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
Hey. Can we use baking powder in this? Or is it not necessary? And can I use 1/2 cup of butter instead of 1/2 cup of olive oil?
Awesome recipe, btw. :)❤️
It’s not necessary – I love the recipe as-is. Another reader said she had success with butter (same amount), I haven’t tried it personally.
Has anyone tried flax eggs with this recipe?
I don’t think this one would work with flax eggs. If you the 2nd cookbook, I have a totally different vegan brownie recipe in there.
I just made them. They are cooking now. Csn’t wait to see how they come up and how good they taste. Will give you guys some feedback later tonight.?
Hi,
This looks like a wonderful recipe and based off of the perfect review rating I will be trying this recipe with my family this weekend., I’m sure my son will love helping prepare it and most definitely eating it!
I had a few questions: Can I substitute sea salt for kosher salt and if so would the measurement change? Can I used a silicone baking pan?
Hi Hector, yes, you can use kosher salt with the same measurement. A silicone baking pan should work fine, just be sure to do the toothpick test near the end. Hope you enjoy!
Jeanine, this recipe is amazing! Produces such moist and gooey brownies, the silicone pan worked well btw. I dd add a mix of semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter chips…WOW!!!
Hi Hector, I’m so glad you loved them!
Holy beep!!! These are seriously AWEmazing. Super easy to make. I put in way more chocolate pieces, cuz, you know. And I also made some candied pecans, drizzled with melted dark chocolate and sea salt. I cut those into chunks and put them on half the brownie (some don’t like them). These turned out soooo amazing! Falls apart, but that’s prob bc of all the choc chunks. All the better for it, in my world! Thank you for this. Will be sharing.
Hi Sonja, I’m so glad you loved them 🙂
Hi!
Are there any adjustments to be made if I double the recipe? I would like to make a bigger batch in a 13X9 pan.
Thanks!
Hi Heidi, the batter will be thicker in a 13×9 pan because the pan size isn’t double an 8×8. I’m guessing it’ll work but you’ll have to bake them longer.
I made them an they were SO DELICIOUS! But I was wondering if I can use melted butter instead of oil?
Hi Mia, I haven’t tried but someone else in this comment thread did and said they were great – so I think it’ll be fine!
I tried this and it sure was good! I would like to try them with butter the next time just ti see the difference. What should be my measurement for butter? Thank you!
Hi Angie, I’d use the same amount.
Hi Shakthika, yes, since the batter will be thinner in the larger pan, they will need less baking time. I’d check start checking around 30 to 35 minutes next time.
I made these with Stevia in the Raw baking mix instead of granulated texture. A word to the wise, it will significantly impact texture both inside the brownie and in the crispy top. Nevertheless the flavor was spot on and they were tasty. I will make them again with sugar and I’m sure they’ll be perfection!!
These brownies are AMAZING! My family considers themselves brownie experts, and they RAVED about these! I have tried other “easy homemade” brownie recipes and they do not compare in the slightest to these! I have made 2 batches this weekend. One for us and one for my brother’s birthday! 🙂
haha, I’m so glad everyone loved them so much! 🙂
I loooove thick and fudgy brownies and these were absolutely perfect. I loved the addition of the sea salt too. Will definitely be making these again in the near future!
Hi Laurie, I’m so glad you loved them!
Wow this recipe is incredible. It’s so gooey and moist! I can’t stop eating them. I’ve never used powered sugar in brownies before but it made such an awesome difference. I’ve tried so many recipes and just found the perfect brownie!
Hi Annie, I’m so glad you loved them!
OMG! they were so good I love them so good ❤❤❤
Great recipe! I tweaked it a little by using 1/4 cup less sugar, double the salt and a tiny bit of cayenne. Both times I baked for just about 35 minutes. Love that these are olive oil based.
Hi Leslie, I’m so glad you loved them! Love the cayenne idea 🙂
Hi jeanine!
I’m trying this tonight and was wondering if you used cold eggs or eggs at room temperature?
Thanks!
cold is fine!
What can I substitute for Chocolate chips? Chopped cooking chocolate?
Hi Sara, yep, chopped chocolate (around 70% cacao) would be great!
Fantastic recipe! We’ve added pears too and the result is awesome! Loved it!
pears! That’s so interesting. I’m glad you loved the brownies 🙂
Would it work using brown sugar?
I’m not sure how they would change since brown sugar has more moisture. It’s not a 1:1 swap like dried sugars would be.
Hi! Do you know how many calories there are in a piece?
Hi! just wondering how you get the brownies to look flaky on top! Ive made them twice and can’t seem to get it!
Thanks!
Hi Brittany, the finer your sugar is, the flakier it will be. If you’re using natural cane sugar that’s more coarse, it’s less flaky. Regular white sugar, that’s more fine, will get flakier. I hope you enjoy them either way!
OMG let me just tell u guys go go ahead and make these brownies. They are so chewy and chocolatey and just so delicious. No hard ingredients, just amazing brownies. Now, I used wheat flour because it was all I had and it still worked perfectly. I added about 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to make them slightly less dense and at the end I added 1/4 cup of water because my mixture was dry. Maybe it was the wheat flour that was extra drying or just the way it should be, but I definitely think that the extra water helped. Overall super easy and yummy. 10/10. THANK YOU!!!
Hi Veronica, I’m so glad you loved them!
These are the best brownies I ever made/ate! I’ve tried lots of recipes and this beats them all. It will definitely be my go-to for brownies from now on. ♡
I’m so glad you loved them!
These brownies are delicious! My sons gobbled them up. The only change I made was I used butter instead of Canola Oil. Canola oil is terrible for you. The original name is rapeseed oil. To learn more about how unhealthy this oil is for you click on the following link. https://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/the-inconvenient-truth-about-canola-oil
I’m glad you enjoyed them! I use olive oil because that’s what I keep on hand.
I would like to use butter instead of oil. How much butter would I use though?
Hi Mayra, use melted butter in the same amount of oil that’s listed in the recipe.
How much butter did you use?
Hi Katie, I’m so glad you loved them!
Hi Laura, I’m so glad you loved the brownies!