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 my gosh, these were FANTASTIC! I was very skeptical about try olive oil, but it paired so nicely with the sea salt. A HUGE hit among my friends. Definitely will make these again and again!
best brownies ever, so quick and easy !
I followed this recipe to the letter, and the brownies were perfect in terms of texture. They were gooey, had a lovely crust on the outside edge of the pan. That said, using the recommended olive oil instead of a neutral oil like canola oil was a huge mistake. It totally changed the taste of the brownies and the olive oil left a weird (bad) aftertaste. I used Cobram Estate olive oil, which we love for cooking, though I don’t think it would have made a difference if I’d used a different brand. I’m remaking the recipe with canola oil, and I have high hopes for 5 star quality brownies this go round.
Hello, I want to make this brownie and I have a question: can I use flaxseed oil?
and one more question, is one cup 250 ml?
Hi Mia, I wouldn’t – it has too strong of a flax taste.
Oh my goodness! Recipe is 110% but ads are 0%! I used all black cocoa the first time and chocolate flavor was intensely golden! The second time I made it with 2 flax eggs and dairy free chips so vegan. 1/3 black cocoa powder and 1/3 Ghirardelli sweetened cocoa powder! Didn’t reduce sugar but this brownie is going to be judged by a bunch of sugar-loving kids at our church! 😂 Really good stuff! Thanks for sharing this! I highly recommend! I love that it’s dairy free and easy to make vegan!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Best brownies Ive ever had.
I found this recipe far too sweet, the texture was great! Perfectly chewy, but I could still feel the grains of the granulated sugar in the brownie. I think it was just far too much sugar for my liking.
My favorite brownie recipe! I’ve made it multiple times, with regular flour and gluten free! I also added walnuts and they were even better! Thank you for my new go-to. Divine!
I add a tsp instant coffee. It really deepens the chocolate also to make a mexican style switch vanilla for a tsp of cinnomon.
I want to make these can I use butter + oil?
yep, you can use melted butter.
Hello, if I wanted to make brownie bites in a mini muffin tin, how long would you suggest for cook time? Thank you
Love it!
It was the best brownie recipe i have ever tried. I actualy made mine in the evening, and baked it in the morning and it was very good. The flavour was very choclatei and moist.
Thank you!
Can I double the recipe and put in a 13×9 pan?
Yes I’ve done it multiple times.
What would the cook time be for doubling the recipe in a larger pan? Thanks!!
These are amazing! Some of the best brownies I’ve ever had! These work well with vegetable oil too! Could I use one those individual cavity pans? Almost like a square cupcake pan?
Hi Zahara, I’m so glad you love the recipe! I’ve never tried baking these in that type of pan. I think it would work, but the bake time will be shorter. I’d start checking at around 15 minutes.
I chose this recipe because I love a chewy brownie with crackle top.
I followed recipe exactly. The brownie is chewy with a great flavour, but alas, no crackle top. For that reason, only 4 stars.
Beware…I baked mine at 325 for 30 minutes, and they were almost overdone.
Hi Jackie, using fine white sugar (like Domino) can help give these a crackly top. I’m glad you enjoyed them otherwise!
An absolute home run – these brownies are fabulous! I followed the recipe *exactly* and baked them for 50 minutes. I let them cool for more than 2 hours and they came out of the pan and cut like a dream. This is brownie perfection. My only comment is that the recipe calls for an 8 x 8 dish and the picture shows a pan. I’m kind of a stickler about that….a dish is glass, a pan is metal. I used a baking dish as that’s what I had in 8×8. Again, perfection!
So glad you enjoyed the brownies!
Thank you! Gave me great ideas!
Could you please convert or add the metrics option. Not everyone has cups
meh. boxed are probably a better bet
Hi Robert, I’m sorry these weren’t for you.
lotta fake reviews here. really dry, no flavor. at least the chocolate chips were melted.
Hi Maddy, I’m sorry you were disappointed with the brownies! It sounds like yours might have been a little overbaked. It’s best to take them out of the oven when they still seem underdone. They’ll set up as they cool.
Easy and tastes ok.but the 40-48 minutes is probably if the baker doesn’t use the parchment paper, which slows the bake a lot. Add 15 to 20 mins in the oven, if you use parchment.
Hi Tyrone, we actually do use parchment for these and bake for 40 to 48. They should still look a little underdone when you take them out of the oven. Of course, ovens can also vary, so the timing for yours might be different.