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
Hi Chelsea, I’m so sorry that you were disappointed with the results! Did you change anything about the recipe?
Made these brownies, very lovely and easy to make but you will HAVE to add in extra oil and water if you want it to not feel like cookie dough…
Hi Aya, I’m so glad you enjoyed the brownies! As you pointed out, it is a thick batter. The texture is similar to cookie dough.
I made these tonight for Valentine’s Day dessert. They are so delicious! My husband and i ate more than we should have!! Thank you for the great recipe!
Hi Carol, I’m so glad you loved them!
Hi, I would love to know why my comment wasn’t included in the comments and ratings. Feels shady!
Hi Nina, Sorry about that! When did you leave your comment? I’ve looked back in our comment history and wasn’t able to find an earlier comment from you, so it might not have come through the first time.
In the photos it looks like the chips were added at the end. My question: did you do this before or after baking? Its such a great look!
Hi Erica, when we were taking these photos, we added some chocolate chips to the batter as pictured and pressed more into the tops of the brownies before baking. Hope you enjoy!
Organic dairy is much better than any recipe with seed oils.
I would like to see some recipes with high quality dairy
Hi Leesa, thanks for your feedback! If you’re looking for baking recipes that call for dairy, you might enjoy our shortbread cookies, peanut butter cookies, or chocolate chip cookie bars.
Could you use an 8×8 glass baking dish, and if so, would that change time or temp? Also, what if one used an 8×8 stainless steel baking pan, any changes to time/temp? (I don’t like aluminum….)
Hi Julia, you could use either stainless steel or glass. When I’ve used these types of pans in the past, I’ve found that the cooking time still falls within the range listed in the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
They were soo chocolaty and fudgy. Just like you said! <33
All I can say is, wow! This recipe is fantastic. I have a couple of modifications I included that ended up making this the best batch of brownies I have ever made. First off, I opted to use olive oil instead of canola. Personally, though the notes say you can taste the olive oil I did not. It only enhanced the richness of the cocoa.
Second, I made the batter the night before baking. Make sure you place them in the dish you will use to bake the next morning otherwise it will be difficult to transfer as the batter will be chilled. I am convinced that chilling them for ~10 hours and then transferring directly to the oven at 325 for 45 minutes made them the fudgiest and richest brownies I have ever made. Try it out and let me know what you think!
I’m glad you loved them!
I made these and decreased 1/4 c
sugar and added 1 tsp coffee powder too. Perfect. Gone in 1 hour!
I’m so glad they were a hit!
Hi did you add only 1/4c sugar? I would like to put almost none but I know it won’t taste the same. 😭
First time I did the recipe, it didn’t come out well. I swapped the oil, eggs, salt, and flour for milk, keeping only the cocoa powder and sugar, however it tasted really well, just a bit too watery.
Today I’m trying the recipe with all the real ingredients, it’s already in the oven and looking great. Wish me freaking luck. Batter tasted delicious, better than my regular instant brownie mix.
Ha, I’m so glad they turned out better this time.
Could I double the recipe and use a 9 x 13 pan?
Hi Kerry, you could but the mixture will be thicker in the pan so they might need a little more time.
how much time did you cook them for? I will be doubling as well.
There is a reason this recipe has a nearly perfect 5 stars! I used 1 cup granulated sugar instead of 1 1/2, added a little instant coffee powder, and also baked for 45 minutes.
I live at 7,000 feet elevation and often struggle with baking recipes. Brownies always take at least 20 minutes longer, and they are usually too done on the edges and underdone in the middle. But these brownies were perfect, and even better the next day. Crunchy on top and on the edges, soft and chewy inside. They cut beautifully. Thanks for such an easy, perfect recipe!
These are hands down the best brownies I’ve had. I usually don’t leave a comment, I just save the recipe. But these are amazing!! I cut the sugar down because of what others previously suggested and instead I did 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 cup cane sugar. I also used white chocolate chips and added craisins. Very delicious! Will make these again.
Thank you so much for your comment! I’m so glad you loved the brownies.
I’ve made this recipe several times and have been extremely satisfied every time, I also put chopped pecans on top…..yummy!
Hi Chris, I’m so glad you love the brownies!
I made it exactly as written and baked for just 40 minutes. Perfect brownies, delicious and moist!
Hi Jeanne, so glad you loved them!
I’ve now tried this recipe twice and have loved it. I’m not a baker but somehow this recipe was manageable and enjoyable. I added a dash of cinnamon and splash of whole milk and have tried with extra dark coco as well as regular cocoa. 40-43 minutes baked well and still gooey
Hi, I’m so glad you loved the brownies!
Just made these brownies last night and OH MY WORD they were delicious. I don’t typically leave reviews or comments on recipes but these are just that good. I used peanut butter chips instead of dark choc. chips (since I had PB ones on hand) and they were divine. Crunchy on the outside and soft and gooey in the middle. Serve warm with some ice cream, call it a day, and never look for another brownie recipe again!
Hi Kathryn, Amazing! I’m so glad you loved the brownies. PB chips would be so good here!
I’m confused — in your introduction, you speak of powdered sugar (by which I understand you to mean “icing sugar” — I’ve always understood these two names to refer to the same thing). Yet in the recipe itself and the notes at the end, you refer to “granulated sugar, ” which over here means ordinary white table sugar. Would you please clarify, because I i would love to try these. Thank you!
She uses both in the recipie
Both go into the batter, granulated and powdered. It isn’t one or the other, both occur synonymously
Hi Reena, yes, powdered sugar and icing sugar are the same thing. There is also regular white granulated sugar in the recipe in addition.
So I followed the recipe using vegetable oil and I added about another 4th cup of flower after reading the reviews about them being to gooey. I also split my batter in to twos and baked them in like a 3×6 loaf type pan. It worked out much nicer. Good texture. Still soft, but nice crispy edges. However they are really sweet! And that’s coming from someone who could bathe in Texas style sweet tea…. I’d cut almost a half cup of sugar out next time!
Hi Sofeea, I’m so glad you’re loving the texture! We really like these brownies with 1 cup granulated sugar instead of 1 1/2 cups, so don’t hesitate to reduce it next time if you’d like.