Homemade Brownies

Classic chewy, fudgy homemade brownies that are so much better than out of the box - and just as easy to make! You won't ever want to make another brownie recipe again after you try this!

Why you'll love it

These brownies have everything you could want. They are ultra decadent and chocolaty. They have a crisp, shiny top that gives way to a fudgy, chewy brownie. It manages to satisfy every craving you have and takes only a few minutes to prepare.

You can make this in one bowl and one baking pan, so clean up is a breeze. The recipe can be doubled or tripled and it is nearly infinitely customizable (this is a great base for some amazing brookies).

Key ingredients

The ingredient list for these brownies is pretty simple, but there are a few key ingredients that we should briefly go over.

• Cocoa powder - The recipe calls for Dutch-processed cocoa powder because I think it works the best here, but you can use unsweetened natural cocoa powder as a substitute.
• Cornstarch - This is my secret ingredient to make these brownies thicker, a little chewier, and also helps with getting that perfect brownie top.
• Butter & Oil - Most brownie recipes use just butter, which makes sense because it has the best flavor. However, for chewy brownies, you need a mix of butter and oil. Make sure you are using a neutral flavored oil and unsalted butter.
• Chocolate - I've experimented with using all types of chocolate in these brownies. I like a mix of dark and/or semi-sweet chocolate. You can use both or either, as long as you are using the bar form of chocolate. You can stir in chocolate chips into the batter for an extra hit of chocolate flavor, however.
• Sugar - I prefer the mix of both granulated and brown sugar in brownies. The brown sugar adds a molasses note that works well with the chocolate, and it also helps with the texture.

How to make brownies from scratch

Making homemade brownies is very easy to do and it can be done in one bowl!

1. Add your butter, chocolate, and sugar together into a large saucepan. Heat until the butter and chocolate are half melted. Remove from heat and stir until the butter and chocolate are fully melted and mixed well together.
2. Add in the oil, egg and vanilla. Beat vigorously for at least 4 - 5 minutes.
3. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt and stir until just combined.
4. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for roughly 35 - 40 minutes.
5. Remove and allow to cool completely before cutting.

Recommended tools

What I love about baking brownies from scratch is that it doesn't take a lot of equipment. In fact, you don't really need any special tools or equipment to bake them. For the very best fudgy, chewy brownies, however, I do have a few recommendations I would like you to keep in mind before baking.

• Use a metal pan. A light-colored metal pan will conduct heat the best and bake the brownies perfectly. Dark pans promote too much browning and can lead to burnt brownies whereas glass pans take too long to heat up and not only prolongs baking time, but also leaves you with brownies that are too dense and flat.
• Use a whisk or hand mixer. Beating the eggs with the sugar as vigorously as possible gives you that coveted shiny, crinkly top. You can whip it up by hand, or if you really want something special, use a hand mixer to whip it up together. It is completely optional, however.

Expert baking tips

The most important way to ensure you get the best brownies is to make sure you are correctly measuring your ingredients, particularly the flour. You should fluff up the flour and then spoon it into your measuring cup then sweep of the excess. If you want to make sure you get consistent results, you can convert the recipe to metric and use a kitchen scale.

Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature. If you need to quickly bring eggs to room temperature, you can leave them in a bowl of warm water for five minutes before using.

For brownies with that glossy top, you need to really beat the eggs and sugar together very well. It also helps to add the sugar to the hot butter before adding the eggs.

Don't forget to line the baking pan with parchment paper to make it easier to take out the bars once they've cooled enough to remove from the pan.

Use a light-colored metal pan. Dark pans encourage fast browning which can leave you with burnt brownies and glass pans do not conduct heat as well leaving you with brownies that longer to bake and are a lot more dense.

Variations

This is the perfect base brownie for using to create any number of delicious brownie variations.

• Add graham crackers and marshmallows for delicious s'mores brownies.
• Or you can top them with nuts, marshmallows, and more chocolate for some rocky road brownies.
• Get adventurous and mix in bacon for bacon brownies or make cream tahini brownies.
• Consider also cutting up your brownies into small squares to make the best brownie sundae ever.
• Add in your favorite chocolate. Dark, white, and even milk chocolate all make delicious mix-ins.
• Walnuts, pecans, and even pistachios are fun nuts that add flavor and crunch.
• Swirl in peanut butter and add in candy for my favorite peanut butter brownies. You can also try pecan pie brownies or Oreo brownies. If you're feeling fruity, try making raspberry brownies or blueberry brownies.
• Top with some cookie dough frosting for cookie dough brownies everyone will fall in love with.
• If you are feeling over the top, you can adjust the recipe slightly to make a showstopping brownie cake. that will make everyone fall in love.
• Make brown butter to create brown butter brownies that have a ton of flavor and dimension.
• Add spices to make a gingerbread-inspired brownie or a Mexican chocolate brownie with cinnamon and cayenne.

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