Brownies (Thick and Fudgy)

browniesthickfudgy There's no secret that I LOVE brownies. They are just so approachable and my BEST Homemade Brownies recipe is simple and straightforward. You can easily make a batch of the fudgiest, thick, moist, melt-in-your-mouth brownies from scratch without any special equipment. They are easy enough to make any day of the week, so I hope you ditch the box mix. My Best Fudge Brownie Recipe with Shiny Crust is one of the most popular recipes on this site, and many readers requested a thicker version, so here it is. Thick, fudgy delicious homemade brownies await.

½ cup unsalted butter (113 g)
7 oz dark chocolate, minimum 60% cocoa, coarsely chopped (200 g)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
⅔ cup granulated sugar (135 g)
½ cup light brown sugar, packed (110 g)
½ tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract (5 ml)
½ cup all-purpose flour, unbleached, sifted (72 g)
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder, sifted (18 g)

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Line a 8x8" metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2" overhang at each side.

Place chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan with just about ½" of simmering water. The bowl should fit nicely into the saucepan without touching the water. Stir frequently until melted and smooth. You can also melt it in the microwave at 50% power with frequent stirring to make sure it doesn't burn.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs with both sugars, salt and vanilla until pale, thick and fluffy using a whisk or an electric mixer. It will take a minute or two. Once it is lighter in colour (pale yellow), mix in the chocolate mixture until evenly incorporated. The batter should look thick and glossy at this point.

Sprinkle the flour over the batter and fold it through the chocolate batter (make sure you sift it if your flour and cocoa are lumpy). Fold it into the batter until evenly combined.

Scrape the mixture into your prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Bake for 27-30 minutes until puffed and shiny and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely in the pan before slicing.

Makes 16 brownies.

Cook's Notes:

Never use raising agents like baking soda or baking powder. Brownies are meant to be dense and using leavening will create gases that can make the brownie seem dry.
Mix the eggs with the sugar first instead of stirring the sugar into the melted chocolate. Sugar cannot dissolve in fat, but it can dissolve in the water within egg whites. That's the key to getting the shiny crust on these brownies.
Keep the chocolate warm. Adding warm melted chocolate to the egg mixture will not scramble the eggs! First of all, it is not hot enough, and second of all, the eggs are already protected by the sugar. Adding warm chocolate will keep the batter warm to encourage more sugar to dissolve for that shiny top.
Measure dry ingredients accurately. Too much flour will make brownies dry. Brownies rely on a low proportion of dry ingredients in the batter to have a moist texture (along with the right amount of sugar).
Mix gently. When you add the dry ingredients, just mix or fold them in gently until it is evenly incorporated but avoid mixing vigorously. Too much mixing will create gluten which will create large pockets in the baked brownies and will cause them to have a less tender melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Always use room temperature eggs so that they incorporate more evenly and the warmer temperature helps sugar dissolve. TIP: to bring eggs to room temperature quickly, submerge them in warm water for 10 minutes.
Measure flour accurately. Too much flour leads to a dry brownie.
Mix the eggs with the sugar first instead of stirring the sugar into the melted chocolate. Sugar cannot dissolve in fat, but it can dissolve in the water within egg whites
Watch the baking time. One of the main reasons for dry brownies is over-baking. These brownies should take between 25 and 30 minutes when baked in a metal pan. Start checking after 25 minutes. A skewer should not come out clean - it should come out with a few moist sticky bits attached. If it comes out clean it may be over baked, and if it comes out with wet batter then it is still a bit raw.
Cool completely. For the best texture, it is important that the brownies cool completely.

