Buckle up friends... this is hands down the BEST BROWNIE RECIPE you will ever make! I've decided that summer 2023 is the summer of the brownie. You already know this is the the year of the cookie at WGC, so the summer of the brownie feels right.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
As someone who has put more than their fair share of brownies- blondie brownies, brownie pudding and crinkle top brownie bites into my body, I feel confident that I can say that this is in fact the Best Brownie Recipe YOU WILL EVER HAVE IN YOUR LIFE. And yes, I am screaming because it's that important.
Before we get into how to make the best brownies from scratch... a story as credit is due to a very special chocolate company. Before we set sail for the Galapagos, we did a quick city tour in Quito, Ecuador. Ecuador is home to some pretty insane chocolate. It's pure. And perfect. And we tasted a LOT of it when we were at Yumbos Chocolate. I'd highly recommend a stop if you're in town. Before leaving, our host offered the group brownies. I mean, who says no to that, right? We bought them out of stock and sat around eating the brownies like vultures. Super on brand for a What's Gaby Cooking trip. Cut to... it was easily the best brownie I've ever tasted in my entire life.
Lucky for you, and for me, the recipe was on the back of the bag of chocolate that I had purchased and now it lives here on WGC. These brownies are the perfect fudgy consistency. They're slightly underbaked so they are extra gooey and chewy while still having crispy edges and crackly tops. These are perfection and I also use them as the base in magic bar brownie to take it all up a notch.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Dark Chocolate – This Brownie Recipe is made with pure chocolate rather than cocoa powder. The moisture from the melted chocolate really goes a long way for this flavor and consistency. I've made it with the chocolate from Ecuador, this brand, and this brand - all are amazing.
- Unsalted Butter – I like to use unsalted butter when baking to control the amount of salt I add to the recipe.
- White Sugar – Using white sugar yields a chewier brownie.
- Eggs – Use large eggs at room temperature. If they're straight from the fridge, they will make the butter seize and won't combine evenly.
- Vanilla Extract – Adds another depth of flavor to this brownie recipe.
- All-Purpose Flour – This Brownie Recipe uses less flour than butter to achieve fudgy brownies.
- Kosher Salt – Salt will help balance the sweetness and enhance the flavor.
- Bonus – If you want to add 1 teaspoon of coffee extract, I support you!
*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.
How to Make the Best Brownie Recipe
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325° F. Combine the chocolate and the butter over medium low heat until smooth.
Step 2: Add in the sugar and stir to combine. Remove from the heat for 15 minutes to slightly cool.
Step 3: Add the eggs and vanilla and stir to combine.
Step 4: Add in the flour and salt and mix until just incorporated and smooth.
Step 5: Transfer to a sprayed and parchment lined 9x9 baking pan and bake on the middle rack of your oven for 50-60 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest on the counter for 1 hour. It will absolutely still jiggle when removed from the oven - this is key and important.
Step 6: If you bake it until it no longer jiggles, you've over-baked them. The 1 hour of cooling on the counter allows the residual heat to continue to bake these by just a bit. After 1 hour, place the baking pan into the fridge and chill for 1 hour. Once they have set for at least the combined 2 hours, slice and serve.
How to Store Brownies
The easiest way to store brownies is to leave them in the baking pan and cover with some tin foil and refrigerate.
However, you can also take them out the pan and put them in your glass tupperware and refrigerate or freeze.
Tips & Tricks
- You MUST use a metal 9x9 baking pan for this Brownie Recipe. Glass doesn't retain heat as well. The disposable ones don't retain heat at all. My fav is super inexpensive and great for all brownies, blondies, bars etc.
- All ovens run at slightly different temperatures. I'd recommend an internal oven thermometer to ensure your oven is properly heated. They are 4 bucks usually and an essential tool when baking!
- Don't over bake it and don't skimp on the "resting" time before slicing. It really makes a difference.
- The Brownie Recipe you'll find below is technically a double recipe as I wanted these to be thick, gooey and chewy. If you alter the ratio of butter to eggs to flour etc, things change. So promise me you'll stick to the simple ingredients below and you'll be in a good place.
- You'll notice that some of the ingredients are listed by weight above - here's the deal... it's just more accurate. The flour is measured by scooping and leveling in my world, so the weighted amounts of flour / sugar are based off that. Trust in the process - these are amazing. My fav handy dandy kitchen scale is here.
Recipe FAQs
How do you make brownies fudgy instead of cakey?
A higher fat to flour ratio yields fudgy brownies while a higher flour to fat ratio will yield cakey brownies.
What are the three types of brownies?
1. Fudgy brownies
2. Cakey brownies
3. Chewy brownies
Is brownie meant to be gooey when you pull it out?
