Here’s how to make my really easy Best Fudge Brownies Recipe with perfect shiny crinkle crust on top every single time! They are deep dark chocolaty, perfectly salty-sweet, dense, moist, slightly chewy and fudgy. This recipe is easy and only needs 7 simple ingredients. It is my go-to brownie recipe because it doesn’t use a ton of ingredients, it comes together quickly and also bakes up quick. I consider this my entry-level brownie recipe and it has become the favorite of so many of my readers! This homemade brownie recipe is SO much better than a box mix. They’re not cloyingly sweet either and the shiny crinkle top is easy to achieve with my scientific technique. If you like box mix brownie texture and a recipe that uses cocoa powder instead of chocolate, check out my Better Than Box Mix Brownies Recipe. For extra thick fudgy homestyle brownies, check out my Best Homemade Brownie recipe.
But, let me guess…You probably have 27 cherished brownie recipes? Or is that just me? My thoughts: there is ALWAYS room for another brownie recipe, and my Fudgy Brownie recipe really is the best! So even if you have 56 of them, trust me that you need to try this one too! It will become your go-to recipe.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Easy to make – this is the EASIEST homemade brownie recipe! All you need is 7 simple ingredients and 5 easy steps!
- No mixer – you can make these brownies with just a bowl and a whisk!
- Fudgy chocolate brownies – these are not cakey at all! They have the fudgiest texture and stay moist for days without drying out.
- Slightly chewy brownies – these brownies have a balance between chewy and fudgy, so you get the best of both worlds!
- Rich chocolate flavor – you can expect intense chocolate taste thanks to bittersweet chocolate and not a lot of flour.
INGREDIENTS FOR BEST FUDGE BROWNIES RECIPE
Here are some notes about the ingredients. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- All purpose flour – regular all purpose flour is perfect to make fudgy brownies. Use unbleached flour which will give you that nice dense texture.
- Pure vanilla extract – vanilla is essential to enhance the flavor of the chocolate. Do not leave it out. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
- Unsalted butter – the best brownies that have a chewy fudgy texture are made with butter.
- Granulated sugar – simple fine white granulated sugar keeps these brownies moist. If you reduce the sugar they will not be as fudgy and they are less likely to have the shiny crust.
- Egg – 2 whole eggs will provide majority of the structure in these brownies.
- Dark chocolate – anything between 60 and 85% cocoa solids will work. I prefer bittersweet chocolate or extra dark chocolate, and these bittersweet chocolate callets are very convenient.
- Cocoa powder – this is optional. This recipe does not require cocoa powder as it is a chocolate-based recipe, but I have added 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder in with the flour to boost the chocolate taste even more and it is lovely. Make sure you measure out only a tablespoon because if you add any more without adjusting the other ingredients, then the brownies may turn out more dry. This Dutch Process cocoa powder is really nice for brownies.
HOW TO SLICE BROWNIES CLEANLY
One of the most common questions that readers ask me is “how do you get such neat slices on your brownies?”. Here are my steps for cutting brownies so that you end up with clean edges:
1) Line your baking pan with parchment paper so that you can remove them easily and neatly from the pan. To do this, cut two sheets of parchment just the same width as the inner length of your pan, then place them crossways so the sides of the pan have about 2 inches of overhang. I also use metal binder clips (they’re oven-safe) to clip the paper down to the sides of the pan so it doesn’t move around when I spread out the batter.
2) Let the brownies cool completely. It is important to wait until your brownies have completely cooled to room temperature. As brownies cool, the chocolate and the butter will set and solidify so that they won’t fall apart, stick or crumble as you slice them.
3) Remove brownies from pan. Use the overhanging parchment to lift the brownies out of the pan and onto a cutting board so that you can slice them right across with a large knife.
4) Use a sharp, straight, thin-bladed knife. To cut brownies cleanly, use a knife with a straight-edge blade. Do not use a serrated knife. My knife of choice is a thin-bladed santoku knife or chef’s knife with a long blade that covers most of the length of the brownie so that you don’t need to slice up and down too much which will bring up sticky crumbs and cause drag.
5) Use a hot dry knife. Run the blade under very hot water and carefully wipe it dry with a paper towel or cloth between each slice. The heat will help the blade glide through the brownie as it melts the butter and chocolate. It is important to clean the blade between each slice as the residue will cause drag and smudge the brownies and smear the edges.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS: HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BROWNIES
- STEP 1.) Melt chocolate. Combine chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir frequently until melted, or you can do this in the microwave gently with frequent stirring so it doesn’t burn.
- STEP 2.) Beat eggs and sugar. Combine eggs with sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until very thick, pale and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and salt.
- STEP 3.) Combine eggs and chocolate. Add the warm chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and mix it in well.
- STEP 4.) Add dry ingredients. Sprinkle in the flour and fold it in until evenly combined.
- STEP 5.) Bake! Spread the batter into your lined baking pan and bake until a skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist sticky crumbs attached, but not wet batter. Let them cool completely in the pan.
How to make MOIST fudge brownies from scratch:
When it comes to a moist and fudgy texture, it’s about the sugar and how it is dissolved. Dissolve sugar = syrup = bound water = moistness. Lots of recipes tell you to “dissolve” sugar in melted chocolate and butter, but I don’t care how long you stir it or how hot that butter is, sugar will NEVER dissolve in melted chocolate! Sugar dissolves in water, not fat. In addition to that…, with the amount of sugar that goes into a brownie, it is technically a supersaturated mixture so it will never be completely dissolved anyways. Brownie batter is a very low moisture batter, unlike cake batter that has a higher water content.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS FOR FUDGE BROWNIES
- Do not use raising agents like baking soda or baking powder. Brownies are meant to be dense and using leavening will create gases that can make the brownie seem dry.
