Learn how to make homemade brownies from scratch! With brown butter and quality chocolate, my chocolate brownie recipe yields deeply chocolatey brownies with a crackly top, crisp edges, and a soft, fudgy center. Served warm with vanilla ice cream, these are the best brownies you’ll ever taste.
I’m not a huge dessert guy, preferring savory options like rotisserie-style chicken and banh mi sandwiches. When I do indulge my sweet tooth, I typically reach for a classic treat like my brown butter chocolate chip cookies or these brown butter brownies.
On the surface, brownies are easy to prepare. You mix a handful of ingredients together and let the oven do the rest. However, when it comes to making the best brownie recipe, there are a few crucial factors that can’t be skipped, like browning the butter and using high-quality chocolate.
Over the years, I’ve perfected my homemade brownie recipe, delivering results better than even some of the best restaurants in the world. Even my hard-to-please grandma gave this recipe a rating of nine point three out of ten! I’ll walk you through all my tips and tricks so you never have to go back to boxed brownie mix again.
Ingredients and Notes
See the recipe card below for the complete ingredient list and instructions.
- Butter – I recommend using unsalted butter, so you have more control over the flavor of the brownies. Once browned, this adds an incredible, rich, nutty flavor to the batter.
- Dark Chocolate – Use good-quality dark chocolate here. There aren’t many ingredients in these brownies, so the quality of the chocolate makes a noticeable difference in the flavor.
- Eggs – I use four whole eggs and one egg yolk to give the batter structure and richness, contributing to the fudgy center.
- Vanilla Extract – This adds depth and enhances the rest of the ingredients.
- Sugar – I use light brown sugar to sweeten the batter and add subtle molasses notes, while keeping the center soft. Then, I include white sugar for extra sweetness and structure, helping the brownies hold their shape and contributing to the crackly top.
- Flour – All-purpose flour forms the base of the batter.
- Cocoa Powder – I highly recommend using Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a bold chocolate flavor, but any unsweetened cocoa powder will work.
- Osmo Flakey Sea Salt – Don’t skip this! Salt enhances the chocolate and provides contrast to the sweetness for the perfect balance of flavors in every bite.
How to Make Homemade Brownies
1. Prepare the Batter
2. Bake the Brownies
Nick’s Tips for Success
- Don’t rush the browned butter. Cook the butter until the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty, but watch it closely toward the end because it can go from browned to burnt quickly.
- Whip the eggs and sugar thoroughly. This is one of the key steps to achieving a classic shiny, crackly brownie crust. Let the mixture whip until it becomes noticeably pale, thick, and increased in volume.
- Keep the chocolate mixture warm. Fold the warm chocolate and browned butter into the whipped eggs while it’s still fluid. Just make sure it isn’t piping hot, which could begin to cook the eggs.
- Fold gently once you add the flour. Overmixing after the flour goes in can develop too much gluten and give the brownies a texture similar to chocolate layer cake. Stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of dry flour or cocoa.
- Avoid overbaking. The center should still have a slight wobble when the brownies come out of the oven. They’ll continue to set as they cool.
- Let them cool before slicing. They’ll be extremely soft straight from the oven. Cooling allows the chocolate and butter to set so you get clean slices and crisp edges while maintaining a fudgy center.
- Use a hot knife for clean cuts. Dip a sharp knife in hot water, wipe it dry, and clean the blade between each cut.
Homemade Brownies Recipe
This homemade brownies recipe yields rich, deeply chocolatey brownies with a signature crackly top and soft, fudgy center. Browning the butter adds a nutty depth of flavor that takes them to the next level, especially when paired with a little flakey sea salt on top!
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer Fitted with a Whisk Attachment
- 1 Small Saucepan
- 1 Fine Mesh Sieve
- 1 Silicone Spatula
- 1 Wire Cooling Rack
- 1 (9 x 9-inch / 23 x 23-centimeter) Baking Ban
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 12½ ounce (360 gram) unsalted butter
- 10½ ounce (300 gram) good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
- 4 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- ½ cup (95 gram) light brown sugar
- 1⅖ cup (280 gram) granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoon (7½ milliliter) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (130 gram) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (45 gram) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- flaky sea salt, for topping
Instructions
Brown the Butter
- Add the butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring or swirling occasionally, until the butter foams and the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty. Be careful not to let it burn. You should have roughly 10 ounces (280 grams) of browned butter.12½ ounce unsalted butter
- Remove the butter from the heat and let it cool for two minutes.
- Add the chopped dark chocolate and let it sit briefly to begin melting. Stir with a silicone spatula until completely melted and smooth.10½ ounce good-quality dark chocolate
Prepare the Egg Mixture
- Add the eggs, egg yolk, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale, and increased in volume. This step helps create the brownies’ signature crackly crust.4 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, ½ cup light brown sugar, 1⅖ cup granulated sugar, 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- While the chocolate mixture is still warm, gently fold it into the whipped egg mixture with a silicone spatula until just combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Sift in the flour and cocoa powder. Gently fold until just incorporated, being careful not to overmix.1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9 x 9-inch (23 x 23-centimeter) baking pan with parchment paper.
- Transfer the brownie batter to the prepared pan. Gently tap the pan against the counter to spread the batter evenly.
- Sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt.flaky sea salt
- Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center still has a slight wobble. For firmer brownies, bake for an additional five to ten minutes.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the brownies cool in the pan for 30 minutes.
- Using the parchment paper, carefully lift the brownies from the pan and transfer them to the wire rack to finish cooling.
Serve
- Once cool to the touch, slice into eight portions. For clean cuts, dip a sharp knife into hot water, wipe it dry, and clean the blade between each cut.
- Serve slightly warm for the best texture. Pair with good-quality vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce, if desired.
Video
Notes
*If doubling the recipe, use a 12 x 14-inch baking pan or a similarly sized pan. If tripling the recipe, divide the batter between multiple pans to maintain the proper brownie thickness and ensure even baking. Adjust the ingredient amounts accordingly.
Storage: Store leftover brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or in the refrigerator for up to five days. For a warm, fudgy texture, microwave individual brownies for about 10 to 15 seconds before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 841kcal, Carbohydrates: 81g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 56g, Saturated Fat: 33g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 212mg, Sodium: 55mg, Potassium: 432mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 58g, Vitamin A: 1287IU, Calcium: 76mg, Iron: 7mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Truly the best brownies EVER!