Homemade Brownies

I’ve tried many times to find a Homemade Brownies Recipe that I like better than a boxed brownie mix. Well, I’m happy to announce, there is FINALLY a brownie recipe that trumps boxed brownies.

This recipe, adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, is your new best friend. If you want fudgy brownies, this is the recipe for you. If you want rich brownies, yep, I got you. If you want to just eat the brownie batter, join the club! These brownies are amazing drizzled with homemade Salted Butterscotch Sauce or Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce!

I love brownie batter! Growing up, my sister and I would make brownies — from the box — and I’d love licking the spoon. I’d even try and convince her that we didn’t really need to bake the batter. Well, you finally have a recipe that yields not only great brownie batter but incredible baked brownies. 

One of my favorite things about this recipe is the thin, shiny, crackly top. That’s total professional brownie baker status. And trust me, it’s a simple recipe to follow. Even if it’s your first go at baking, you can get the thin, crackly top too!

Fudgy brownies are my favorite, and boy are these fudgy! And, just because there is no such thing as too much chocolate, the chocolate chips in these add that extra pocket of melted chocolatey goodness. 

For that rich, chocolate flavor, we use cocoa powder and melted unsweetened chocolate to really amp up the chocolate flavor. 

And while we’re adding on more chocolate, I like to serve my brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of homemade hot fudge. Mmm, mmm, good!

Let’s go over the basic ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe.

Ingredients

• Dutch processed cocoa
• Boiling water – an important ingredient when it comes to blooming cocoa powder (more on this below).
• Unsweetened chocolate – finely chopped.
• Unsalted butter – melted.
• Vegetable oil – a key ingredient to creating a chewy brownie.
• Eggs
• Egg yolks
• Vanilla extract – added for flavor.
• Granulated sugar – ironically the sugar plays a key role in creating the sheen crackly top.
• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips

How to bloom cocoa powder

Mix the cocoa powder with very hot water until the cocoa powder is smooth and no lumps remain. The cocoa powder will thicken and release flavor particles within the powder. Doing this accentuates and brings out the absolute best in cocoa powder. Think ultra-chocolatey goodness. 🙌🏼

Step by step instructions

1. Prepare the pan. Line a 9″x13″ inch pan with foil, leaving a 1-2″ inch overhand on all sides sot 4th you can easily remove the brownies. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk the boiling water and cocoa powder until smooth. As mentioned above, this is “blooming cocoa powder” which plays a key role in making perfect brownies. 
3. Next, whisk in the unsweetened chocolate until fully melted and smooth. 
4. Whisk in the melted butter and oil. At this point the mixture might look clumpy and curdled but don’t worry, it will smooth out in no time. 
5. Whisk in the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla extract. Whisk in the granulated sugar until thoroughly combined.

6. Using a rubber spatula fold in the flour, salt, and chocolate chips. Do not over mix. 
7. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to the toothpick. 
8. Cool. Let the brownies cool for 1 – 1 1/2 hours. When ready to slice and serve remove the foil liner, lifting the brownies out of the pan. Cut and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

• Make sure to finely chop the unsweetened chocolate, this helps it melt easier and faster when stirred into the warm water + cocoa mixture.
• To check for doneness use a toothpick. Insert the toothpick in the center of the brownies, if there are a few moist crumbs clinging to the toothpick the brownies are done baking. If the toothpick comes out clean they are over-baked.
• Do not over bake brownies. Doing so will result in dry, chalky brownies.
• You can use a smaller pan such as a 9″x9″ or 8″x8″ brownie pan for very thick brownies, however the baking time will vary.
• We add cocoa powder and unsweetened chocolate because a brownie recipe made with only cocoa powder (which is high in starch) will result in a brownie that is often times too dry.
• You can substitute bittersweet chocolate for the unsweetened chocolate, however you will lose some of the intense chocolate flavor.

Related Recipes 

• Nutella Brownies – think chocolate + Nutella. Yeah, these are amazing.
• Mint brownies – with the most amazing mint and chocolate frosting.
• Cosmic Brownies – better than Little Debbies. It’s true.
• German Chocolate Brownies – for all of my German chocolate lovers.
• Oreo Truffle Brownies – if you like Oreo balls, then this recipe is def made for you.
• Biscoff Brownies – total cookie butter heaven. 
• Ferrero Rocher Brownies