use milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate. I prefer dark chocolate.
• Eggs: always use large, room temperature eggs. Place them in hot water for 5-10 minutes if they’re cold.
• Sugar: I use both brown sugar and granulated sugar in this recipe for the perfect flavor and texture combination. Light or dark brown sugar works fine.
• Flour: I always use all-purpose flour and don’t recommend substituting. Should work fine with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend though.
• Cocoa Powder: the better quality your cocoa powder is, the better your brownies will taste! My favorite is King Arthur Dutch Process Cocoa Powder or Rodelle Dutch Process Cocoa Powder. Don’t use sweetened cocoa powder though!
• Salt: salt brings out the flavor in all baked goods and little flakey sea salt on top is what I live for. 

TIP: I HIGHLY recommend using a digital scale, as dry ingredients are almost always over measured. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Melt the butter with the chocolate chips and stir until they’re completely smooth.
2. Whisk the eggs with the sugars and cocoa powder aggressively for 2-3 minutes. 
3. Add the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and whisk again until it’s completely combined. 
4. Add the flour and salt and whisk just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. 
5. Spread the brownie batter in the pan and bake for about 45 minutes, remove and tap it on the counter.
6. The brownies should level off if they’re baked. If they sink below the edge, put them back in the oven for a few minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 30-60 minutes before removing and slicing. 

TIP: I always recommend an oven thermometer just because oven’s can vary.

When are brownies done baking?

Brownies are by far the hardest thing for me to assess when they’re done baking. 

When you move the pan, if the batter jiggles, it’s definitely not done baking. 

When the top of your brownies have a thin little crackle on top, you can press on it with your finger to see how firm the brownies are underneath.

When you push your finger on the top (in the center) you should feel some resistance. It should feel like a brownie that’s a little “too gooey but almost perfect”. At this point, you’ll remove them from the oven and they will continue to bake as they’re cooling.

If they’re firm when you remove them from the oven, they won’t be very gooey once they’re completely cooled.

Another thing I do to check for doneness is to tap the pan on the counter when I take it out of the oven. If the brownies level off perfectly, they’re done. If the center of the brownies sink below the edges, then put them back in the oven for a few minutes.

Look at the photo I have above, you can see how the center was just slightly shorter than the edge, those brownies were just slightly under-baked. I like them like that because once they cool completely to room temperature they are perfect for me. 

Can I just use the toothpick test?

Many people like to insert a toothpick into the center of baked goods to test for doneness. Usually if the toothpick is clean or if there are only a few moist crumbs on it then a cake is done baking. That doesn’t work for brownies.

We want gooey, fudge brownies so when we remove them from the oven, they will still be a little undercooked and will finish baking as they cool so your toothpick should come out pretty dirty lol. 

How to get a thin crackly top for homemade brownies?

To get the perfect crackly top on these brownies you want to make sure you whisk the eggs with the sugar aggressively for 2-3 minutes. You can also use a hand mixer if you prefer.

It helps if the eggs are at room temperature too. 

Also the melted chocolate chips contribute to that crackly top so make sure not to skip anything in the recipe! 

How to perfectly slice brownies?

Ok I don’t know if it’s just me but if I’m not careful to take these extra steps, my brownies always end up looking like a pile of not so tasty brown stuff instead of a delicious pile of brownies. 

To get my brownies perfectly sliced it’s best to chill the brownies briefly. I froze them for about 20 minutes after they’ve cooled and then I ALWAYS run my large knife under hot water between every slice I cut. 

Yes, between every slice. Because they’re fudgy, some of the gooey chocolate gets stuck on the knife and if you just go to cut another slice it gets less and less pretty. 

How to store brownies?

Once the brownies have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container.

They can stay at room temperature for a few days, in the refrigerator for 7-10 days or frozen for a couple of months. Make sure to bring them back to room temperature when serving. 

There are so many brownie recipes out there and I’m sure so many of them are amazing but I hope you give my new favorite brownie recipe a chance. 

If you love these new brownies, make sure to leave me a 5-star rating or a review if you liked it.

As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B