Quick Summary
Best Brownie Recipe-you only need ONE bowl to make these fudgy, chewy, gooey, chocolaty brownies with shiny crackly tops! This easy homemade brownie recipe will be your GO TO! You will never buy a boxed brownie mix again!
Brownies are hands down one of my all-time favorite desserts. I love this brownie recipe, but the other day I needed a quick and EASY dessert because some friends stopped by unexpectedly and I wanted to serve them something sweet. I whipped up my One Bowl Brownies and everyone was dying over the deliciousness!
These easy homemade brownies taste similar to box brownies, in a good way, but even better! And I promise they are just as easy. You only need ONE bowl and you don’t even need a mixer! I guarantee they will be a family favorite dessert.
Best Brownie Recipe
These brownies are perfect in EVERY way! A few things I love about them:
- They are EASY! You can’t beat a ONE bowl recipe!
- They are chewy and GOOEY!
- They are FUDGY!
- They have shiny, CRACKLY tops!
- They are rich and CHOCOLATY!
Ingredients
I always have the ingredients on hand to make these brownies because you never know when a craving will strike or when friends might stop in for an impromptu dessert night! The ingredients are simple, but when they all come together you will be left with the most amazing pan of brownies.
- Butter-Use unsalted butter. The butter needs to be melted and cooled slightly. You can melt the butter in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop.
- Sugar AND Brown Sugar-use granulated sugar AND brown sugar. The brown sugar makes the brownies extra moist!
- Eggs-choose large eggs and make sure they are at room temperature. I usually take the eggs out of the fridge 30 minutes before I start. If you forget, place your eggs in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
- Vanilla Extract–PURE vanilla extract is the way to go! I know it is pricey, but SO worth the extra cost.
- Flour-You need all-purpose flour. If you need the brownies to be gluten-free you can use all-purpose gluten-free flour. I like Cup4Cup gluten-free flour.
- Cocoa-I like to use Dutch processed cocoa but you can use unsweetened cocoa powder. Splurge and use a high quality cocoa for the best chocolate flavor. I like this Dutch processed cocoa or this one!
- Espresso Powder-The espresso powder is optional but I like using it because it intensifies the chocolate flavor. I highly recommend using it for the best brownies. It really makes a difference.
- Salt-Use kosher salt or sea salt.
- Chocolate-I like to use semi-sweet chocolate chunks, but feel free to use chocolate chips. Guittard brand is my favorite!
Can I add Nuts?
Yes! If you like brownies with nuts you can stir in 1 cup of chopped nuts when you stir in the chocolate chunks. Walnuts, pecans, and almonds are all good options.
Should I Use a Metal Or Glass Pan?
You need a 9×13-inch pan for this recipe. You can a metal or glass pan, but I prefer baking brownies in a metal pan, just make sure the pan isn’t too dark. When you use a metal pan, the brownie edges and corners get crispier and I am all about the brownie edges. I know some people like the middle and that is fine, but I want a brownie with a nice edge:) If you use a glass pan, you might have to bake the brownies for 5 more minutes. Check them to be sure!
If you want a thicker brownie, you can use a 7×11-inch pan or 8×12-inch pan, but you will need to bake the brownies for longer.
How to Make Brownies
Here are a few tips that will help you make the BEST brownies every single time!
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper. Spray a 9×13″ baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line with parchment paper with an overhang on the sides and spray again. This will make it easy to lift the brownies out of the pan after baking.
- In a large mixing bowl stir together the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.
- Sift the flour and cocoa together to make sure you don’t have any cocoa clumps.
- Don’t over mix the batter. If you over mix the brownies will turn out cakey and they won’t have a nice crackly top.
- Don’t over bake. This one is REALLY important. If you over bake, your brownies won’t be fudgy and moist. They will keep baking in the pan while they are cooling so take them out when are just set. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. For fudge brownies, you want there to be a some crumbs stuck to the toothpick. Check at 25 minutes to be safe.
- Let the brownies cool completely before cutting. Cut with a sharp knife or you can cut with a plastic knife. Yes, a plastic knife works wonders when cutting brownies. The crumbs don’t stick to the plastic. It’s amazing!
How to Store
Uncut brownies that are stored in the pan and covered will keep on the counter for up to 4 days. If you cut the brownies, they will dry out faster. Wrap cut brownies in plastic wrap and keep on the counter for 1 to 2 days. Don’t store brownies in the refrigerator or they will dry out.
You can freeze brownies, they actually freeze really well. I always like having brownies tucked away in our freezer. Wrap brownies tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap again with foil or place in a freezer bag. Note-I don’t like to freeze brownie squares because they don’t keep as well.
I like to freeze a pan of brownies or at least a half pan at a time. Freeze the brownies for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw at room temperature before cutting into individual servings.
