There’s nothing that beats warm, from-scratch, fudgy homemade brownies that are bursting with a chocolate flavor other than the ones topped with a big ole scoop of vanilla ice cream! What makes these the best brownies is the ooey-gooey chocolate once the chips have melted.
If you like the taste of the chocolate and caramel combo, I recommend my Caramel Brownies. Even though they are made with a boxed brownie mix, they are still so delicious and have way more caramel in each bite than the standard square.
I know box mixes are great when you are in a pinch, I also use those when I make Brownie Bottom Cheesecake, but the best brownie recipe that also steals my heart is homemade. We love brownies and brownie batter around here (but be sure to use our edible brownie batter recipe if you can’t wait for the oven.)
Another reason this is one of my favorites is that it makes a full baking dish of brownies versus a square, so more for me!
Ingredients Needed For Making These Homemade Brownies
- eggs – allow time for the eggs to come to room temperature before mixing in the batter
- vanilla extract
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- salt
- baking powder
- unsalted butter
- granulated sugar
- all-purpose flour
- semi-sweet chocolate chips – you could also use dark chocolate or milk chocolate chips if you prefer.
How to Make Homemade Brownies From Scratch
Grease a 9×13 baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment and mix for a couple of minutes. Pour in the cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Whisk for another minute. Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Whisk the sugar into the hot butter.
Add the melted butter/sugar mixture to the other bowl and stir until combined. Mix the flour into the batter until fully combined. Fold in the chocolate chips using a rubber spatula. Pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes just until a few crumbs remain when you stick a toothpick in the center. Remove from the oven and let all of them cool completely before cutting. Slice into squares and serve! Top with ice cream, hot fudge, or caramel sauce.
- If you need to use a square baking pan, half the recipe.
- Adding nuts: fold in some walnuts or pecans after the chocolate chips for a nice crunch.
- Mixing the sugar with the hot butter partially dissolves the sugar crystals. This, along with the extra whisking of the egg mixture at the beginning, are what gives these brownies that crispy, shiny top and a nice chew around the edges.
- Transfer the brownies to a wire rack to cool a little faster.
Common FAQs
How long will homemade brownies stay fresh in sealed containers?
They will last up to 5 days on the countertop in cooler temperatures or in the fridge when stored in an airtight container.
Once they have cooled completely, you can freeze them in single servings or separate the layers with parchment paper in a freezer bag after you seal them in plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat in the microwave for a few seconds.
A brownie that has a texture similar to cake contains less fat and more ingredients like flour and baking powder. This recipe has more fat from the butter and chocolate compared to the ratio of dry ingredients, which keeps them moist and chewy but has a crackly crust.
More Desserts for Chocolate Lovers
Homemade Brownies
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13” glass baking dish and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine eggs and vanilla extract. Using the whisk attachment on the mixer, whisk the egg mixture for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder to the mixture and whisk an additional minute.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Once melted, whisk the sugar into the hot butter.
- Add the melted butter/sugar mixture to the chocolate mixture and stir until combined.
- Add the flour to the batter, mixing just until fully combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spread the brownie batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, until just a few crumbs cling to a toothpick/knife when stuck in the center of the brownies.. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- Cut into squares to serve.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Lisa Lysholm says
Another concern: How can we mix the hot butter and sugar mixture into the eggs without tempering them first? Or is the 2-min whisking sufficient to prevent the eggs from scrambling?
Lisa Lysholm says
I went to make these brownies, literally have the ingredients out and ready to go, but cannot make them as there appears to be a problem with the recipe instructions.
Instructions #4 & #5 don’t match the photos beneath them, and instructions #5 & #6 seem to be repetitive, but I’m not quite certain (“mixing bowl” vs “other bowl”), so I’m unsure how to proceed.
I’ve been searching for a brownie recipe to copycat that of a local deli, and this ingredient list exactly matches theirs, so I was going to give it a try as our family adores their brownies (with walnuts), but I’m not sure how to make this recipe.
Please advise.
Stefanie says
Good catch, Lisa! Yeah, I think there was a duplicate instruction step there – I’ve removed it now. Regarding the concern about the eggs scrambling – once you’ve stirred the sugar into the melted butter, it cools it down substantially. The cocoa powder and the sugar also act as a bit of a buffer against the heat. The eggs won’t scramble – or I’ve never had a problem and I’ve made this recipe many times. If you want to be extra cautious, heat your butter until it’s just melted (this usually takes 30-45 seconds in my microwave) and then allow it to cool a bit after you’ve mixed in the sugar. Can’t wait to hear how your family likes these!