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
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!