My favourite gooey & fudgy chocolate brownie recipe
These chocolate brownies are fudgy, gooey and melts-in-the-mouth with each are every bite. Made from scratch with simple ingredients, they are not overly sweet and very easy to prepare. Because of the rich chocolate flavour paired with a decadent texture, you will never use a boxed brownie again. Gluten-free option available!
AUTHOR : KHUSHALI PATEL
PREPARATION TIME: 30 minutes
BAKING TIME: 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour
*For the best results, read the entire post & follow the instructions.
Have you been using boxed brownies rather than making them from scratch? Or you are just in search of the best chocolate brownies recipe that will blow your mind away?
I can’t believe I am finally sharing this heavenly chocolate brownie recipe with you. Because there was a period where I kept testing this recipe to perfection. And trust me it took a few weeks to do so.
Now, I proudly present these decadent gooey and fudgy brownie recipes to you.
These brownies are intensely fudgy towards the edges and gooey in the centre without being chewy and hard. The best part is that they are so easy to prepare and use a minimal amount of ingredients.
After making this recipe, you will surely say goodbye to those boxed brownies because these chocolate brownies not only taste delicious but with my step-by-step instructions and explanation of the process will help you to understand as well as prepare a batch of decadent brownies every single time those cravings hit.
Why is this the best chocolate brownies recipe?
One-Bowl Brownies
These gooey brownies require only one bowl to prepare. All you have to do is weigh your ingredients and pop them all in that bowl and it’s ready to bake.
Easy
My aim while testing out this recipe, was to make it beginner-baker friendly. Hence, I used a simple yet effective technique to make the perfect gooey and fudgy chocolate brownies.
Quick
This recipe does not require a major technique to make. You have to just whisk all the ingredients the correct way after which you can bake them. It just takes 30 mins to prepare these brownies from start to finish. It’s that quick.
No special equipment is required
You will need a whisk and spatula to prepare these fudgy chocolate brownies. No stand mixer or hand mixer is required
Why is you should try this chocolate brownies recipe?
Fudgy and Gooey
There are two types of brownies – cakey and fudgy. While cakey brownies are light, soft and airy, fudgy brownies are dense, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. However, sometimes if the ratio isn’t adjusted properly or the brownies themselves are not made correctly, fudgy brownies can easily become extremely hard and chewy.
These brownies have the perfect fudginess with an extra gooey texture, especially in the centre.
Firm and Even
Although these brownies are extremely gooey and fudgy, unlike many fudgy brownies these hold their structure very well. This makes it easier to cut, and serve especially if you want to ship or send the brownies to a friend or family member.
They have a shiny and flaky crinkle top
These brownies have an extremely shiny crinkle top that is very flaky as well. I lost count of the number of times I tested this recipe to get this perfect crinkle top.
Flavour
These brownies have triple the chocolate flavour as I have prepared them with melted chocolate, cocoa powder and chocolate chunks and it isn’t overly sweet. These brownies can also be prepared without the additional chocolate chunks.
Key ingredients in this brownie recipe
The following are the ingredients to make my favourite gooey fudgy chocolate brownie recipe:
Salted Butter
In this recipe, I use salted butter rather than unsalted butter. The salted butter helps decrease the overall sweetness in the brownies by adding depth to the flavours making them even more flavourful.
Dark Brown Sugar and Castor Sugar
At first, I used an equal quantity of dark brown sugar and castor sugar in this recipe. However, the brownies weren’t firm enough to even hold them in your hand. For this reason, I reduced the amount of dark brown sugar as it provides extra moisture (because of the molasses) to any baked dish. Castor sugar does provide a gooey and fudgy texture but it also provides a little bit of dryness which helps give these brownies their firm texture without sacrificing the fudginess.
Dark chocolate
As mentioned above, I used a combination of cocoa powder and chocolate to make this brownie recipe. To balance the chocolatey flavour and sweetness, I used the best-quality chocolate available. I also used two different chocolates in this recipe – 45% dark chocolate and 55% dark chocolate. This helped me balance the flavours of the recipe very well. I recommend using both chocolates to make the brownies, but the percentage of dark chocolate can vary. However, make sure to use 40%-55% dark chocolate. If you would like to use only one kind of chocolate, I would recommend using the 45% dark chocolate as 55% can be a bit bitter.
Flour and Cocoa
The flour in the brownie recipe provides structure to the brownies and helps make them firm while the cocoa powder provides extra chocolate flavour and also contributes to the overall structure of these chocolate brownies.
Which is the correct chocolate to use while preparing these brownies and why?
As chocolate is the main ingredient in this recipe, it is essential to use the best or highest quality available. In fact, in any recipe, it is essential to use the best quality ingredients available to you. This not only improves the quality and flavours of the recipe, but also the experience of eating a quality baked dish.
Using the best quality ingredients helps us be mindful of what we are consuming and in turn doesn’t affect our health and well-being.
While baking, you should use pure chocolate or couverture chocolate and avoid compound chocolate as the chocolate does not provide the right flavour and texture.
To prove this, I compared the effects that compound chocolate has on brownies to the results of using pure chocolate in this post.
