Fudgy Brownies {Homemade Brownies Like The Boxed Mix!}
These homemade fudgy brownies are a boxed brownie knockoff, and they are even more delicious and decadent and fudgy than any boxed mix!
As promised, here is the all-cocoa powder fudgy brownie recipe I used when judging the difference between natural and dutch-process cocoa powders.
This is the closest homemade recipe to rival the boxed brownie mixes I’ve found – which means a lot in my family since Brian adores the boxed brownie variety.
And I can’t bring myself to buy them (nothing against the boxed brownies – there is a time and a place, but I’m always on a quest to get a homemade version!).
Which means these fudgy brownies are a very happy compromise, especially considering that this simple homemade recipe takes maybe two minutes longer than the boxed mix.
Ok, three.
The decadent, fudgy brownies are so delicious, they easily gain access to The Best Recipe list.
Fudgy, dense and downright decadent and addicting, the chocolate flavor comes exclusively from cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate in the batter, which means using natural or dutch-process can vary the chocolate flavor (see this post for more details).
Either way is delicious, but I have to admit that because I love my chocolate dark, the dutch-process cocoa in these brownies is heavenly to my dark chocolate loving palette.
It makes for a slightly more mild chocolate flavor that isn’t as sharp as natural, unsweetened cocoa (but is still decadent and rich).
Test it out and see decide for yourself.
It may take two or three batches, but seriously, what’s so wrong with extra brownies laying around, right?
One Year Ago: Blueberry Fool
Two Years Ago: Perfect Corn on the Cob
Three Years Ago: Cookie Dough Topped Brownies
The Best Fudgy Brownies {Think: Homemade Brownies Like The Boxed Mix!}
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons (142 g) butter
- 1 ¼ cups (265 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (79 g) plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (71 g) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides. Lightly grease with cooking spray and set aside.
- Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for one minute intervals, stirring in between, until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set the mixture aside until it cools slightly (is warm to the touch not hot). It will look gritty but it will become smooth once the other ingredients are added.
- Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Spread evenly in the lined pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack. After the brownies are cooled completely, I like to throw the pan in the refrigerator – cold brownies cut much easier and taste heavenly. Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen originally from Alice Medrich’s Bittersweet
328 Comments on “Fudgy Brownies {Homemade Brownies Like The Boxed Mix!}”
Is the total amount 79 grams for cocoa powder the total amount or is it (79 g) plus 2 tablespoons? Thank you!
Sorry for the confusion, 79 grams is the total amount.
I’ve made these brownies several times and I love how easy they are. The flavor is so much deeper than boxed brownies! They are delicious! I want to try making these with a little added sourdough discard. Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
If I could, I’d give this recipe no stars. I followed the recipe exactly…WAY too much butter, they came out of the oven swimming in it. Also, grainy texture and so bitter. I’m dumbfounded there are positive reviews.
Way yyyyy too much salt!
They were easy and delicious!
These are delicious and moist and so so good! Will be keeping this recipe! Anna
I have made this recipe and loved it, my question is, would I simply double everything for it to make a 9×13 pan?
I see in the notes you said it does *face palm* sorry !
I used to love this recipe! I made it a couple of times and they turned out perfectly, but the past few times I’ve tried they don’t bake. I use the right temperature and pan and everything but it’s gone wrong 2 or 3 times in a row. I’m not sure what the problem is but I am planning on making them at a friend’s house soon to see if my oven is the problem.
These are delicious, but I can’t get the crinkly top! What am I doing wrong?
This is my only recipe I’ve made of yours that did not turn out! I’m assuming I did something wrong. Gritty finish with pools of butter on top. Too bad!
This is my favorite brownie recipe. They’re like a better version of boxed brownies and are also awesome with chocolate chips or M&Ms added. I’ve been making this recipe for a few years and had to comment now to say THANK YOU for adding the ingredient weights in grams! I prefer baking by weight and having the gram amounts is so much easier than calculating fractions of ounces.
You are very welcome! I’m really happy you love this recipe so much!
THESE ARE SO GOOD! I’m 13 and I don’t have much experience baking but I have been wanting brownies for a few months so I looked up some recipes and found this one. I made the brownies myself and the recipe was so easy to follow and the brownies are so good! They taste just like the box ones but even a bit better. And when making these you know exactly what’s in it. The ones I made were slightly different I didn’t have any vanilla so I used almond extract and it works just as good and I cut up a left over milk chocolate bunny from easter as chocolate chips. This is one of my new favorite desserts! I will note I have problems with textures so I can’t eat a lot of things because of it but I love these brownies the texture is perfect!❤️
I made these tonight. Really fudgy and delicious! Not cakey at all!
so so happy that i came across this recipe! i’ve tried making brownies multiple times and they always turn out being too dry, too sweet or hard as rock… this is by far the best recipe, the brownies were moist, had the perfect amount of sweetness, and a crumbly top that looks and tastes like boxed mixed brownies!!
These were amazing! They tasted just like the Ghirardelli mixes. So good!
I tasted the batter before putting it in the pan and agreed with some of the commenters that it’s too bitter so I added some melted chocolate chips. The other option is to serve them with ice cream!
These were perfect for us, just the way my husband likes his brownies. We can’t use box mixes because of my daughters allergies and all the other recipes I’ve tried are too cakey. Thank you! They were very dark ( I used dutched cocoa) so if you are a milk chocolate fan you may find them bitter. I baked closer to 30 min.
I did double these to make a 9×13 size. I used the dutch process cocoa and I also increased the sugar by 1/4 cup (1/2 cup for double batch). They were awesome! I will try this again using regular cocoa to see the difference. I think my kids will like the more milk chocolate taste.
these were AMAZING!!! Super simple (to me anyway) my family and I LOVED it! I love how after it cooled a little bit but was still warm and fudgy! I can’t wait till I can make them again! I am giving this a five star!
These were AMAZING! I love how they are warm and fudgy (After they cool for a couple minutes) my family LOVED them.
It was pretty good. Batter was super thick and hard to work with. It’s in the oven now. I don’t know how it will turn out. It was pretty bitter. But I guess we’ll see. Is there a way to make it not so bitter?? Also, added some rolo candies for a nice touch
Love love these . The chocolate flavor is deep and rich. Everything worked just as described. Followed the recipe, baked for 22 minutes. Perfect. I wonder if those who had over or undercooked brownies need to verify their oven temp. It happened to me once and boy was my oven off!
I LOVE these brownies! I’ve tried a million different recipes over the years, and these are by far my favorite!
This recipe is terrible the brownies were so bitter yuck!
I made this recipe about a month or so ago, to satisfy my three month long craving for fudgy brownies. I only had cocoa powder on hand as my ONLY source of chocolate in the house (we all go through hard times). And this mommy needed chocolate. Asap.
I whipped these babies up, and my oh my…were they divine. The only problem I had with them, was the simple fact that I had to share with my family. It was our family movie night, and hubby and kids were waiting for brownie goodness.
I’m whipping up another batch right now, and this time adding a peppermint ganache to spread on top (a nice thick layer) for that cooling mint sensation we love at christmastime, and I can’t wait to feel that classic chocolate/peppermint combo kicking around in the back of my mouth…Happy holidays all!
In the oven now. We will see. I am a fan of alot of your cookie recipes.
I hate using parchment for this.
It was a mess
Brownie batter everywhere.
Fingers crossed they turn out
♀️
Ok
Took out after 25 minutes.
I put caramel chips in mine.
Let cool for a few then tried a bite.
Delicious but yes, needs to cook a few more minutes.
I love fudgey brownies and dark chocolate, so this sounded right up my alley. I used Guittard’s “cocoa rouge” Dutch process cocoa and added a little instant coffee to the batter. I did find it too moist at 25 minutes (not a fan of gooey, underbaked brownies), so I let it bake for 5 more minutes and it was perfect. I didn’t find them bitter at all. I’d definitely make these again!
Tried these tonight. My husband, I and 2 children ate them up. They turned out fudgy-like really fudgy where you question if they are even done yet. I cooked about 8 extra minutes and they were still fudgy. I’m not complaining, that’s just how I like them but I mention it for others!
I also thought they were a tad bitter so I frosted, but really-my kids ate them up so not too bitter.
