Good Ol’ Homemade Brownies
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This may be a cooking blog, but I find myself sharing some of my deepest, darkest secrets (never having tried oatmeal before, for instance) here. So far you all have accepted me and all the horrible things I’ve kept hidden for years and years. I can only hope that you will continue to stand by my side as I reveal this next bit of private information about myself.
I prefer my brownies to be made from a box mix.
I’m sorry, okay? It’s just who I am and I have to be me. Writing a cooking blog isn’t going to change who I am. It just won’t, okay?
Except, well, I’ve recently discovered a brownie recipe so beautiful and delicious and rich and fudgy and chocolatey and oh goodness, I should just go ahead and admit it. I’m over the box mix brownies. No more, I say! No more!
Just go ahead and scroll back up there and look at those brownies! So full of chocolate! So gooey! So fudgy and scrumptious!
This recipe starts out by melting butter and sugar together in a sauce pan, and I know, there are lots of one bowl brownie recipes out there, but these guys are worth the extra dirty dish. Especially if your kids are your dish washers.
You’ll need to prepare yourself for this next part. You’re going to dump the cocoa powder into the sugar and butter. You’ll want to shove your entire face into your mixing bowl, but don’t do it. The butter is still hot and if you eat it all, we won’t have brownies!
Alright, so one lick won’t hurt anyone.
Look! Brownie batter bokeh! Yet another reason to love these brownies!
After you’ve mixed in the remaining ingredients, pour the batter into a buttered 9×13 pan and bake for about 30 minutes. What comes out of the oven is this amazingly delicious chunk of gooey, warm, melty chocolate. Let it cool and then slice and devour!
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SaveGood Ol' Homemade Brownies
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 baking dish.
In small saucepan over low heat, melt butter completely. Stir in sugar and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not allow sugar mixture to boil.
Pour butter mixture into a large bowl or stand mixer, beat in cocoa powder, eggs, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
Stir in the flour and chocolate chips until well combined.
Spread into prepared pan (batter will be very thick and sticky) and bake for about 30 minutes, until a tester comes out mostly clean. The edges should be set and the center should still look slightly moist, but not uncooked. Cool on a wire rack.
recipe from King Arthur Flour
Looking for ways to doctor up these brownies for something a little different?
Brookies! A mix of chocolate chip cookies and brownies!
Dulce de Leche Brownies. Gooey caramel puts these brownies over the top!
Cookie Dough Brownies. Brownies topped with raw, egg-free cookie dough! So decadent!
Buckeye Brownies. Brownie base, peanut butter layer, and a chocolate ganache topping. Get in my face.
Nutella Brownies. Super fudgy, with three types of chocolate – Nutella, chocolate chips, and cocoa!
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This recipe is wonderful! I made these brownies and took them to a family get together and nobody believed that I actually made them. They thought I had bought them at some bakery. Plus, when I logged on to leave this comment, my boyfriend immediately asked me if I was going to be making these again. Might as well, since they are so hard to resist! Thanks for the fabulous recipe!
They look amazing!!! An easy recipe to make with my boys. Thanks a lot.
These are good! So, so good! And easy. And did I mention good?
I didn’t have semisweet chocolate chips so I subbed white chocolate ones. For some reason they didn’t melt very well and my boyfriend thought they were nuts. Next time I will use the right chocolate chips or leave them out and replace them with walnuts. Yum!!!
9am Started diet.
3pm StumbledUpon these brownies.
6pm Ate tray of brownies.
10pm REGRET NOTHING!!!
Best Brownies…ever! They should be called Killer Brownies!
They JUST came out of the oven and I’m freaking out over how they look! Haven’t even tried them yet!!
I’ve been searching for the best fudgey brownie recipe – the ones I’ve made all turn out to be great with ice cream (not such a bad thing!) but, these look like they are decadent all on their own! Just what I’ve been hunting for.
Most appreciated for this recipe!
Thank you Karly!
NYC Mama-to-be
Oh my gosh – I am a HUGE brownie snob, but I just made these yesterday, and they are pretty much just as amazing as these pictures make them out to be. I added chopped up chocolate Riesen candies to mine (because I was a little short on chocolate chips and had half a bag left of those), which added an interesting twist. I want to try these again and use dark cocoa instead. These will definitely be added to my go-to-brownie file. Thanks!!
ps… I also topped a few with blackraspberry jam and a few others (yes, that’s a few x 2 – I ate that many!) with some leftover cream cheese frosting from a cake I’d made recently and both toppings added just an extra pinch of decadence that took them to that just-right level of richness. I’ll have to experiment with those additions in future batches as well
i made these tonight with my best friend.