For this recipe, I recommend using 40% – 55% dark chocolate as it balances the sweetness and chocolate flavours very well.
How to get lovely crinkle top brownies?
What causes a lovely crinkle top on a brownie?
Some say it is the time of the sugar and eggs being whisked together while some say it is when the sugars have completely dissolved either with the butter or eggs, but what does cause it to happen?
While most successfully get a lovely shiny top, not all brownies have that flaky crust.
During my recipe testing, I was determined to have a lovely flaky and shiny brownie top. And yes, I did succeed. However, I found the ratio of the butter and chocolate to the eggs and flour to be one of the reasons. To explain better, the more chocolate and butter I used against the flour and eggs, the shinier the crust was becoming.
And the second reason is the chocolate callets on top. After adding some chocolate callets on the top, it provided a lovely flaky effect to the crust as compared to the brownie recipe that only had extra chocolate in the batter.
But how long should you whisk the sugar and eggs?
I found that when I whisked the eggs and sugar till the mixture was pale and light, there was a shine but it was very less. Most importantly the crust became thick.
Why you might ask?
Imagine a meringue. While making a meringue the sugar and egg whites are beaten till stiff peaks form and after baking it, the meringue has thick crust with a soft and fluffy interior. The same happens with the brownies.
It was also making the edges of the brownies rise a lot more while the centre was completely sunk in. This gave it a slopping effect which can be a bit undesirable.
However, when the eggs and sugars were mixed just till the mixture was bubbly and frothy, the crust was exactly how I wanted it to be – shiny & flaky.
In short, I realized the technique and the ratio is in fact the determining factor.
However, I plan to take this experiment further and help you get a crinkle top on your brownies every time. So, if you do want me to do so, let me know in the comments box below.
Other than this, I also found that tapping the brownies to get rid of the air bubbles in the batter, made the crinkle top flakier than otherwise.
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05 Tips to make the best brownies
Do not over-mix the eggs and sugar
While preparing the brownies, whisk the eggs and sugars only till they are combined completely and a little bubbly and frothy. You can stop whisking the eggs and sugar as soon as you see air bubbles forming. This will ensure that you do not add additional air to the brownies.
Line your pan correctly
To avoid damage and get sharp brownie edges, it is important to line the pan correctly. I have written an entire guide on how to line your baking pans correctly which will not only help you avoid damage but also burnt brownies. Download it here.
Avoid over-baking or under-baking the brownies
While baking these brownies, bake them for 25 minutes without opening the oven. Once 25 minutes are complete, check the brownies by tilting the pan in one direction, if the centre moves towards that direction bake them for 5-10 more minutes, and keep checking the brownies every 5 minutes till the centre is firm and not moving. Avoid using a toothpick as the centre although it has become firm, will still be gooey.
Let them cool completely
After baking the brownies, although it has come out of the oven, the brownie is still baking in the residual heat (you can read more about this here). So, the brownies’ structure is weak at this time making it crucial to let the brownies rest. If time permits you can rest the brownies overnight so the brownie structure firms up especially the centre or for a minimum of 1 ½ hours. The longer the better. This will ensure that your brownies can be cut easily without any damage. The flavours will also develop well with a longer rest time.
Chill them for 15 minutes before cutting
Having a perfect slice of brownie that is firm and looks stunning is a baker’s favourite part about making a brownie. This is why I have the perfect way to cut the perfect slice of brownies and this is by chilling them for just 15 minutes in the refrigerator. While it’s chilling heat some water and transfer it to a tall glass and sharpen the knife you will be using. Most importantly keep a paper towel or tissue to clean the knife after every cut. Once the brownies are cool, measure and cut the brownies in a single motion and then dip it in the hot water and clean the knife well. Voila, you will have the perfect slice of brownie.
Step-by-step instructions
Preparation
The following are the steps to prepare my favourite gooey fudgy chocolate brownie recipe:
1. Line a 7-inch or 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
2. Weigh the butter and chocolate and melt over a double-boiler or in a microwave in 30-second increments.
3. Weigh and then stir the flour and cocoa powder till mixed in completely.
4. Weigh the eggs and vanilla together. Set aside.
5. Weigh the castor sugar and brown sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
6. Chop your chocolate or any other add-ins of your preference that you choose to use.
7. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can you tell when brownies are done without a toothpick?
To know if the brownies have baked completely, tip the pan in one direction and if the batter, especially the centre moves towards that direction then the brownies have to be baked further. Once the centre is firm, they are completely baked through.
Why are my brownies too soft in the centre?
Brownies remain soft in the centre because either you underbaked them or they didn’t let the brownies rest and cool down completely before cutting.
Why do my brownies not have a crinkle crust on top?
This happens when you have over-whipped your egg and sugar mixture. Doing so makes the crust thicker and meringue-like. I highly recommend whisking your eggs and sugars on till they are nicely combined and frothy. Adding a bit of chocolate on top right before baking also helps to get a flaky crinkle top.
Why did my brownies sink when I took them out of the oven?