Yes, it will absolutely still jiggle when removed from the oven - this is key and important. If you bake it until it no longer jiggles, you've over-baked them. Allow for your brownies to cool for 1 hour on the counter so the residual heat can continue to bake them by just a bit. After 1 hour, place the baking pan into the fridge and chill for 1 hour. Once they have set for at least the combined 2 hours, slice and serve.
Similar Recipes
If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today
Best Ever Brownie Recipe
Ingredients
- 240 grams dark chocolate (approx 1½ cups regular dark chocolate morsels)
- 240 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks and 1 tablespoon)
- 2½ cups white sugar (approximately 520 grams)
- 6 eggs at room temperature
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup all purpose flour (approximately 100 grams)
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325° F.
- Combine the chocolate and the butter over medium low heat until smooth. Add in the sugar and stir to combine. Remove from the heat for 15 minutes to slightly cool. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir to combine. Add in the flour and salt and mix until just incorporated and smooth.
- Transfer to a sprayed and parchment lined 9x9 baking pan and bake on the middle rack of your oven for 50-60 minutes. (NOTE - I have an oven thermometer to make sure my oven runs true to temp - I bake these for 50 minutes on the middle rack and they're perfect. You might need a few extra minutes depending on your oven but you want them to come out with the slightest jiggle and then set while cooling)
- Remove from the oven and let rest on the counter for 1 hour. It will absolutely still jiggle when removed from the oven - this is key and important. If you bake it until it no longer jiggles, you've over-baked them. The 1 hour of cooling on the counter allows the residual heat to continue to bake these by just a bit. After 1 hour, place the baking pan into the fridge and chill for 1 hour. Once they have set for at least the combined 2 hours, slice and serve.
Hi Gaby,
I found these brownies to be quite sweet (baklava level sweetness). Do you think the recipe would work with half the sugar or does it need it for the texture?
Thanks!
Heavenly!!! Rich brownie perfection
I’ve made dozens of brownies before and none of them were ever as good as a box tbh. But these are amazing and I will never look back! Once again, thx Gaby!
The “best brownies”… I was skeptical just looking at the title because that sets a pretty high standard.
I baked them today….
OhMyGoodness
Seriously the best!! But honestly, I don’t know why I was so skeptical. I’ve tried your other recipes and they’re just as delicious — especially your chocolate chip cookies!!
For your reference— my baking dish was about 8.5x8.5 and baked for 55 minutes.
Came out exactly as you said! I made them in a 9x12 metal pan because I only had an 8x8 and given the comments about the loose center figured the larger pan would be better. Followed all other directions exactly including baking only for 50 min. Let rest for an hour then another hour in the fridge. They were fudgy and rich for sure but delicious. Definitely not what I’d say is a more traditional brownie but totally yummy!
These were SO GOOD!!! I put them in the fridge overnight and served them cold and they were excellent! They are extremely fudgy, so I think I’ll always serve them straight from the fridge. Everyone gave them rave reviews and asked for the recipe! Will definitely make again
Hi there! Didn't have the right sized pan so I used a 7x7 and a small round cake pan. How jiggly should the brownies be when you take them out of the oven? Just the middle or all over?
Also, my chocolate was on the sweeter side. Would the recipe still work with less sugar, like two cups?
They should have a little jiggle - but not a full jello jiggle. Inside temp of brownies should be 180℉ to 190℉ when removed
Have you tried making these with salted butter? Curious how they would turn out since that's all I have in my fridge!
would be great!
I have an 8x8 glass pan. Any idea how long that should bake for?
I haven't tested in glass in 8x8 but glass doesnt retain heat as well so I'd say probably 15+ minutes more baking time
These Brownies are PERFECT!! 10/10 the hardest part is the waiting and cooling...but Sooo worth the wait! If you follow her recipe to a T you will get a crinkle top( perfection), crunchy outer layer and a fudgy delish gooey rich molten interior; my opinion pretty well rounded! Thanks for the craving !!!
I cooked these to spec and they came out undercooked and I even took them to 65 minutes because I thought they were going to be undercooked just by looking at them. They were hard to eat and super rich.
I love almost all of Gaby’s recipes but these did not work for me. I have an oven thermometer, so my temps were correct. I weighed the ingredients. I used Lindt 70% chocolate bar. 9x9 metal pan. The top set with a crusty, dry top. Then there was a gap, then a gooey undercooked brownie below. I threw them out. I’m not sure what went wrong! Probably will stick with Gaby’s other brownie recipes which have never failed me! Sorry to post a not great review (I love you Gaby) it’s possible I did something wrong, but I am a pretty experienced baker and brownies are usually pretty simple…..
Awesome
Omg. Truly the best brownie recipe ever. It’s like a brownie/fudge hybrid. Wow. Tastes better the second day when it’s really chilled. Thank you Gaby! My brownie queen!
The pan I have is an 8x8. How much longer do you think I will need to bake the brownies?
is the pan metal? glass? If metal, I'd say an extra 10 to be safe