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Fudgy Brownies

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We’ve searched high and low for the best fudgy brownie recipe EVER and I’m pleased to finally say IT HAS BEEN FOUND! This brownie recipe is everything a brownie should be: rich, chocolatey, fudgy, and pure bliss in brownie form. 

 

Main image of fudgy brownies. single brownie on plate with remaining brownies in the background.

 

Part of what makes these homemade brownies the best is the method of preparation — from greasing and coating the pan with butter and cocoa powder instead of flour to topping the still-hot brownies with chocolate chips, the depth of flavor and texture is in the small details of this recipe. 

If you’re a fan of anything chocolate, prepare your taste buds for the most epic of brownie adventures you’ve ever had! These decadent brownies are so out-of-this-world good, you might even find it hard to share. 

 

pan buttered and cocoa powdered.

 

What is a brownie?

A brownie is a chocolate baked dessert, cut into squares or rectangles. Brownies come in a variety of textures — from fudgy to cakey — depending on the ingredients, method of batter preparation, and leavening used. 

Some brownies contain different frostings or toppings, such as cream cheese frosting, nuts, chocolate ganache, chocolate chips, caramel, peanut butter, or some combination of the aforementioned. 

 

melted butter and sugar in a sauce pan.

 

Can you use butter instead of oil in brownies?

Absolutely! In fact, in this recipe butter is MUST. For brownie mixes that call for oil on the package, either is permissible. Butter will typically give a brownie mix a bit more lightness, whereas oil brownie mixes will be a bit more dense. 

In this recipe for the best fudgy brownies from scratch, butter provides the perfect richness and texture for a perfectly textured brownie. 

 

flour, salt, cocoa powder and baking powder in a bowl, ready to be mixed.

 

What ingredients are in fudgy brownies?

To make these delicious homemade brownies, you will need the following ingredients: 

  • Butter – butter provides the perfect richness and texture for your homemade fudgy brownies. It is also used to grease the pan in preparation for the brownie batter and to prevent sticking. 
  • White sugar – white sugar is the sweetening base for your brownie recipe. Can’t have a delicious dessert without sweetening! 
  • Eggs – eggs add structure and some leavening to your brownies. 
  • Vanilla extract – vanilla is a flavor enhancer while simultaneously offering a bit of warm flavor itself.
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder – cocoa powder provides the chocolate for you chocolatey brownies. It’s also used in place of flour for preparing the 9×13 pan used to bake the brownies: butter the sides and coat with cocoa powder instead of flour for the best, most chocolatey brownies (that are easy to remove from the pan as well!). 
  • Flour – we’ve come up with the perfect flour to cocoa powder ratio to give you the best fudgy brownies EVER. 
  • Salt – salt makes all the difference in baking recipes. A little bit of salt lets all the other flavors stand out a bit more. It’s the age-old flavor enhancer! 
  • Baking powder – baking powder provides a smidgeon of leavening, in addition to the eggs. Not too much though! These are NOT cakey brownies. 
  • Semisweet chocolate chips – melted on top of your prepared brownies, these chocolate chips will provide the perfect “icing” on your brownies! 

Now that you have all the ingredients you need to make a pan of brownies, the next steps are as easy as 1-2-3!

 

flour mixture poured into the butter saucepan.

 

How to make fudgy brownies?

  1. Prepare 9×13 pan.
  2. Melt butter and stir in sugar and vanilla.
  3. Sift together dry ingredients and combine with butter and sugar mixture.
  4. Stir in eggs until just mixed.
  5. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake!
  6. Distribute chocolate chips across the top of fresh from the oven brownies. 
  7. Enjoy

 

brownie mixture in sauce pan.

 

How to tell if brownies are done?

For this recipe, we recommend cooking your brownies for about 24 minutes. You’ll know the brownies are done when the top of the brownies look set and the edges start to pull away from the pan. 

Other methods for determining whether your brownies are done are: when a toothpick comes out clean from the center (better for cakey brownies than the fudgy variety); making sure the top of the batter is no longer “shiny” — this is what we mean when we say the top of the brownies look set. 

