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
Oh shoot! I forgot the salt lol… they’re already baking. Do you think they’ll be ok without?
Darn! They might just taste too sweet without the balance.
Ah I guess we’ll live! LOL. Will have them for an extra special dessert tonight!
I have to also note, mixed them up with your L&L wooden spoon… still going strong! 🙂
Can I not use chocolate chips at all for this recipe but use walnuts instead?
You can, although the melty chocolate does really add to the fudginess.
Hummmm I thought I’d make these brownies because I’ve tried other recipes from Love & Lemons that were fab. They have been in the oven over an hour at gas mark 4. The only substitution I made was Oggs egg substitute (my daughter is allergic to eggs) but I used the right amount for two eggs. The mixture is bubbling but not baked through and my testing stick comes out gooey. What’s gone wrong?
Hi Susan, I’m sorry, these only work with real eggs, not egg substitutes. Here’s our vegan brownie recipe that’s made without eggs: https://www.loveandlemons.com/vegan-brownies-recipe/
These turned out alright. Thanks. Bit of vanilla ice cream on the side and . . . joy!
Great recipe: simple, fast, and delicious! Even though I neither had the chocolate chips nor the 8*8 baking dish, the brownies still tasted very delicious.
Can’t wait to try these…I’d like to add walnuts – suggestions on quantity and will this affect the cooking time?
Hi Karen, a 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts should be fine – I wouldn’t change the cooking time.
Fourth Time making these and they always turn out perfect! Thank you!
Arguably the worst brownies I’ve ever ate. Low chocolate flavor, thin, plain. How these are 5 star is beyond me.
We’re you using the right size pan? I’ve made these multiple times and they turned out fine! And I’m picky with brownies. And maybe try a different Coco powder!
Sister said they’re the best I’ve made
I don’t have any powdered sugar can’t I leave it out and use more granulated?
I have made these once before when I did have powdered sugar and they were amazing! Lots of compliments. If anyone can advise on omitting the powdered sugar please let me know.
Hi Alison, the texture will be more grainy – but you can easily make your own powdered sugar: https://www.loveandlemons.com/how-to-make-powdered-sugar/
Too sweet even though I like sweet food myself…. Followed the ingredients to a T and even cut 1/4 cup of sugar. Would recommend only using 1 cup of sugar if you don’t really have a strong sweet tooth. But the texture and taste is really good aside from the sweetness!
This is really rich because of all the sugar. But it was a really easy recipe to follow. I won’t make this in the future unless I can figure out how to cut a lot of the sugar out and it still being good.
I have been informed by my family that they never want to have boxed brownies ever again. They loved these!! So thank you. But if you could change your recipe to reflect the *** comment, it would be that much better. I read the recipe that said that the toothpick should come out with only a few crumbs but after 50 minutes it was still a gooey mess. Thankfully I’ve baked enough to know that my family would eat them raw if I let them so took the pan out of the oven even though the toothpick was a wet mess. They did firm up just enough to cut. So if you removed the toothpick and crumb part and just had the **** super gooey part, it might be easier to follow. Just my opinion. Either way, they were super delicious!! 🙂
thanks for the feedback, I’m glad your family loved them!
Hi can I use oat flour? And if so do I use the same amount??
Hi Laina, no oat flour isn’t a 1:1 swap for regular flour. Here are a bunch of recipe ideas that use oat flour: https://www.loveandlemons.com/oat-flour.
I made them for my niece for her 15th birthday and she LOVED them. Will definitely be making these again ? Easy and delicious!
I’m so happy to hear!
Hello Jeanine,
Thank you for sharing your recipes.
I’m planning to make this at an event for 100+ kids, so I’m adjusting your recipe to our needs.
As we’re baking them at a commercial kitchen we have big baking dishes only. Any tips to avoid overcooking them?
Hi Vivian, I would just watch them closely – a toothpick should come out with just a few crumbs attached. They might seem underdone when you take them out, but they’ll firm up out of the oven.
Delicious Brownie! Made it twice in a week! Best Brownie recipe for the crunchy top and moist middle!
This recipe is going to be my staple!! A must try for sure!
These are the best brownies ever! Super simple recipe. I made them with my 5 year old and he loved it. And they turned out so perfect!
Hello, can these be frozen? I have time to bake today, but won’t need them until next weekend. Thank you!
how much baking soda
There’s no baking soda.