Thanks for the recipe!
I’ve made this recipe about 3 times and they always turn out perfectly fudgy! I love how simple yet tasty this recipe is- they never last more than a day since my folks will always eat them up haha
Yuck! Who ever claimed these are like a box mix has clearly never had a box mix. Made recipe exactly as written. Used unsweetened coco powder as described. Brownies were so bitter we had to throw them all away.
I added 1/4 a cup more of sugar and and dusted it with powdered sugar. It was delicious!
These are so much better than the boxed mix! We added chocolate chips to the batter before pouring into the pan so we could get a double chocolate variety. Also, I see people saying they had to put theirs in for longer than 25 minutes. I’m not sure if this is what’s happening, but be sure to put your rack in the bottom third of your oven like the instructions say. That’s how you get them cooked in 25 minutes and have the crunchy edges with the gooey center. My daughter insisted we garnish them with a dusting of powdered sugar which was a great idea! Thanks, Mel!
Hi! I’ve made this recipe probably about a hundred times now and I’m always just as impressed as the first time! Unfortunately, I’m now living somewhere without a microwave, is there an easy solution to this? Somehow to heat items on the stove top?
Yes, you can do the same thing on the stovetop over low heat.
Hello i made this recipe and it was super easy and fun to make however my brownies came out more on the bitter side than sweet? is this due to the brand of cocoa powder i used? or maybe the amount?
It might be – what brand and type of cocoa powder did you use?
i used the hersheys unsweetened cocoa powder and it was not dark.
We just made these with the same cocoa powder, and I agree they were a tiny bit bitter. I did add some semi sweet morsels to the mix before baking and I think that helped. Overall, the whole family loved them and said they’re way better than the boxed variety! We love them!
Hi Mel
Been trying lots of brownie recipes to find the best one. I made these tonight and I think of all of the brownies that I have tested, these are the closest to a boxed mix. (which is one of my favorite brownie tastes). Loved them..like others I also had to increase the baking time to about 33 minutes
Kim
This recipe didnt work well at all. Not enough flour.
I follow the recipe exactly and it always comes out perfect. Oh! Except i bake mich long we. I start checking at 20 but really end up baking until about 30-35. They are reminiscent to the taste of a warm brownie that you’d get for dessert at a restaurant (with ice cream). Just really dark chocolate, fishy. It’s the only recipe i use now. I always tops with chopped pecans or walnuts before baking.
**not fishy, fudge-y
Pretty good! Very tasty and simple to make, though I would recommend baking for longer than 25 mins, I baked for about 27 and they were pretty undercooked. Managed to save them by freezing them.
I tried making these but I messed up majorly haha I had to use mayo instead of eggs and used shortening instead of butter but didn’t melt it with the sugar first. I’m not sure if it would have worked with melting the sugar with the shortening but I ended up with oily, burnt chocolate soup. I might try it again. Maybe. The batter tasted great though so that might influence time to try again.
Give it another try! They’re amazing when you follow the recipe. Plus, it’s not fair to judge a recipe that didn’t work if you substituted a bunch of stuff 🙂
This will be my third time making these brownies tonight! I love the chocolate flavor in these! Not sure if they’re exactly like the boxed mix but they’re definitely a keeper. I added a little bit of brown sugar the second time I made these because I thought they could use just a tad more sweetness.
These were really good! I come from a house where you eat things pretty much straight out of the oven and learn to love the burned throat as a result ha. But after we’d had our fill and they’d cooled I kept them in the fridge and enjoyed my first (that I know of) cold brownie. Either way – delish!
Made the brownies as the recipe said. They did turn out fudgy however they did not get that flakey crust nor the slightly crunchy edges boxed brownies are known for. The recipes was easy to make, tasty, but honestly, they did not copy the boxed mix as hoped.
This were so scrumptious! Fudgy middle with a slightly crunch top. Perfection! I did have to bake them a bit longer in my oven, but other than that, I followed the recipe exactly and they came out so yummy!
Going to try these tonight. Did you use regular salted butter or unsalted butter?
Salted butter
How many brownie does this recipe make???
Man, I don’t know what is going on but I can NEVER get this recipe to work! I think I’ve tried 3 times now, and I’ve also checked my oven’s calibration to make sure that’s not affecting things, and every time I get weird results that take much longer to bake. Maybe it’s a sign that I shouldn’t stray from the box mix 😉
Same here. I had to convert everything to grams (using google) but even then the end result was barely adequate.
Sad.
This recipe was really easy to use even though I didnt use vanilla extract. I just added a bit more sugar(my preference). I also baked for 23 minutes. It came out really nice!
These really are perfect. I don’t even look for other recipes anymore. I do top these with chopped pecans. I’m going to make mini muffin brownies and follow other commenters suggestions to cook for about 15 minutes.
Amazing! The only Dutch process cocoa I could find at my local store was Hershey Special Dark! They changed it to full process (used to be a mix). OMG – SOOOO delicious!
Perfect texture! Love your blog Mel! I love new recipes and we love food, and we’ve got four boys and a girl too, so definitely can relate. The brownies we’re the best we’ve had except for one exception, a little too chocolatey for us (I feel like a trator saying that as I thought I was a true chocolate lover!!) So I’m wondering how I could perfect them to our taste. If I decrease the cocoa powder to 1/2 cup would I need to increase the flour to 3/4 cup to compensate for the dry ingredient factor?? Thanks!
Hey Anna – did you use unsweetened cocoa powder or Dutch-process cocoa powder?
This is my go-to brownie recipe. I use black cocoa (from King Arthur) for really intense chocolatey flavor.
I made these delicious brownies again today, absolutely wonderful when I first made them.
I tried it but i didnt get the crackly top. What did i do wrong? Please help, btw, its delicious
Hey Mary – if there’s too much flour or cocoa powder that can make a difference, so try and make sure the dry ingredients aren’t packed into the cup.
I’ve been making this recipe for years… whenever I bring these brownies to an event I get numerous requests for the recipe. They are divine just the way they are.
That said, sometimes I use brown sugar because I’m low on white or just because I feel like it… the results is just a tiny bit more moist
A few months ago, I found out last minute one of the children attending the party was gluten intolerant…. luckily I had coconut flour on hand …. the result was nothing short of amazing… astoundingly rich and delicious….. now we make them with coconut flour even when we don’t need to,
That’s awesome about the coconut flour!
How much coconut flour do you use?
Ive been making this recipe with two thirds the sugar called for, as I am a big fan of dark chocolate, and it’s wonderful!
Also using Namaste gluten free flour every time (I have celiacs). Excellent fudgy brownies
Texturally, perfect. Tastewise, a little too bitter but palatable.
I decided to give this a try last night, and made a couple adjustments. I used half brown sugar, half white sugar, and I had on hand Hershey’s regular cocoa, but I also had on hand the Special Dark cocoa powder, so I put a a bit over half with regular, and a few heaping tablespoons of the Dark stuff. I also put it in a 9×13 pan cuz why not? Results? STELLAR. They were dark, glossy, beautiful and way more fudgy than I expected them to be. And they are twice as fudgy and moist today. Thank you so much for putting this up, I’ll use this one again. I like to make variations a lot, last time it was breaking up marshmallows in to pieces and melting them on high heat with butter, which gave it a toasted flavor, and I swirled that in my brownies. That pan lasted less than 24 hours. hahaha Comfort food, as we have a very sick dog, and I knew this would make everyone smile. =)
It’s very yummy, but I did not get the top like yours : ( Any suggestions on how to get that crackly top?
What is a “microwave-wafe bowl” in #2 in your post?
So happy they were a hit, Wendy! Thanks for letting me know!
Any idea how this would do with a gluten-free AP flour mix? I have celiac disease but couldn’t resist all the rave reviews for this recipe.
I’m not sure Tini, since I haven’t tried it – but it’s probably worth a try!
Yes indeed! Just made these today and these absolutely wonderful!
Good in a pinch. Might’ve measured the butter wrong when i doubled the recipe, plus all i had was margarine. Definitely dense and fudgy, no to crust. Will have to be more precise next time but I had been thinking of making this for days and couldn’t wait anymore…
Yes, margarine and accurate measuring will definitely make a difference in the end result…
I looked up on a website that eggs can be substituted with peanut butter. Will that work because I don’t have any eggs in my fridge right now
I honestly have no idea – you’ll have to experiment! 🙂
These are my favorite brownies of all time. I add about 2/3 cup chocolate chips to the batter, and the end result reminds me of ghirardelli’s triple chocolate brownie mix (except more fudgy, which I love). Thank you for yet another fabulous recipe!