PEOPLE WHO SAY THESE ARE THE BEST BROWNIES THEY’VE EVER TASTED ARE NOT LYING!
these brownies trump all other brownies in the world. forget everything you’ve ever known about brownies. just embrace this recipe and be happy with the most glorious thing to ever emerge from an oven. i’m serious, make these. do it.
Holy Heck! I kept re-checking the ingredience to make sure I had read them correctly…that is one heck of a lot of sugar, butter and yumminess. They are cooking now. I may die of a sugar induced coma, but what a way to go!
They just came out of the oven. They look absolutely stunning. Can’t wait to try them!!!
I’m looking for brownies to make for my son of 28 years. I had boxed brownie mixes . . . the last of which I used when I needed a chocolate fix. These look absolutely delicious. My son prefers brownies over my home made Christmas cookies. Next time I’ll be sure to have cream cheese on hand to swirl into the brownies. I’m off to bake!!
This is a fantastic recipe. I tried it over the weekend and it turned out perfectly – with any recipe like this though, I am always careful to make sure not to overcook. My oven is a bit on the older side and that can lead me to problems if I don’t keep an eye on things!
made them, love them! Having a bake sale for the school and will use this for sure! Thx
I made these a few days ago and they were wonderful!! Thanks for sharing. I am a box brownie person too but I may not go back after these.
Karly,
I am directly going to my kitchen to try to bake these brownies! If only computers had smell-a-vision! They look delicious. I have tried lots of different brownie recipes but I think I have found my new favorite. I have a luncheon to attend tomorrow and I am going to bring these. Thanks for the great recipe!
Cindy
Karly,
It’s me again Cindy. I made the brownies as promised for my luncheon and took them. I also sent some over to my neighbors house whose parents are visiting from Naples Italy to try. I just got home today and there were two messages on my answering machine, one from my friend that hosted the luncheon who said that they were the best most delicious brownies she had ever tasted and she wants the recipe. The other message was from my neighbor whose mother is from Italy who in her own rite is a fabulous cook and baker. She wants the recipe so her daughter can translate it to Italian and she can take it home with her. She thought they were the best she has ever tasted. I finally have a real winner of the best brownie recipe ever. I made at least 15 different recipes over the last few months in search of the best. and these are it.
Thanks for ending my search.
Cindy
I have to admit, I LOVE brownies from a box! I think that brownies are the only type of baked good I haven’t attempted from scratch yet. This might be the recipe I use when I decide to do it! They look just perfect!
I want to add a peanut butter flavor to my brownies. Would it work to add peanut butter chips to the mix instead of the chocolate ones?
I just made these for my husband and I! and we LOVE them!! we had them with some vanilla Ice Cream, OMGoodness!! SO GOOD!!!! thanks for the easy recipe!!!
those are the fudgiest brownies i’ve ever seen!! i’m making those stat!!!
I just made these and WOW. I will never buy boxed brownies again. Thank you so much. Yummy!
I just made a batch of these and accidentally used an extra cup of flour. The batter was pretty thick, and I was worried they’d be a disaster. But these brownies are so gooey to begin with, that my extra-flour version is still quite good. Just in case that happens to someone else– still bake them! They’re still good!
This is a wonderful recipe, thanks so much for sharing. You did a great job with the images too; I will definitely try this recipe this weekend.
Oh my my my do those look so good! I stumbleuponed your blog and am so happy that I did! Fudgey brownies are the best! I just don’t understand those people that like the cakey kind.
Brownie bokeh!! Haha, oh my gosh i love you!
Used an 8×8 pan instead of 9×13 and they took twice as long to cook. Still waiting on them. Hoping they are thick and gooey. Read through the comments before baking and wondering if an extra cup of flour should have been used. They look really really gooey..
Holy poop. I made these last week.
I will NEVER use a boxed mix again.
These are so delicious. Gooey, warm, soft….YUM.
Ooh, I’m so glad I’m not the only one who likes boxed brownies! After this reply I am going to go over and bake those brownies! They look sooo good, and I am very excited to try them, and hopefully hubby will decided he likes brownies after all
Did you use dutch process cocoa or regular?
I just want to tell you that I tried this recipe and it was one of the most delicious appetizer dishes I have ever made! Also, your pictures are worth a thousand words…they really make my mouth water! Great job!
ZOMG. These look amazing!!! Literally, the most delicious-looking brownies I have ever seen. I am making these to bring to my friend’s Christmas party, SO excited to try them.
These are in the oven right now! I went immediately into the kitchen after finding this recipe and I canNOT wait until they’re done! I sneaked a taste of the batter.. divine! Thank you!
