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Topped With Honey

Baking, Recipes, Food Photography

The Best Chewy Fudge Brownies (Better Than Boxed Mix!)

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I’m just going to be a cliché food blogger and say it–this is the best brownie recipe. They’re chewy, fudgy, and have those beautiful shiny crinkle tops. This is a tested and perfected brownie recipe that I’m excited to share with you!

chewy fudge brownies with sea salt on top

I spent almost all my life thinking that no brownie could beat a box mix brownie. I had tried and tried to replicate the texture and flavors of Betty Crocker or Ghirardelli but everything turned out too fudgy, dry, or didn’t have that beautiful crinkle top. There was one time I tried to be ~healthier~ and made some olive oil brownies that tasted like dirt. I’ll admit when I make horrible things like that haha.

These challenges are my hypothesis as to why all us food bloggers always say “better than the boxed mix” when we create brownie recipes because it’s HARD! When we’re able to create an amazing brownie from scratch it’s a triumph. It took months of testing, tons of chocolate, and a lot of forcing my boyfriend to give feedback to develop this brownie recipe, but I’m so happy with the results. If you’re here because you want to learn how to make the best brownies–i’m here for you!

These brownies are the perfect balance between chewy and fudgy. They’re rich, chocolately, and just melt in your mouth. I make them with salted butter as well to help balance out the sweetness.

stack of chocolate brownies

Ingredients for Brownies

First, in terms of equipment, you will need:

  • A microwaveable bowl (something that can hold about 2 cups of liquid)
  • A stand or hand mixer
  • An 8″x8″ aluminum baking pan

As for ingredients:

  • Dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate: I personally think dark chocolate has a much richer, nuanced flavor than milk chocolate and works perfectly in brownies.
  • Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • Salted butter: use a good, cultured or European style butter for the best flavor
  • A neutral oil, such as vegetable or avocado
  • Granulated sugar
  • Brown sugar: this helps add some chewiness
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature. To quickly bring the eggs to room temperature, soak them in a bowl of very hot water for 10 minutes.
  • Vanilla extract
  • All-purpose flour
  • Kosher salt

As an option, you can also add a chocolate drizzle and a pinch of flaky sea salt on top to finish these off as I did! How do you make the best brownies better? Add some flaky sea salt–you won’t regret it!

chocolate brownies with crackly tops

How to Make the Best Brownies

Use both chocolate and cocoa powder

From experience, using just melted chocolate in the batter results in very fudgy brownies with no chew. However, using only cocoa powder results in a cakier texture that has no fudginess. To get that perfect texture, I use both! That way you get gooeyness with a bit of chew.

Using high quality chocolate, as well, makes a huge difference. When chocolate is the most important element in this recipe, using a really great chocolate results in better flavor. I love to use Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips and Droste (which Cooks Illustrated named their favorite cocoa powder!), Ghirardelli, or Guittard cocoa powder.

Beat the eggs–a lot

One of the most important steps in this recipe is to beat the sugar and eggs together for 6-8 minutes in a stand mixer. By the end, you will have a thick, pale yellow, and ribbony mixture. This will dissolve the sugar into the eggs, which will rise to the top while baking, helping give the brownies a noticeable shiny crust on top.

Also, make sure to use room temperature eggs! Cold ingredients are not your friend when making brownies. I’ve tried this recipe before with cold eggs and it led to really dull tops.

Know when brownies are done

I admit–it can be hard to know when to pull brownies out of the oven. Here are three tricks I like to use to test done-ness. I will say, when in doubt, it is better to underbake rather than overbake. A too dry, overdone brownie always loses.

Here are three ways I like to use to judge done-ness:

  1. The toothpick method: insert a toothpick into the center of your brownies. If you still see raw batter, they are not done. If you see a few moist crumbs clinging onto it, then they are perfect.
  2. The eyeball method: if you like your brownies on the more done end, look to the edges in your pan. If the edges are starting to pull away from the sides, then your brownies are done.
  3. The wiggle method: give your pan a little wiggle. If the middle does not jiggle (ha that rhymes), then the brownies are done.
bite of chocolate brownies

Add-In & Customization Ideas

Brownies are a glorious base for customizations. Here are a few!

  • Add a teaspoon of espresso powder
  • Add some chopped walnuts or pecans
  • Add chunks of your favorite candy bar or broken up Oreos
  • Test out different brands/types chocolate chips to find a favorite
  • Frost with chocolate frosting
  • Make them with browned butter
  • Swirl in some cookie butter before baking

How to Store Leftover Brownies

Store leftover brownies in an airtight container. They will be good for up to 3 days at room temperature.

Did You Make This Recipe?

If so, I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a rating and/or comment to spread the love and help others find this recipe.

Also feel free take a picture and share it with me on  Instagram @toppedwithhoney. Looking forward to seeing your super chewy and decadent brownies.

If you’re not ready to bake yet, no problem! Simply hover over any image in this post (pick your favorite), or tap if you’re on mobile, and click the pin icon in the corner to save for later.

The Best Chewy Fudge Brownies

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3.64 from 11 votes

The Best Chewy Fudge Brownies

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes minutes
Total Time 45 minutes minutes
Servings 16
These are the best homemade brownies out there! With a carefully tested and perfected recipe, these are rich with glossy tops and a perfect balance between chewy and fudgy.

Ingredients

  • 6 oz dark chocolate chips (or chopped dark chocolate)
  • 8 tbsp salted butter, cut into pieces
  • ⅓ cup vegetable or avocado oil
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ½ additional cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
  • flaky sea salt, for topping, optional

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease an 9×9 inch square baking pan. Option here to line the pan with aluminum foil before greasing to help lift the brownies out at the end.
  • Place the chocolate chips or chunks in a microwaveable bowl and sprinkle all of the chopped up butter on top. Microwave them for 30 seconds, stir, and then microwave again for 20-30 seconds until the chocolate is melted. Then whisk in the oil. Set this aside to cool while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the two sugars, eggs, and vanilla. Beat them on medium to medium-high for 6-7 minutes, until pale yellow in color and ribbony. Make sure to beat them for this full length of time and no shorter! Then, fold in the melted chocolate mixture and beat for another minute.
  • Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Since cocoa powder tends to have lumps, make sure you are using a sifter and not just dumping it in. Use a flexible spatula to fold these ingredients in until combined. At this point, also fold in additional chocolate chips. Transfer the batter to your prepared baking pan, spreading it into an even layer.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the edges look crisp and a toothpick inserted in the middle has a few moist crumbs. When in doubt, it is better to underbake than overbake brownies.
  • Let them cool completely before cutting into 16 equal pieces. Optional: sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Enjoy!
Serving: 1brownie | Calories: 175kcal
Did You Try This Recipe?Mention @toppedwithhoney or tag #toppedwithhoney! on Instagram

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