The perfect recipe! Perfect!
Wow these really are exactly like box brownies, with out the mystery ingredients! I will say mine took a lot longer to bake, about 38 minutes. But they were delicious and I’d make them again!
I have made this recipe multiple times in different pans, and I have also found that they need to bake for 38-39 min. Delicious! Not sure why it takes so much longer than what the recipe calls for, but they always end up being quickly devoured in this house! Thanks for all of the amazing recipes Mel!
I finally found the ultimate brownie recipe. Wow! I thought they were good an hour after they came out of the oven but they were excellent the day after. Chewy and chocolatey. I made 3 batches. First was just plain. Second batch I added dark chocolate chips as per my daughter’s request and third batch I added walnuts. All three were a hit in my house.
Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
These are way too salty. Everyone in my house agrees and we couldn’t eat them. 🙁 Very sad. Thought it must be because I used salted butter, but in the comments it says the recipe uses salted butter.
i have made these brownies n they turned out so fudgy n goey. loved them.. thanks alot for this yummy recipe.
Made these and loved them!!! So good, easy and fudgy. I used a saucepan to melt the butter on the stove, and then just made the whole recipe in the same saucepan. Super easy and convenient. Also uses pantry ingredients so one can whip them up anytime.
Hey. I as well made them in a saucepan and I was wondering if you melted it until all the ingredients melted together.
I absolutely love this recipe!!! I use the regular cocoa powder as well as dark cocoa powder… My favorite is the dark chocolate!!! I just made 4 batches this weekend, 2 regular and 2 dark , for my niece’s birthday (she turned 14). She requested a brownie cake and that’s what she got!!! It was beautiful, tasted amazing, and at the end of the party, there were no brownies left! I was requested to share this recipe with several of the guests before they went home!!!
Thanks for sharing 🙂
These are the only brownies I make. They are amazing!
Very good recipe! Tastes like a box mix. I put some chocolate chips on top and it was perfection
Hi there! I have been following your blog for several years now and have always loved your recipes. This recipe? Amazing! We used to buy the Ghiradelli brownie box mixes at Costco, but I found your recipe for these TASTY brownies. Both kids LOVE them and declared loudly, “THIS IS BETTER THAN COSTCO!” Thanks 🙂 another MEL recipe to add to my favorites. 🙂
Yahoo!
This recipe was exactly what I was looking for. Delicious taste and easy to make. I also want to thank you Mel for adding ounces to the ingredients; this really does make a big difference when baking.
Thank you! I appreciate recipes that have weight measures, too. 🙂
I am a scratch baker, proud to use gourmet ingredients and test recipes until I find the BEST for each baked good. That said, even I would break down every now and then and bake a boxed brownie for sheer nostalgia of flavor and texture. This recipe is the perfect solution: the taste and texture you’re looking for with a boxed brownie, with the freshness and purity of scratch ingredients. No more flavor of those processed ingredients. So good! I finally get to say “I’ll never bake a boxed brownie again” just as I did with cakes 15 years ago. Bless your heart for this recipe!
The taste was amazing. It tastes exactly like you said it would , the boxed mix.
We added dark choclete chips.
It tasted extra good with it .
My husband and I had these for our “the kids are finally in bed” late night snack a couple of nights ago, and they were great. But the next day, holy cow, they were completely different *amazing* brownies, and even on the third day they were just as awesome. They become so much more fudgy after letting them sit overnight! I guess I’m now a believer. I’ll have to try extra hard remember to plan ahead when I want brownies from now on.
It’s a great recipe the way it is but I have changed it up a bit and made it much richer and chocolatey by doing the following: the following:
* add an extra Tablespoon of butter to the butter quantity as well as rubbing bottom and sides of the 13X9 glass baking dish lightly with butter in place of a liner.
! ! ! you have to monitor while baking and not overtake or edges will burn ! ! !
*I add a good pinch of baking powder to the all purpose flour.
* I use the 2 large eggs PLUS one extra egg yolk.
Following original recipe instructions until the end when I add. * 2T chocolate cook pudding mix (cook kind is much richer but instant might work as well) and mix in well and then *add a T or 2 of milk to moisten it back up and mix well again and spread into the buttered baking dish. It will be thick and spread easily.
***I always use an electric mixer instead of spatula because it adds a little air into the mixture and is easier with such a thick mix.
Right before I put it into the oven I
sprinkle sparingly either chocolate chips or broken up vanilla Charleston Chew pieces on to the top – (these are our personal favorite) then bake at the 325°F
It’s usually done about 22 minutes or so. My rule of thumb is that when you smell brownies your about 3 minutes from it being done. Check with toothpick anyway if you have them.
Cool in pan
They are chewy, cakey, chocolaty good. So rich that even a hard core chocoholic won’t be able to eat more than a couple at a time…with A LOT OF MILK. There are a couple in my house so this has been verified.
I just made these tonight. All I had on hand was Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder, so, unsurprisingly, they came out as dark chocolate brownies. I’m not a huge fan of dark chocolate, but that didn’t stop me from eating them! The consistency is just like a box mix. Mine took about 15 minutes to mix and 34 minutes to bake. They didn’t really sastisfy my brownie craving, but I can’t blame the recipe at all. They truly are a homemade version of boxed brownies!
I doubled this recipe and put it in the oven for 35 minutes and the were PERFECT!! These are sooo delicious! My whole family loves them!!
I made these the other day for a quick before bed treat. While mixing them up I discovered I was out of sugar. So I sent my husband to the basement to grab some and continued mixing. He took so long I was finished with it by the time he got back. And had to add the sugar last. Please, by all that is holy and in the name of beautiful brownies, DONT make my mistake! Follow the directions. Mel will never lead you astray if you follow the directions! I ended up with a burned, sloppy, fudgy mess. So sorry brownies…
Hi Mel, this brownie recipe is epic. It never ever fails. I’ve become so brave with this recipe that I started substituting wheat flour with mixed millet flour. Now it’s a gluten free recipe with the nourishing goodness of millets and it still tastes phenomenally good.
The millet flour I mix and keep in my kitchen contains equal quantities of – finger millet, foxtail millet, barnyard millet, pearl millet, amaranth flour and sorghum.
Thanks for all your wonderful recipes. I haven’t looked at another baking site since I found yours!!
Finding a sweet treat that both my husband and I agree on has been one of the longest running arguments in my marriage. I’m glad to say that this receipe, as is, no modifications has settled that marital qualm. This recipe is so easy and the end result is so amazing. I cannot thank you enough.
Only one problem. I’ve made these brownies now three times in two weeks. Once they’re gone we have to have more. We may be addicted. Well worth the guilty feeling though.
Thanks again!!!
This is everything a brownie should taste like but never does (as in, it is actually cocoa flavored instead of sugar flavored)!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE it! We made them for FHE dessert last night and I’m getting requests again already!
How would it be to cook the brownies in cup cake pans? Could I add about 2 table spoons of crunchie peanut butter to the receipe?
I think you could certainly try either of those options! I haven’t made them that way but good luck if you experiment.
Did you end up doing this? Was thinking about doing mini cupcakes but I have no idea how long to bake!
Hi! Marian from the Philippines here. I so love this recipe. I used 2/3 black cocoa and 1/3 premium cocoa (dutch-processed) then substituted white sugar with brown sugar. Tastes soooooo gooooddd. Baked them for 35 minutes. Perfectly paired with vanilla ice cream. yummmm <3
Hi Mel! We love these brownies! My daughter has asked that I make them for her upcoming baptism. I was wondering if you have made these ahead and froze them? Does that work well for this recipe? Also, could I triple or quadruple the recipe to make it in a sheet? We are feeding an army, ya know?!! What are your thoughts. I don’t want to ruin something so delicious for my sweet daughter’s baptism. Thanks!
Hi Anne – yes, these can definitely be frozen ahead of time. I haven’t baked the brownies in a sheet pan; I’m guessing a triple batch would work (might be on the thin side). Good luck!
