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.
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Need a chocolate fix urgently? These will be in the oven in 15 minutes flat (if not faster).
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Hate washing up? Just one bowl to deal with here.
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Like your brownies outrageously chocolatey, fudgy in the middle and the signature paper thin crackly top? This one delivers in spades.
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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.
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super gooey – if there is a lot of smear on it (24 minutes bake time)
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moist and fudgy (my favourite) – if the toothpick gets a brown strain and has some smear on it (28 minutes)
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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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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.
Hi, I’ve made this recipe several times now and absolutely love it! We use gluten free flour and prefer half dark half milk chocolate but it’s still delicious. It’s super easy one pot recipe. Just the way I like it. And, with two children being homeschooled during lockdown (England) there is no washing up to do – they lick the pots clean. T😉👍
Hi Nagi,
We love these brownies and I follow so many of your recipes – love them all. I notice on my fave crunchy peanut butter jar it states bake into brownies. Could I do this? And if so, at what stage of the recipe should we add this, and how much?
Jill (from Scotland)
Hi…these look fabulous! It will be my first time making brownies but I only have a 9×9 tin…do I have to adapt the recipe at all for extra mixture?
Hi Estelle, you can use this size, the brownies will be slightly less thick 🙂 N x
Hello dear Nagi,
I tried this recipe and it was simply yummy 😋 my family enjoyed it. Thank you so much❤️
Just made these, so delicious 😋 can I change the chocolate used to milk ?
Hi Shelly, I would find milk chocolate far too sweet here but you can if you like! N x
Thanks, I have just made again with milk chocolate 🍫 omg it’s amazing…thanks for your brilliant recipes x
Ive made these twice now. This first time I followed the recipe and the second time I used milk chocolate to melt with the butter and dark chocolate for the stir in chunks and definitely preferred it that way. Both ways were definitely delicious but I found using all dark chocolate made them a little too rich for me.
I’ve made these a few times now, cooking for 24 minutes is perfect for a lunchbox treat that lasts! I did cut the sugar to 120g and it was just as delicious (kid sweet tooth approved!). Thank you for another wonderful and quick recipe!
was looking for a easy brownie recipe for my husbands work meeting, found yours, so easy to cook and tastes so good as well
Hi Nagi I made this recipe twice. I nearly broke my arms trying to mix it both times. What am I doing wrong? I ended up just putting it in oven with many lumps. I
Measured everything both times and followed steps exactly
Hi Tasha, are your eggs cold? That will seize the melted chocolate mix and make it hard to stir! N x
Hi Nagi, this recipe looks great! If I’m going to make a half batch in a tin half the size, do I need to reduce the cooking time or keep it the same?
Thanks!
Hi Ellese, yes you’ll need to reduce the cook time, I would just keep an eye on it and pull it out once just set. N x
Hi Nagi,
Thanks for all your great recipes and for taking your time to help an very adverage cook out.
I have a friend coming to stay and wanted to make your easy choc brownies as they always work out beautifully. Can I substitute almond meal for the plain flour and if so how much?
Thanks for your help!
Kaye
No other words. Just LOVE..
Thanks so much Mashy!! N x
Used this brownie recipe for the first time the other day and definitely a huge hit in my family. Very fudgy, chocolaty yummyness! Replace the cocoa with cacao and worked perfectly. The only problem is they were devoured so I now need to make more!
I have a Gluten Free friend who I would love to make these for. Can I use gluten free flour instead and will it still work?
They will love these: https://www.recipetineats.com/brownies-fudgey-easy-gluten-free/ N x