The Very Best Brownies.
Rich, chewy and fudgy homemade brownies with a beautifully swirled, flaky top. These really are the best brownies! This delicious brownie recipe is flavored with cocoa powder and brown butter.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Let’s rewind to Valentine’s Day. I’m single. I’m not feeling well. My mom is in town and our plan is to eat dinner and watch movies. As the sun goes down, I decide that I need a brownie—like I really need a brownie, for aforementioned reasons—and proceed to pull every baking book off of my shelves in my search for my ideal brownie recipe.
I wanted rich, dark, chewy, legit café-like brownies with crackly tops. I didn’t want gooey, fall-apart, stick-to-your-front-teeth brownies. I also didn’t want health-ified brownies or brownies swirled with cheesecake. I wanted one perfect brownie. Sometimes a girl just needs a brownie, you know?
I finally found a promising recipe in my copy of Alice Medrich’s Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts. It was a thinner brownie than I wanted, but it looked dark and delicious and had the most magnificent shiny, crackly top. The recipe contains a fair amount of butter, as legit brownies should, and the butter is browned before the addition of sugar and cocoa powder. If you’re going to put a lot of butter in something, you might as well brown it for extra flavor.
Alice’s recipe also called for a lower-than-usual baking temperature (325 degrees) and specified that the brownies be baked in the lower third of the oven. All of the chocolate flavor came from cocoa powder, too. Interesting.
Alice’s brownies made from scratch turned out beautifully. Crackly top. Dense, fudge-like interior. Rich, complex flavor. They weren’t quite matching my idea of the quintessential brownie, though. I wanted a taller brownie, one that is a little more like a brownie than fudge, with some chopped dark chocolate thrown in for textural interest. Thus began my obsessive quest for the quintessential brownie recipe.
Five batches of brownies and a bunch of brownie research later, I think I’ve found it. I learned a lot along the way. I learned that in order to achieve the shiny, crackly top, you have to stir the sugar into hot butter so it melts. Alice’s low baking temperature and rack positioning also seem to improve texture, but I couldn’t tell you why.
My final recipe calls for more flour and a little baking powder to help the brownies rise. I also used whole wheat flour, as always, but there’s so much chocolate in the brownies that I promise no one will be able to tell. I don’t make statements like this very often, but this really is the best brownies recipe I’ve ever encountered. (I’ve provided footnotes in my recipe so you can adjust the recipe to produce your ideal brownie.)
Ever since I started making simple baked goods from scratch, I’ve wondered how boxed mixes ever became mainstream. Sure, you don’t have to measure out flour and baking powder, but you still have to add liquid and crack the eggs. That hardly saves much time, and comes with the additional cost of preservatives and ingredients that should never be in your food. (Hydrogenated oil is the devil.)
Michael Pollan, my favorite food writer, came to Kansas City last summer to talk about his latest book, Cooked. He finally solved the boxed mix mystery for me.
Pollan explained that the first boxed mixes contained powdered eggs, which removed the step of cracking eggs into the bowl. I mean, why go to the trouble of cracking eggs into a bowl if you don’t have to, right? Wrong. American women initially wanted nothing to do with the boxed mixes. They felt like they were cheating when they used them. Once the manufacturers took out the powdered eggs so we could crack eggs over the bowl, we felt like we owned the final result. The baked good was then homemade enough to present to our loved ones.
If you have never made brownies from scratch, give these a try and I promise you’ll never reach for a box again. If you’re pinched for time, throw in chocolate chips instead of chopping the chocolate by hand. Ta da! Homemade brownies made from scratch and baked with love.
The Very Best Brownies.
Rich, dark, chewy and fudgy brownies made from scratch. These brownies are flavored with cocoa powder and brown butter and feature a beautifully swirled, flaky top. I don’t dare make claims like this very often, but this is the very best brownie recipe!
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch slices
- 1 ¼ cups cane sugar
- ¾ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder or very finely ground coffee (optional)
- 2 cold large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup white whole wheat flour or flour of choice
- 2 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped, or ⅓ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the lower third of the oven. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with two criss-crossed pieces of parchment paper, making sure that the paper is long enough to go up the sides a couple of inches. Grease the parchment paper.
