One can never have too many brownie recipes in their arsenal, or so I like to say. I have a few favorite brownie recipes but I also love trying new recipes to change up my old style of doing things. I was not disappointed with the results of these deep, dark chocolate brownies. I loved them so much, in fact, that they have since skyrocketed to my most-oft-made brownie and definitely belong in the “best of” category (I’ve been making them for a couple of years now).
The brownies are intense chocolate with a fudgey texture and pure deliciousness. I love that the recipe is made for a 9X13-pan. Too many brownie recipes are written for 8X8 or 9X9 pans which just doesn’t give enough yield to please my brownie-loving hips. These brownies are delicious on their own or as a base for other brownie variations (read: topped with frosting or something equally divine).
Deep, Dark Chocolate Brownies
Printable Version
Printable Version with Picture
INGREDIENTS:
2 sticks (8 oz) butter
8 oz good-quality semisweet chocolate
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 large eggs
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13×9 inch metal pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray. Alternatively, you may use parchment. These are pretty sticky at first!
Melt butter and chocolate in a 3-qt heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring, until smooth. Add 1 cup of the sugar to the hot chocolate mixture. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm.
Whisk in remaining 1 cup sugar and vanilla. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time until mixture is glossy and smooth. Whisk in salt and cocoa powder, then add flour and stir until it disappears (do not overbeat).
Spread in pan and bake until a pick inserted in center comes out with crumbs, 25 to 35 minutes. Cool to room temperature then chill for an hour or more. Lift from pan, place on a cutting board, cut into squares.
Makes 1 13×9 inch pan (yield depends on how big you cut your brownies, but they are rich, so small is fine.
Recipe Source: adapted from Cookie Madness
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m with you on the 9X13 pan. Having just eaten several squares of 71% dark chocolate, I’m guessing these are right up my alley.
Any frined of a brownie is a friend of mine.
Melanie – you have to visit my blog and see what your brownies caused – a BEAR visited our house because he smelled them baking. I took pics. My husband blames you for the bear visit. : )
Man, those look great about now! I love chocolate
I’m always up for a good brownie recipe
Those look great.
Our 12 yr old daughter LOVES brownies!! These look terrific!
They look delicious!
deep and dark, yes, but you forget decadent and delicious! they’re lovely, melanie.
I publiched a post about a brownies recipe this week too! Yours looks great!
Now, those are my kind of brownies! Will be marking this to try!
Those look fantastic, I think I’ll try a batch this weekend!
Are these brownies pretty gooey? Or more cakelike? I'm looking for something kind of in between, but definatley not too gooey – does this fit the bill? Also have you ever tried doubling the recipe and baking it on a rimmed cookie sheet?
Rachel – I've never doubled this recipe so I can't tell you how it would work to bake it on a rimmed sheet. As for the texture of the brownies – they are really fudgy and intensely chocolate. They are definitely not as gooey as a brownie mix – they have a more substantial texture but definitely are soft and not very cake-like.
We have made these brownies at least ten times – no exaggration. They are truly amazing, and bear all the qualities of a “perfect” brownie. The texture is thick and chewey, and the chocolate flavor is superbly deep and rich. Plus, they are dangerously easy to make.
Dan O – that’s high praise if these qualify as the perfect brownies! Thanks for letting me know.
have i told you lately that i love you? yumm!!! we added peanut butter chips for some extra goodness. so good!
Thanks, Lacy. I love you, too. Thanks for commenting!
I made these brownies today, they won’t last the evening in this house! Yummo! Thanks again
Hi Mel,
Would regular cocoa powder work? I don’t have dutch in hand…
I guess I mean to ask is there a huge difference in flavour?
Sorry about the list of comments! I have the ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa…is that dutch powder?
n82 – yes, regular cocoa powder would work just fine. I use it all the time in this recipe. The dutch-process makes the chocolate flavor a bit deeper and more intense but they are still delicious with natural cocoa powder. I’m not sure if the Ghirardelli cocoa is dutch process or not. It would indicate on the label if it is.
Hi mel!
These brownies look delicious and fudge! I want to make these but need to know if they need to be refrigerated. Some fudge brownies require refrigeration but its still summer so I want a recipe that can sit out!
yvette – well, personally, I think they taste best refrigerated but do they absolutely need it? Probably not from a bacteria stand point. I’ve left them out overnight or longer and they do great.
Truly the best brownies in this known world. Though, I debate between the batter and the actual brownie.
These are fantastic. I included them in my Christmas goodie plates by adding a layer of (homemade) caramel on top, cutting them in perfect little squares after they had cooled and topping each square with a toasted pecan. They were beautiful and the taste- to die for! Thanks for sharing!
These are the best brownies I have ever had. I made them with the intention of giving them to a few people. I was only able to give a small bag to one person because my daughter and I ate so many of them.
Mel, I made these tonight along with your key lime bars for book club tonight and I honestly don’t know which one was a bigger hit! One girlfriend said, “these have a secret ingredient don’t they,” and I couldn’t think of one. And then someone else said “these are homemade.” “yep, that’s it.” Thanks for another amAzing recipe!