My Go-To Brownie Recipe {One-Bowl Deep, Dark Chocolate Brownies}
These from-scratch fudgy chocolate brownies are my go-to brownie recipe. Rich and decadent, the one-bowl factor makes them so simple and quick to make (a very dangerous thing!).
When it comes to brownies, I’d like to think I know a thing or two. They happen to be one of my favorite treats of all time.
Which is my way of saying I’ve made and eaten a lot of brownies in my day.

And I have about a bazillion brownie recipes posted over the years.
Recipes like Killer Crunch Brownies.
And Chocolate Frosted Brownies.
There’s a knockoff boxed brownie mix recipe. And the ever-popular caramel brownies.
Last year I posted a sheet pan brownie recipe, and these ultra-simple fabulous brownies are a favorite, too.
But as far as a classic, go-to brownie recipe that I turn to time and time again, these deep, dark chocolate brownies (i.e. fudgy chocolate brownies) are it.
I’ve been making them for years (so have many of you!).
And even though picking a favorite brownie is like choosing a favorite child, if you tied my arms behind my back and threatened to take away all chocolate out of my life for the rest of forever in order to make me decide, I’d definitely end up going with these fudgy chocolate brownies as my favorites.
We make them all the time when we need (yes, need) a classic brownie for a Sunday night treat (ice cream not optional).
They appear for potlucks, parties, chocolate cravings, and take-in meals.
I hear the question “can you bring brownies?” and mentally note that I’ll be making these simple, decadent brownies.
Fudgy and rich, they are the perfect brownie, in my opinion. One-bowl. Super simple. Not cakey. Lots of chocolate flavor.
And the recipe calls for regular, every day ingredients.
When I first posted them eight years ago, the ingredients detailed Dutch-process cocoa only, but over the years I’ve made them time and time again with unsweetened, natural cocoa powder (Hershey’s, I’m talking to you).
They are delicious with either Dutch-process OR natural cocoa powder, so use what you have on hand. The Dutch-process cocoa lends a rich, sweeter, darker chocolate flavor, whereas the unsweetened, natural cocoa powder gives that classic, well-known brownie taste.
And if you don’t know already, these deep, dark chocolate brownies are incredible (read: evil and dangerous) chilled…and yes, even frozen.
Consider yourself warned.
I have learned that keeping a bag of these bite-size brownies in the freezer is all I need to make me a very happy girl (happier if my family doesn’t even know they exist).
Speaking of brownies, don’t forget to tune in today on Facebook Live at 2:00 p.m. MST for the first Cooking with Kids segment (an ongoing weekly summer feature I’m doing the next couple months!).
I’m excited to hear that many of you are planning on cooking these Fudgy Coconut Oil Brownie Bites along with me and my 8-year old. It’s going to be fun (and probably very messy!).
If you can’t tune in right at 2:00, no worries, the video will be available for the rest of forever right here.
My Go-To Brownie Recipe {Deep, Dark Chocolate Brownies}
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter
- 8 ounces (227 g) semisweet chocolate (see note)
- 2 cups (424 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs
- ⅓ cup (28 g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder or Dutch-process cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅔ cup (95 g) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X13-inch metal pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray (if using glass, decrease oven temperature by 25 degrees). Alternatively, you may use parchment. The brownie batter is pretty sticky, so I like lining the pan for easy cleanup.
- In a microwave-safe bowl (or in a saucepan on the stove), melt the butter and chocolate in 1-minute increments (or over low heat on the stove), stirring in between until melted and smooth (don’t overheat!).
- Add 1 cup of the sugar to the warm chocolate mixture. Let the mixture cool until lukewarm, 4-5 minutes.
- Whisk in the remaining 1 cup sugar and vanilla.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, until mixture is glossy and smooth.
- Whisk in the salt and cocoa powder, then add the flour and stir with a rubber spatula or spoon until it just disappears (don’t overmix).
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan, and bake until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with sticky/moist crumbs, 25 to 35 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature before cutting. It helps even more to chill the brownies for 1-2 hours before cutting. Lift from the pan, place on a cutting board, and cut into squares.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from Cookie Madness
Recipe originally posted August 2009; updated with new pictures, commentary and recipe notes.
Still my go to from scratch recipe!
I made these when you first posted them and I’ve never looked back haha.. They have become my one and only. I don’t even want to try another recipe. Perfect!
You and me both, Gigi!
Wow! As soon as I saw this yesterday I had to make them. It came together in minutes. They are FABULOUS! I sprinkled a little sea salt over my portion and it was even more yummy. Thanks for sharing!
Oh yum!
I am a proud collector of all recipes with the word “brownie” in the title. These look fabulous!
Yummy! Love brownies and love this recipe! Thanks! Need milk!
How would ghirardelli bittersweet chips be in these? I only have Nestle semisweet and I don’t want them to turn out just ok. ; )
Delicious! I use ghirardelli bittersweet chips in these all the time.
This is really similar to the recipe we make! We’ll have to try yours soon to see how it compares!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I love how you left that last photo there, Mel. I think we all went through a tie-it-up-with-twine phase! These brownies look perfect to me.
Haha, your comment made me giggle, Nicole. I look back at some of my old pictures and kind of roll my eyes. Apparently I thought twine made my pictures so fancy. 🙂
Hi Mel! I tried to leave this comment under the “Easiest Brownies in the World’ post. I had a question about that recipe, which was: how long do you “Beat” the batter at the end? I made them last night and they were good, but not great. I was afraid to overbeat but also could have left them in the oven too long since 30 minutes didn’t do it. Well at least the toothpick did not come out dry. I will also try this recipe! Thank you!