Hello Ms. Mel,
I just wanted to make a shout out with these ohhh so yummy brownie recipe. I started making these on the 4rth of Feb and you can’t believe that I already made 7 and half dozens of orders in less than a week and more orders to come. For a young full time woman like me this is really perfect for an extra income. Thank you for sharing your recipe. These brownies are superb. They love it coz its very soft, moist, chewy urrrrg just perfect 🙂 Maraming Salamat.
Rivjane,
dxb
Mel I love the brownies and cheat whenever I make them as I am a diabetic and really shouldn’t. I know 24 packets of splenda are equal th a cup of sugar.but ii also know the taste is much sweeter. Any suggestions on how i can substitute splenda for sugar? I yruly am in love with these brownies!!!!
Hi Patricia – unfortunately, I’m not going to be much help since I haven’t subbed Splenda in these brownies (or anything, actually). Sorry about that!
Usually you want to half the amount with splenda. My mom is a diabetic 🙂
Try Stevia In The Raw, they sell it in bulk in the baking section.
Hi Mel. I have a question. I have made your brownie so many times but lately I have been having a problem. Brownies end up rising for some reason resulting with big dent in the bottom. Do you think it is because I am stirring too much after adding flours?
Hmmm, that might be it but I’m not sure what you mean by a big dent in the bottom. Can you describe more what’s happening?
Made these today. Doubled it and used my Pampered Chef mini muffin pan to make brownie bites! WONDERFUL!
How long did you bake them?
I came across this brownie recipe about a year ago and let me tell you, it’s the best brownie I’ve ever had!! When family is coming I make sure to make a double batch so I’m sure to get some for myself!!!
I am extremely picky & this is by far THE BEST brownie recipe. I have also used coconut oil instead of butter, using 3 tbsp less of the oil and omitting the melting step, and they also turn out amazing! Thank you!
Hi Mel!
I have tried this recipe today and it is really good! Like over the top good! I never thought that cocoa based brownie would be this really really good. I know I might be exaggerating but hey. This is really good. Have cut it into squares, put it on the table top and just when i finished the dishes, my brothers have them all gobbled up! I love how dark chocolatey and really fudgey it is. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
super simple and fudge-a-licious!!!
They were too bitter!
Hi Mel! Could I by any chance swirl in some caramel sauce in the batter? To make caramel brownies! Would the consistency change?
I haven’t tried that but you could certainly experiment!
Oh my gosh. I just made these here in France for an event I’m attending tonight. They are just delicious! I hate to give them away. I google “fudgy brownies” for a recipe and yours appeared and looked so easy….and it was! Thank you.
what kind of sugar do I use? brown or white?
White.
I just made a batch of these brownies and they’re really easy to make, came out moist and fudgy. I followed all the instructions, except changed the flour to buckwheat flour. Then added chopped walnuts before pouring to the baking pan. I extended the baking time another 10 min more because it still hasn’t set after 20 min.
I had to leave a comment! I am a phenomenal cookie baker and cook but fail at brownies repeatedly- it’s so frustrating! I made these last night. Followed your recipe and methods to a precise “T”. Added 1 cup of chocolate chips after 40 strokes. Baked for 35 minutes. Let them cool COMPLETELY before cutting .
Awesome. Fudge centers, chewy outsides. Excellent chocolate flavor.
This recipe is a keeper. Ingredients are all in my kitchen at all times. And this was so easy. Thank you SO MUCH. This is my go-to from now on.
I did the dark chocolate version and I was amazed that it tastes exactly like the box. I had my doubts only because I have tried many other types of brownie recipes. They were great! For those who say it’s too gooey, try baking it for longer and trust the toothpick check method. I baked mine 15 minutes longer and they were perfect! Thank you so much!
We have made these brownies twice now and my teenage sons have nicknamed them “the Bownies of Mordor” because we all become dangerously selfish and irrational when in the presence of these treats. Best. Brownies. Ever.
Haha! This totally made me laugh out loud.
This is the best recipe for a fudgy brownie I’ve ever found. Recipe’s a keeper and I’ll be making these again for sure. Followed the recipe exactly, including the amount of time in the oven and they came out perfectly.
I made these a day ago and they were really tasty! Even my fiancé loved them and he doesn’t eat much sweets. The only think is next time I will cook them longer. I cooked for 40 min. and it still was too gooey in the middle. Also the top didn’t “crack” as pictured. Either that or I would bake in a longer pan at 20-25 min. Thank you for the recipe!
These really are the best recipe I have found. So easy. And so precise on the time. I made Brooke’s with them. Peanutbutter ones. And because these are so fudgy, they kind of tasted like a peanutbutter cup. Love this recipe.
I absolutely hate the taste of boxed brownie mix. Homemade is so much better!!!
I followed the recipe exactly and did not care for this recipe. It tasted quite chalky and I think it was rather a waste of good ingredients. Sorry.
These are perfection….! So easy and can’t wait to add stuff to them.!
I tried these in a mini muffin tin. Done in about 18 minutes. They have a cake-like texture in the middle and edges a bit crispy. I love the flavor. Any ideas to make them somewhat chewy? 🙂
Hmmm, not really sure, maybe add another egg yolk?
These are the best brownies ever!! They beat the box brownies any day. I’ve made them so many times.
Thanks Mel!
Omg, these brownies were amazing. Fantastic. I made them for my boyfriend but ate the whole batch before he got home so i had to make a new batch. Thanks for the recipe! super fantastic
I have used your recipe a few times, and LOVED it; it’s perfect. Then I lost it. I have been looking for months, trying to find it again, I couldn’t remember what it was called or where I found it. I’m so excited that I found it again today! Can’t wait to make these for my boyfriend. He’s never had brownies from scratch. I hate all the extra crap that’s in pre-boxed foods. 😀 And I LOVE that this uses so much cocoa powder!
Made these and I love the flavor. I think that rich dark chocolate is the best. I used dutch processed cocoa powder. I also used KAF whole wheat flour, which I think made the texture a bit grainy. I didn’t mind it though. The only other thing I didn’t follow the instructions on were stirring for 40 strokes. So maybe it was that. The flavor though is exactly what I want and I will make them again.
I must have screwed something up terrible. I doubled the recipe and followed the instructions to a T. At 20 minutes, there was all this extra butter everywhere, so I let it go five minutes longer and hoped it would soak in or something. It didn’t. I ended up pouring a bunch of butter off. When I finally cut into it and took a bite, it was the driest, least sweet, cakey thing I’ve ever tasted.
Yummy, extremely fudgy & dense. I added a half bag of Ghiradelli chocolate chips & used dark cocoa. My kids had seconds.
Hi Mel,
I tried this recipe and they came out with very nice flavor, but far too dense, with almost packed clay like texture. I know there is no leavening agent, but do you have any suggestions about what I did wrong, please?
Thanks so much.
Karen
Hi Karen – it’s really hard for me to know exactly what could have gone wrong since I’m not there in the kitchen with you but is there a chance maybe the batter was over floured?
We made these twice this week and both times they were amazing! The first was for a family dinner party, and everyone was asking for the recipe. No one could believe how easy the recipe is. I made them again last night because getting one brownie from an entire batch leaves you craving more, and my brother ate almost all of them! Grrrr. I highly recommend eating them from the fridge…so, so good.
Hi Mel! I made these for the second time tonight and while I liked them, they were too rich for my hubby. Can I reduce the amount of Cocoa to get a less rich flavor?
Feel free to experiment! I’ve never reduced the cocoa so I can’t say for sure how it would affect texture.
oh my goodness these are so delicious!! ♥ ♥ ♥ i used dutch processed cocoa and they turned out as good if not better than the boxed mix in my opinion! and the consistency is perfect, very fudgy and chewy c:
I made these tonight and I was not disappointed! I normally prefer boxed brownie mix over homemade but not anymore. They were wonderful! I follwed the directions as written but I did have to bake a little longer. Other than that, the recipe is perfect! Thank you for recipe!
I baked these yesterday and they turned out very fudgy and very rich tasting. I ended up having to bake a little longer than the recipe suggested, but it might have been my oven or the pan I was using. If you are looking for a dense fudgy brownie, then this is the recipe to try.