Best Party Dessert
This fudge brownie recipe is the perfect party dessert. The brownies are made in a 9×13 pan so they are perfect for feeding a crowd! You can easily take the pan of brownies to a party, I guarantee you will come home with an empty pan.
They are good served alone but if you want to go over the top, take a brownie square and add a scoop of ice cream and hot fudge sauce or salted caramel sauce. OH YEAH! Dessert doesn’t have to be fancy to be the BEST!
More Brownie Recipes:
- Our Favorite Brownies
- Zucchini Brownies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
- Salted Caramel Pretzel Brownies
- Almond Toffee Sea Salt Brownies
One Bowl Brownies
Equipment
- 9 x 13 Baking Pan (This USA Pan gives the crispiest edges)
- Parchment Paper (I find that this brand doesn't burn!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup Dutch-processed or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups chopped chocolate, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13" baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line with parchment paper with an overhang on the sides and spray again. This will make it easy to lift the brownies out of the pan after baking. Set the pan aside.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.
- Sift in flour and cocoa. Add the salt and espresso powder, if using, and stir until just combined. Don't over mix. Fold in 1 cup of chopped chocolate. Spread evenly into prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of chopped chocolate on top of the brownies.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes on the middle rack in the oven until the brownies are just set to touch. Don't over bake the brownies. They will set up as they cool. Remove from oven and let cool before cutting into squares. You can sprinkle them with a little flaky sea salt, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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I made them last night. It was easy, baked exactly 25 min. Everyone loved them!
My favorite!
Awwww disaster I doubled the recipe and I can’t get them to cook fully now. First time I made these THEY WERR PERFECT just regular amount above, everyone said they were amazing I couldn’t believe my luck. So then I decided to make twice as much. Hellllppppp
Use 2 pans next time. Its safer.. I have problems doubling sometimes too..
Best brownies I’ve made in a long time! And the family loved them,
They really are the best!
This is a great recipe….added white chocolate chips on top in place of chocolate chips which I did put in batter….salted out of the oven just a bit…baked 26.5 minutes and they were perfect!
Yay!
As soon as you take the brownies out of the oven, pour chocolate chips over the top and wait a minute,…. Then spread around for easy chocolate frosting!
If I halved the recipe, could I make in an 8 inch square pan?
Yes!
I made these in a glass baking dish. Ended up increasing cook time by 10-12 minutes. They were awesome. My coworkers loved them.
These are almost too good!
Ha! I agree:)
I’m not sure why I have never attempted homemade brownies before because these are considerably better than the boxed version! I had all of the ingredients on hand, and used Dutch-processed cocoa. I only used about half the amount of chocolate chips and they were plenty sweet and chocolatey. My whole family loved these, as is typically the case with Two Peas recipes. Thank you, Maria!!!
DON’T HESITATE – JUST MAKE THESE. THEY ARE THE BEST BROWNIES!
Probably like most people here, we love brownies in our house. Through the years, I’ve made lots and lots of brownies but these are so darn good. Easy and scrumptious. I’ve baked them in a 9 x13 and a 9x x9 pan and highly recommend either option. I followed the recipe as written and wouldn’t change anything.
Was very hopeful about this recipe and followed the directions to a T, even mixing the butter and sugars for two minutes by hand as to not get a cake-like texture. But, the recipe did not turn out for me, and I couldn’t eat them because of the texture. Guess I will keep searching.
Really chewy brownies and delicious! They are however quite rich, so cut them small..Thanks for the recipe.
Made these following your recipe to a T and took almost an hour to bake to get the crumbles on the toothpick. They were still completely raw after 25 minutes. What do you think happened?
Weird, I have never had that issue. Is your oven temperature correct? Every oven is different so it might take a little longer, but they should cook and not be raw.
Having the same issue! Just made them. In oven for total of 55 minutes. Still won’t see.
sounds scrumptious, do you think that after i mix the ingredients i can bake it in my breadmacihine? my oven is not working..thank you the BM temperature is 350degrees.
I can not have leaving. And these are absolutely delicious. I make these for every event we go to. No one ever knows that it is missing. Thank you so much.
You are welcome!
These were delicious! I don’t have instant coffee powder, but I popped in a little leftover coffee and used mini chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate. Probably the best homemade brownies I’ve ever had!
Easy recipe and love that it comes together in one bowl- good when you have limited time. I thought I might have over baked them because the edges looked too done but they were perfect. I loved the addition of the espresso!
Fantastic! Super delicious, would make again! 🙂
My favorite!
Is there a substitute for egg?
Hi Nidhi! I have often used 1/4 cup applesauce or Greek yogurt in place of one egg in brownie recipes. They always make my brownies deliciously moist.
These are the best homemade brownies, EVER !!! To make it easy on myself, i mix the ingredients together in one bowl. I begin by combining the dry items together: cocoa, salt and flour, then using a spatula, make a burrow in the middle of the bowl.
