This is hands down the best brownie recipe I’ve ever made! These brownies are easy to make, wonderfully fudgy in the middle, and much better than the boxed mixes. Our readers love them!
Our readers repeatedly tell us that this is the best brownie recipe they’ve tried, and honestly, we see why. What makes this recipe so special is that we mix hot butter with sugar and cocoa powder. While this seems simplistic, it’s why these brownies turn out so fudgy, taste like rich chocolate, and have that gorgeous crackly top.
I bet you already have everything you need sitting in your kitchen to make them. Plus, you’ll make the batter right in the saucepan used to melt your butter, so you won’t even have many dirty dishes to clean when you are done. If you reach for darker chocolate over milk chocolate and love that fudgy texture, these brownies are for you. For a sweeter, chewier version, see these one-bowl brownies.
Key Ingredients
- Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder makes these brownies easy, reliable, and ridiculously delicious. I’ve tried brownie recipes with melted chocolate and always come back to this recipe with cocoa powder. (I love cocoa brownies so much!) You can use any unsweetened cocoa in this brownie recipe (really!). I’ve successfully used natural, Dutch-processed, and even raw cacao. They all have a slightly different flavor profile. For a chocolate flavor similar to Oreo cookies, try Dutch cocoa. Use natural cocoa (like Hershey’s or Ghirardelli) for the richest, most chocolatey brownies.
- Butter: We use 100% butter in the recipe. If you use salted butter, leave out the salt called for in our recipe below.
- Granulated Sugar: This helps with our shiny top and balances the bitterness of unsweetened cocoa powder. Brown sugar works, but you might lose the crinkly top.
- Eggs: These add richness and provide structure to brownies. I add them cold, so there is no need to take them out of the fridge in advance!
- Flour: You need a small amount of all-purpose flour for structure. We want extra fudgy brownies, so keeping the flour to a minimum helps. For gluten-free, read through the comments (many readers have used a gluten-free flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill in this recipe).
Remember, mixing HOT butter with sugar and cocoa powder is the secret to the best brownies. The heat from the butter brings out the rich chocolate flavor of the cocoa and begins to melt the sugar, which then helps create that beautiful, shiny top after baking.
I really cannot wait for you to make these brownies! For more recipes like this one, see our blondies recipe (think brownie, but made with a vanilla batter), or if you are only baking for one or two, I love this quick brownie in a mug!
Perfect Fudgy Brownies
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Say hello to our favorite brownie recipe from scratch! If you reach for darker chocolate over milk chocolate, these bittersweet brownies are for you.
I bake my brownies until the edges look set and the middle slightly underdone. A toothpick helps tell when they are ready to come out of the oven. Look for a small amount of batter left on the toothpick. Brownies firm up as they cool, so even though they may look underdone, they will be perfect when cooled to room temperature (trust me).
Watch Us Make the Recipe
You Will Need
10 tablespoons (145g) unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (75g) unsweetened cocoa powder, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large cold eggs
1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2/3 cup (80g) chopped walnuts, pecans, or chocolate chips, optional
Directions
1Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 325°F (162°C). Line the bottom and sides of an 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.
2Add the butter to a medium saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and cook until the butter melts completely, then turn off the heat. Stay close, and do not let it brown.
3While the butter is hot, stir in the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt. Stir well until blended. Don’t worry if the batter looks gritty. Once you add the eggs, the brownie batter will become smooth.
4Set the saucepan aside to cool until the mixture is warm, not hot, 5 to 10 minutes. Test the temperature by touching the batter, it should be comfortable to hold without feeling hot.
5Add the cold eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each egg.
6When 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. I use a wooden spoon or spatula and beat for 40 to 50 strokes (see video for reference).
7Stir in nuts or chocolate chips (optional).
8Spread the thick brownie batter evenly in the prepared pan. It can be hard to spread because it is so thick. Do your best to push the batter to the corners and even out the top.
9Bake the brownies until the edges look dry and the middle is slightly underbaked, 20 to 30 minutes. A toothpick plunged into the center should emerge somewhat moist with batter. As the brownies cool, they firm up but will always be moist and fudgy in the middle.