Thank you for posting this recipe! I have always LOVED boxed brownies and wanted something similar – but better. I need to try these exactly as posted, but since my son has milk allergies I made these brownies substituting coconut oil for butter. They turned out delicious! They taste like “Mounds” candy bars – very gooey and rich – only they were too greasy. When I make them again this way, I will use ¾-1 C coconut oil for the 9×13 double batch recipe. (Instead of 1 ½ C. butter) I’m sure if it had been butter, they would have been perfect! I can’t wait to try the recipe the way it should be!
I made this last night as my “practice brownies” before I actually make another one for a wedding gift to a friend. Baked in a 9×9 square pan for 20 minutes. This is the first time I made brownies and was afraid I messed it up because the finished product looked heavy and hard. Chilled it overnight in the fridge anyway and cut it literally 30 minutes ago. Boy am I thrilled and happy with the result! The texture is perfect – gooey and fudgy and moist! Really perfect!
I have an issue though. I think it’s too bitter for my taste, like it’s missing a hint of milk (I guess I prefer that point between semi-sweet and bittersweet in the chocolate taste continuum) . I used Dutch processed cocoa. Do you think if I reduce the cocoa powder it would make a drastic change in the flavor, texture and balance of the ingredients? I also plan on putting a semi-sweet chocolate ganache on top for the next batch I’m going to make. Do u think that could help?
Hi Jessieka – I think your best bet is to add just a little more sugar. Decreasing the cocoa powder may work but getting rid of some of the dry ingredients may change the texture. Have you tried the natural, unsweetened cocoa powder? You may like them better that way.
I was thinking of using the natural, unsweetened cocoa powder the next time I make it. I have Hershey’s on hand. I’m just a little bit hesitant to use it because I read in one of your posts that the the brownies made of natural cocoa powder leaves a bitter aftertaste. But, yeah I guess that’s what I’m going to use next time! Thanks! 🙂
P.S. I brought some of the brownies at work today and my co-workers loved them!
Made these tonight with what I’m guessing was dutch-process cocoa (based on looks) and they turned out fudgey and delicious!! My idea of a perfect brownie 🙂
Added chocolate chips to half of the pan and that was a good move.
However, at 325 in an 8×8 pan, my brownies took significantly longer than 20-25 min. But just going by the toothpick worked fine!
I use this recipe a lot, and we love them. It’s pretty much my go-to brownie recipe now. I like to use the Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa, which gives it a nice dark chocolate flavor. I have to cook them a little longer than suggested, but these brownies are meant to be gooey, and once they cool they are the perfect texture. Thanks for sharing!
Have made these twice now and absolutely perfect both times! I did throw in a handful of chocolate chips the second time to remind me even more of my favorite boxed mix, but even without, these are to die for. I did have to bake 35 minutes or so, but I think it’s just my oven. Thanks, Mel!
These were great and I used your frosting recipe from another one of your brownie recipes which made it even that much more sinful! I will definitely make these again!
I tried this recipe last night. Your recipes never fail me! However, this one was a bust. I did forget the 2 T of cocoa, but I don’t think that should have made enough difference to ruin them. They were just sooooo gooey. I cooked them in a glass pan. Maybe that was it? Oh well, at least I tried something new from my standard brownie recipe 🙂
So much praise means a real winner here for sure. I’m having trouble finding “bittersweet” chocolate. Could only find Ghiradeli “bittersweet cho. chips”. Are chocolate bars marked
60 or 70 etc. percent bittersweet or must it say bittersweet on the wrapper.
Thanks for a great sounding (at this point, hope to come back with experience to say “great tasting”) recipe.
Lexy – I use the Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips for this recipe and they work great. I’m not sure if candy bars are labeled bittersweet but baking chocolate should be (usually located above the chocolate chips in the baking aisle).
These brownies are absolutely phenomenal! Our family loves fudgy brownies, and these are totally fudgy and amazing. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe! 🙂
First time posting but have been following for awhile- ♡ your site!
That being said been doing more indepth research on using diff cocoa powders and their uses and bs vs bpowder and why you use one vs another in regards to cocoa pwdr. Is there a reason you left these ingredients out in this recipe?
Hi Lindsay – not all brownie recipes need a chemical leavener like baking soda or baking powder – this recipe does great without them. 🙂
Ahh Mel, how I love thee, let me count the ways… Is it creepy of me to write you a love note over a brownie recipe? My pregnant chocolate craving self couldn’t wait another minute to eat something divine. Since I don’t keep any sort of sweets in my house for this very purpose I was eating and handful of semi sweet chocolate chips when I thought, BROWNIES! So of course, you have my go to recipe. Keep on keepin’ on my dear friend. You’re a life saver.
Mickie – I love you, too! So happy you loved this…I wish I could be there to make them for your pregnant self. 🙂
does the butter need to be softened?
Ally – The butter gets melted. Here is step #2 in the instructions. “Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for one minute intervals, stirring in between, until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth.” Good luck.
Would be helpful to know at what altitude you are baking. I am in Colorado – mile high, and do not know if I should adjust for the altitude. I think many people do not realize the effect that altitude and humidity have on our baked goods, including baking times. I have lived all over the U.S, and my recipes show conversions of my favorite recipes for each location. Thanks for providing the altitude info. Am dying to make this recipe.
Linda – I live right about 1,000 feet.
These were so easy to make and were absolutely delicious! I was out of dutch cocoa powder so i just used regular and they were amazing! Thanks so much for the great brownie recipe; it’s definitely one of my favorites.
This is the best brownie I ever had. It is most and fudgy! However, Is there anyway I can make it less sweet? I am a bit concerned that if I reduce a sugar it would change a texture.
Mitpuc – You could experiment cutting back the sugar but I haven’t tried it so I can’t vouch for results. Sorry!
I read once that you’re able to safely reduce the sugar in any recipe by 1/3 without any adverse effects. Not sure if that’s true of this recipe, but I regularly reduce the sugar in baked recipes by as much as 1/3 and haven’t had any issues.
I added crushed walnuts and chocolate chips. They turned out AMAZING but I did have to increase the cooking time because they didn’t want to set. So happy 🙂
These brownies were so delicious. i have been searching for a fudgey brownie for a long time and i think i’ve found the one! thankyou 🙂
Just made these for the first time and it definitely won’t be the last. They are amazing and taste just like a box mix . . . only better, of course. I even used gluten-free flour in place of the regular flour and they turned out perfectly. Thank you for an awesome, easy brownie recipe 🙂
I have made these and they were very good. But still I did not get that nice crinkly top and then I read about beating the eggs with sugar and I have to say they had the best crinkly top ever. Thanks!
I can’t say enough good things about these brownies! I’ve been searching for years for a homemade brownie recipe that beats out the box. THIS. IS. IT. I fed them to a house full of people and they were gone practically before I’d taken them out of the oven.
I am sitting here with one of these brownies in hand because I didn’t want to wait to finish it to say thank you. These are unreal.
I went to the link for the original recipe on smitten kitchen and she said her baking time was actually more like 35 minutes. You might want to add a note about longer baking times. Mine took over 40 minutes to bake! And I know it is not my oven or ingredients. I am an avid baker. I weighed all of my ingredients and know that my ovens’ temperature is spot on. Just thought this might help others!
yes mine took 35 min too!
If you think, store bought brownies never have melted chocolate in them, so makes sense to use cocoa powder. I will use powdered sugar though as that what it is usually in a box from store. But I also noticed on a box from store that they use corn starch and baking powder. Can you tell me why? Thanks
Adriana – I have no idea why boxed mixes include the ingredients that they do. It is probably all to do with the texture of the brownies. Good luck.
Made this for desser tonight. My family loved it! It didnt rise as much as the boxed brownies but thats to be expected since there’s only 1/2 C of flour and no added unknown ingredients. This is a keeper! So moist, chewy, fudgy and best of all crunchy on top like what our family likes. Go ahead and make it! :). Thanks Mel! 🙂
Dear Mel,
I am one of those who love baking and I must say these brownies have been a favorite. The aroma and the taste is unequivocal to any as yet tasted. A 2 thumbs up!!