Then I combine the remaining wet ingredients, using a small whisk. Using the spatula, I combine both wet and dry ingredients, and pour into the pan.
They turn out delish each time . Thank you for this delicious recipe!
They really are the best.
Made this last night. My husband loved them.
Yay!
These have a good taste, but are definitely not fudgy. This was more like a cake texture. The only thing I left out was the Espresso powder.
These brownies are so rich they have been a favorite at my house and at church where I have shared them.
I made these in my mini cupcake pans. Bad idea….. they’re SOOOO delicious I easily ate 4!! I love them in bite-size form.
Fun!
Didn’t have Dutch cocoa, substituted Hershey’s unsweetened cocoa, weird texture
I needed a quick and easy chocolatey dessert so decided to make these. OMG they are the best brownies ever!!! I chopped up Reese’s peanut butter bar and sprinkled on-top, after I pulled them out of the oven… WOW absolutely delicious!!!
YUM! I love peanut butter!
I made this brownie and was immediately intrigued by the lack of leavening agent. It’s not an author oversight- they don’t need it! They’re very fudgy and rich. I omitted the chopped chocolate after making the batter and recognizing the richness. I’m sure the chopped chocolate would be delicious but they were phenomenal without it
So glad you loved the brownies. I don’t use baking soda or powder in the recipe, it’s not necessary:)
These have a shorter cook time than other brownies I’ve made. I overcooked them & they still came out delicious! I’ve bookmarked the recipe as our go to for brownies!
They are my go-to too!
My friend came up to me and, waving a brownie, said, “These brownies are killer!” I have to agree. They are exactly what I have in my head when I think of brownies. This is far and away the best brownie recipe I’ve found. I’ll be making these regularly.
They are the best!
These were Amazing!!! I added two tablespoons of peanut butter. I do that to all my brownies.
peanut butter is always a good idea:)
I’ve made plenty of brownies from the box, but I wanted to try to bake them from scratch. Your recipe was easy to follow, which (as an amateur baker) I really appreciated. I baked the brownies for 25 minutes, and they were done when I got them out. They are delicious and fairly fudgy, but I never got the crackle top or the rich fudge flavor I was looking for. I’m not sure how I would adjust the recipe, if I make them again.
Not our favorite. Chocolate-y for sure! Rick and dense, very moist. But maybe too fudgey for our tastes. And it seems like it’s missing something, though I couldn’t tell you what. Very easy to make though!
Best brownie recipe ever! I was searching the Internet for a recipe and yours was the only one that called for a 9×13 so I went for it. Plus the ingredients and simplicity were factored in. Didn’t even last 24 hrs, my kids, husband and I gobbled them up! I did have to bake them 10 minutes longer, but I did use a glass pan, maybe that’s why.
So glad you loved them!
I am new to the blog and already a fan! I made these last night in a 8 x 11 glass pan so they would be thicker; glad I did. I used semi sweet chocolate chips instead of the chopped chocolate. These are a huge hit with my kids! Next up are the Oreo Brownies. Thanks so much.
I am so glad you found us! Both brownie recipes are divine:)
One of my granddaughters wanted brownies for dessert at our family cookout last night. I have to say, these are BETTER than store bought box brownies. They aren’t too sweet and, they are quick and easy.
This recipe will definitely be used in the future!!
My favorite too:)
Made this in mini cake pans for a preschool baking class. They’re a great one bowl recipe and the mini foil pans changed the bake time to 16 minutes.
Cute!
I tried this recipe and followed the recipe through and through. My batch or brownies came out very bitter. I don’t know what went wrong or if they are supposed to be bitter, but I don’t like them. I did try pairing caramel sauce and sea salt on top of them and they taste sweeter, which is what I expect from a brownie. I might try them with ice cream as well to help combat the bitterness.
Maybe try a different brand of chocolate. Did you add the espresso powder? You can also leave that out.
I used glass and it didn’t cook well I was so sad and craving brownies
I use metal pans for brownies.
Hi Maria
Your recipe got me excited to try baking it
I only have a 8 x 8 inch pan
How do I scale down your recipe?
Please advise on baking temp and time.
Thank you so much.
Jacq
I followed recipe to a T and it came out super cakey, not crinkly top and not fudgyness to be found. Not sure what I did wrong.
I don’t usually leave reviews, but I had to with these! My granddaughter and I made them a few weeks ago and they were divine! I love how dark chocolatey they are! 25 minutes was perfect! They have the best texture. Sooo fudgy
I am so glad you enjoyed the brownies. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
These are the best brownies I have ever made. I replaced one cup of the cocoa powder with one cup of hot cocoa mix. It made them fabulous! Thank you for the recipe.
So happy you loved the brownies, thank you for sharing.