The main reason for this is over-whipping the eggs and sugar. Because of the additional air in the batter, the brownies rise very fast in the oven and then sink after taking it out of the oven.
Gooey and Fudgy Chocolate Brownies
Equipment
- Bowls
- 02 Spatula
- 01 Whisk
- 01 Off-set Spatula optional
- Weighing Scale
- 01 Chopping Board
- 01 Knife
- 01 7-inch or 8-inch Square Cake Pan
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 45 grams All-Purpose Flour* or almond flour (GF Version)
- 19 grams Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Wet Ingredients
- 97 ml Whole Eggs
- 84 grams Salted Butter*
- 97 grams 45% Dark Chocolate*
Sugars
- 48 grams Dark Brown Sugar
- 113 grams Castor Sugar
Flavourings
- 05 ml Pure Vanilla Extract
Add-ins
- 50 grams 45% Dark Chocolate, Chopped* add-in
- 60 grams 55% Dark Chocolate, Chopped* add-in
Instructions
Preparing the ingredients
- Line a 7-inch or 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper with an overhang. Learn how to line cake pans here.
- Weigh the chocolate and butter in a bowl and set it on a double boiler to melt. You can even melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave, stirring after each 30-second increments. Set aside to cool a little. You can keep the melted mixture on top of the double boiler or in the microwave (switched off) so it remains a bit warm. But make sure not to add hot mixture into the egg mixture.
- Weigh the flour and cocoa powder in a bowl. Stir till blended and there are no cocoa powder lumps.
- Weigh the eggs and vanilla in a bowl. Set aside.
- Weigh the brown sugar and castor sugar in one bowl and set aside.
- Chop the add-in chocolate you will be using as an add-on and set it aside.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350 F.
Making the brownies
- In a big bowl, add the egg and vanilla mixture as well as the sugars and whisk well till nice and frothy about 30 seconds. Do not overmix.
- Add in the melted chocolate mixture (you can add the mixture even when the bowl is still a bit warm) and whisk to combine.
- Using a spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture till combined well.
- Add about ¼ - ½ of the batter into the cake pan. And then layer the chopped chocolate on the brownie batter. Add the rest of the brownie batter and spread using the spatula or an offset spatula. Leave some chocolate to add to the top.
- You can either have a single layer (1/2 batter for each layer) of chopped chocolate or have 2 layers (1/4 batter for each layer).
- Tap the cake tin a few times to get rid of air bubbles. Make sure to break any air bubbles that come to the surface. Do this a few times till no air bubbles are remaining. Add extra chocolate to the top of the brownie. This will ensure that you have the perfect crinkle top.
- Bake at 180°C for 30 minutes or till the brownie batter has set. Usually, I test this by gently tipping the pan in one direction and if the brownie hasn’t moved towards that direction, especially in the centre, then it has baked completely. I avoid using a toothpick because the centre will be a little gooey even if it's baked well as it is meant to be that way.
- If the brownies are not baked after 30 minutes, bake them in 5 minute increments till the brownie is firm.
- Cool and rest the brownies for 1 1/2 hours or overnight till the centre has set well.
- Cut with a sharp and hot knife. Enjoy them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Gluten-Free fudgy chocolate brownie recipe - I have successfully tested this recipe using almond flour. Replace the entire amount of all-purpose flour with almond flour in the recipe and follow the exact same instructions to prepare a batch of gluten-free fudgy chocolate brownies.
- Salted Butter - You can use unsalted butter to prepare the brownies but remember to add 2 grams of salt to the recipe. Avoid skipping the salt entirely.
- Dark Chocolate - I highly recommend using 45% and 55% dark chocolate to make this recipe. However, you can skip the 55% dark chocolate and use 45% instead. You can even use dark chocolate higher that 55% to substitute the 55% dark chocolate. But avoid skipping the 45% dark chocolate.
- Add-ins – You can add whichever chocolate or nuts you prefer as an add-in. You can also add candy like Twix, mars, and more for a more enjoyable treat. You can also swirl peanut butter, Nutella or other spreads on the top of the brownies. Although make sure to add 110 grams of extra add-ins into the brownies.
- Storage instructions – These brownies are best stored at room temperature, in a cool area and away from direct sunlight. The brownies stay fresh for a week at room temperature. For longer storage, store them in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. Before consuming, thaw and reheat them for a few minutes before serving.
- Freezing Instructions – To freeze your brownies always wrap them well in cling wrap and then transfer it to a zip-lock bag, This will prefer its taste and flavours. You can freeze them for a month but make sure to label the brownies with the date of prep, date of expiry and if they contain eggs. Before consuming, thaw them in the refrigerator and then heat them in the microwave or oven.
- Fudgy Dark Chocolate & Walnut Brownies - You can replace the entire or part of the chocolate (add-in) with roasted walnuts. The instructions and baking time remain the same.
- Ingredient Substitution & Weighing Guide - Read it here
HI! I'M KHUSHALI
Hi! I'm Khushali Patel, a cookie-loving professional pastry chef, recipe developer and content creator whose aim is to guide you to find more happiness in your baking journey every step of the way.
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