A rich, chewy, fudgy brownie is utterly heavenly to me. And that’s exactly what these Easy Homemade Brownies deliver!
Over a decade of baking just about every brownie recipe and boxed mix available, these are hands-down the best brownies I’ve ever had. And the best part? It’s a simple one-bowl recipe!
This recipe provides all the fudgy chewiness of a boxed mix brownie, with wayyy better flavor, and they’re almost as easy to make.
While I adore my Bourbon Turtle Brownies (the first-ever recipe I published on my site!), and my Fudgy Pistachio Stuffed Brownies are incredible … sometimes you just can’t beat the simplicity of a classic homemade brownie.
I hope your crew will adore them as much as we do.
Use a Metal Baking Pan for Brownies
Using glass, ceramic, or silicone is pretty much the worst thing you can do when making brownies. These materials are not good conductors of heat, taking longer to heat up and longer to cool down, which can cause gummy brownies with a weird texture in the middle, and dry, crumbly edges.
I highly recommend using a light-colored metal pan lined with parchment paper or non-stick foil for brownie baking perfection. This is my favorite baking pan for brownies, blondies, cookie bars, and more.
Which Cocoa Powder?
These brownies don’t use any leavening agent (baking powder or baking soda), so you can use either unsweetened (aka natural) cocoa powder OR Dutch-processed cocoa powder here.
Natural cocoa will give more of a boxed brownie flavor with slightly chewier texture, while Dutched cocoa will be richer in flavor but a little less chewy. My favorites are Guittard Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder or Ghirardelli Natural Cocoa. Note: both are typically cheaper from a supermarket than they are via Amazon.
Why the Extra Egg Yolk?
The additional egg yolk helps create a chewy, moist brownie. I highly recommend including it, if possible, but your brownies will still be delish if you only have the two whole eggs.
Eggs in Baking – A Couple Tips
- Use large eggs, about 55-60 grams in shell. Eggs that are too large or too small will impact your baking greatly.
- Most of the time, eggs should be room temperature before adding to your batter or dough, for a more cohesive mixture. It doesn’t really matter with these brownies because we’re whisking them in vigorously for a full minute, so they’ll be incorporated well regardless of temperature.
- Learn more about eggs in baking here!
How to Get a Shiny, Crinkly Crust on Homemade Brownies
It can be tricky to achieve that shiny, crinkly crust that forms on top of brownies as they bake. After 10+ years of baking brownies, here are my top tips for ensuring that perfect crinkle on top:
- Beat the eggs in vigorously. Once you add the eggs to the batter, whisk vigorously for a full minute. Use a timer to be certain you don’t shortchange the timing. No need for an electric mixer; just use a regular whisk and some elbow grease.
- Cornstarch. Don’t skip the cornstarch! It not only helps create a chewy brownie, but also assists in forming the pretty crinkly crust on top.
- Don’t lower the sugar. The ratio of sugar to fat is important here, and lowering the sugar will impact the shiny crust, the height of the brownies, the moisture levels, and overall wreak havoc on your baked brownies.
- Chocolate chips. I don’t have a scientific reason for this one, but skipping or even lowering the chocolate chips will prevent a shiny crust. I’ve tried it countless times and it just won’t look as pretty without them.
Substitutions
I highly recommend sticking with the recipe exactly as written here – at least the first time you bake them. Altering any ingredients can ruin the crust on top and create a brownie that’s dry and lacking in flavor.
If you’re worried they’ll be too sweet for your preference, up the salt a little to 1/2 teaspoon, and use bittersweet or even unsweetened chocolate chips (or chopped baking chocolate) instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Feel free to sprinkle a little additional flaky sea salt on top once they’ve baked, too, for an extra dose of delicious salty-sweet goodness.
More Chocolate Desserts You’ll Love:
Easy Homemade Brownies
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cup (267 grams) granulated sugar
- 5 Tablespoons (71 grams) unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs + 1 extra egg yolk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup (65 grams) flavorless oil, (I use vegetable oil)
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
- ¾ cup (75 grams) cocoa powder, any kind – see Notes
- ½ cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup (128 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F/ 165°C. Line an 8×8-inch light-colored metal baking pan (do NOT use glass or silicone) with parchment paper or nonstick foil. Ensure the sides extend beyond the sides of the baking pan, for easy removal. Secure with metal binder clips, if desired.
- In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, place the sugar and butter. Microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the butter is completely melted. Stir well to combine. Set aside if the mixture is very hot, until it's just warm to the touch.
- Add the eggs and egg yolk, whisking vigorously for 1 full minute. This helps create the shiny crust on top.
- Add the vanilla extract and oil. Whisk to combine.
- Add the espresso powder, cocoa powder, flour, cornstarch, and salt. Using a rubber spatula, mix until almost combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips until just incorporated, being careful not to overmix.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan, gently smoothing out the top.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out with just a few moist bits on it. Do not overbake.
- Allow to cool fully in the pan before slicing into 16 slices and serving.
Notes
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