I usually beat the batter for several minutes. A huge part of the Easiest Brownies recipe is the quality of chocolate you use, too.
Mel I want you to know these are my “go-to” for brownies, and for my famous brownies I use this as my base recipe. I change it just a little, you should try it sometime. I do 2 tsp vanilla, and add 1 -1.5 c white chocolate chips before I pour it in the pan and sprinkle with powdered sugar when they cool down. I call them “Tuxedo Brownies” they are famous amongst my friends and family and truly a game changer. From one brownie lover to another, thank you for such a phenom recipe to use as my base, and thank you that it’s for a 9×13 😀
Love those variations, Quintin – thanks for sharing! I’ll have to try it.
Hi! How do I adjust the measurements for a 8×8″ tin? Also, what’s the difference between this recipe and the ones for Fudgy Brownies & Easiest Brownies in the World? They all look so good, I’m not sure which to start making…
They are really completely different recipes – this deep, dark version is richer and a little more dense and decadent. You could probably just halve the recipe for an 8X8-inch pan.
These are soooo yummy. Thanks, Mel! I used a 2-Qt heavy sauce pan to mix everything up in and it worked great. I also used a 4 oz baking bar of each dark and semi-sweet chocolates because that’s what was on the shelf when I was desperately shopping for ingredients the Saturday before Father’s Day. Loved the results! Will make again on a splurge 🙂
Two sticks of butter is the same as 1 cup– correct? (I don’t live in the US and butter is sold in grams here)
Mangomama – Yes – two sticks of butter is 1 cup (8 ounces).
Hi Mel! I made this today using Erika’s Gluten Free All Purpose Flour Mix (http://alittleinsanity.com/all-purpose-gluten-free-flour-mix-recipe/) and it turn out really heavenly!! I used Ghirardelli’s 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate as that’s whats in my pantry… I am bringing these to our company meeting tonight, to share the calories, so to speak! Thanks for the lovely recipe!!
Just made these for a cookie exchange… work conflict required me to skip event. Darn now I will be forced to devour these delicious brownies! Am thinking of adding espresso powder and a splash of Kahlua for my coffee loving hubby next time. YUMMY
Made these for a large gathering as part of brownie sundae line up. They are so perfect! I can see why these made the “Best” list. 🙂
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Can you recommend a chocolate for the 8oz semisweet? Thanks, these look so good.
Hi Lauren – I almost always use Ghirardelli or Guittard chocolate.
I made these brownies last night with just a few changes, but I will tell you, these will now be my “go-to” brownie recipe!! With no power at work due to Hurricane Sandy, I thought it would be nice to bring in some fresh baked goods to my co-workers (working off a small generator!) The feedback from my co-workers made me smile ear to ear. I had one guy tell me these were the best brownies he has ever had! Ever! And the rest of the feedback was just about the same: amazing!! I will admit every time I’ve made brownies in the past, they just aren’t the right texture or flavor I want them to be. But this time, this time was different. I would recommend this recipe to anyone as a classic, fudgey, chocolatey, delicious go-to brownie. Thanks for the awesome post, Mel!
Here are my alterations: 1 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 60% bittersweet chocolate pieces, 1 cup of chopped walnuts, and next time I might add a tablespoon of espresso powder! 🙂
Have these bookmarked and think I will bake them tomorrow. Finally broke down and got the Vahlrona Dutch-processed cocoa at Whole Foods so that will feature in my brownie baking. looking forward to having the perfect brownie!
Really QUITE incredible. The name is spot on: deep. Dark. Chocolate. They’re very fudgy, just the way I like them! I do like a little more chewiness but that’s only a minor criticism of this recipe that can easily be overlooked… because these nearly knocked my socks off. 🙂 I just got my pkg from King Arthur Flour today and I was excited to use my black cocoa for these–I simply added a heaping tablespoon. I wonder if that had anything to do with the intense chocolate flavor. Regardless, I’m sure they’re fantastic. even without it. 🙂 Looking forward to trying many more of your recipes!
Great!!! Chocolatey goodness. They are still hot but we dug into them anyway. Rich and decadent…. and, made the Island Chicken along with Hasselback potatoes. Chicken was very good and moist! Thanks for great recipes!
FABULOUS. Found Dutch process cocoa for a great price at Costco in Canada! BEST BROWNIES EVER.
We made these tonight, and even though they are still in the cool-down process, we have already eaten 1/3 of the pan:) They are awesome, even while hot. I can’t wait to taste them when they are chilled!
this looks amazing choacolate is awsome
I have made these 1000 times and I love them more each time. No wonder I cannot lose weight!
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!
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.
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!
Truly the best brownies in this known world. Though, I debate between the batter and the actual brownie.
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.
Sorry about the list of comments! I have the ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa…is that dutch powder?
I guess I mean to ask is there a huge difference in flavour?
Hi Mel,
Would regular cocoa powder work? I don’t have dutch in hand…
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.
I made these brownies today, they won’t last the evening in this house! Yummo! Thanks again
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!
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.
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.
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?
Those look fantastic, I think I’ll try a batch this weekend!
Now, those are my kind of brownies! Will be marking this to try!
I publiched a post about a brownies recipe this week too! Yours looks great!
deep and dark, yes, but you forget decadent and delicious! they’re lovely, melanie. 🙂
They look delicious!
Our 12 yr old daughter LOVES brownies!! These look terrific!
I’m always up for a good brownie recipe 🙂 Those look great.
Man, those look great about now! I love chocolate 🙂
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. : )
Any frined of a brownie is a friend of mine.
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.