- Measure flour accurately. Too much flour leads to a dry brownie so be sure to use a scale or use the spoon and sweep method without packing the flour into the measuring cup..
- Watch the baking time. In all my experience, most standard 8-inch pan brownie recipes take between 20 and 25 minutes when baked in a metal pan. Start checking after 20 minutes. A skewer should not come out clean. Instead it should come out with a few moist sticky bits attached. If it comes out clean then the brownies may be over baked, and if it comes out with wet batter then they are still a bit raw.
- Mix the eggs with the sugar first instead of stirring the sugar into the melted chocolate. Sugar cannot dissolve in fat, but it can dissolve in the water within egg whites.
- Use a kitchen scale. For best results, weigh your ingredients according to the measurements in the recipe card below using a kitchen scale.
RECIPE FAQ
I use intense 85% chocolate here which makes perfectly chocolaty brownies. You can also use 70% bittersweet chocolate — just do not use unsweetened. If you choose to use semisweet chocolate, just note that they will certainly taste much sweeter.
Brownies can be chewy or fudgy, or a blend of both. Brownies get their chewiness from the right amount of sugar, and a higher ratio of sugar:butter, as well as a higher ratio of chocolate:butter. More butter gives a softer fudgier texture, while more chocolate and more sugar gives a chewier texture thanks to the hard cocoa butter content. Cocoa butter is harder than butter at room temperature so it will give more resistance to the bite, creating the perception of chewiness. More butter will make brownies soft and melting for a fudgier texture.
Again, it’s about dissolved sugar. Whisk the sugar into the eggs first. This will help it dissolve some, and also the bonds between sugar and egg proteins is what creates the thin tissue like crust. To help this along, always use room temperature (not cold) eggs. The warmer temperature helps sugar dissolve. The longer you whip the eggs with the sugar, the thinner and shinier the crust will be.
TIP: to bring eggs to room temperature quickly, submerge them in warm water for 10 minutes.
This recipe requires melted chocolate. Melted chocolate gives a fudgier texture because of the cocoa butter content that has a higher melting point. If you prefer to make brownies with cocoa powder only, then check out my Better Than Box Brownie Mix recipe which have a chewier texture.
Yes you can! If you’d like to add chocolate chips, I would recommend ½ cup of dark chocolate chips. Just fold it into the finished batter before baking.
If your brownies turn out dry, then it is most likely because they are over-baked. These low sugar brownies are ready when a skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist sticky crumbs attached – not wet batter, and NOT clean. If the skewer is clean then the brownies are over-baked and if the skewer has wet batter then they are still raw.
The number one reason why these would turn out dry is if they are over-baked. Check on the brownies at 25 minutes. Also, take care to measure the flour accurately.
Brownies keep really well at room temperature as long as they are stored in an airtight container to prevent drying out. If you plan to keep them for more than a couple of days, then store them in the fridge.
Brownies will sink in the middle if you over-beat the eggs and sugar. When you beat the eggs, you are incorporating a lot of air which will cause the batter to soufflé or puff up in the oven. As the brownies cool, the air bubbles will collapse and they will fall. To prevent this, be sure to only beat the eggs for about 2 minutes and then bake the brownies evenly. If you think your oven runs hot, then bake at a slightly lower temperature for a longer time. If the oven is too hot, the brownies will puff up and over-cook on the edges while the center is still raw.
To get neat clean squares when you slice the brownies, run a sharp knife under hot water and wipe it clean between each slice. See my 5 steps above under “How to slice brownies cleanly” heading for more details.
If you love brownies, check out these recipes!
Triple Chocolate Brownies
Fudgy Grain Free Brownies
Olive Oil Brownies with Date Fudge Frosting
Fudgy Buckeye Brownies
Outrageous Fudgy Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies
The BEST Small Batch Fudge Brownies
Homemade Cosmic Brownies Recipe!
Looking for more brownie recipes? Try these:
Perfect Shiny Crust Fudge Brownies
The BEST classic moist and fudgy dark chocolate brownies with a crispy, shiny crust every time! They are so easy to make with simple ingredients.
Ingredients
NOTE: for best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh the ingredients.
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang at each side and secure the sides down on the edge of the pan with ¾-inch binder clips.
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In a large bowl over a pot with ½-inch of simmering water, stir together chocolate and butter until completely melted, smooth and glossy. You can also melt it in the microwave with 20 second bursts and stirring each time.
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Combine eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat with a wire whisk or an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until pale, thick and a bit fluffy. It will take about 2 minutes. I like to do this by hand with a whisk. Just whisk as vigorously as you can for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is lightened in color and doubled in volume. When you lift up the beaters or the whisk, the egg mixture will form a slowly disappearing ribbon on the surface of the mixture when it falls back into the bowl.
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Mix in vanilla and salt. Add the warm chocolate mixture and mix well with a spatula or the whisk until evenly combined. The mixture should tighten up and become glossy when the chocolate is thoroughly incorporated.
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Stir in flour to remove lumps and fold it in until well incorporated and smooth.
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Pour batter into prepared pan and use the back of the spatula to smooth out the surface. Bake for 20-25 minutes until slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted someplace between the edge and the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing. Refrigerate for an hour after cooling and slice with a hot dry knife for the cleanest slices.
