Rich and fudgy Brown Butter Brownies are so decadent and delicious while being so easy to make at home with simple ingredients. I’ve adapted my Best Homemade Brownies recipe to make them with brown butter for even more complexity and depth in the flavor. This is one of my favorite recipes in Scientifically Sweet Chocolate cookbook and they’re so easy that you can make them successfully even if you’ve never made brownies before! They have a super fudgy texture that sticks to your teeth and they’re so much better than any brownies that you’ll make from a box mix. The nutty flavors from brown butter complement the chocolate so well! If you want to check out a recipe that uses cocoa powder instead of chocolate, refer to my Better Than Box Mix Brownies Recipe. For extra thick fudgy homestyle brownies, check out my Best Homemade Brownie recipe.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- No mixer – you can make these brownies with just a bowl and a whisk!
- Easy to make – this is a very easy homemade brownie recipe. All you need is 7 simple ingredients and 5 easy steps.
- Fudgy chocolate brownies – these are not cakey at all! They have a perfect fudgy texture.
- Slightly chewy brownies – the best brownies have a nice 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 toasty, caramelized notes from brown butter.
WHAT MAKES THE SHINY TOP ON BROWNIES?
The shiny crust that forms on top of baked brownies is a result of dissolved sugar crystals that recrystallize as they dry at the surface during baking and reflect light. The crust can only form once the sugar is sufficiently dissolved, or if there is enough very finely milled sugar in the batter from melted chocolate which can dissolve very readily. This is why box mix brownies form that crust so easily: because they contain very fine sugar in addition to powdered sugar. Brownies made with melted chocolate form this shiny crackly top much easier than brownies made with cocoa powder only.
INGREDIENTS FOR BROWN BUTTER BROWNIES
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.
- Salted butter – the best brownies that have a fudgy texture are made with butter and I prefer salted butter in this recipe because it will be more intensely flavored once you brown it. You can also certainly make these with unsalted butter and add another ¼ teaspoon of salt. You can learn how to brown butter here. It’s easy!
- 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.
- Brown sugar – I use about half brown sugar in this recipe to add to the rich caramel flavors that brown butter contributes.
- Egg – 3 whole eggs will provide majority of the structure in these brownies.
- Dark chocolate – It is important to use bittersweet chocolate otherwise the brownies will be too sweet. Anything between 70 and 85% cocoa solids will work. I prefer bittersweet chocolate or extra dark chocolate, and these bittersweet chocolate callets are very convenient.
- Cocoa powder – just 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder in place of 1 tablespoon of 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 5 steps for cutting brownies so that you end up with clean edges. You can read this article here for the full detailed instructions, as well as watch a step-by-step video.
1) Line your baking pan with parchment paper.
2) Let the brownies cool completely.
3) Remove brownies from pan to a flat cutting surface, such as a large board or clean chopping block.
4) Use a sharp, straight, thin-bladed knife and run it under very hot water, then wipe it dry before slicing.
5) Carefully wipe the blade clean with paper towels or a kitchen cloth and repeat step 4 between each slice.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
- STEP 1.) First brown the butter. Follow the instructions in this post here to learn how to brown butter. It’s easy! Brown specks and a dense golden foam will form at the surface when it is nearly ready. Pour it out into a clean bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes. This whole process takes around 8-10 minutes. Let the just browned butter cool for 3 minutes.
- STEP 2.) Melt chocolate. Pour the still hot brown butter over the chocolate in a large bowl and stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Set it aside, but no need to let it cool.
- STEP 3.) Beat eggs and sugar. Combine eggs, both sugars and salt in a large bowl and whisk until pale and thickened a bit. It will take a minute or two.
- STEP 4.) Combine eggs and chocolate. Add warm melted chocolate mixture and whisk it in until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
- STEP 5.) Add dry ingredients. Combine flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk to blend well and break up any lumps of cocoa. Sprinkle it over the chocolate batter and fold it in until evenly combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
- STEP 6.) Bake! Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 24 minutes. Turn off the oven, leave the brownies inside for another 5 minutes. This will help them cook gently for the last minutes so that they don’t sink in the middle. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
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 BROWN BUTTER BROWNIES
- Use a kitchen scale. For best results, weigh your ingredients according to the measurements in the recipe card below using a kitchen scale.
- Use room temperature eggs. I can’t stress this enough. Cold eggs will have a hard time dissolving the sugar, so make sure your eggs are at room temperature or even warm. I like to submerge them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes before baking.
- 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.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar thoroughly. This will help encourage the sugar too dissolve. The more you whisk, the more air you will incorporate and the thinner the crust will be on top (so thin it can flake off). I recommend whisking well, but don’t try to whip if you want the crust to stick more.
- Measure flour accurately. Too much flour leads to dry brownies, especially when baking with brown butter since the moisture has been driven off, so be sure to use a scale or use the spoon and sweep method without packing the flour into the measuring cup.
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder to remove lumps which helps it incorporate evenly and minimizes how much you will need to mix it in.
- 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.
- Watch the baking time carefully. Brownies made with brown butter are more prone to drying out since the water in the butter has been driven off already. This brownie should take about 25 minutes when baked in a metal pan. Start checking after 24 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.
- Let brownies cool completely. Although it might be tempting to eat them warm from the oven, brownies reach their maximum fudginess when completely cooled. This is because the cocoa butter in the melted chocolate needs time to recrystallize which gives these brownies that nice fudgy, stick-to-your-teeth texture.
- Cool before slicing. If you cut your brownies while still hot, the steam will escape and the sliced brownies will dry out faster than if you let them cool before slicing.
RECIPE FAQ
Use dark chocolate to make the best brownies. I prefer anything between 60% and 70% (bittersweet chocolate). Do not use unsweetened chocolate which will compromise the shiny crust formation. If you choose to use semisweet chocolate, just note that they will certainly taste much sweeter.
Yes, you can use unsalted butter. I really love making these brownies with salted butter because it adds another level of richness and offsets the sweetness while still maintaining the fudgy texture. I highly encourage you to try this recipe with salted butter!
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 add some nuts to this recipe! If you’d like to add some walnuts to complement the brown butter, I would recommend not more than ⅓ cup as they can dry out the batter.
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 because too much flour will certainly make these brownies dry.
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 1-2 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:
Brown Butter Brownies
My Brown Butter Brownies are so decadent and delicious with a rich and fudgy texture while being so easy to make at home with simple ingredients. They are so fudgy that they stick to your teeth and they’re so much better than any brownies that you’ll make from a box mix!
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch square metal 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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First brown the butter. Follow the instructions in this post here to learn how to brown butter. It’s easy! Brown specks and a dense golden foam will form at the surface when it is nearly ready. Pour it out into a clean bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes. This whole process takes around 8-10 minutes.
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Let the just browned butter cool for 3 minutes, then pour the still hot brown butter over the chocolate in a large bowl and stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Set it aside, but no need to let it cool.
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Combine eggs, both sugars and salt in a large bowl and whisk until pale and thickened a bit. It will take a minute or two. Add warm melted chocolate mixture and whisk it in until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
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Combine flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk to blend well and break up any lumps of cocoa. Sprinkle it over the chocolate batter and fold it in until evenly combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
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Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 24 minutes. Turn off the oven, leave the brownies inside for another 5 minutes. This will help them cook gently for the last minutes so that they don’t sink in the middle. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