I just made these for the first time. I too thought the mix didn’t taste as sweet as boxed brownies so I did add about a quarter cup more sugar and I usually make peanut butter frosting which is to die for . I will try not to eat them all before my hubby gets home. Love them with a glass of cold milk.human
Found this recipe today and i tell you what, the mixture tastes amazing! Was so excited to get them out of the oven. Theyre so rich, crisp on the top and fudgy in the middle. A bit flat, but will definitely be making these again!
I made these brownies this morning using Valrhona Dutch Cocoa. It was my first time baking with Dutch Cocoa. I thought they were by rich and dark and yummy but they weren’t my favorite. My kids didn’t like these as much as I was hoping they did. I’ve made many brownies from your site and my go to brownie is your easiest brownies recipe. We all love the easiest brownie recipe and I make it at least once a week and sometimes more. I’ve even made it with less eggs or butter and they still turn out delicious. So while these were good , but I think I’ll be sticking to the easiest brownie recipe.
These turned out completely divine! I added some cayenne and pecans to mine. Thanks for the lovely recipes!
Very delicious and easy to make! I used Hershey’s cocoa and 1 stick of real butter (salted) and 2 TBSP Crisco shortening. They turned out perfect.
Wow! I made these today using a cupcake pan since my 8×8 was in use. I baked them at 325 for 30 minutes and they are absolutely delicious! Also boyfriend-approved 🙂
I made 8 but probably could have gotten a full dozen if I’d scooped less batter per cupcake.
these are delicious & so easy to make!
Just made these! They’re so rich & fudgy! I used part vegetable oil & self raising flour (all i had) and they weren’t in the slightest cakey. They are actually so fudgy that i’m having a hard time cutting them into neat squares cause they stick to the knife! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Is it just me or is 20-25 minutes not working? They have been in for 40 minutes now and still not close to being ready.
This recipe is not my friend. I’ve tried it twice now and haven’t been thrilled either time. The first failure was, granted, my fault. I did the butter conversion in my head instead of using a conversion tool. Of course I did it wrong, which then yielded dry brownies. (I live in Asia where butter comes in blocks of 454 grams with no handy measurement markings on the wrappers.)
The second batch was better, but came out too cake-like for my taste. Again, this is undoubtedly my fault. I only had medium eggs left (I used the large ones in the first batch – which I doubled) so I used three eggs instead of two.
I really wanted this recipe to work, but I am officially giving up on it. 🙁
I made these just a week ago, and they were an absolute hit! My husband said they were the best he’s ever eaten… And my two boys agreed. Word of their deliciousness traveled so fast that I have been asked to bring a few batches to Thanksgiving dinner. 🙂
LOVE the taste and texture of these fudgy brownies, and especially the fact that we are cutting out a bunch of those mystery ingredients in the boxed stuff. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!
I just made these today. I hate to say this but they were not that great. They definitely did not remind me of a yummy boxed brownie mix. If you pair this brownie with ice cream and whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate, it helps soften the strong taste of the brownie. I LOVE chocolate and could not eat the brownie on it’s own….that’s saying A LOT!
I just wanted to add that the texture is heavenly. I may just need to try a different cocoa.
Hi I did not use unsalted butter…
would that take out the bitterness? To me it wasnt sweet enough and to bitter. Maybe the powder wasnt right? I just used kroger baking cocoa. But everything else was exactly as directed.
Jennie – if they were too bitter to your taste buds, using Dutch-process cocoa will help as it has a less acidic taste than natural cocoa powder.
I just whipped these up and they are delish! I LOVE box brownies as they are my guilty pleasure but I wanted to make something i would feel better about my two year old eating! And these are not only easy but very tasty! Can’t wait for dessert! Thank you!
I made the brownies just used a Muffin pan so its easier to just grab and go no mess. They turned out good .
Hi Mel,
These brownies look great, but I’m looking for a really thick brownie (as in tall). Do you think it would work to double the batch or 1.5 the batch and still cook it in a 8X8 square pan? Or would it never cook/the edges would cook too fast before the middle?
Thanks!
Hi Julie – I’m worried your idea might result in the middle of the brownies being seriously gooey while the edges are overcooked. I guess the only way to know is to try it – good luck if you do!
Perhaps if you increased the oven time, but lowered the temperature, then thick brownies would cook more evenly?
Wow. These brownies are freaking disgusting. I like, they were REALLY gooey and bad. I think these are the antichrist of all brownies.
Damn you. You vile, vile, Mel’s Kitchen
I HATE LONELY TROLLS!!
I love this recipe and make them all the time. One thing I do different is I pour the batter into mini-muffin pan tins and bake for the same amount of time. They come out perfectly when sprayed with oil, but bite sized! Awesome.
I am so excited to eat these! I have a craving for brownies and was so sad to find that I didnt have any boxed mix in the house. I seen I had Cocoa powder and I instantly Googled! Thank you for blogging this amazing looking recipe!! Its in the oven baking right now and I cant stop thinking about them HaHaHa XoXo-
After searching Google for a good half hour, I decided on this recipe (based on the pictures, the recipe’s simplicity, and I barely had a 1/2 cup of flour left in the pantry). I made them with natural unsweetened cocoa powder since I don’t have dutch processed. These brownies ARE amazing! I’ve tried so many different brownie recipes over the years and none of them ever came close to how they taste out of the box. IMO this recipe surpasses box brownies as far as taste and quality is concerned, because I made it and I used ingredients I trust. Thanks so much for sharing!
G’day Mel! I just stumbled across your blog this morning and had made these by noon! I added 1/2 cup of dried cranberries, 1/2 cup of prunes and increased butter ever so slightly to 150g. Ended up taking longer to bake (30 mins on 160C), but I’m wondering if that’s because I opted to not use fan-forced? Thanks for the recipe.
Absolutely the BEST! Can you tell me how many calories are in one brownie please?
Hi Sara – I don’t keep track of the nutritional info but you could use an online nutritional calculator to figure it out if you wanted. Glad you loved them!
How do you get the cracked, shiny look with this recipe? I tried them tonight. They tasted good, but lack the “boxed-brownie” look.
Sandy – not really sure of the secret – they get a bit crackly on top while baking so I’m not sure what would have happened with your batch. Keep in mind they aren’t quite as crackly and shiny as the boxed mix so maybe they turned out just fine.
The crackly, shiny tops come from the sugar melting into the butter (step 2 in the recipe). Make sure your sugar is completely dissolved and you’ll have crackly tops!
I added 1/4 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 cup milk and they got nice and crispy/shiny on the top
These are amazing!!! I made them not knowing what to expect and I’m so glad I did. I Love boxed brownies but I actually think I like these more. They are perfect. So decadent. They are very fudgey. I ate then with my husband and his friend and we ate them all the day of. Yikes!
These brownies are easy to make and turned out chewy and moist with a wonderful
dark chocolate flavor. Thank you for sharing the recipe. : )
I Have made these 3 times now,the best brownies! delicious!!!
just threw these in the oven but I used Hershey’s special dark coca powder and a little bit of cinnamon!. cant wait to see if they taste as good as they already look.
I cooked these brownies exactly to the recipe and they are not that good. Use this recipe if you are looking for more cake like brownies without the glistening top.
These are wonderful! I use the Pampered Chef brownie pan and get 10 thick ones from this recipe (I could probably get 12 if I made them slightly thinner and quit tasting the batter!)
I also add 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper along with the vanilla and it gives them a nice little bite that enhances the chocolate taste. Looking forward to trying them with the Dutch-process cocoa. Thank you!
Made these last night, yummmm. Was looking for a recipe similar to the classic Fry’s cocoa brownie recipe, but without baking powder since I’m out. These hit the spot. I cooked them in a 9×9 greased baking pan with no problem. Since I like my brownies pretty chewy, and I have a feeling my new apartment’s oven runs a little cool, I ended up leaving these in the oven for about 35 minutes. They were perfect!! If you’re looking for a super dense, chewy, fudgey brownie, these are the ones. Not cake-like at all.
Disappointing taste and texture :-(…. won’t be making these again.
Thank you! My 3 month old has a milk/soy allergy & I am breastfeeding…so hard to find brownie mixes that are completely milk & soy free. Made these with coconut oil in place of butter. They were simple (made them with my 3 year old), quick cleanup, & tasted amazing. Finally got the chocolate I have been craving. 🙂 Thank you!
