What makes a good brownie? Using both cocoa AND melted chocolate, and butter instead of oil. What makes the BEST chocolate brownies in the world? Adding in a generous amount of dark chocolate chunks. Fudgy, as gooey as you want, and very, very chocolatey, this homemade brownie recipe is incredibly easy, made in one bowl, and incredibly forgiving!
Choose how gooey you want them, just follow the bake times and my “toothpick smearing” test. Brownies can be frozen for up to 3 months, but nothing quite compares to when they’re freshly made, and still slightly warm….
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, fudgy in the middle and the signature paper thin crackly top? 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!
Making 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 let’s-pretend-it’s-optional chocolate chunks. 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!).
Reduce cook time by 2 minutes if you opt not to use the extra chocolate stir ins.
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)
- 200 g / 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chips (7 oz) (Note 1)
- 1 cup (175g) brown sugar , loosely packed
- 3 eggs , lightly beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
- 1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- 180g/6oz dark chocolate block/bar (optional) , chopped into chunks rather than shards, (bittersweet or semi-sweet, cooking chocolate) (Note 2)
Alternative stir in
- 1.5 cups roughly chopped walnuts (or other nuts)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan forced).
- Spray a 20cm/8″ square tin with oil and line with baking/parchment paper with overhang (Note 2).
- Place butter and chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl, microwave in 30 second bursts (takes me 1m 30 sec) until melted. Stir until smooth.
- Add sugar and vanilla, mix, then add eggs and mix well until smooth and molten.
- 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).
- If you didn't use the extra chocolate for stirring in, reduce cook time by 2 minutes.
- Rest for 10 minutes before lifting out of the pan. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting. Store in an airtight container for 4 days (bet they don't last that long!) or freeze for 3 months.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published August 2016. Updated with new photos and brand new video in 2020.
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Life of Dozer
Dozer hates being hugged. Don’t know why. I mean, what dog doesn’t like their face being squished like this in a chokehold grip?
The brownies taste good, but I might have done something wrong cause they still seem liquidy even though I cooked for 6 mins longer than recommended. Maybe I should’ve put them lower?
Hi Beck, sorry you had issues here – that doesn’t sound right at all! Is your oven thermostat working?
I made this recipe using mini muffin tin because I don’t have square tin. Reduced baking time to 18min. Fudgy, chocolatey and moist. Yummm. Thanks Nagi.
Great to hear Yoona!!
Hi Nagi,
I have gone and agreed this for a school party… i need about 50 pieces… what measurements should i be using? Also what dish size.. please help me 🙂
Hi Kamini, You’d need to keep the same pan size here as increasing the pan size (and portions) will mean the outside of the brownie will cook and be dryer that the inside. I’d simply make 3 or 4 single serves – N x
Hi Nagi,
This recipe is amazing! I always find brownies tricky at times as I don’t like them when they’re too dry. But I tried your recipe and it was soooo goood!!
I was wondering, if I add choc chips in the batter do you think this could work?
Love all your recipes! So glad my sister referred your recipes to me ☺️
Hi Khaulah, you could definitely add chocolate chips to the batter, they may just melt through though and not be visible – N x
Hi Nagi,
I have a 24 x 24 cm pan and i was wondering if you could tell me the measurements to fit this pan as I am not sure this will turn out the gooey or fudgey brownies I’m wanting to make.
Love your work 🙂
Regards,
Jasmine
Hi Jasmine, I haven’t tried to be honest but my guess would be to adjust the servings to 16 and cook for 25 minutes or so – just check and maybe add another 3 minutes if it’s too goey! – N x
Hi Nagi, this is a staple in my household. everyone really loves it. My little one wants me to make a brownie cake for his birthday…. would the chocolate frosting that you have work with this? Any other ideas welcome…
Thanks much x
Hi Kamini, it would work, but I worry it may potholed up so well as a cake. Try this one: https://salesdock.info/easy-chocolate-fudge-cake/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Thank you Nagi!
I have yet to actually try my brownie (only just come out of the oven) but I absolutely love how quick and easy it was to whip up. I bake almost every other week for the local gymnastics bbq and was super excited how easy yours sounded. Only thing is my oven for some reason decided to nearly take twice as long to cook than you instructions but it smells absolutely delicious.
Hi Katrina, that doesn’t sound right! Maybe get an oven thermometer to ensure your oven thermostat is still working. I hope you love the brownies!!
Hello Nagi,
I would like to say “thank you so much”. I just tried this recipe today and the brownies just come out perfect. This is best brownies recipe I ever tried. The taste is great..not so sweet. I made it fudgey kind. By the way, your website, the photos, and the video look great. I will try your other recipes.
Thanks so much Cotton!
Forgot to rate 🙂
Hi Nagi
Can you tell me, what kind of sugar you used? Is it like the light brown sugar from GB, that means moist? Or is it a dry brown sugar? Like the white one? It might be a silly question for most of you, but here in Switzerland it is not easy to find the right stuff…
Thanks a lot for your answer!
Hi Mady, It’s slightly moist – not like white sugar ❤️
I was finally able to order that special moist sugar – it makes all the difference! These are by far the best brownies we ever ate! Thank you so much, Nagi!
Hi Nagi, just want to say thank you very very very much for this recipe. I did not have dark chocolate chips so I just used the milk ones instead. The baked brownie tasted similar to the popular brand brownie mix we used to buy. Thanks to your recipe, I do not have to buy that anymore; I can cook everything from scratch. I look forward to trying all your other recipes. Thank you again!!!
Thanks & Regards,
Lani
How do I substitute the chocolate chips and cocoa powder with just cacao powder? Is that possible? If yes, how many grams should I use?
Sorry, it’s not possible in this recipe, you need the chocolate chips to keep the cake chocolatey and moist!
Let me start by saying I’m really enjoying your website! I just discovered it a couple of days ago and I’ve already made three recipes from it. I really appreciate the written recipe as well as the photo and video instructions… and all the wonderful tips and suggestions. Thank you!
Now, onto the brownies! These brownies were really good. I didn’t have a metal square pan so I used a glass baking dish. I also did not have parchment paper, so I used olive oil to grease the dish. Could I have lined the dish with foil? And if so, would I need to reduce the cooking time since foil heats things up faster? I made these the “fudge” style way at about 23 minutes. They were really moist. Although they were delicious, I prefer a chewier brownie with slightly crispy edges. Would the “cakey” version have given me that result? Also, if I wanted a chunkier brownie with some “chewable” (not melted) chocolate chips inside it, how can I achieve that? Thanks again!
Made these brownies to a bit gooey to fudgy side and the taste was just awesome. I like they were not dry. Effortless recipe.
Thanks for the easy recipe that tastes well too!
That’s so great to hear Sarah!! So glad you enjoyed this, thanks for taking the time to let me know – N x
We went cakey and it’s actually a bit light and fluffy while also being chocolatey! That works for us.
Not too sweet (that’s good), and having a lot of trouble stopping at one piece…
Glad you enjoyed it Carly! Thanks for letting me know – N x
Just made these brownies with walnuts. Everything a brownie should be. Thank you. And thank you for having all recipes that work. Sue
Just made the yummy brownies and added craisins they were delicious thanks.
That’s terrific! So pleased you enjoyed this Emma – N x
Yum! Thank you for the great recipe
I’m so pleased you enjoyed this Frances! Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback! N x ❤️
These are wonderful. We loved them and they are so easy to make, I’ve just printed out the recipe so we can make them again soon. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it Donna, thanks for letting me know! N x
I’ve tried lots of recipes but not quite happy with them. I was wanting one that used less flour and some cocoa – I checked your site and boom- there it was! I made a double batch in two pans and they took longer than your recipe stated, but your toothpick test ensured success! As usual, your recipe has become my new go-to!!
I’ve never made a brownie that I was 100% happy with before now – but these were exactly right! The toothpick test meant that I ended up with exactly the right consistency. I loved that these weren’t too sweet either (or at least that’s what I told myself as I ate yet another piece…!) I prefer savoury cooking to baking, so I really appreciate how excellent and foolproof your baking recipes are Nagi. Thank you!