Best Brownies Recipe
This is seriously the Best Brownies Recipe out there! These bake up perfectly thick, chewy, and stay moist for days. They have three types of chocolate making them super decadent and extra fudgy. Plus, they are SO easy and quick to make in less than an hour. You’ll never need another brownie recipe!
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A Note from Kim
The Ultimate Chocolate Fix
I’ve been making this brownie recipe for years, it’s truly the best. One bite shows just how much better brownies from scratch taste, especially with milk chocolate, dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and semi-sweet chocolate chips all working together. And can we talk about that crackly top? It’s honestly my favorite part.
They bake up thick with chewy edges and soft centers, and they’re just as good warm as they are later in the day. You’ll never use boxed mix again!
If you love brownies and peanut butter, try my peanut butter brownie recipe next!
With love (and lots of good eats), 
My boyfriend said these were the best brownies I’ve ever made! I totally agree, they came out PERFECT and with the crackly top. Thank you so much for this recipe!!
— Laney
Classic Brownie Ingredients
For the perfect homemade brownie recipe, you just need simple baking ingredients and some really good chocolate, you don’t even need bowls. Here’s everything you’ll need:
Find the full list and measurements in the recipe card.
- Salted butter. You can definitely use unsalted butter, but that extra bit of salt just adds even more flavor.
- Oil. Adds moisture. You can really use any type of oil, I typically use canola oil, vegetable oil or a light olive oil for a neutral taste.
- Chocolate. I highly recommend using the best baking chocolate you can find. The better the quality chocolate, the more decadent, richer, and delicious these will taste. Ghirardelli, Guittard and Scharffen Berger are great brands.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder. Be sure to use a high quality natural unsweetened cocoa powder for the ultimate fudgy flavor. Dutch processed cocoa powder works great!
- Granulated sugar. Adds sweetness and creates a soft center.
- Eggs. One of the main ingredients, eggs bind, provide richness, tenderize, and give structure to the bars. This recipe uses 4 eggs, which give the brownies a tight crumb and fudgy texture.
- Baking staples. For flavor and texture, don’t forget the vanilla extract, baking powder & 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- All-purpose flour. The more flour in brownies, the cakier they will taste. We want dense, fudgy brownies, so we’re only using a cup and a half. Try my very similar gluten-free brownies, if desired!
How to Make Homemade Brownies
This brownies recipe is the best because you melt chocolate and butter together, then stir in the remaining ingredients in the same pot, locking in rich chocolate flavor. After a little time in the oven, you’ll have your new favorite dessert!
See the recipe card, below, for the full, printable recipe.
Step 1: Prep. Line your baking pan with parchment paper. Add butter, oil, dark chocolate, milk chocolate and cocoa powder to a large pot.
Step 2: Melt. Over medium-low heat, melt this chocolate mixture until fully melted and smooth. Then, remove from heat.
Step 3: Add sugar & vanilla. Stir the granulated sugar and vanilla extract into the melted chocolate.
Step 4: Add eggs. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time, stirring vigorously before the next addition. After all four eggs have been mixed in, the batter should be thick and smooth without that granular look to it.
Step 5: Add dry ingredients. Combine the baking powder, salt and flour stirring gently until just combined. Do not over mix.
Step 6: Fold in chocolate chips. Gently fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips and walnuts, if using.
Step 7: Transfer. Spoon the brownie batter into your prepared pan. Smooth the top.
Step 8: Bake. Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes at 350ºF, and until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Step 9: Cool and slice. Cool at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Or, cool completely and frost, if you’d like.
Kim’s Recipe Tips
Follow the suggestions below and you’re sure to have the BEST brownies of your life!
- Adding nuts. Lots of classic brownie recipes call for chopped walnuts or pecans. We typically keep them plain because my kids prefer them without nuts. However, feel free to add in 1/2-1 cup of chopped walnuts if that is what you prefer. It’s an easy addition that changes the whole flavor of the dessert.
- Do not over mix. For the optimal tender crumb, you want to avoid overworking the brownie batter, once the flour has been added.
- Do not overcook. Turn the timer to 30 minutes as soon as the brownies go into the oven. Once you begin to smell a strong chocolate scent, check the brownies. Even if this is at the 25 minute mark. Use a toothpick, stick it into the center, and pull it out. They need more time if there is wet batter on the toothpick. If there are a few moist crumbs on the toothpick, they are done. You really don’t want a completely clean toothpick.
- Cool completely. It’s tough waiting for these soft, chewy, chocolatey babies to cool, but it will be worth the wait. Trust me! They will slice up perfectly when cooled to room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
We think a combination of both is best! The butter adds flavor and richness, while the oil adds the perfect amount of moisture.
Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey brownies. We want these to be nice and fudgy, so we’re using butter, oil and chocolate with just 1 1/2 cups flour.
The addition of canola or vegetable oil gives brownies the perfect amount of chewiness.
The secret is in adding the sugar! Melt the butter, oil and chocolate first, then quickly whisk in the sugar while it’s all still warm. Mixing the sugar into warm butter helps the sugar rise to the top of the batter as the brownies bake, which create signature shiny and crackly tops we all love!
Storage Recommendations
This recipe makes a 9×13-inch pan of homemade brownies (24 small bars). If you can’t eat them all in a day or two, you’re really going to want to save these for another time.
- Storing leftovers. You can transfer them to an airtight container or cover them in the pan with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store them in the fridge. To avoid dry brownies, don’t cut them before storing and make sure they’re tightly covered.
- Freezing. If you want to store these brownies for longer than a few days, cut each piece individually and wrap well in plastic wrap, store them all in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat. Simply microwave in 20-second bursts until warmed and melty.
More Favorite Brownie Recipes
If you try this brownie recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating! Subscribe to our mailing list to receive more delicious recipes straight to your inbox.
Best Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup salted butter
- 1/4 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
- 4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
- 4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper; set aside. Add 3/4 cup salted butter, 1/4 cup canola oil or vegetable oil, 4 ounces milk chocolate, 4 ounces dark chocolate and 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder to a large pot.
- In a large pot over medium-low heat, melt butter, oil, chocolate, and cocoa together until fully melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
- Mix in 2 cups granulated sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Add in 4 large eggs, 1 at a time, stirring vigorously before the next addition. After all four eggs have been mixed in, the batter should be thick and smooth without that granular look to it. Add in the 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and stir gently until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Fold in the 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if using, and pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth the top and bake 30-35 minutes. Cool at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Or, cool completely and frost, if you'd like.
Notes
- Storing leftovers. You can transfer them to an airtight container or cover them in the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate. They will stay moist for longer, if you don’t cut them before storing, or cover all the edges that could possibly dry out.
- Freezing. If you DO want to store these brownies for longer than a few days, cut each piece individually and wrap well in plastic wrap, store them all in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat. Simply microwave in 20-second bursts until warmed and melty.
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My boyfriend said these were the best brownies I’ve ever made! I totally agree, they came out PERFECT and with the crackly top. Thank you so much for this recipe!!
OMD they are indeed the ‘best’ brownies. Just made these to send in to the office tomorrow as it’s my birthday and I will be disappointed if they eat them all and none come back home again.. or maybe I should just keep some back. Yes that’s probably the best idea. How do I know they’re the ‘best’?? I only have a standard traybake pan, which is 9 x 12 so I had to put the excess batter into a few cupcake cases… well I can hardly expect people to eat something I’ve not tried at least once, okay, twice.
Love that this is a decent size recipe for a 9 x 13 pan – my usual recipe is for a 9×9 pan and I always end up doing a double batch as 9 brownies just isn’t enough. By my reckoning that means that this recipe is much healthier as I’ll end up with less brownies to eat. A win win situation.
Thank you for all the great recipes.
This makes me so happy to hear!! Thanks so much for your feedback and happy birthday!!