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
These brownies were pretty good, they were a little bit too rich for me, but they are nice.
Glad you enjoyed them, Oren!
idk these are possibly the best brownies i’ve ever made. they are definitely fudgy!!! i’m confused seeing a lot of reviews saying these are raw, but i used an instaread thermometer and they came out perfectly after about 50 mins. if this recipe makes you nervous maybe stick to cakey brownies!
So glad you loved the brownies, Kira!
Literally came out raw, the temperature/ time baking needs to be adjusted. Had to give up on them after a while.
I baked at 350 for 22 minutes and they turned out nice. 325 just didn’t seem right to me.
Hi Louisa, I’m so sorry you had disappointing results! Just so I can help troubleshoot, did you change anything about the recipe? Did you use a glass or metal baking dish?
Can I use avocado oil instead of olive oil or canola oil since the olive oil gives it a really rich taste maybe I will try the Avacado oil next time I did bake them for about 48-50 mins the center is pretty gooey I don’t think it’s actually raw tho since clearly it’s been cooked but they are pretty good ! So I should expect them to firm up hopefully in a few hours I guess , definitely will use 1 cup of sugar next time and see if that cuts out the richness as well but easy recipe to follow !
I used Canola oil and they turned out great. Nest time I used less sugar, they were way too sweet.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Maddie! You can totally use avocado oil here. The brownies will firm up as they sit.
I made these exactly according to the recipe, and they were literally bubbling in the oven. I cooked them a little longer than the recipe said, because each time I put in a toothpick, there was grease and then a little pearl of raw batter. I eventually gave up around the 65-minute mark (since the recipe says max 48 minutes), and it continued to bubble away on my stove for a while. Then, when I went to clean up, the outside edges were hard as a rock, and the whole thing stayed in one big piece when I pried it out of the pan. Still raw in the middle, but rock-hard on the bottom and sides.
Hi Eileen, I’m so sorry you were disappointed with the brownies! It sounds like they ended up in the oven for too long. If you don’t mind my asking, what type of pan did you use? Metal or glass?
I made these twice and my husband and I agree these are the best,came out perfect each time.Can I use almond flour to make them gluten free?
Hi Cheryl, I wouldn’t use almond flour here, but I have a good friend who’s made these many times with King Arthur’s 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend.
Do not make these.
I am so confused how they have such a high overall rating. They were completely raw when they came out of the oven. Since I was confused, I checked the reviews and I saw people saying similar things so I trusted the process and let them set. The didn’t “set up”, the raw dough just hardened from sitting out. The texture is extremely weird. They are not fudgey, they are raw.
I followed the recipe exactly and used an 8×8 dish. I have no idea how some people say they are making these and they are turning out. Save yourself the disappointment and just make another recipe. There are plenty of other options available and this was just a waste of ingredients.
Hi Julia, I’m so sorry you were disappointed with the brownies. If you don’t mind my asking, did you use a metal or glass pan? And no changes to the recipe?
when i took it out the oven it was still raw? i cooked it longer and for a lower temp and it is still pretty raw.
i was already pretty iffy about the amount of sugar added in and when i checked it halfway through, i noticed how it was bubbling in a weird way?? (i think due to the sugar) and the edges just taste like pure sugar.
even after letting it set, its still pretty raw so im not sure if people are confusing fudgeyness for rawness or if i just did something wrong..
Hi Farah, I’m so sorry you had disappointing results! Just so I can help troubleshoot, did you change anything about the recipe?
I made this and I’m not sure if the baking temp is correct… I baked at 325 for 45min and my brownies were raw still …
Hi Ericka, that’s the right bake time and temp! We like to take these out of the oven when they seem a little underdone. They set up more as they cool.
My daughter made these brownies and they turned out perfectly! Chewy, chocolatey and just the right amount of sweetness. We loved them!🤎
I’m so glad they were a hit, Sherrie!
I am not sure what the negative reviews are about. It’s an injustice. Must be user error. I’ve made these countless times and we absolutely love them. It’s my go to brownie recipe! I also use olive oil. Just follow the recipe exactly and you shouldn’t have a problem!
I’m so glad you love the recipe, Skye!
I see in the recipe that the brownie batter is supposed to be thicker than normal, but it seems like cookie dough. I haven’t even put it into the pan yet and I’m having doubts… Seems like it needs more moisture.
Hi Shelby, yep, these brownies have a thick batter/dough! I would go ahead and bake. If the dough feels really dry, you could add a tablespoon or two of water.
These turned out pretty good. I’d definitely leave them in the oven for a little longer than 45 minutes, so check them regularly. Nice and firm, excellent crust, and they keep their shape!
So glad you loved them!
These were the worst brownies i ever tried! They were hard as rock, and even though the ingredients were great and good quality (especially the cacao, chocolate and olive oil) the final result reminded me nesquik balls…
After a little thought i decided not to throw them up (that was my 1st intention), but to break it and make a “kartoshka” cake with adding chocolate sponge and creamcheese. These were good.
But the recipe. No. NO. Just a waste of very good products
Hi Anna, oh no – I’m wondering if you changed anything about the recipe, the bake time, and if you used an 8×8 inch pan?
Can I use an 8×8 silicone baking square for the Brownie recipe?
We haven’t tried it, but it should be fine.
Came out like rocks
Did you change anything about the recipe, the bake time, and did you use an 8×8 pan?
I’m sorry about that but that seems like an error on your end. I have made this recipe countless times and I have never had a problem.
Really enjoyed the flavor… But I baked these for 50mins and it almost seemed like raw batter still after cooling for 12 hrs. I assume too much oil called for. If I make again, I will cut the oil back by about 40% I’d say.
The flavor was good, but even baking these an extra 15 minutes didn’t improve the super wet texture. They never seemed to set up and even sitting overnight in the fridge turned them into, at best, the consistency of a gritty fudge.
I’ve made these lots of times. They’re the best for having most ingredients at hand and chucking it all in a bowl in a hurry. I use one cup of sugar . I add a tbsp of coffee and walnuts are really good to mix in. The texture can be very hit and miss though with the same amount of time in the oven but I put that down to my oven running very hot.
I’m glad you’ve enjoyed them!
Mixed reviews here on the taste -husband loved but I thought it was just ok. Texture is really weird, kind of like tar, super sticky but manageable coming out of the oven but really difficult to cut after it cools. I’ll probably go back to my usual brownie recipes in the future.