The BEST brownie recipe! With crispy edges, fudgy middles, and rich chocolate flavor, these homemade brownies will disappear in no time.
For years, I couldn’t seem to find a recipe for brownies that met my standards. Anytime I made homemade brownies, I wanted them to be just like the ones I ate as a kid – super fudgy, moist, and chocolaty, with crispy edges and crackly tops. But the thing is, these brownies didn’t come from a recipe. We always made them from a box. Nowadays, I prefer to bake from scratch, but no brownie recipe I tried could live up to the chocolate brownies of my childhood.
So this fall, as I flipped through Michelle Lopez’s new book Weeknight Baking, her recipe for Boxed Mix Brownies, From Scratch caught my eye. Would I finally be able to make homemade brownies that would be just as delicious as the ones from a box?
The verdict: yes! I’ve had this brownie recipe on repeat since the first time I tried it. It calls for basic pantry ingredients, and it’s hardly more difficult than using a mix. As for the brownies, they’re true perfection – glossy, fudgy, and filled with rich chocolate flavor. Trust me, you’re going to want to make them ASAP!
Another thing you should do ASAP is check out Weeknight Baking! This book is packed with crave-worthy recipes that are meant for busy weeknights. Each one comes with fun variations (I have my eye on the matcha snickerdoodles) as well as tips for becoming a more efficient baker. After years of juggling a 9-to-5 job and running her blog, Hummingbird High, Michelle is full of wisdom on how to bake on a busy schedule. She writes, “We’re all doing the best we can with what we have. And I’m going to help you bake any night of the week that works for you.” If you love baking, you’ll love this book.
Homemade Brownie Recipe Ingredients
Back to Michelle’s recipe for brownies! In order for it to turn out like (aka better than) the boxed mix, Michelle uses granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, salt, and chocolate chips. Then, she adds these key ingredients:
- 2 eggs + water – Michelle uses a bit of water with the eggs to achieve the moist, gooey texture of boxed mix brownies without any commercial emulsifiers. And because this recipe doesn’t contain any baking powder, eggs are essential for helping the brownies puff up in the oven.
- Powdered sugar – The trick to making homemade brownies that are just like ones from a box! Powdered sugar contains cornstarch, which helps thicken the batter without the chemical additives you’d find in a mix.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Michelle recommends using Hershey’s Special Dark Dutch-processed cocoa powder (I used Whole Foods’ 365 Cocoa Powder). Make sure to sift it if it’s lumpy!
- Oil – While many recipes for brownies use unsalted butter, Michelle’s calls for canola oil, just like the boxed mix. I use olive oil because it’s what I keep on hand, and I love the rich flavor.
- Vanilla Extract – 1/2 teaspoon vanilla really amps up the chocolate flavor.
That’s it! These fantastic homemade brownies are so easy.
How to Make Brownies from Scratch
First, mix together the dry and wet ingredients in two separate bowls. Combine the sugar, flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and salt in a medium bowl. Then, whisk together the eggs, olive oil, and water in a large one.
Next, combine the wet and dry ingredients. Sprinkle the dry mixture over the wet one, and fold until just combined. The batter will be thick!
Then, pour the batter into an 8×8 inch baking pan lined with parchment paper. Use a rubber spatula to spread it to all four sides of the pan and to smooth the top. The mixture will be very thick – that’s ok.
Finally, bake! Transfer the pan to a 325-degree oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few crumbs attached. Allow the brownies to cool completely before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They also freeze well for up to a month. Last time I made these, I doubled the recipe and stored the second batch in the freezer. It was so fun to have them on hand for a quick and easy dessert or afternoon treat!
Best Brownie Recipe Tips
- Better chocolate chips = better brownies. In her book, Michelle writes that one of the biggest secrets to making great brownies is using large, good-quality chocolate chips. She recommends Ghiradelli’s 60% Cacao Bittersweet Baking Chips, while I love Enjoy Life’s Dark Chocolate Morsels. Either brand would fantastic in this recipe!
- It’s better to pull them out too early than to leave them in too long. No one likes dry brownies, so err on the side of caution when you’re making this recipe. Bake them until a toothpick inserted comes out with just a few crumbs attached. If you’re on the fence, go ahead and take them out of the oven. They’ll continue to firm up as they cool!
- Wait for them to cool. Try your best to resist eating these guys straight out of the oven. Letting them cool makes them gooier and fudgier, and they’ll be less likely to crumble when you slice them. Plus, they’ll have an even richer chocolate flavor. Trust me, it’s worth the wait!
More Favorite Desserts
If you love this brownie recipe, try one of these yummy treats next!
- Perfect Oatmeal Cookies
- Easy Sugar Cookies
- No-Bake Cookies
- Best Peanut Butter Cookies
- Orange Zest Shortbread Cookies
- Vegan Coconut Macaroons
Best Homemade Brownies
Equipment
- 8x8 Baking Dish (this is the one I use so they don't overcook)
- Cooking Spray (I love this avocado oil one from Chosen Foods)
- Parchment Paper (this makes it so much easier to remove the brownies from the pan)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar*
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 3/4 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup canola oil or extra-virgin olive oil**
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly spray an 8x8 baking dish (not a 9x9 dish or your brownies will overcook) with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, olive oil, water, and vanilla.
