Our Favorite Easy Fudgy Brownies
- PREP 15min
- COOK 30min
- TOTAL 45min
Say hello to our favorite brownies recipe from scratch. You only need one bowl, a saucepan, and a spoon. Melting the butter into the sugar and cocoa powder ensures that shiny, crinkly top that we all love.
These brownies are bittersweet. If you are like us and find yourself reaching for darker chocolate over milk chocolate, these are certainly for you. Use natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder (cacao powder works, too). For brownies that are less bittersweet and that have chewy edges, try this chewy brownie recipe instead.
You Will Need
10 tablespoons (145 grams) unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups (250 grams) granulated sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (80 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, natural or Dutch-process
1/4 rounded teaspoon kosher salt, use slightly less if using fine sea or table salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large cold eggs
1/2 cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (75 grams) chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
Directions
Prepare Batter
Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 325 degrees F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch x 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on opposite sides to help remove the baked brownies from the pan.
Prepare a double-boiler by filling a medium saucepan with water about 2 inches deep. Heat the water until barely simmering. See the notes section below for tips on making these without a double-boiler and instead using a microwave or making them directly in a saucepan.
Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium heat-safe bowl. Rest the bowl over the simmering water. If the bottom of the bowl touches the water, remove a little water from the saucepan.
Stir the mixture occasionally until the butter has melted and the mixture is quite warm. Don’t worry if it looks gritty; it will become smooth once you add the eggs and flour.
Remove the bowl from the saucepan, and set aside for 5 minutes or until it is only warm, not hot.
Stir in the vanilla.
Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one.
When the batter looks thick and well blended, add the flour. Use a spoon to beat the flour into the batter until it is very thick and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. We use a wooden spoon or spatula and beat for 40 to 50 strokes (see video for reference).
Stir in nuts if using.
Bake Brownies
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
Bake the brownies until the edges look dry and the middle looks slightly underbaked; 20 to 30 minutes. You can test doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. The brownies are finished baking if it comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
Cool completely before removing from the pan — this step is essential and helps the brownies set. Cut into 16 squares.
- Baking pan: We love our USA Pan 8×8-inch metal pan for this recipe. Glass and ceramic pans work, but keep in mind that they may affect bake time. Check on doneness 5 minutes early and every 5 minutes after that.
- Using a microwave: Combine butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a microwave-safe bowl, and then microwave for 20-second increments until the butter melts into the sugar. Make sure that you stir the mixture in between microwaving.
- Using a saucepan instead of a double-boiler: The double-boiler is a fail-safe against scorching the batter; however, you can combine the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium saucepan. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir the mixture until the butter melts into the sugar.
- This recipe is slightly adapted from Alice Medrich’s Cocoa Brownies found in many of her cookbooks. Here’s one of them: “Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts” If you love dessert as much as we do, buy it. You won’t regret it.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste