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.
All things Brownies
And more irresistible bars and slices
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?
Thankuu for the super easy recipe Nagi..I made them last night and it was delicious 😃😃
But I hav a small question…if I want them to be less fudgy what should I do..
Made these yesterday and another batch today. Yesterday took out of oven too soon and way too gooey in middle so ate around outside. Made 2nd batch today only addition half cup of roasted macadamias. Omg they are to die for and recipient voted them best ever he has tasted. Thanks for great recipe
I’m so pleased you enjoyed this Lindy! Thanks for letting me know! N x
Is it a japanese recipe?
Definitely not! 🙂
These look amazing. I have a bar of just regular dark chocolate, could I use this made into chunks, or does it have to be cooking chocolate chips? xx
Hi Amy! It needs to be a cooking chocolate otherwise you will struggle to melt it 🙂 Been there, done that! N x
At last brownie recipe that didn’t fail. These were perfect !! Going to make it again and again. Thank you.
Woo hoo! So glad you enjoyed it Anisha, thanks for letting me know!! N x
Hi Nagi, Made the brownies for the cake stall and just as well I froze a lot of them as the ones left out were demolished so quick I am now making another 2 batches. Thank you
Woo hoo! So glad you enjoyed it Coral, thanks so much for letting me know!
Nagi, We love you!!! thank you for the “special order” .. all polished off within one day!! What a fantastic recipe… So pleased that I will be able to make this at home and flagging this page for my go to brownie recipe from now on…. They are super delicious and perfectly balanced with just the right amount of sweetness and gooeyness. YUMMM!!! axx
I still cannot believe you guys ate an entire batch in 24 hours!!
Hi Nagi,
I am just about to make the brownies but wondered if they are good to freeze. Just love all your recipes and now your mum’s, it is so exciting to be able to make different things. Keep up the good work and love seeing what Dozer is up to.
Brownies freeze great Coral! Wrap them well in an airtight container, and thaw to room temperature. 🙂 N x
Well, I’m definitely on the fudge-gooey side of the fence – if I wanted cake, I’d make a chocolate cake haha! A bit of extra salted caramel or raspberries never go wrong either. These look lovely – my usual recipe is a cocoa brownie without melted chocolate at all, so I’d be interested to try yours and see what the differences are. Hope you are having a good week Nagi!
I’m all about the fudgey brownie all the way, but I certainly wouldn’t turn any down 😉
Love you guys bullied or guilted mom into a blog of her own., I think it’s so exciting! 🙂
Wow! These look simple and perfect! And I love how you showed the difference between the cakier and fudgier brownies!
So excited to see your mum’s blog! Oishii-sou~! Yomitai!!
xox Sarah
Yum! I love that you can decide how gooey or fudge to make the brownies! And such an easy recipe, too.
Hi Marlene! How are you?? How’s the hip? All on track?
Yes, thanks. Slow but steady progress. Now I have to get the blog back on the track as well….
Hi Nagi! Forgot…I am currently also working on a fourth cookbook specifically for my sons. It is another compilation of newer favorite recipes and will have quite a few of yours in it with appropriate credit and thanks given! Haven’t decided on the title yet.
That is just so cute Dorothy! I really love that you are making your own cookbooks 🙂 Send me some of your favorites, I’ll cook and shoot them for you so you have some photos! N x
I love chewy brownies, I could probably eat a whole pan in a day. It’s that over-indulgent life, haha.
You know, I don’t actually have a chewy brownie recipe! Have you got one? Could you drop a link here? 🙂 N x
I can’t believe I just signed up for you blog and your mother started her blog. Japanese food is simply my favorite but the only thing I can make is miso soup. Looking forward to wonderful recipes.
See? It’s just meant to BE! 🙂 So glad you love Japanese food Anita. N x
So now you cannot blame me if I officially spend more time on your mom’s blog……Japanese food is something I have always wanted to learn and now you are handing it over to me on a platter.
There you go! 🙂 And you’ll learn properly too, I actually don’t know that many Japanese recipes because I just pick up the phone and ask my mother for the recipes!
Made it and it was a big hit! You’re my go to whenever I want to cook or bake something new and yummy! ❤
You made them already??? You ROCK Mrs Ron! Thank you so much for trying my recipe and I’m SO GLAD you enjoyed it! 🙂 N x
Brownies are a food group all on their own, don’t you think? I love fudgy, almost gooey brownies. Yum
HELLOOOOOO Maureen! How are you, how is JOHN???
‘Mom, you don’t have to love me that much!’ Dozer seems to be trying to whisper . . . just briefly came on to say a huge ‘thank you’ to you and your siblings for having encouraged your Mom to write her own blog and another clap for providing the link: from my brief survey I know I am going to learn a lot ! [In my case methinks we’ll forget about the brownies, but they look very nice for those who partake . . . 🙂 !!]
Whisper? No….he is desperately trying to escape! Did you spend any time in Japan during your travels Eha? 🙂 N x
* with apologies for getting far too verbal * Yup, megaheaps of times loving it always but, for some reason, cook more Vietnamese, Szechwan and Keralan/North Indian . . . so am SO looking forwards to your Mom’s recipes.
Thanks Nagi for all the fabulous recipes you are sending. My husband is a very fussy eater, but I have him eating ‘gourmet’ meals now. You have solved a problem, I need to make brownies for my granddaughter’s school sports day and these will be perfect. Also subscribed to your mum’s recipes, they look delicious. I too wish I had some of my mother’s recipes.
She will be delighted that you joined her mail list Coral! I do hope you try this – I’d love to know what you think!