This is my favorite recipe for plain, fudgy brownies, the ones I keep frozen at all times for last-minute snacks or desserts. The recipe is one-bowl simple, gooey, full of chocolate flavor, and can hold add-ins wonderfully without compromising its texture. It also makes an amazing brownie cake (topped with dulce de leche and whipped cream or meringue).

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This brownie recipe took me by surprise. In modern times of excessive information and a million recipes for everything, they rank as one of the best I ever made.
Why? Because they check several boxes.
Why you'll love these brownies
- Easy to make: the batter is mixed in one bowl with a wire whisk.
- Gooey and fudgy: bake them just right and you got yourself a perfect, gooey, fudgy brownie.
- Flavorful: the mix of melted chocolate and cocoa powder gives them extra chocolate flavor.
- Freezer friendly: they are great to have frozen at all times for last-minute chocolate cravings.
I'm a brownie lover per se. There's abundant evidence in the recipe archives, a whole category devoted to these beauties, with a few of my favorites like Fudgy Hazelnut Brownies (GF), the fantastic Mint Brownies, and the non-traditional Brownies with whiskey and raisins.
So I set out to make these brownies with a lack of interest. Boy, was I wrong!
They are everything you expect of a best homemade brownie recipe because they have a great balance of sugar and chocolate. I couldn't resist and took a bite before they cooled down completely.
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Ingredients
- Chocolate: use your favorite dark semisweet chocolate for this recipe. I like Callebaut 54% chocolate wafers or Ghirardelli Premium baking bar.
- Unsalted butter.
- Cocoa powder: always use unsweetened. I like Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder, Ghirardelli Premium baking cocoa, and Scharffen Berger natural cocoa powder. And, in my experience, the dark ones are the best (this does not apply to the super dark used for making homemade oreo cookies known as dark cocoa powder).
- Eggs: fresh, large.
- Sugar: white granulated.
- All-purpose flour.
- Salt: I like to use kosher salt when baking. But regular table salt works just fine.
- Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract or pure vanilla paste when available, but a good vanilla essence (artificially flavored) also works and is infinitely cheaper.
- Other flavorings: I found out that the mix of vanilla, almond, and coffee gives brownies the best flavor! Of course, you can use only vanilla, but I hope you try the three at least once. I have coffee extract, but you can use a teaspoon of instant coffee and dissolve it in the vanilla before adding it.
I'm linking my favorite brands in the recipe card notes.
How to melt chocolate and butter
There are 2 ways:
- Microwave: melt the ingredients on high for 10 seconds, take them out, and mix well. Repeat until all the chocolate is melted. Be careful you don't scorch it. That's why it's important to mix it well between each heating.
- Stovetop: put the bowl with chocolate and butter over a smaller pan with a few inches of water. Over medium heat, let the chocolate and butter melt, stirring occasionally. Ensure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water and that no water gets into the bowl. If the water boils too much before the chocolate is melted, turn the heat off and let the hot vapor melt the remaining chocolate.
Preparing the pan
A little trick I learned a long time ago for pans without removable bottoms, which includes most brownie pans, is to line them with parchment paper but using just one long strip covering the bottom and two sides.
- Measure the width of the pan you're using and cut a strip the same size. The length of the strip is given by the parchment paper you bought.
- Butter or spray the pan and place the strip of parchment paper covering the bottom and two sides, allowing the grease to act as glue.
- Pour in the batter, bake it, and after it's cooled down, run a smooth-bladed knife along the sides with no paper.
- When ready to remove the brownies, help yourself by grabbing the two ends of the paper and lifting the whole block of brownies from the pan.
Making brownies from scratch
If you're used to the box mix and want to start making them from scratch, this is a fantastic recipe because it's all made in one bowl.
What makes a brownie fudgy?
It usually has a high-fat ratio compared to other ingredients, especially flour. Too much flour and you have a drier, cakey brownie.
Baking time also plays a part because we want fudgy and chewy, not the dry fudge type.
When are they done?
I like to take them out when the middle is still jiggling a bit. If they firm up completely they'll be on the drier side. Another way is to insert a tester which should come out with moist crumbs attached, not runny batter.
The edges will be dry and a bit shrunk. When the sides pull out, it usually means the brownies are done or close to being done.
Freezing brownies
They freeze well.
I cut them into squares, wrap them in plastic, and then aluminum foil. Label and date them for easier handling afterward. Defrost at room temperature.
There is a whole post devoted to Freezer Baking & Desserts. A simple guide to using your freezer for baked goods!
One thing I love about these is that they are like old-fashioned brownies, the flavor, and texture are very traditional but with a more modern fudginess.
They were so good, rest assured this recipe goes into my bake-often folder. And they will be. And though I will never settle for just one brownie recipe, this recipe is one of the best.
Related recipes you might like:
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Best Fudgy Brownies
This is my favorite homemade brownies recipe, the one I use to make a brownie cake (with dulce de leche and meringue) and the ones I keep frozen at all times for last-minute snacks or dessert. The recipe is one-bowl simple, gooey, full of chocolate flavor, and can hold add-ons wonderfully without compromising its texture.
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 medium squares
Ingredients
- ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or paste
- ½ teaspoon coffee extract, or 1 teaspoon instant coffee (dissolve it in the vanilla), optional
- ½ teaspoon pure almond extract, optional
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 6 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF / 180ºC.
- Butter or spray a 9-inch (20x20cm) square baking pan and line it with a strip of parchment paper. See Notes below.
- In a large bowl, melt butter and chocolate, see Notes below for methods.
- Add the sugar and mix for 30 seconds.
- Add the vanilla and other extracts if using, and mix well.
- Add the eggs and beat by hand until very well mixed.
- Add the dry ingredients, sifted (flour, cocoa, and salt). Fold well until the batter is shiny and smooth.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until slightly jiggly in the middle.
- Let cool for about 30 minutes on a wire rack.
- Run a smooth-bladed knife along the edges and lift the parchment paper to transfer the brownies to a rack to cool completely before cutting.
- You can pop them into the fridge for a few hours to make cutting them easier.
- They are better the next day, in my opinion.
- They keep for a few days and can be frozen for up to a month, well wrapped.
Notes
- Chocolate: use your favorite dark semisweet chocolate for this recipe. I like Callebaut 54% chocolate wafers or Ghirardelli Premium baking bar.
- Cocoa powder: always use unsweetened. I like Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder, Ghirardelli Premium baking cocoa, and Scharffen Berger natural cocoa powder. And, in my experience, the dark ones are the best (this does not apply to the super dark used for making homemade oreo cookies known as dark cocoa powder).
- How to melt chocolate and butter
Microwave: this is the easiest and fastest way to do it. Simply put both ingredients in a microwave-proof bowl and microwave in 15-second spurts, whisking well after each time. This last part is very important as the chocolate sometimes holds its shape but is melted inside. You don't want to overdo it and chance scorching the chocolate.
Stovetop: you can use a small saucepan with water where the bowl with the chocolate fits on top but doesn't touch the water. The butter and chocolate will melt with the vapor from the water. This is a safer way because it's harder to scorch chocolate this way, but it takes much longer. - How to line the pan: measure the width of the pan you're using and cut a strip the same size. The length of the strip is given by the width of the parchment paper you bought. Butter or spray the pan and add the strip of parchment paper, allowing the grease to act as glue. Add the brownie batter, bake it, and after it's cooled down, run a smooth-bladed knife along the sides. Now you can aid yourself by lifting the two pieces of paper to remove the whole block of brownies from the pan.
- More chocolate: stir ½ cup of chocolate chips into the batter.
- Dessert-style: serve squares of these homemade brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. Or berries.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Brownies & Bars
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/12
- Calories: 297
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 118.1 mg
- Fat: 18.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.5 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 3.4 g
- Cholesterol: 77.9 mg
Keywords: fudgy brownies
Pakistani Food Recipes says
Thanks, Puala for the delicious recipe. I really loved it. Brownies are my favorite.
Cocoa and Lavender says
These DO look like the perfect brownies, Paula. The simplicity is just what we all need, too. Can you tell me why so many recipes call for so many bowls when with a little planning, it can all be done in one? That is a real pet peeve of mine... ~ David
Sweet and That's it says
Paula, I'm so honoured to have the same name as your mother. How funny, and thank you for telling me.
Whiskey brownies... Yummy! Do you put the whiskey in the brownies or do you dip them into the whiskey...ihihi.
ovenchaos says
Your thinner looking brownies are so elegant - they are perfect to be topped with 'you name it' ingredients! Happy to hear that it was a winning recipe for you 🙂
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
These do look delicious, but I have to say the 'whiskey and raisins' brownies. MUST TRY!