I’ve been loyal to this brownie recipe for decades and have no intention of changing it! It’s super easy, super chocolatey and super fudgy. I firmly believe the best brownies must be made with both cocoa and melted chocolate, and butter instead of oil. Bonus: it’s a simple one-bowl, hand mixed recipe!
Homemade Chocolate Brownies
These homemade brownies are every chocoholics dream come true.
Need a chocolate fix urgently? These will be in the oven in 15 minutes flat (if not faster).
Hate washing up? Just one bowl to deal with here.
Like your brownies outrageously chocolatey and fudgy in the middle? This one delivers in spades.
Not such a confident cook? This recipe is astonishingly forgiving. Even if you overcook them, they might look cakey, but they still have that rich, fudgy mouthfeel. There’s just not enough flour in these to make them dry and overcooked!
And look ↓↓↓ Super fudgy yet you can actually pick it up, rather than scooping up gloops of raw batter!
And that crinkly top we all know and love!
What makes a good brownie
The secret to a really great brownie is using both melted chocolate AND cocoa powder, plus butter instead of oil (because butter has way better flavour than oil). The combination of these plus minimal flour, just enough to make a barely-set batter, and brown sugar rather than white (for extra moisture and chewiness) is what will deliver that perfect rich, fudgy brownie you’ve been dreaming about.
And to make a killer brownie, stir through a generous amount of chocolate chunks. Not only will you get little pockets of gooey chocolate, it also makes the brownie extra fudgy because some of the chocolate melds in with the batter as it bakes! (This is optional though, and I don’t add the extra chocolate for everyday brownies 🙂 ).
How to make Homemade Brownies
These dreamy brownies start by melting chocolate and butter together before whisking in eggs and vanilla. Then just mix in flour and coco powder, and lastly stir in the extra chocolate chunks if you’re using it. Scrape into lined pan and bake!
How to tell when brownies are done
Stick a toothpick in the centre of the brownie, hold it for 2 seconds, then take it out.
super gooey – if there is a lot of smear on it (24 minutes bake time)
** moist and fudgy (my favourite) ** – if the toothpick gets a brown strain and has some smear on it (28 minutes)
cakey (but still fudgy mouthfeel) – toothpick is clean with just a few crumbs (32 minutes). But still really moist (because this recipe only has 1/2 cup of flour in it, impossible not to be moist!).
Fudgy, gooey brownies
The brownies in the photos and video are what I call “fudgy moist”. As in – super fudgy but not just a gloop of uncooked batter. You can pick it up with your hands rather than eating it with a spoon.
I have more elaborate brownies in my repertoire – such as these Outrageous Nutella Brownies (which certainly live up to their name!) and these Salted Caramel Stuffed Brownies (the caramel filling is creamy and set, like a soft fudge).
But this classic Chocolate Brownies recipe is the one I make most of the time. It’s my go-to because it’s everything I want in a brownie made with minimal fuss. The essential ingredients to make it super chocolatey, lovely and moist, and no unnecessary extras.
The other thing is that my brownie is sweet, but not tooth-achingly sweet. There are some brownie recipes out there that use almost double the sugar I do and they are far too sweet for me. The sugar in this recipe is just the right amount of sweet for me. No one has ever complained about my brownies not being sweet enough, that’s for sure! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Easy Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients
- 200g / 14 tbsp unsalted butter (1 3/4 US sticks)
- 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chips or melts/discs (US: semi-sweet chocolate) (Note 1)
- 1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
- 3 large eggs , lightly beaten (fridge cold or room temp is fine)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder , sifted
- Pinch of salt
OPTIONAL EXTRA CHOCOLATE ADD-INS
- 180g / 6oz (1 cup) dark chocolate chips, or block/bar chopped into chunks (OPTIONAL!) (US: semi-sweet chocolate) (Note 2)
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE
- Melt choc and butter, mix in sugar and vanilla, then eggs. Stir in flour, cocoa and salt, bake in lined 20cm/8" pan at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) for 28 minutes. Cool before slicing.
FULL RECIPE
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Spray a 20cm/8" square tin with oil or grease with butter. Line with baking paper/parchment paper with overhang (Note 3).
- Melt chocolate and butter – Place butter and chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl, microwave in 30 second bursts (takes me 1m 30 sec) until melted. Stir until smooth.
- Sugar and eggs – Add sugar and vanilla, mix, then add eggs and mix well until smooth and molten.
- Dry ingredients – Add flour, cocoa and salt and stir until smooth. Stir in chopped chocolate, pour into pan.
- Bake 24 minutes for really gooey in the centre, 28 minutes for fudgey but still very moist (my favourie, shown in video & photos), 32 minutes for moist fudge-cake-like. (See in post for toothpick testphotos).
- Rest for 10 minutes before lifting out of the pan (they are fragile when hot). Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting. For really neat slices, refrigerate for 30 minutes, or even overnight, but always eat at room temp for fudgy perfection!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published August 2016. Updated with new photos and brand new video in 2020.
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I made brownies for the fist time with your recipe and they turned out great! Seriously, thank you. You helped this bachelor learn how to bake😁👍
The best, moist inside, crunch on the edge melt in the mouth brownies. Thankyou for the recipe
Hi! I tried your recipe and used a 7” pan instead. It was very thick and cakey. What should I do to avoid it being cakey next time? How can I alter the measurements accordingly? Thank you and I love your recipes!
Hi Aafiya, it will take longer to cook as the pan is smaller and the batter will be thicker. can you clarify what you mean by cakey? Were they fudgey like the pictures here? N x
Absolutely the best brownie recipe!!! Thanks again Nagi!!!
Hi, when i tried it the first time it came out heavenly! However, on second try it was dry and crumbly i wonder why…the only thing i’d changed was using salted butter. Could that be the cause?
Hi Grace, no that won’t make a difference, sounds like you may of mis measured something unfortunately – N x
Can I use coconut or nuts for the instead of chopped chocolate for alternative stirring in?
HI Dan: I am a great brownie fan, and this recipe is great. I ALWAYS add nuts to my brownies. My favorite are lightly toasted roughly chopped walnuts (grew up in California, where we have lots). Also on a personal note, if you don’t want brownies as sweet use unsweetened baking chocolate. Very chocolatey and not as sweet. Richer brownie, as well…
Nagi, can I replace eggs in this recipe with flax eggs? I have tried many eggless brownie recipes, but nothing comes close to this Brownie. Otherwise pls advise other egg substitute for this recipe. Please
Hi Shikha, the eggs are the most important binder in this recipe – I haven’t tried with any subs sorry! N x
I tried with flax eggs, catastrophe!! 😄😄
Nagi this is the best brownie recipe ever. It is heavenly, so delicious and has a rich chocolate taste. My son and I can’t stop eating it. My go-to brownie recipe forever.Thank you.
So delicious. Not too sweet. You’ve done it again, Nagi! I’ve never had a tray of brownies come out exactly as the recipe pictured, until now. I swear 90% of my cooking is now your recipes, and I’m forever grateful!
Hi..can I use gluten free flour?
Hi Jean – try this recipe here: https://lean-target.today/brownies-fudgey-easy-gluten-free/%3C/a%3E N x
These are dangerously amazing! Nearly ate the whole tray myself. Used chopped up white cooking choc added to the mixture instead of dark, and plonked in two punnets of fresh raspberries. Cooked to the same medium level as Nagi and it was delicious. Rave reviews! Thank you!
Lovely recipe ❤thank you so much. They were perfect. I tried brownies for first time ever
V chocolatey, but don’t eat these after 4 pm if you want to sleep! Would these work if mixed in milk chocolate bits, instead of dark to make a little less strong?
Awesome !
Hi, Nagi.
These are indeed the best brownies ever. I’m so glad it was so easy to put together, yet absolutely delectable. Eating the brownies straight from the fridge is a divine pleasure. I did add some coffee to amp the chocolate flavour. My only regret is I didn’t make this sooner! Thank you, Nagi!
I’m so glad you loved them Bella, you’re a convert now! N x
In the video of the brownies, you break whole eggs directly into the mixture, in the recipe it say eggs are lightly beaten.
What is best?
Nagi has done it again! 🤩 I love baking but have never managed to made successful brownies that look and taste good. This recipe was perfect! I love the way you write so clearly, and the photos and video are super helpful. You are my absolute go-to collection for online recipes! Love love love. Thank you!
Hi, my tin is 24cm, will that be okay?
Hi Emma, I would just increase the batter to 1.5 x the recipe listed to cater for a larger pan. Bake for 30 minutes and keep an eye on it for your desired “doneness” 🙂 N x
Hey Nagi, I am hoping to use this fudge recipe as a cake base with a flourless orange cake on top. But will it cut later or does this fudge have to be cut when warm? Any suggestions? I love cooking with all your recipes and have learnt so much during lockdown.
Hi Heather, these are quite fudgey and im positive won’t hold up well to something layered onto of it sorry! N x
Hi Nagi, I’ve made this several times successfully, but last night, just as I was finishing mixing in the choc chunks, the butter seemed to separate out (tranché, in French) and the whole lot of batter literally slid into the pan and hardly left a trace in the bowl. When I took it out of the oven, there were spoonfuls of butter bubbling on top and no crackly crust. It is delicious, but doesn’t hold together, must be eaten with a spoon. Where did I go wrong? Thanks for any insight.
Oh no Esta, could you have possibly mismeasured by any chance? If there was too much butter it could have separated out as the ratio would be off. N x
Hi Nagi, thanks for your quick answer… I don’t think so, I weighed everything, and like I said, I’ve already made this recipe before and love it. Maybe I mixed too much? Not enough? Butter/choc mix too warm? No biggie, it was still delicious and people didn’t understand when I said it was a fail… it’s already all eaten 🤣! I was just telling my husband that I love your recipes because they never go wrong, so it must be me. Now my analytical brain will just have to make it again and again until I understand!
I had the same problem as Esta. Brownie tasted delicious but it didn’t hold. And while it was cooking, I too saw the top bubbling… I thought the same, too much mixing, butter too warm??
I love all of your recipes and the brownies are no exception just delicious! I would say they taste even better after being cooked and in the freezer. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise.