My Go-To Brownie Recipe {One-Bowl Deep, Dark Chocolate Brownies}
These from-scratch fudgy chocolate brownies are my go-to brownie recipe. Rich and decadent, the one-bowl factor makes them so simple and quick to make (a very dangerous thing!).
When it comes to brownies, I’d like to think I know a thing or two. They happen to be one of my favorite treats of all time.
Which is my way of saying I’ve made and eaten a lot of brownies in my day.
And I have about a bazillion brownie recipes posted over the years.
Recipes like Killer Crunch Brownies.
And Chocolate Frosted Brownies.
There’s a knockoff boxed brownie mix recipe. And the ever-popular caramel brownies.
Last year I posted a sheet pan brownie recipe, and these ultra-simple fabulous brownies are a favorite, too.
But as far as a classic, go-to brownie recipe that I turn to time and time again, these deep, dark chocolate brownies (i.e. fudgy chocolate brownies) are it.
I’ve been making them for years (so have many of you!).
And even though picking a favorite brownie is like choosing a favorite child, if you tied my arms behind my back and threatened to take away all chocolate out of my life for the rest of forever in order to make me decide, I’d definitely end up going with these fudgy chocolate brownies as my favorites.
We make them all the time when we need (yes, need) a classic brownie for a Sunday night treat (ice cream not optional).
They appear for potlucks, parties, chocolate cravings, and take-in meals.
I hear the question “can you bring brownies?” and mentally note that I’ll be making these simple, decadent brownies.
Fudgy and rich, they are the perfect brownie, in my opinion. One-bowl. Super simple. Not cakey. Lots of chocolate flavor.
And the recipe calls for regular, every day ingredients.
When I first posted them eight years ago, the ingredients detailed Dutch-process cocoa only, but over the years I’ve made them time and time again with unsweetened, natural cocoa powder (Hershey’s, I’m talking to you).
They are delicious with either Dutch-process OR natural cocoa powder, so use what you have on hand. The Dutch-process cocoa lends a rich, sweeter, darker chocolate flavor, whereas the unsweetened, natural cocoa powder gives that classic, well-known brownie taste.
And if you don’t know already, these deep, dark chocolate brownies are incredible (read: evil and dangerous) chilled…and yes, even frozen.
Consider yourself warned.
I have learned that keeping a bag of these bite-size brownies in the freezer is all I need to make me a very happy girl (happier if my family doesn’t even know they exist).
Speaking of brownies, don’t forget to tune in today on Facebook Live at 2:00 p.m. MST for the first Cooking with Kids segment (an ongoing weekly summer feature I’m doing the next couple months!).
I’m excited to hear that many of you are planning on cooking these Fudgy Coconut Oil Brownie Bites along with me and my 8-year old. It’s going to be fun (and probably very messy!).
If you can’t tune in right at 2:00, no worries, the video will be available for the rest of forever right here.
My Go-To Brownie Recipe {Deep, Dark Chocolate Brownies}
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) salted butter
- 8 ounces (227 g) semisweet chocolate (see note)
- 2 cups (424 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs
- ⅓ cup (28 g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder or Dutch-process cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ⅔ cup (95 g) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X13-inch metal pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray (if using glass, decrease oven temperature by 25 degrees). Alternatively, you may use parchment. The brownie batter is pretty sticky, so I like lining the pan for easy cleanup.
- In a microwave-safe bowl (or in a saucepan on the stove), melt the butter and chocolate in 1-minute increments (or over low heat on the stove), stirring in between until melted and smooth (don’t overheat!).
- Add 1 cup of the sugar to the warm chocolate mixture. Let the mixture cool until lukewarm, 4-5 minutes.
- Whisk in the remaining 1 cup sugar and vanilla.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, until mixture is glossy and smooth.
- Whisk in the salt and cocoa powder, then add the flour and stir with a rubber spatula or spoon until it just disappears (don’t overmix).
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan, and bake until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with sticky/moist crumbs, 25 to 35 minutes.
- Cool to room temperature before cutting. It helps even more to chill the brownies for 1-2 hours before cutting. Lift from the pan, place on a cutting board, and cut into squares.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from Cookie Madness
Recipe originally posted August 2009; updated with new pictures, commentary and recipe notes.
131 Comments on “My Go-To Brownie Recipe {One-Bowl Deep, Dark Chocolate Brownies}”
HORRIBLE. If I could give this zero stars I would. This just did not turn out and did not taste good! The brownies didn’t come out of pan even with spray and foil. They turned out raw even after I cooked it an extra 20 minutes. Used up all the butter and eggs just to be thrown away. Huge disappointment and lots of work!!!
Hi Mel-you mentioned pound plus bars from TJ’s, mine doesn’t carry a semi sweet. Only dark and milk chocolate. And sometimes bittersweet. Do you use one of those for the semi?
I think they used to carry a semisweet but discontinued it. The dark should work just fine!
I made these brownies today. I thought I had messed them up by only having 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels. I added one heaping teaspoon of cocoa to make up for the lack of morsels. I forgot to add the flour before pouring batter into pan but sprinkled the flour over the batter and whisked in. The brownies turned out moist and great tasting regardless of my errors. This is a keeper. Thanks, Mel, for a great brownie recipe.
Perfect. My husband loved these.
I have made these delicious brownies many times, but recently made them with Bob’s Red Mil Gluten Free 1:1 baking flour to rave reviews! They came out as chocolatey and moist as ever!
Perfectly chocolate and soft! YUM
Oh my goodness! I made these yesterday and there are no words to describe how delicious they are. I’ve never had such a moist, fudge like brownie. Thank you so much for sharing.
These have got to be the most delicious brownies on the planet. I cut back the sugar just a tad (probably 1.75 cups instead of 2, broken up as 1 cup initially and then a second 3/4 cup) and they were still fantastic. I threw in the rest of the bag of chocolate chips and added walnuts to half the pan for the nutty among us. Thanks, Mel!
These were so good. I only had Ghirardelli (the good melting kind) in bittersweet and Nestle in semisweet (the recommended flavor for this recipe) available in my cabinet. I couldn’t decide what to do so I used a half and half mix. My husband commented that these were the best (which is high praise since I’ve used about 12 different brownie recipes over the years). This is definitely going in the recipe book.
Mel, you are awesome.
Just wanted to suggest you may want to clarify salted butter. That extra 1/2 t salt makes a hige difference.
About seven years ago when I came across another of your brownie recipes,with chocolate frosting,I knew I had a winning site with quality baked goods.We’ve come full circle now with ANOTHER brownie recipe.You hit this recipe out of the park,Mel.I’m forever grateful.In fact,in less than thirty minutes I’m gonna have a second sampling of these gems.Thanks again,Mel!
I have a brownie recipe my family loves that I’ve been baking for 20 years. I’m visiting my son and wanted to make brownies but didn’t have that recipe with me. I chose this one off your website because we had all the ingredients (plus yay for one bowl). They turned out so rich, thick and delicious. These were so good now I’m a little afraid to do a side by side comparison with my old favorite. So glad I took a chance in these.
Hey Mel! I am 10 years old and starting a bakery. I made these brownies (along with 2 different recipes) for my first customer and they were delicious! Thank you for putting these recipes up and I use you a lot. I’ve also made the delicious raspberry sorbet with my wonderful mom. Thanks again, Mel!
You are amazing! Thank you so much!
Hey Mel! I am 10 years old and starting a bakery. I made these brownies (along with 2 other recipes) for my first customer and they were delicious! Thank you for putting these recipes up and I use you a lot. I’ve also made the delicious raspberry sorbet with my wonderful mom. Thanks again, Mel!
Best brownies I’ve ever made. Produced the shiny-crackly top. I used canola oil instead of butter and increased the salt from 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon. Baking time was 35 min. in a glass baking dish lined with foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Thank you for the delicious recipe.
If you are a cakey kind of brownies gal which recipe should I use?
Probably not these – they are definitely on the fudgy and rich side.
I made this today for my sons pack meeting, so I of course had to taste test first and these are AMAZING!! Great recipe! I love your site!! I always tell people to use your site and recipes because I always trust them!
Thanks so much, Jessie!
I was hesitant to try this brownie recipe because it isn’t the highest rated brownie recipe on your site. The people who aren’t wowed are doing something wrong. I’ve made a ton of brownie recipes and these are the best I’ve ever eaten.
Thanks, Melissa! It’s my favorite too!
How can I measure 8 ounces of chocolate chips without a scale?
Do I use a dry measure or wet measure?
It’ll end up being right around 1 1/3 cups.
I have made a few of the brownie recipes from your site, ans this one is my favorite. So easy and fudgy! I also added 2 1/2 of the giant sized Symphony Bars in the middle of the batter.
Been searching for a favorite brownie recipe. Made these last night and this is now my go to! Thanks again Mel!
can I use salted butter in these? thank you
Yes that’s what I use
Really strange…I tried this recipe twice today and they turned out terrible both times! I’ve made homemade brownies with great success before, so I’m not sure what went wrong. The first time, I used Ghiradelli “melting wafers” and the brownies turned so incredibly greasy; there was literally a layer of oil bubbling on top of them in the oven. So, I threw those out and tried again with Ghiradelli chocolate chips. This batch was better, but still way over the top greasy and still completely uncooked in the middle after 30 minutes (even though the edges were crispy and burned). I’m not sure what is happening; this is the first time I’ve baked with KerryGold butter, do you think that could be it? I’m also at 6100 feet, so maybe I needed more flour. Anyhow, what a disappointing day in the kitchen! 🙁
Hey Courtney – sorry to hear you had bad luck with these brownies. Since “melting wafers” aren’t actually chocolate – usually they are sugar and vegetable oils/fats vs cocoa butter (in real chocolate), I’m not surprised the brownies had an oily layer. But that’s a bummer these still didn’t work out for you with chocolate chips. I’ve never tried this recipe with KerryGold butter – I know it has a different fat-to-water makeup than regular butter (quite a bit more fat and less water) and that’s probably why the brownies were greasy. Lots of people who live at high elevation have suggested adding a couple tablespoons more flour for brownies and cakes, maybe that would help? Sorry it was a disappointing day!
Just wanted to comment that I used Kerrygold butter and it worked out great. Mine were definitely soft and melt in your mouth, best brownies i have ever made!! I have noticed that the Kerrygold butter and other brands of organic butter that I have used have a different texture from standard butter, they are thicker and creamier.
These are SO good. I am certain that I may have overmixed, because they had a slightly cakey texture. I put them in the fridge, and that made them even more decadent. They firmed up and are now a cross between fudge and a brownie. I will definitely make them again, and try not to overmix. Thanks for the recipe!
MEL, THIS RECIPE SOUNDS SCRUMPTIOUS AND THE READERS COMMENTS ARE AMAZING. TODAY I BOUGHT THE TRADER JOE 17 OZ. BAR OF 72% CACAO DARK CHOCOLATE AND THEN FOUND YOUR RECIPE WHEN I ASKED GOOGLE IF I CAN MAKE BROWNIES WITH THIS CHOCOLATE. WILL TRY THEM TOMORROW AND WILL ADD WALNUTS OR PECANS TO THE BATTER.
I WILL LET YOU KNOW IF THIS IS A 5 STAR RECIPE IN MY BOOK !!!
THANKS, LYNDA MARSH
Mel, these brownies are sooooo good. I am currently pregnant and should not be left alone with these in the house! I have probably eating 1/4 of the pan. My husband might have take these to work. Truly they hit the spot for the perfect chocolate brownie craving, and a day later, they still taste just as amazing, they didn’t even dry out! Thank you thank you!!!
Hands down best brownies I’ve ever had let alone made myself!!!
In my previous comment I forgot to rate the recipe….
OMG, these brownies are totally amazingly over the top! So easy to make, and so unbelievably delicious. Thank you Mel for sharing this recipe.
Perfection!
WOW!!!! Made these browns on a whim because I needed a treat to take to a party. They did not disappoint in the least! So fudgey and so freaking delicious! Everyone loved them and wanted the recipe.
Made these last night! Absolutely Scrumptious! They were every bit as good as you described. I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao chips and Rodelle Dutch Processed Baking Cocoa from Costco. Thank you!
Oh, my!! I just made these two days ago for the first time and they are brownie perfection. This is undoubtedly my new favorite brownie recipe. I took your advice and tried them chilled which only made them better (two days later even). Hip, hip hooray for yummy brownies!!
Can 85% cacao chocolate bar be used? Or will it be too bitter?
I’ve never tried that percentage in these brownies – my guess is the brownies might not be sweet enough.
I’ve made these twice now. Both times the middle is incredibly soft. Toothpick comes out clean when backing but while cutting the middle is gooey too fudgy.
On 2nd batch, I cut back the butter by 2 tablespoons and baked longer. Should I play around with the amount of eggs?
Or maybe I’m not allowing the cooling down process in Step #3?? (Used Ghirardelli chips and all other ingredients were the exact same) I want to perfect these for family events / work cook outs / random Tuesdays….because the taste is out of this world!!
I’d keep the number of eggs the same (it will make the fudgy texture different if you alter) – you might try lowering the temp of the oven by 25 degrees and baking 10-15 minutes longer to get the middle a little more sturdy. Let me know how that works out!
This is exactly what is happening with me. It is almost ‘fudge’ instead of a fudgy brownie. disappointing because of all the ingredients….and I am on a tight budget. Darn.
Same. at 30 min. They had raised nicely and a beautiful crust had formed but the toothpick test revealed completely uncooked batter beneath. I lowered the temp. 25 degrees and added an addition 15-20 min of bake time but the middle barely solidified before I called it quits and pulled them out. The flavor is great but the middle sunk and just underneath the crust is the same goey texture. Probably can eat but definitely not cooked correctly. Sad! I was so excited. May try them again another time and use 325 degrees the whole way.
I have made a recipe similar to these over the years and I use Hershey’s special dark cocoa and OH’ SNAP they are so good. Like you said they are delicious from the freezer. It is the best way to eat them actually because they are so fudgy. I also eat Gluten Free and my recipe like this works perfectly with GF flour (my favorite is Bob’s Red Mill Baking Mix) because it calls for less flour than a cakey brownie. YUM!! Love your recipes because they are so easy to adjust to make GF.
That’s so good to know about the GF adjustments. Thanks, Heather!
I made 1/2 recipe in an 8×8 pan (2 XL eggs and my XL were really XL!) with Guittard (63% cacao) chips and Hershey’s Cocoa (box says natural unsweetened). I think they are wonderful. I chopped into “bites” and froze. They are a perfect little treat as far as I’m concerned!
Hi Mel! I’m excited to try this brownie recipe! The bar chocolate I have is the 72% Pound Plus from TJ’s, do you think that would still be good?! Thanks! I love your blog and and my family loves all your recipes! 😉
Because I love dark chocolate, I think it would be excellent! You might want to increase the sugar just a touch in the recipe to compensate…
Holy cow, these are good. I was expecting another basic brownie — I should’ve known better coming from you. I rarely leave comments on anything, but since I am right now I’ll let you know that yours is my very favorite food blog. Thanks for making life a little (or a lot) tastier!
Thank you, Megan!! Made my day. 🙂
Hi Mel,
I made these this morning and I had a house full of kids and cousins. I was in such a rush to get it done I misread the recipe and added 2/3 cups of cocoa!!! Best mistake ever! Thanks for another awesome recipe! My family loves and thanks you too!
Well, that’s good information to share! 🙂
Made these over the weekend – absolute perfection. Completely perfect brownies.
Hi Mel,
My husband loves brownies. If I halve recipe, can I use 2 eggs, or do I need three? Full recipe calls for 5 eggs.
Thanks so much!
I’d probably use 2 full eggs and an egg yolk.
Thank you!
Note to other readers – they are denser than I thought they would be. Still delicious
I saw this recipe and knew I had to make them for Fathers Day! I made them last night for desert today. I thought I could wait to sample them today but not the case! I ate one and then had to have a second! Going to be so good warmed with a little vanilla ice cream! I think these are like a brownie version of the molten lava cakes!! As always, thanks Mel!!!
Glad you liked them! I made them this weekend, too, because I just can’t resist!
I made these brownies tonight and they were the best I have ever had!
Yay!
I made this and loved it. I usually stick with boxed brownies because I haven’t found a home made recipe I like better. The top has the perfect shiny, little crunchy crust while the middle is soft. I cooked mine for the 35 minutes and next time I’ll add another minute or two.
Glad you loved them, Tammy!