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
I meant to post 5 stars!!
I’m so glad you loved them!
I want to make this recipe! Those brownies look absolutely delicious! I have one question though. How much powdered sugar do you use? I didn’t see anywhere in the post where it says how much to use. Do I just split the amount of sugar the recipe calls for between granulated and powdered?
Never mind! I reread the recipe and saw powdered sugar 🙂
These brownies are amazing! They are so simple and delicious! Thank you so much for a great recipe!
Hi Brittany, I’m so glad you loved them!
1 1/2 cups of sugar seems like a lot… what would your recommendation be if i were to halve that? would i still use the same amount of the other ingredients or top up with one of them?
thanks
Hi Roe, these are definitely a treat (and not a “healthy” brownie) :). I haven’t tried them with less sugar so I can’t say how the texture would change.
I used 1 cup granulated sugar and it was gud
Hi Christine, I really like the flavor of chocolate and olive oil together (I use an every day type that’s not expensive) – you could use canola oil or a neutral tasting vegetable oil if you prefer.
Could I double this recipe and make in a 9×13?
Hey , would I be able to use pure cane sugar instead of granulated sugar?
yep, you can!
Hi there! No sea salt on hand..will regular table salt work the same?
yep!
I am in chewy brownie heaven! I halved the recipe, spread the batter out on the baking sheet and watched it like a hawk. It was done in 30 minutes. Superb!
Hi Dorothy, I’m so glad you loved them!
I tried these last night but is the recipe correct? No baking powder or baking soda? I left it in for 45 minutes and it was only cooked on the edges. Is it maybe 325 conv?
Hi May, correct, there’s no baking powder or soda. Instead, the cocoa powder acts as the leavening agent. I’ve baked them in a non-convection oven countless times, they should be chewy around the edges and fudgy in the middle (ie, they’re not cakey at all).
Went for the 5 star rating recipe and it’s a winner!!!! Delicious and easy!! Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad you loved them!
I couldn’t believe how good they are. OMG!! BEST BROWNIES EVER!! Sadly these won’t last long. Thanks for sharing this yumminess! It will be my go to recipe from here on out.
Ha, I’m glad you loved them like we do!
We’re they truly the best? I want to be a future baker and am learning the best recipes I can find, should these be the ultimate brownies?
Will this recipe work in a muffin tin?
Thank you! 🙂
I can’t see why not!
Can you use corn starch if you don’t have confectionery sugar.
the baking time might have to be adjusted, I’d check them a little earlier than the time written.
Thank you! I have made these twice now- delicious!
P.s. I have never used olive oil in baking before, so I was hesitant… but my husband and I LOVE these. We use GF flour.
🙂
I’m so glad you loved them (and the cookies from the book too!) What type of GF flour did you use?
I used Bob’s Red Mill GF flour. 🙂
P.P.S. I made your lemon lavender shortbread cookies in your new cookbook- also so good!!!
I am so happy I found this recipe!! These are a perfect combo of fudgy and chewy. This is my new go to recipe.
I just ordered your everyday cookbook!
Yay!! I hope you love it! xoxo
Can you use vegetable oil?
yes, you can
Jeanine another winning recipe and thanks to Michelle for the original one and you for passing it on. Just made this to bring to my daughter, her husband and two grandkids tonight. And of course I had to eat one first. They are delicious. I didn’t have any cooking spray on hand and really don’t like to use it so I rubbed a tiny bit of olive oil into the pan and on top of the parchment paper which I found a bit unwieldy when I tried to make it fit in the pan. Perhaps I am doing it wrong as I tried to make it go up all sides. Anyway would it work to just grease the pan or grease and flour it. Do not plan to buy cooking spray as I never use it. Thanks.
PS: Or can you just put the parchment paper down without spraying/oiling both sides
Hi Roxane, I’m so glad you loved the brownies! I cut my parchment paper so that it’s an 8″ strip so that it lays flat in the pan and goes up 2 of the sides, not all 4. You’ll be left with 2 edges that don’t have parchment – I just grease those a little bit and it works out fine. I agree, cooking spray isn’t necessary if you just brush some olive oil.
The first time I made these I forgot to use parchment altogether – if you grease the pan well enough, they should slice out just fine.
Hope that helps!
Thanks this is really helpful. My grandchildren and their parents loved this. My daughter especially liked the extra saltiness with the sweet that the sea salt provided. I might try it next time with a tad less of the sea salt (1/2 tsp instead of 3/4) as I found it just a smidge too much salt for me using sea salt. (But then I don’t use a lot of salt so perhaps that is why). Either way easy to make and a great dish to bring for a yummy dessert.
I agree! I just made these and I think the salt was too much, but I only had coarse sea salt on hand.
Hi Sonja, coarse sea salt tastes a lot saltier than fine sea salt, so I’d definitely recommend using fine if you can next time.
I will also use fine or less sea salt next time. I love salt with chocolate, but the large grains were a bit much. Delicious, though. I will absolutely be making again. Thanks for sharing it!
Hi Laura, I use fine sea salt, not flaky – so glad you enjoyed!
Has anyone tried frosting these brownies?