 

eggs added to brownie mixture.

 

Do brownies rise?

Yes, brownies rise a little bit, but these ones are not going to rise to cake-like proportions. Since this recipe doesn’t have you over-stir the eggs, there’s less air in the batter to provide leavening. The eggs themselves, in addition to the baking powder, will make the brownies rise a little bit. 

 

brownie mixture poured into prepared pan

 

How to make brownies more fudgy?

It’s all about the fat to flour ratio. Fudgy brownie recipes will have a higher fat content — in this case, the butter — while cakier brownies have additional leavening. But never fear, friends! We’ve already done all the testing and legwork to give you the most perfectly fudgy brownies this side of heaven. 

 

chocolate chips placed on top of hot brownies.

 

How many eggs for fudgy brownies?

So here’s the tricky thing about eggs and brownies: the number of eggs isn’t going to affect the texture of your brownies in terms of cake or fudge. That being said, they WILL affect the texture — in one regard, it comes down to how much you beat the eggs (in terms of the cake and fudge brownie debate), and in the other regard, the number of eggs used will affect the stiffness and rubber taste of the brownies. More eggs = more structure. 

 

chocolate chips melted and spread over the top of brownies.

 

Can you make brownies without eggs?

Yes! The main purpose of eggs in a brownie recipe is to act as a binding agent and hold everything together. There are various substitutes that you can use in place of eggs for baking. That being said, I have not tried these substitutes and cannot vouch for how they will affect the texture and flavor of this brownie recipe. But I know it’s possible to make brownies without eggs. 

 

cooled brownie slab removed from pan. Then cut into 12 squares

 

How long do brownies last?

Once you’ve cut into that pan of delicious brownies, they’re probably only good at room temperature for a couple days before they’ll start to decline in texture and freshness. You can also store brownies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. 

 

brownies scattered on parchment paper

 

Can you freeze brownies?

Absolutely, you can freeze brownies! In fact, I love the texture and feel of a cold brownie. Store your brownies in an airtight container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. You can eat the brownies frozen, chilled, or you can allow them to thaw at room temperature for a couple hours before eating. 

 

3 brownies stacked on top of each other

 

More Chocolate Recipes You’ll Love…

 

Brownies are a great, crowd pleasing treat for family gatherings, parties, picnics, and potlucks. I know you’ll impress everyone with this brownie recipe (if you can stand to share them!). Let us know how you liked the recipe in the comments below! 

 

Yield: 20 Brownies

Fudgy Brownies

brownies scattered on parchment paper

We’ve searched high and low for the best fudgy brownie recipe EVER and I’m pleased to finally say IT HAS BEEN FOUND! This brownie recipe is everything a brownie should be: rich, chocolatey, fudgy, and pure bliss in brownie form. 

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 24 minutes
Total Time 49 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1 cup flour, sifted
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1-2 Tablespoons butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Prepare 9x13 pan by spreading 1-2 tablespoons of butter along the bottom and edges until lightly, but completely, coated.
  3. Carefully sift 2 tablespoons cocoa powder on the buttered pan until fully coated.
  4. Basically instead of greasing and flouring the pan, you're buttering and cocoa powdering it.
  5. In a large saucepan, melt 2 sticks (1 cup) of butter over medium heat until just melted.
  6. Remove from heat.
  7. Stir in sugar and vanilla until well combined.
  8. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
  9. Stir dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture until combined.
  10. Add eggs and stir until fully incorporated, but not more than that.
  11. Pour batter into the prepared 9x13 casserole dish.
  12. Bake at 350 degrees for 24 minutes, or until the top of the brownies are set and edges begin to pull away from the pan.
  13. Remove brownies from the oven.
  14. Right after removing brownies from the oven, carefully and evenly distribute 1 cup of chocolate chips across the top.
  15. Once the chocolate chips have softened/melted, spread them evenly across the top of the brownies like a frosting using the back of a spoon.
  16. Allow brownies to cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 438Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 108mgSodium: 271mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 2gSugar: 41gProtein: 5g

 

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