I’ve been loyal to this brownie recipe for decades and have no intention of changing it! It’s super easy, super chocolatey and super fudgy. I firmly believe the best brownies must be made with both cocoa and melted chocolate, and butter instead of oil. Bonus: it’s a simple one-bowl, hand mixed recipe!
Homemade Chocolate Brownies
These homemade brownies are every chocoholics dream come true.
Need a chocolate fix urgently? These will be in the oven in 15 minutes flat (if not faster).
Hate washing up? Just one bowl to deal with here.
Like your brownies outrageously chocolatey and fudgy in the middle? This one delivers in spades.
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! (This is optional though, and I don’t add the extra chocolate for everyday brownies 🙂 ).
How to make 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 extra chocolate chunks if you’re using it. 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.
super gooey – if there is a lot of smear on it (24 minutes bake time)
** moist and fudgy (my favourite) ** – if the toothpick gets a brown strain and has some smear on it (28 minutes)
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!).
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)
- 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chips or melts/discs (US: semi-sweet chocolate) (Note 1)
- 1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
- 3 large eggs , lightly beaten (fridge cold or room temp is fine)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup plain flour (all-purpose flour)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder , sifted
- Pinch of salt
OPTIONAL EXTRA CHOCOLATE ADD-INS
- 180g / 6oz (1 cup) dark chocolate chips, or block/bar chopped into chunks (OPTIONAL!) (US: semi-sweet chocolate) (Note 2)
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE
- Melt choc and butter, mix in sugar and vanilla, then eggs. Stir in flour, cocoa and salt, bake in lined 20cm/8" pan at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) for 28 minutes. Cool before slicing.
FULL RECIPE
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Spray a 20cm/8" square tin with oil or grease with butter. Line with baking paper/parchment paper with overhang (Note 3).
- Melt chocolate and butter – Place butter and chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl, microwave in 30 second bursts (takes me 1m 30 sec) until melted. Stir until smooth.
- Sugar and eggs – Add sugar and vanilla, mix, then add eggs and mix well until smooth and molten.
- Dry ingredients – 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).
- Rest for 10 minutes before lifting out of the pan (they are fragile when hot). Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting. For really neat slices, refrigerate for 30 minutes, or even overnight, but always eat at room temp for fudgy perfection!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published August 2016. Updated with new photos and brand new video in 2020.
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Life of Dozer
Dozer hates being hugged. Don’t know why. I mean, what dog doesn’t like their face being squished like this in a chokehold grip?
Nothing sweet in the house and very pregnant meant it was a brownie baking afternoon. This is my go to recipe and has never failed me. Absolutely lush. Thanks Nagi
These are the best brownies I have ever cooked and enjoyed, perfection, thank you Nagi
These are absolutely delicious, thank you!
Best brownie recipe I’ve ever used! Perfectly fudgy and gooey. Instructions for cooking times are spot-on!
I loved it. it was a bit to fudgy and gooey and my sister likes it gooey so next time we’ll cook it longer.
I loved the fudgy taste to it. Absolutely scrumptious!
Very yummy and easy
This is the best brownie recipe – I love adding walnuts on half and banana pieces on the other half. YUM!
Very good recipe. I have prepared many times and everyone loves the brownies. It is very easy to do. Thanks Nagi.
Omg these are the best brownies I’ve ever made! So fudgy and soft.
Could I add cherries to them for a Black Forest vibe?
Perfect! Reduced the sugar to 60gr. Used 3 large eggs. Swapped the wheat flour for oat flour. Baked in 12 cupcake forms for 18 mins @ 180c. They pop right out of the forms. Wonderful slightly warm with vanilla ice cream.
Okay the amount of times I have made this recipe is crazy. This is my go to thing to bake and I literally cannot recommend it enough. I find I have to bake it longer, but I don’t care because they are the best brownies in the entire world. Thanks Nagi!
These are indeed great. I do have a question- at times I have a separation between the chocolate and the oil. Any recommendations?
Thanks.
I don’t usually comment on internet but this time I want to! Beautiful recipe that can be made with 1 hand (while holding a baby in other hand). Super delicious, will definitely repeat it again and again. Thank you:)
i brought these into my class once and everyone loved them !! 10/10 i’ve made these 3 times so good 💓💓💓
Hello Nagi san, I want to make your delicious looking brownies for my son as he’s having a brownie competition in school! Could you please help me. I need to make enough for at least 20 people so can you advise me on ingredient measurements for that amount. Thank you so much, Jane
Can you make your brownie recipe into mini muffins for a party and what time and heat adjustments do I need to make please?💞🌟👏🏻
Can I make the batter early, leave it in the fridge and cook later on? TIA
I don’t normally leave comments, but this recipe is worth shouting from the rooftops about!! I tried this for the very first time and it was amazing. Best brownie recipe ever! I won’t ever need another one again! So fudgy and moist, you can’t go wrong! Thanks Nagi x
Absolutely incredible! As a 16 year old who can’t bake and is horrendous at cooking, these made my family go insane! One question though, how long should I take to reheat these for later servings?