Why You Will Love This Recipe:

Easy to make brownie recipe: this is a simple homemade brownie recipe that can be made entirely by hand without a mixer.
Homemade quality: nothing beats a homemade treat and you can trust that after you follow this recipe, you will never buy brownies again. They aren't too sweet either.
Thick and fudgy chocolate brownies: these brownies have a nice thickness with a fudgy texture all the way through.
Rich dark chocolate flavour: you will certainly get your chocolate fix with the intense rich chocolate taste thanks to bittersweet chocolate and not a lot of flour to drown it out. This recipe is made with 8 oz of pure bittersweet dark chocolate for rich chocolate taste.
Not too sweet: to make thicker brownies, I didn't just double the recipe to make more batter because that would double the amount of sugar in the same amount of servings and I felt that it would make these too sweet. These brownies are formulated to be moist and fudgy without being cloyingly sweet.

Ingredients:

Dark chocolate: anything between 60 and 70% cocoa solids will work. I prefer Bittersweet Chocolate and these bittersweet chocolate callets are very convenient. Semi sweet chocolate will also work, but you can expect sweeter brownies.
Unsalted butter: the best brownies that have a chewy fudgy texture are made with butter. You can also use salted butter. If you use salted butter, reduce the added salt in the recipe by half.
Pure vanilla extract: vanilla plays a big role in enhancing the flavour of chocolate. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
All purpose flour: regular all purpose flour is perfect to make fudgy brownies. Use unbleached flour which will give you that nice dense texture.
Cocoa powder: cocoa will bump up the chocolate taste in the brownies and also replace some of the structural function of flour for a super fudgy texture. You can use natural cocoa or Dutch Process cocoa powder in this recipe. Natural cocoa will have a more fruity taste while Dutch cocoa will have more roasted earthy undertones.
Eggs: 3 whole eggs will provide majority of the structure in these brownies and they are nice and thick.
Granulated sugar: simple fine white granulated sugar keeps these brownies moist. I do not recommend reducing the sugar in this recipe or they will not have the same moist and fudgy texture and it will compromise the shiny crust.
Brown sugar: you can use light or dark brown sugar here. It will add extra depth of flavour from the molasses, and it will also make them extra fudgy.
Salt: salt is important in any baking dessert recipe, but especially here in these brownies. It totally enhances the chocolate and coffee taste.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What type of chocolate should I use for the best homemade brownies? For this recipe I recommend bittersweet chocolate, however you can use any dark chocolate between 50% and 70% cocoa solids. Do not use milk chocolate because there is not enough cocoa to add the chocolate taste. Milk chocolate is often more than 70% sugar.
How can I make gluten-free brownies? I developed these brownies to have flour, but if you avoid wheat or if you are interested in a flourless brownie recipe, check out my fudgy Gluten Free Brownies. They are also VERY good.
How can I reduce the sugar in these brownies? would not recommend reducing the sugar any further as it will make the texture less fudgy and moist. If you prefer a lower sugar brownie recipe, then check out my Fudgy Low Sugar Brownies with Shiny Crust here.
How to get the shiny crust on low sugar brownies? Again, it's about dissolved sugar. Whisk the sugar into the eggs first. In this recipe you need to gently heat the eggs and sugar which will encourage more sugar to dissolve. The warmer temperature not only helps sugar dissolve, but it will encourage stronger bonds between egg proteins and sugar which is what creates the crackly crust. The longer you whip the eggs with the sugar, the thinner and shinier the crust will be. I'm using food science to make brownies with less sugar that are still soft, moist and chewy.
How do I know when my brownies are finished baking? If your brownies turn out dry, then it is most likely because they are over-baked. These low sugar brownies are ready when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist sticky crumbs attached - not wet batter, and NOT clean. If the skewer is clean then the brownies are over-baked and if the skewer has wet batter then they are still raw.
How do I store brownies? Brownies keep really well at room temperature as long as they are stored in an airtight container to prevent drying out. If you plan to keep them for more than a couple of days, then store them in the fridge.
Why are my brownies dry? The number one reason why these would turn out dry is if they are over-baked. Check on the brownies at 25 minutes. Also, take care to measure the flour accurately.
How to perfectly slice brownies? To get neat clean squares when you slice the brownies, run a sharp knife under hot water and wipe it clean between each slice.