Best Homemade Brownies

The BEST brownie recipe! With crispy edges, fudgy middles, and rich chocolate flavor, these homemade brownies will disappear in no time.

Best Brownie Recipe

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.

Recipe for Brownies ingredients

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

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.

Dry ingredients in a mixing bowl

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!

Homemade brownies batter

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.

Pouring batter into a pan

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!

Chocolate brownies Brownies on parchment paper

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!

Weeknight baking book

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Best recipe for brownies

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Best Homemade Brownies

rate this recipe:
4.92 from 6704 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves 16 brownies
The ultimate recipe for brownies! They're fudgy, moist, and super chocolaty, with perfect crispy edges. From Weeknight Baking by Michelle Lopez.

Equipment

Ingredients

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

*If you'd like to reduce the sugar, I've had success with 1 cup granulated sugar instead of 1 1/2 cups.
**I like to use olive oil because it's what I keep on hand and I enjoy the pairing of olive oil with chocolate. Keep in mind that you will taste it here. For a more neutral flavor, use canola oil.
***When these brownies come out of the oven, they'll be super gooey in the middle. Allow them to cool completely, about 2 hours, before you slice into them to give them a chance to set up. They'll continue to firm up the longer they're out of the oven. If you still prefer a firmer brownie, store them in the fridge.

 

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  1. Lala
    08.02.2021

    Our brownies ARNT baking we put them for an hour now but the toothpick is not comming put clean we have ceramic pan if that has an effect?? HALP

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.02.2021

      Hi Lala, did you change anything about the recipe? Assuming you used eggs and everything else, as written, they’re probably done – the toothpick won’t come out totally clean and the brownies will firm up out of the oven.

  2. Zuza
    08.02.2021

    5 stars
    Absolutely amazing recopie, but just a quick question how many calories per serving???

    • Rose
      08.29.2021

      Put all the ingredients into the app MyFitnessPal as a recipe and you can put into the fitness pal thst it serves.. however many you want and it will tell you how many calories per square

  3. Rachel
    07.31.2021

    I only have a 9×13 pan… any idea how long I should bake them for?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.01.2021

      Hi Rachel, other’s have doubled the recipe and used a 9×13 pan, the batter will be thicker in the pan so you’ll have to likely bake them longer. I really recommend an 8×8 for perfect brownies.

  4. Kay
    07.31.2021

    5 stars
    SO delicious!!! Perfect texture and flavor!! Love that the ingredients are so simple!

  5. Josephine
    07.31.2021

    3 stars
    Someone please help 🙁
    Made two batches of this today.
    Left it in the other for 40mins and the edges/corners & outside came out hard as a rock 🙁
    Maybe its my oven & needed less time in oven?
    Feedback/advice please 🙂

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.31.2021

      Hi Josephine, it sounds like they overbaked – did you use an 8×8 pan or a larger one?

      • Josephine
        08.01.2021

        Yep. Followed everything to a T. Actually made this 4 times & still went wrong. So devo 🙁

        • Jeanine Donofrio
          08.02.2021

          Hi Josephine, if the edges are hard, I would bake them less. Ovens can really vary.

  6. Sarah Reese
    07.29.2021

    So excited to try these… any chance you would know how long to cook if baking them in mini cupcake tins? I’d love to make these to put in my kids lunch box and keep them in the freezer individually wrapped so they thaw by lunchtime… and of course stay fresh.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.30.2021

      HI Sarah, I’m not sure but I’d probably start peeking at them after the 20 minute mark.

  7. Mikayla
    07.28.2021

    Can i add peanut butter to these? if so, how would you recommend me doing this?

  8. Amy
    07.27.2021

    Wow! These brownies turned out so good! I doubled the recipe but only put 1 1/2 cup sugar and they were a lil sweet but so delicious. Thanks for the recipe.

  9. Amy
    07.27.2021

    Can I skip the chocolate chips and use walnuts?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.28.2021

      Hi Amy, you can if you want, but the chocolate chips do contribute to the fudgyness of the brownie, so I might just add the nuts in addition.

  10. Carol
    07.27.2021

    5 stars
    thanks for the recipe, I loved it.

  11. shell
    07.25.2021

    5 stars
    LOVE THIS! i didn’t add the icing sugar but it came out perfect.

  12. Jeanine Donofrio
    07.24.2021

    Hi Elisa, you can use milk chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate chips.

  13. Elisa
    07.24.2021

    I also used a 50/50 combo of coconut & canola/sunflower blend when I bake.

  14. Ann
    07.23.2021

    5 stars
    Was skeptical when I saw how thick the batter was…but OMG…they are so chewy and chocolate deliciousness. They are the most wonderful brownies. I will certainly make this again. Thank you.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.24.2021

      I’m so glad you loved them!

  15. Mitzie
    07.23.2021

    I need 20 Brownies
    Can you suggest how I can get this?
    How many batches, what size pan, temperature?

    • Sy
      07.23.2021

      4 stars
      I cut down granulated sugar to 1 cup however the brownie still turn out way too sweet. Would reduction of powdered sugar help ?

  16. Iris
    07.22.2021

    Hi , am I able to replace oil with melted butter and if so what measurements would I use ? Thank
    You

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.23.2021

      Hi Iris, yes, you can use melted butter with the same amount.

  17. Dj
    07.21.2021

    What proportions do I use for each ingredient how much coco powder how much powdered sugar how much flour

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.21.2021

      Hi, the full recipe as at the bottom of the post, above the comments.

  18. bakeing kid
    07.21.2021

    5 stars
    evryone loved it will bake agean

  19. Georgina
    07.20.2021

    5 stars
    A 2-hour wait to eat these brownies, that was my only screw up…for some reason I thought I read 30-minutes, they were soooo goey when I cut into them so I threw them back into the warm oven for another 10-min…hopefully, they will set properly because they were the best mess of brownies I think I have every tasted! I will make again when I feel the desire for a good smack of chocolate to the lips (hopefully not to the hips), lol…thanks for this super awesome recipe!

  20. Geordan
    07.19.2021

    Hi! I’m an amateur baker looking for a good homemade brownie recipe that I can put my own little twist on. This sounds like an amazing recipe but my only concern is powdered sugar (or do you use confectioners sugar). I often find that this makes the good too sweet and I have found that a little goes a long way.

    • Robyn
      07.27.2021

      Amazing brownies! So chewy and sweet. Love!!

    • Doris
      07.28.2021

      5 stars
      Powdered sugar and confectioners sugar and icing sugar are the same thing, just called different names depending where you are.

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Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.