10Cool completely before removing the brownies from the pan (this step is essential and helps the brownies set). Cut into 16 squares. For clean edges, use a chef’s knife and wipe it clean after each slice. For guaranteed perfect edges, chill the brownies in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours before slicing.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Keep cooled brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Or store them in the fridge for 2 weeks. You can also freeze brownies for up to 3 months! I like wrapping them individually to take one or two out of the freezer when I want to.
- Baking pan: We use a metal 8-inch square pan. Ceramic and glass pans may affect bake time. Check on doneness 5 minutes early and every 5 minutes after that. Double the recipe for a 9-inch by 13-inch pan. The brownies will be slightly thicker.
- Cocoa powder: Try Dutch-process for a mellow, Oreo-like flavor or natural cocoa powder (like Ghiradelli or Guittard) for a rich, dark chocolate taste.
- Measuring flour and cocoa powder: Weigh them or use the “spoon and level” method. Fluff the flour/cocoa, spoon it into the measuring cup, then level off the top with a flat edge. You can see me do this in our video!
- Longer bake time: These take 20 to 25 minutes in our oven. Still, ovens vary, so use our tips in the recipe to tell when your brownies are done. Remember, brownies continue to cook and firm up as they cool, so don’t be afraid to take them out of the oven with the center still a little underdone.
- Double-boiler method: This brownie recipe originally used a double-boiler, but we’ve simplified the method to make it easier and quicker, using fewer dishes while maintaining the same results. If you prefer the original double-boiler method, place a heat-safe bowl with the butter, sugar, and cocoa powder over barely simmering water. Once melted, cool and continue as directed.
- Alice Medrich’s Cocoa Brownies inspired this brownie recipe. Medrich revolutionized brownie recipes years ago when she used cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate. This change allows for better control of ingredients, resulting in incredibly moist brownies with a perfectly fudgy center and a shiny, candy-like top.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
I love this recipe, I’m an 11 year old and this is easy to bake and it’s delicious! Even my brother agreed! Thanks
Tried your corn bread .It turned great.My wife raced about it to all her friends. Now one friend what’s me to make her brownies.In trade I get homemade bread! Can’t wait! Thanks for the recipes!
I tried this recipe and had a few issues with my batch but will say the texture was amazing. I had to bake them in an air fryer but used the bake setting so 20 minutes was too long so they were starting to burn, next time I will try 15 minutes. I used the Ghirardelli Dutch cocoa and the chocolate was very rich and on the bitter side from the chocolate but I think the bitterness was enhanced more from the burnt taste. I tried adding powder sugar dusting but it didn’t really bring the sweetness up. I will still eat them, but they are too bitter for my boyfriend to tolerate.
Hi Raine, This recipe is for a conventional oven, so your air fryer will cook much faster and hotter. Your plan to try 15 minutes next time is a great start. Air fryers often need significant time reductions. To reduce bitterness in the future, consider a very slight increase in sugar (1-2 tablespoons) can help. Hope that helps!
I followed the recipe and baked in an 8 inch square pan. My brownies are very thin, about 1/4 inch. I prefer a more cake like brownie
Hi Donna, I am glad you gave the recipe a try, but I do try to convey that these are definitely not cakey and instead are intentionally very fudgy. Also, you can see from our photos that they are thinner (more like 1/2 inch, not 1/4 inch). That all said, thank you for coming back because I know some people really love cakier brownies and I’d hate for them to try this recipe and be disappointed.
Fantastic easy recipe! I made mine Gluten free perfecto.
Earlier today I left a comment about them being flat and not tasting them yet though as they were cooling to set. I have tasted them and they are delicious but they really do need some rising agent in them to give them a little lift. Other than that they are very good. I had left three stars but after tasting them they are definitely four stars and would be five with a little rise to them.
Hi there, we love the more fudgy texture you get without the leavener, but you can add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon baking powder to see if you prefer the thickness. We also have these slightly thicker brownies.
Hi, a question, if I add leavening agents to it, would it be a great chocolate cake?
I love the original recipe, but I’m just curious.
No, this recipe will not meet the expectations of a cake.
These were amazing! Highly recomend.
So happy you enjoyed them, Lucia!
Yes I’m back again to make more. Mmmmmmm so yummy! Thank you so much for sharing recipe so we can make and share in the pleasure of eating them!
These are soooo good. It’s hard to go wrong. I put peanut butter over the batter and swirl it in.
Sounds amazing!