Can you use semi-sweet instead of dark chocolate chips?
You can, but the brownies are very sweet, so semi sweet will make them sweeter.
I’d suggest using cocoa powder instead of flour in you pan. I do this for all my chocolate goodies. This will look much better than white flour.
Made these tonight and I was blown away. I would always prefer to skip the boxed mixes but considering how good and easy boxed brownies are I had never ventured to make them from scratch. I will never buy a mix again – these brownies were perfect. Fudgy, crackly, rich but not too … and the sweetness was perfect. I didn’t have powdered sugar on hand so I threw 1/2 cup of granulated + 1/2 tsp corn starch in my Vitamix and used that! Went over perfectly. Thank you for this post and this recipe!
Oh la la, as we would say here in France. It was so easy to make and so good to eat :-). I put much less granulated sugar than indicated and it was still delicious ! Thanks !
I’m so glad you loved the brownies!
I was wondering that ! I always cut the sugar in half in any dessert I make. Good to know it still worked !
Do you think using gluten free flour like Cup for Cup would be ok?
I have used Bobs Red Mill GF flour on this recipe twice now- so delicious!!
Made these for some friends last night and they were a huge hit! I didn’t have an 8×8 pan so I used the closest thing I had to it, so they came out a little flatter than your pictures show. But they were still amazing! It also makes me feel better knowing all the ingredients that are going into them verses the boxed brownies.
So glad you loved these too 🙂
What cups you mean?
I love the simple process to make them. I will try it myself.
These are the best brownies I’ve ever made! Everyone loves it and it has the perfect texture and its not too hard to bake! Thank you soooo much!
Could you double this and use a 9×13 pan?
Hi Melinda, they’d be thicker so you will at least have to bake them longer. I’m not sure if the batter will be too thick to bake thoroughly since a 9×13 pan isn’t exactly double the size.
I suggest you use two 8×8 pans if you double the recipe.
Just for anyone reading this in the future, I have successfully baked them in a 9×12. I think the biggest thing is taking them out before they are over baked- keep a close eye on them if you vary the size of your pan.
I also doubles the recipe and baked it in 9×12 pan and it didn’t take double the time to bake. So keep an eye on it. Came out perfect… so good !!!
I have a 7 in round pan. How long should I bake it for?
I’m not sure they’ll bake fully in a 7-inch round pan.
What about a 7 inch square pan… Will it bake fine do I need to change the time to be baked
Hi Marietta, it’ll be too thick and might not bake all the way through. I highly recommend an 8×8 pan.
Hello…I will be making these brownies today… Please advice me.. Is it fine to put only granulated sugar and no powdered sugar?
No, the powdered sugar is necessary. If you don’t have any, its easy to make your own: https://www.loveandlemons.com/how-to-make-powdered-sugar/
Thank you so much… Made the brownies… Taste is good.. Just that it got a bit too hard at the bottom… Maybe next time will take them out little early…
Hi Pooja, it sounds like they over baked a bit.
I actually made this without the powdered sugar twice. I used only granulated as I don’t want the extra calories and sugar. It came out delicious. I don’t think the powdered sugar is necessary. I doesn’t affect the texture, or taste of the brownies without it to me.
Hi Janine!
These definitely include some intriguing ingredients. Can’t wait to try.
I will definitely let you know my results.
Do you have any suggestions of how you wrap to freeze?
Thanks!
Hi Beth Ann, I slice them and then wrap them in foil. To thaw, either leave them at room temp or pop in the microwave.
It’s sooooo easy to make I loooooove it. Best brownies in the world… Thank you
Oh my God. Once again, the perfect thing for me to make right now. You are so awesome. I need to go to the store and get some of the ingredients, and then I will hopefully let you know how they came out. Thank you.
Haha, I hope you enjoy the brownies!
This was better than a boxed brownie, my mom said she cant believe it’s not store bought! The chocolate wasn’t too rich, it was just perfect. The taste was so good, I think I’m going to use thing everytime I make brownies. It was worth my time, cant wait to surprise my sister. This recipe hit the spot. I smelled the mix before the oven, and so did my sisters, I could already taste the smell. Best recipe for brownies I have found. Guaranteed happiness
Hi Erika, I’m so glad you all loved them!
Do you have the nutrition facts for these? They’re delicious but I have a diabetic brother and they made his blood sugar high because we didn’t have it. Please and thank you!
Hi Annie. I did some calculating for you and your brother, and here’s what I found. This recipe is a total of 201 calories per serving (1 brownie). Per serving, there’s a total fat of 9 g (11%), cholesterol 23 mg (8%), sodium 118 mg (5%), total carbohydrates 31.5 g (11%), total sugars 24.6 g, and protein 2.3 g. Vitamin D 2 mcg(micrograms), calcium 8 mg, iron 1 mg, and potassium 105 mg. Hope this helps! Bless your heart.
Can you teach me how to compute nutrition facts?
Waiting for cooling I will not make 2 hours I can assure you! They smelling fabulous, I used Godiva choc chips so I’m super excited to try them!
Can you use a 9 x 9 and just shorten the cooking time?