- Sprinkle the dry mix over the wet mix and stir until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan (it'll be thick - that's ok) and use a spatula to smooth the top. Bake for 40 to 48 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs attached (note: it's better to pull the brownies out early than to leave them in too long). Cool completely before slicing.*** Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. These also freeze well!
Notes
This recipe makes for delicious brownies!! I made a few substitutions after the first time and have not looked back. Instead of adding water, I add 2 Tbsp molasses – it adds flavor and helps keep a fudge-y consistency. I did use less sugar as the recipe suggests. I also use a 9×9 since that’s what I have and only bake for 20 mins. They turn out amazing each time. Sometimes I add fresh mint from the garden to switch it up.
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe!
Can you tell me the recipe in grams. I always get concerned when measurements are in cups of messing up the ratio
You mentioned cornstarch with powdered sugar and water with eggs. How much cornstarch and water do you recommended to use?
I usually use only powdered sugar. Is is necessary to use granulated sugar because It then feels like there is crunchy sugar present in the brownies so I always powder the whole amount of sugar. Will that work?
Hi Ayesha, yes, just use powdered sugar (some commercial brands contain cornstarch already in it but don’t add any extra). The exact recipe with the eggs, water, and all other measurements is at the bottom of the post in a recipe card, just above the comments.
I give it 3 because it IS fudgy as it says. But, it is way too sweet, as it the huge proportion of sugar which make it fudgy. I used to make a brownie with cocoa, shich is what I was looking for. Also, I added 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder which helped. I had wanted to make a Mexican chocolate brownie, so I added cinnemon and lamod extract to the recipe. Ir is easy to make, but I will not make these again because of the very high sugar content.
Hi! I definitely don’t have a problem with these (I haven’t actually cooked them yet) but wow the batter is very thick! I know the recipe told me it was gonna be thick but I mean this stuff cookie dough. Did I do something wrong?
The batter should be very thick. Cookie dough may be too thick, it’s hard to say without seeing it. Did you change anything about the recipe (i.e. the type of flour)?
I added some additional water.
I used only granulated sugar with a tbsp of cornflour. Turned out superb.
These were amazing!!! I used vegetable oil. I also forgot the parchment paper and they still came right out of the pan. I had to shorten the baking time, but that may just be a difference in my oven. Delicious!
I used 1 cup of granulated sugar.
The brownies turned out amazing. The crinkly top was too tasty. Thank you!
Can I use gluten-free flour? Will it make a big difference to the brownies??
Hi Anna, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say exactly how they would be affected.
What if I don’t have parchment paper? Can I bake them in a regular pan with out it?
Hi Yanna, they’ll stick more and you’ll have a harder time scooping them out.
I totally forgot the parchment paper. I used a nonstick pan and they slid right out, no problem.
Butter the pan to help with it not sticking. I’ve never made them with parchment paper.
Crunchy on the sides, deep chocolate chew in the middle! Perfect brownies!!
So fudgy and yummy!
I am gluten free so would use GF flour, also I do not use regular sugar but coconut sugar. Will these exchanges change the brownies too much. Thank you.
Hi Renee, I think these changes will change the brownies quite a bit but I can’t say how without trying.
I love this recipe!! However, after making it about 10 times, my top still does not come out crackly-smooth like the recipe pictures, my top looks grainy. When I spread my batter in the pan it also has the grainy texture of the sugar. I can’t figure it out! Thank you for any help you can give me!!
Hi Lusi, I would try another sugar where the crystals are more fine (domino sugar is pretty fine). Brands vary, but smaller crystals will yield a shinier top. Hope that helps!
So I just mad the batter for this and it turned out super thick, was not the usual consistency of brownie batter I’m used to. We shall see what happens ?
Hi Emily, the batter is really thick, it’s ok.
OK, these are the best brownies in the history of brownies in the world. Seriously. No kidding. I always have to make double batches because I give them away and can’t be stingy when there’s something this wonderful. THANK YOU!
These are delicious, I’ve made them twice- once with avocado oil and once with grape seed oil. Avocado oil tasted better. I also subbed sucanat for granulated sugar. Perfect and fudgy! Thank you.
I just made these brownies. They turned out perfect and really yummy. I modified the recipe using coconut oil instead of olive oil or canola. It worked beautifully.
Thank you for this recipe. It’s a keeper!
I have searched for the perfect chewy brownie recipe FOREVER. I finally found it – these are fabulous!
this is perfect!!! this will be our go-to brownie recipe. we just added 1/4tsp of instant coffee powder. and since we don’t have 8″x8″ pan and only got 9″x9″, we took it out at around 30mins. thanks for this recipe!