I never bake. But i wanted to bake for Christmas time. So i started to search for an ultimate-chocolate-brownie online for several weeks. There were so many & i did shortlisted a few. Then i stumbled upon your brownie through Tastespotting. The decadent dark brownie had the look of “grandma’s secret-homemade-feel” effect which is just what i was looking for. If i wanted a conventional looking ones, i could just to out and buy one. But i wanted a special brownie which makes it memorable, baked from home, made from love…
Yesterday we had a party at home and i thought it would be a great opportunity for free guinea pigs to try this out before i do a proper ones for Christmas. My cousins were surprised and each of them were beaming from ear to ear when i packed a few leftover for them to take home. Obviously they left after having your recipe link being emailed to them.
Thank you Karly for such wonderful recipe. Now i’m officially a newbie baker of brownie-to-die-for!
Jessica Tan
What kind of cocoa did you use? I have unsweetened, would that be ok to use??
So I followed the recipe and I couldn’t even pour the batter… They’re pretty awful. I’ll stick to my boxed brownies.
My family loved these brownies – absolutely delicious! I was worried because the batter was VERY thick — almost couldn’t pour it into the pan. But they were wonderful – the best homemade brownie recipe I’ve made (and definitely better than box brownies, which I also love!).
Quick question, do we use real butter or margarine?
Do we use real butter or margarine?
Karly — February 8th, 2012 @ 4:19 pm
@Mary Ellen,
Butter! Always butter.
Brownies are my weakness. Yes, I could polish of a whole baking dish full in a weekend. I’m a closet box brownie user because any homemade receipe I have EVER made came out dry. YUK! For years I have added the espresso powder. I add a 1TBS. to a box mix along with chocolate chips or a chopped semisweet bar. The espresso adds a faint bitterness that is out of this world. Going to give your brownies a try this weekend. I love the idea of “homemade” desserts. Thanks!!
The first time I made homemade brownies I proudly brought them to my parents house. My dad came home from work, took one bite, and said, “This is the worst brownie I have ever tasted.” I’ve stuck to boxed ever since. But these… Oh my gosh… These look like everything I’ve ever wanted in a brownie. I can’t wait to try them. And ps. Oatmeal is overrated.
My kitchen aid stand mixer destroyed the chocolate chips…. they melted…
Karly — February 12th, 2012 @ 2:02 pm
@Savannah,
Hmm, yours must be more powerful than mine or your chips just softer. I always dump my chips in the mixer when making cookies or brownies and never have problems. Next time just stir them in by hand.
just made these ! absolutely fantastic !!
definitely a new favorite recipe !!
thanks so much ! : )
OMG! I can see the potential! I only made a half batch, because if they were as good as touted, I wanted to have some limit to my indulgence… however, I over-baked them
But they STILL taste divine! Can’t wait to try them again!
Thanks for sharing!
Oh my freaking heavens!!! My little girl and I made these last night and holy cow…these are so SO good. And honestly better the next day. Thank you for my go to brownie recipe…I will never even think about using a box brownie mix ever again.
What is the best way to prepare the pan? Haven’t made these yet but want to for V-Day! Normally when i cook brownies (always from a box) the outer edges are always burned or cook differently from the middle. Will a glass pan be OK? …that’s all I have,
Karly — February 12th, 2012 @ 1:59 pm
@Chrisi,
I always use parchment paper when baking. I’d just line your 9×13 dish (glass is fine) and pour in the batter. You can just spray the dish with cooking spray too, though.
Karly — February 12th, 2012 @ 2:00 pm
@Chrisi,
Oh, and if your burning the edges and undercooking the middle, it’s possible that your oven just doesn’t heat evenly. It could also run hot. You might want to buy a thermometer that you can keep in the oven to be sure you’re at the correct temp.
Would love to have the nutritional information on these. I’ve been saving up calories just so I can have one. I made them for my husband and granddaughters for Val Day. They look amazing and they loved them.
Karly — February 15th, 2012 @ 11:48 am
@Lizz,
I’m afraid I don’t have the nutritional info. I just don’t have time to figure up and add the information to each recipe, but I’m sure there is a website out there that allows you to enter the ingredients and will give you the nutritional info!
Made these for my co-worker’s Birthday, A-Maz-Ing!!!!!! They are now referred to at my office as BBE (BEST BROWNIES EVER)
Thanks!
I don’t know where I saw this recipe the first time, but pinned them onto one of my boards and made then this weekend. Oh my! My son tells me they are THE BEST thing he has ever eaten
This brownie recipe is a keeper! I used chocolate chunks and the espresso powder and they were actually TOO good! thanks for the recipe!
I am so UPSET!!!! These brownies are SOOOOOO decadent, delicious and divine!!!!! I wanted them to be just ok but I am so disappointed and now I have to have friends and family come over to take these brownies out of my house or I seriously will eat them all! I am a brownie snob and this is a great brownie recipe!!! I refuse to try another…thank you a bunch!!