May 15, 2019

Perfect Homemade Brownies

by Karly in Bar Desserts, Brownies, Buns In My Oven Favorites, Dessert, Videos    
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This homemade brownie recipe will change your life! No more box mixes, because these are seriously the best homemade brownies you’ll ever try. My whole family begs for them!

homemade brownies from scratch

Are you guys ready for another of my deepest, darkest secrets?

In the past I’ve shared things like the fact that I’d never in my life eaten oatmeal (the horror!), I’ve blogged about how one time I drank salad dressing from a ziploc bag because…I don’t know why. I have shared some deep and disturbing things with you and here I am with another…

I generally prefer brownies that are made from a box mix.

Or, at least, I did.

Then I found the perfect homemade brownies recipe and now I’m obsessed. 

These brownies are perfectly thick, chewy, and fudgy. If you like fudgy brownies, you’re going to love these.

 

Homemade brownies from scratch:

fudgy brownie recipe

Yes, I am here to tell you that you can actually make the best brownies ever and they do not need to come from a box.

I’m all about the box mix, because it’s simple and easy and basically always delicious, but I have a thing for perfecting homemade treats and homemade brownies was obviously on that list. 

These brownies from scratch are a little fussier than a box mix, but you’ll quickly see that they’re easy enough and you’ll be making these on the regular. Promise.

If you like your brownie recipe to be fudgy and super chocolaty, well, here you go.

Homemade brownie recipe step by step: 

First, we’re going to melt some butter on the stove and add in a bit of sugar. We don’t want to caramelize the sugar – just melt it into the butter.

melted sugar and butter for brownie recipe

Add the hot butter mixture to a mixing bowl and let it cool for just a few minutes before adding the eggs. 

Beat in the eggs and cocoa powder with a little vanilla. 

This mixture is going to look divine, so go ahead and take a little lick if you must.

Next, add in your flour, baking powder, a little salt, and the secret weapon: espresso powder.

brownie batter in glass bowl

If you don’t have espresso powder, you can skip it. However, I highly recommend keeping some on hand for baking with chocolate. It doesn’t make your treats taste like coffee, it just enhances the rich chocolate flavor. Highly recommend. This is the brand I use, if you’d like to purchase on Amazon. (affiliate)

Mix that all together by hand and then stir in some chocolate chips. I like to use dark or semi-sweet, but my family prefers milk. Use whichever variety you like best. 

Spread the brownie batter into a greased or parchment lined 9×13 baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes. The batter will be thick.

You want the edges to be firmly set and the center to still be a bit soft. I like to use a tester 1 inch from the edge – when the edges are fully cooked through, your center should be nicely fudgy and delicious. 

Let these cool for as long as you can stand it before cutting.

I use my dusting wand (affiliate) to lightly sprinkle on some powdered sugar. It’s not necessary but it makes the brownies oh so pretty!

fudgy brownies

More brownie recipes to try:

Nutella Brownies: If you like extra fudgy brownies, try these!

Marshmallow Brownies: Wait til you see the layers on these brownies!

Reese’s Brownies: Brownie bottom + peanut butter frosting + chocolate fudge frosting + Reese’s!

Mississippi Mud Brownies: I love the marshmallows on here!

brownies from scratch on cutting board

Recipe for easy homemade brownies:

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5 from 8 votes

Homemade Brownies

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy brownie recipes, easy dessert recipes, kid-friendly recipes
Calories: 419 kcal

This homemade brownie recipe will change your life! No more box mixes, because these are seriously the best homemade brownies you'll ever try. My whole family begs for them!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup 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

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 baking dish.
  2. 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.

  3. Pour butter mixture into a large bowl or stand mixer, and cool for 2 minutes. Beat in cocoa powder, eggs, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.

  4. Stir in the flour and chocolate chips until well combined.
  5. 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 Notes

Espresso powder is optional, but deepens the flavor of any chocolate dessert and I highly recommend keeping a jar on hand for baking.

Dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Nutrition Facts
Homemade Brownies
Amount Per Serving (1 brownie)
Calories 419 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 13g81%
Cholesterol 78mg26%
Sodium 268mg12%
Potassium 290mg8%
Carbohydrates 53g18%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 36g40%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 435IU9%
Calcium 46mg5%
Iron 3.2mg18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on bunsinmyoven.com should only be used as a general guideline.

This post was originally published in October of 2009. It was updated with new photos in May of 2019. Original photo below:

Homemade brownies that are super thick and fudgy. This brownie recipe creates thick, fudgy brownies from scratch.

posted on May 15, 2019
categories: Bar Desserts, Brownies, Buns In My Oven Favorites, Dessert, Videos
352 Comments »