I can’t get salted butter where I live so what can I use instead?
should the sugar be grinded or simple granulated sugar is fine?
please tell as soon as possible thankyou!
May Lee – granulated sugar is fine. You’ll have to use whatever is closest to salted butter (I don’t know where you live or what you have access too). Can you get unsalted butter? If so, use that.
Wow! These brownies are amazing. I added a chocolate chips to the microwave mixture. But there was no need to add chocolate chips to this recipe unless you wanted a more chewy fudge brownie. Next time, I will make this recipe just as is. Thanks Mel! Will definitely check out more recipes from this website.
Mel, I absolutely loved these (and I’m not generally a brownie lover, they always seem too sweet and not chocolately enough.) The fact that they are super fast and easy to make and don’t require melting chocolate has moved them up to “favorite” status. I used Cacao Barry Extra Brute cocoa powder, which really intensified the delicious dark chocolate flavor. Thanks so much for another awesome recipe!
I made these for my son’s birthday party yesterday, and they were a big hit! So rich and decadent. Will definitely make again. Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
I adapted these on my blog using carob powder and loved them! They are so good with some peanut butter on top. It would be awesome if you’d come take a look at my post 🙂 http://piesandplots.net/rich-carob-powder-brownies/
I am so dissapointed….that I didn’t check here first. I found a recipe (attributed to you) for Best Brownies on Pinterest. I looked up the link and it led me to http://www.peachtreecooking.blogspot.com. Anxious for a great recipe I decided to try this one from the peachtree blog. I followed it step by step and to my dismay, the brownies are horrible! Too sweet, and they are falling apart! I was so disappointed. So I decided to look you up and double check the recipe, and sure enough, they (peachtree.blogspot) got it all wrong! I used 5 eggs according to their recipe (which I did think was too much), and the amount of cocoa powder is wrong too. I hate that I wasted all those ingredients on crappy brownies!! I will however try again with the correct recipe!
I love how dark the brownies came out when using the Dutch process cocoa. Mine turned out even darker than your photos! They are so easy and so yummy and so fudgy. Love them!
I found it…I finally found it! A moist, fudgy and oh-so-easy-to-make brownie. Thank you so much for sharing, Mel!
I have made these 3 times already! I love that it doesn’t have any special ingredients. I just shared this recipe with a friend.
I just made these, and they are soooo good. They practically melt in your mouth. Thank you Ms. Mel for all of your hard work. Your website is wonderful!
These are amazing, best brownies I have EVER HAD. I used special dark cocoa powder and if you are a chocoholic, this is the way to go. deepest, darkest chocolatey yumminess. Look no further, this recipe is the only one needed.
Doubled this yesterday for a group of 20 or so (with oil instead of butter for a dairy-free version), and got paid the highest compliment i’ve ever gotten as a baker. a friend told me they were like “sex in the pan!” Thanks!
Very nice – but perhaps too decadent. If I make again I will not use Dutch process.
I do love not having to use chocolate squares!
These brownies are THE BOMB. No need for any other recipe. I made them in mini muffin tins, got 24 of them, baked for 15 mins. They were a hundred times better than those two bite brownies you can get at the store!
This is seriously the only batter for any baking i have literally been able to ‘lick the bowl’ with lol i bake often and this is by far the easiest and yummest baking aside from homemade pizza, and will now be written in my recipe book! !!! Thank you 🙂
I tried these tonight. I didn’t do the foil thing because I just cut them out of the pan. I also added mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (about a cup) to the batter and toffee chips to the top. Turned out great. I baked them about 30 minutes. Will make again! Thanks!
I just made your brownie recipe. Thank you for posting it! These are by far the best homemade brownies I have ever tasted! My husband and I are both very impressed. I did make one minor tweak, and that was to use peppermint extract instead of vanilla but I was in the mood for chocolate mint. Amazing! This is the only homemade brownie recipe I will ever make!
just made a batch of the brownies in the oven for 19 mins.
dry centre , very dark., no fudge texture, , big disappointment,
the ingrediants in ounce were hard to follow, tried using the cups.
it was a big fail for me as i was hopping to make a batch for a road trip coming up.
xxxxx
TRY THIS RECIPE!! I just made these brownies (I doubled the recipe and used a 9×13 pan) and they are amazing. I had to add a little extra time in the oven, but they were so gooey, delicious and perfect.. I would recommend them to anyone. Will definitely be making these again. THANK YOU for this recipe :)))))
Tried this and doubled it too because of all the positive comments, but it didn’t work. Batter didn’t rise and brownie turned out to be a rather flat cake.
I needed a chocolate fix and my mind was set on brownies. I have to admit, I love boxed brownies and I have tried to make homemade ones that never can compare. Today, I tried yours and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I say this because I have been disappointed so many times in the past. Your recipe is awesome! You just may have converted me for good!
-Jennifer
Are these worth it????
Just wanted to share that I made these using King Arthur’s Gluten Free All Purpose Flour, and they are awesome!!! I was nervous, truth be told, but they are so yummy! Required a little extra baking time (about 10 minutes and I turned up the heat a little at that point). Thanks for sharing! Will be making again and again and again and…
I didn’t notice the instruction to put them on the lower 3rd of the oven, oops, but they still turned out great. I thought I should bake them longer, probably because they weren’t on the lower level so they still looked wet on top… I’ve been using coconut sugar as a substitute for white sugar as kind of an experiment and it seemed to work well in these (and has worked well in your lemon bread, – although it turned it brown instead of the cheery yellow – and your cornbread). Holden especially loved these. I liked them a lot and especially loved how easy they were. Thanks!
figured it out reading it wrong sorry……
made would like to how all you like this try to make butter mix was very dry .what does 27/8 oz. mean .try to make with 8oz. sugar and so on wasted all ing.
These were SOOOO good! I threw in a few handfuls of chocolate chips just for kicks as well 🙂 Thank you!
Making these now hope they are good as everyone says:) concerned about cookin them in the lower part of the oven and not the top tho.. Won’t the bottom burn??
I just made these brownies with my own twist and they were simply amazing! I added in chocolate chips and threw on some sprinkles, but it was fantastic!
I am always on the lookout for the perfect fudge brownie recipe and found yours tonight. They are in the oven baking! The batter is delicious, but I have a question about the amount of sugar. When I used the 1 & 1/4 cup, the batter was still quite bitter. I added another 1/2 cup and while it wasn’t overly sweet, seemed better. I will let you know the outcome.
In answer to the reader who asked what a “cup” was- it is 8 oz. so a mug would be far too large unless you adjusted everything.
The batter was delish! I’m always looking for things to bake to keep my 14 year old self busy and these are the best yet! I also added some chocolate chips and I cannot wait to see how they taste!
Great great great! Best bownie recipe I have ever had, bar none. Even added more unsweetened chocolate to get a darker chocolate flavor. Fantastic! A new favorite!
In the ingredients list, by ‘cup’, what kind of ‘cup’ do you mean because surely 3/4 of a mug of unsweetend cocoa powder is A LOT of cocoa powder?
She means a measuring cup of you don’t have the separate cups you can you use a liquid measuring cup.
Just put these in oven. Doubled all ingredients and put in a 9×13 pan. I did add a splash of butter extract too. Batter tasted wonderful. Can’t wait to try them!
Am making the brownies now….. Batter seemed really thick many I’m just used to the thin box mixes but are the supposed to be super thick?
Absolutely amazing!!! I have been on a search for a homemade box brownie recipe.. i tried the cooks illustrated version but i was not pleased at all..maybe my oil wasnt good? Although i highly doubt thats what it was seeing as though i moved into my house a year ago so the oil was definitely less than a year old. My husband in a brownie lover and i just want to have a homemade version that he absolutely loves and so far this is #1. I used both raw cocoa and dutch processed..riughly 50/50 and they are still very dark. I am now a devoted reader of your blog..this was the first recipe of yours i tried. Very happy!
We made these this evening and they were fantastic. I try lots of brownie recipes. This one easy and tasted oh so good.
Chelsey – no, but vanilla really adds to the flavor of the brownies.
Do you have to use vanilla extract?
just made these, and added a tablespoon of orange zest. They were absolutely amazing. thanks for sharing!!!
