Fudgy Homemade Brownies

Years ago, I developed what I truly believed was my perfect fudge brownie recipe. I loved her. Readers loved her. I stood by her.

Then, after years of developing hundreds of new recipes, my standards increased. And my sister, terrified for her life, informed me that my brownies were… sub-par.

I choked.

So obviously I went back to the kitchen to make them better for her. Except then it became about me, because I simply could not live in a world where my sister thought boxed brownies were better than mine. Blink blink.

These are the brownies I wanted now: richer, fudgier, shinier on top, and deeply chocolatey without being flat, dry, or aggressively sweet. They’re also the brownie base I’ll be using for all of my brownie variations from now on.

Why These Are My New Go-To Brownies

• They taste better. They’re richer, more chocolatey and fudgier, without the slightly eggy texture my original brownies could have.
• They’re more foolproof. The method is similar to my other brownies, but this version is less finicky and bakes more evenly.
• They get that crackly top every time. No fear of accidentally creating a full-on meringue layer on top since I reduced the eggs.
• They’re still quick and easy. I made them about five times last month alone, which feels like enough proof.

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 I haven’t tested it with brownies specifically but there were very minimal differences in my comparison between different types of flour so cake or bread should work fine in a pinch. A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend also works well.
• 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. Just don’t use sweetened cocoa powder though and I don’t recommend black cocoa powder either – I have a different recipe Black Cocoa Brownies.
• Salt: salt brings out the flavor in all baked goods and little flaky 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 ovens 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, fudgy 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 on 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 freeze 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. 

Brownie Variations

I used my original Perfect Brownie recipe to make other variations like Biscoff, Oreo, Hot Chocolate, and Peppermint Marshmallow, that I think you’ll love! The old variations can also be applied to this base brownie recipe so just make this base and add the mix-ins, toppings, etc.

This new brownie recipe is the base I’ll be using for all of my brownie variations from now on so I turned them into my FAVORITE Brown Butter Brownies, Tiramisu Brownies, Black Cocoa Brownies and even a Brownie Pie.

Storing 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