Hi Angela, they’ll be thinner brownies which might not turn out as well.
jeanine!!! i love this post so much and how you really broke down the recipe step-by-step. thank you for baking from my cookbook!
We’re obsessed! They’re so good and so easy – I’ve made them for everyone I know 🙂
right!!!
I made this today and it turned out perfect! Not cakey at all. I doubled the recipe so i can have a bit more to share. I used vegetable oil instead of olive oil and I cut down the sugar because my dad doesn’t like it too sweet. Its so easy to do and tastes so good. Thank you for sharing this recipe, Jeanine! I think this is my go-to brownie recipe from now on.
Yes you are so right!
Joneline, If you doubled the recipe was the cooking time the same?
I started with the recommended cooking time based on the recipe because I’m scared of overcooking or burning it. :)) I divided the batter into 2 batches so it was quite thin.
But I watched it closely, especially when it was on the last minute. I checked it with a toothpick and when it came out clean, I took it out from the oven and allowed it to cool completely on the rack. Better to take it out a bit early than to overcook or burn it. Turned out great! 🙂
omg, yes, they are so good that I made it Friday, and my family was begging for it today lol this is definitely my goto recipe thanks, Jennine
How much sugar you have cut down, even my don’t like sweet
How long did you bake it for?
Hi LuAnn, the instructions are in the recipe at the bottom of the post
Can I replace canola/olive oil by the normal vegetable oil?
yep!
I’ll be using a 10×14 inch pan, if I double this recipe will it turn out just right? Thanks!
Hi Sophia, the surface area is larger than 2 8×8 pans would be so the batter will be thinner in the pan. You’ll probably need to bake them a little less and the brownies won’t be quite as thick.
Do you need to use baking soda in the brownies
the cocoa powder acts as the leavener in this case
Thank you for the recipe.
I have a froblem with insuline so I used coconut sugar and honey instead of sugar and spelt flour instead of all purpose flour, coconut oil intead of canola oil and baked for 30 minutes and it turned out just perfect!
I made them too many times! So good!
Hi. Can i use coconut oil instead the canola or olive oil?
Hi Meriyll, you can use melted coconut oil.
I didn’t have white sugar or all purpose flour, so I used 1 cup bread flour and half a cup of almond flour, and substituted the white sugar with brown sugar. Well it turned out perfect and I took them out at 38 minutes. Thanks for sharing.
I did this a few months ago and my boyfriend (who is a super taster) tasted the coconut. I couldn’t tell and I love coconut and chocolate anyway. He didn’t love it but if you use refined, it won’t have any taste…
Does a 7 by 11 or 10 inches work
Awesome that answers my question thanks! These were great the first time around we used my homemade cannabis butter, this time no cannabis and I’d like to try coconut oil because I like the flavor combination. Cant wait to try them.
I did. will let u know as soon as 2 hrs cooling is up!
Meriyll, hi I had no canola oil and I just used avocado oil, but yes malted coconut oil would work to.
I did and it turned out so good
I’m making these now; they have been in the oven an hour and still raw (batter wiggles and completely coats toothpick). How long might it take…has ththis happened to anyone else? Please advise.
Hi Nikki, did you change anything in the recipe? They shouldn’t bake for an hour – they will set up more out of the oven so it’s ok if they seem gooey in the middle.
My first batch turned out like Nikki’s. I realized that I didn’t whip the wet ingredients enough. Once I whipped the wet ingredients more it turned out perfect.
Yeah! I used coconut and avocado since i made it twice, and both turned out fantastic!
Hi, could i use margarine instead of oil, if yes, what’s the quantity?
No, margarine is not recommended here.
You can use margarine but brownies will be crispy.
Yes, margarine will work is just vegitable oil.
Butter works as well?
Only thing i had to sub was the chocolate i did not have any dark on hand ,so I used semi sweet chocolate chips. .Best no butter brownies ive ever had ! Amazing. Def a keeper at my house. Your awesome!
Cannabutter works even better ?
hi could i use regular granulated sugar in replacement of powdered sugar
You can put ur regular sugar in a food processor to turn it into Powdered sugar
To make powdered sugar: 1 cup granulated sugar to 1 TBS cornstarch. Put in food processor until fine.
I made these for a work morning tea and everyone LOVED them. I’ve just been asked to make them again for our next morning tea! I followed the recipe except I used rice bran oil instead of olive oil. Perfect!
LITERALLY the best brownie recipe I have ever attempted. Tasted AMAZING! My family loved it. Thank you!
Decided to make these to finish off my cocoa powder and I’m definitely pleased. They came out a bit dry so I might shorten the time in the oven next time, but they were delicious! I had the family dragon mouthing them because they couldn’t wait for it to cool.
“Dragon mouthing them”!! ??
What about adding coffee?
Yes those 2 TBLSPNS could be coffee for richer flavour or like an instant espresso mixed w hot water. 🙂
I found mine a bit salty so I will next time just sprinkle a little bit of salt but I added some powdered sugar and it tasted better
Way too salty! Excellent otherwise
They sound great! Can’t wait to try making!!!!!