These are great! I have never made homemade brownies before! They turned out awesome! I even drizzled chocolate sauce on top and walnuts.
This is an AMAZING recipe! I added one more egg and a little water too it to get the consistency just right 🙂 Love it! So good!
Hi.
I just wanted to send a note to tell you I made these today and they are fabulous! Rich and decadent and oh-so-moist. We also love the orange chicken recipe. I make it every 3-4 weeks. So yummy! Thank you!
I am excited to try these! If you are ever happen to be in the Austin or San Antonio, Texas area you should try Miles of Chocolate (http://milesofchocolate.com/). The only place I have bought them is tucked away in the deli section at HEB, but they are the best fudgy/trufflely/deep chocolatey brownies you will ever taste!
Ok I gotta try these! I love a good brownie! They are my downfall.
Just made these tonight and they are FANTASTIC, I have tried a ton of recipes, and this is by far the best and easiest!
I’ve never been able to make brownies without turning them into a solid brick of unedibleness….until now! I ran out of cocoa powder and my boyfriend suggested using Nesquik chocolate milk powder and they were still irresistible!!!!
Parvinder – I always use salted butter.
did you use unsalted butter or salted butter?
I can’t wait to try these.
I’m making these for the second time in a week right now. We LOVED them (and I don’t even like box brownies)! My husband loves brownies, and since I didn’t used to be a fan (I am now) I never made them. Things are changing quickly. I used regular old cocoa, but they still looked as dark as your picture of the dutch-process variety. Divine. That’s what these are. Chocolate perfection. Thanks for yet another fab recipe!
Deb – yes, you can double for a 9X13!
I generally make brownies in a 9 by 13 pan (why go to all that trouble for an 8×8 🙂
Should I just double your recipe?
I made these yesterday for a couple I was taking dinner in to, and saved half the batch for my family because they were so rich. My husband is a firefighter and ended up not getting home until 1 a.m. because of fires they have had pop up. I sent him a text before I went to bed letting him know where dinner was and that there were brownies on the counter too. When we got up this morning the first thing he said to me was, “Those brownies were AMAZING!” Thanks again for a great recipe. It was nice to be able to make brownies from scratch that he enjoyed so much, especially after a long day like he’d had.
I made these when I saw them on Smitten Kitchen (I don’t often have unsweetened chocolate), and I didn’t love it. I have some really excellent Penzeys cocoa, though, so I gave it a try with a little less cocoa and butter and a little more flour, and I liked them reasonably well. They aren’t Baker’s one-bowl brownie or anything, but they are an acceptable substitute for when I don’t have unsweetened chocolate lying around.
I have these in the oven right now, the batter was delish! I’m always on a perfect brownie quest and this recipe was so easy. Always love a cocoa based recipe because I don’t always have unsweetened chocolate in the pantry. Often my brownies are tricky to time and end up underdone or too dried out – liking the lower baking temp., thinking this will help me out. Taking these over to a neighbor’s so I’m going to frost them, oh boy! (And thanks.)
Love it! I hate to admit that I tend to like the boxed brownies as well, guess it’s all the years I spent eating the ones my mom made. Will have to try these!
Made these and loved them. i used the hershey’s cocoa….I haven’t bought dutch yet….but I need to try that next! This was the firs treat snarfed up at our family reunion last week….that goes to say that they were REALLY good, cause there were tooooooo many treats there!
i’m not positive, but i don’t think i’ve ever made a batch of brownies using cocoa powder–it’s always been melted chocolate for me. these look MARVELOUSLY dense and gooey, though, so perhaps i’ll give ’em a whirl!
I have read that if you cut the brownes with a plastic knife they don’t glob up.
have not try it myself yet.
How could any brownie be better than your “Easiest Brownies In the World?” I make those all the time because they are so easy, and fudgy, and delish! And whenever I make them, I get so many compliments and recipe requests. I haven’t made a box recipe since! I’ll have to try these, too! You should know that I rarely make anything, anymore, that isn’t a MKC recipe… seriously! Last night we had Pineapple Meatballs, and tonight we’re having “Kansas City Sue’s Chicken.”
Thanks for your great blog!
THese look so good!
You might have convinced me to try something other than boxed brownies. 🙂 I love my boxed brownies, but I also love the looks of these!! Mmmmmm!
Perfect! Can’t wait to try it!
Marcie – sorry you didn’t love the brownies. Is there a chance you added more cocoa powder than the recipe calls for? The original recipe (posted on Smitten Kitchen) has over 500 reviews and nearly all are positive so I’m sad you didn’t love them. Hope you find a recipe that works for you!
I am not sure what I did wrong, but they didn’t taste right. I used regular unsweetened cocoa and they were SO dark. It felt like I put way to much in. They did not look like your pictures at all. I’ll have to keep looking for a scratch recipe or try this one again!
Marcie, I had the exact same problem. Way too much cocoa and not fudgy at all. Not sure what I did wrong.
Michelle – these brownies are slightly more decadent and chewy than the Easiest brownies. Similar in a brownie-like way – these brownies just approximate the fudgy texture of a boxed mix more than the Easiest recipe.
Ñam…For the latinamerican followers, please! may you write the recipies in grams too? I hope it would be easy!!! Thanks a lot
Sil
Thank you thank you, love brownies and love trying new brownie recipes.
WOW! Talk about divine intervention! 🙂 Supposed to take brownies or cookies to a youth devotional this next week. I chose brownies – easier to dump brownies out of a box! Guess this means I have to make now???? Going to try the Dutch-process – know they will be a hit! Thanks!
How would you say these compare to the Easiest Brownies in the World? I just made those for the first time (for the 4th), and thought they were amazing, and super fudgy.
Yay! I’ve been waiting for this to show up since you tempted us in the cocoa post. I can’t wait to stuff my face! I mean share these at my family reunion. 🙂
Im so excited to try these! They look amazing. My hubby likes the box brownies too and I’m like you… I just have a hard time buying them when I can make them from scratch! These might just win him over. Thanks.
I love a good brownie! These look fabulous. Now I’m sad that I used up all my dutch cocoa the other day…time to hit up the store I guess.
I’ve been waiting for this recipe ever since you did the cocoa powder post and you post it today – on my birthday!! Happy birthday to me!!!!!
Oh, Mel…these look crazy delicious! I haven’t made boxed brownies in years, because it’s so easy to make homemade brownies and I hate all of those preseratives in the boxed mixes. I agree about the dutch cocoa- it makes such a dark, fudgy brownie!
As a food blogger sometimes i am sad to admit that i LOVE boxed brownies. I’ve never tried making brownies from scratch because I’ve never tasted them (from other people) to be as good as my box brownies. But I guess I’ll have to try your recipe out, and hope its a good substitute. That way I wouldn’t get all the preservatives, but also don’t have to run to the store when I want yummy brownies. Thanks!
This is such a simple recipe! Wonderful!!
These sound heavenly! I love dark chocolate brownies and will definitely be trying the dutch-process cocoa!
I should definitely try these! I have made homemade brownies in the past, and I have never found them to be as good as the boxed kind.
I have such a weak spot for boxed brownies, I can’t wait to try them. Amazing the difference with the different cocoa powders!
Mmm, I can’t wait to try these. I love me some boxed brownies but I hate buying something so processed. These look like the perfect solution! And considering I’ve never tried a bad recipe from your blog, I’m sure these are gonna be awesome!
These look awesome! I made your other brownies a few times from your “best” list and they are great. I even topped them one time with a foolproof milk chocolate frosting recipe from Cook’s Illustrated. Oh my!!! Were they good!! I would never frost a brownie normally, but I was taking them with us to someone’s house for dinner. So I “dressed” them up a bit and Wow! You might try it sometime!! The frosting is great on cakes too. You just make it in the food processor. It is incredible!!
OMG LET ME JUST TELL YOU…these were the most AMAZING brownies ever. They’re so decadent and the perfect balance between chewy and soft. Their flavor and just everything is wonderful! I personally added a little bit of espresso powder to enhance the flavor, and a 1/2 tablespoon extra cocoa (regular unsweetened). Thank you so much I’m so glad these turned out PERFECT.
I have been looking for a brownie recipe that uses dutch-processed cocoa powder and found this. I have baked twice already and I loved the result. Thank you so much for sharing.