- Brown the butter: Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter, while whisking constantly, until it’s a pale golden brown and the particles suspended in it are reddish brown. This usually takes me about 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from heat and stir in the sugar. Then add the cocoa powder, sea salt, baking powder and espresso powder. Stir until the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating vigorously with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula after each one. When the mixture looks thick, shiny and well blended, add the vanilla extract and the flour. Stir until you no longer see streaks of flour. Then beat vigorously (put those arm muscles to work!) for 50 strokes with the wooden spoon or spatula.
- At this point, the mixture should be no more than slightly warm (if not, let it cool for a few more minutes). Fold in the chocolate chunks or chips.
- Spread the batter in the lined pan, then use a knife to make light swirls in the top of the batter. Bake on the lower rack for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Cool the brownies in the pan on a baking rack.
- Once the brownies are completely cool, lift the edges of the parchment paper and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the brownies into 16 or 25 squares.
Notes
- Adapted from Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts and King Arthur Flour.
- These brownies freeze well. Store them in a freezer-safe bag and let them defrost at room temperature.
- For more dense and fudge-like brownies, cook the brownies a minute or two less.
- For more fluffy and cake-like brownies, add another egg.
- For less rich brownies, skip the chopped chocolate.
- If you like nuts in your brownies, fold in 1 cup walnut or pecan pieces along with the chopped chocolate.
- I haven’t tried, but I think an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend could be substituted for the whole wheat flour with good results. (Update! Here’s proof that Cup4Cup flour works great in this recipe.)
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
P.s. If you really want health-ified, naturally sweetened brownies, I have some dark chocolate zucchini brownies over here. Note that they don’t have the crackly top that these brownies do and that the zucchini hardly adds much nutrition because it’s almost entirely water. If I made them again, I would try skipping the zucchini altogether, upping the cocoa powder to 2/3 cup and decreasing the baking powder to 1 teaspoon for richer and less cakey results. 5/2/14: sorry folks, Terri says the brownies don’t turn out well when made this way!
Can this recipe be doubled to make a 9×13 pan of brownies? Thanks!
Hi Jana! I haven’t tried doubling the recipe, but another commenter (Kerry) said the brownies turned out well with those variations. She had to bake the brownies longer, probably to account for the additional batter. Good luck!
Oh my goodness, you are a brownie goddess. These are, exactly, what I have been craving… going to make them right now, review to follow shortly :)
Hi Kate, I tried the recipe and sadly it came out oily, flat, and far too fudgy :( I’m thinking that maybe the flour might need to be scooped straight into the measuring cup, and not spooned into it, as this would slightly increase the amount of flour to help with texture. I’m going to try these again doing the flour that way, and also try cutting the butter back to just one stick, and increasing the baking powder to one half teaspoon. I followed the recipe exactly, even using the whole wheat flour. Even with the quirks of the finished product the flavour is amazing. I think perhaps owing to the browned butter. I think it will be worth it to work out the kinks so it works in my kitchen. You’re amazingly dedicated to this blog and the art of brownie making! I will definitely be checking out more of your recipes :)
Hey Renee, I’m so bummed your brownies didn’t turn out like mine. Your ideas sound like good ones. I used the spoon and swoop method to measure my flour. Please be sure to cook the butter long enough, so all the water evaporates from it, and really put some muscle into it when you’re mixing the eggs into the mixture, which ensures that they’re emulsified. I hope your next batch turns out better!
I made these brownies last night and they were freakin’ amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I actually didn’t have enough cocoa powder the recipe calls for but just added a bit more choco chips :} I also had to leave my brownies in for about 40 minutes. But I do live at high altitude so I just always assume thats why. These are the best ‘from scratch’ brownie recipe I have come across. You’re a genius. Thank you! I will never try another brownie recipe again. This one is TOO perfect :}
Hip hip hooray! Thank you, Madison! :D
Hi Kate,
I made these today and they are divine!
I made one change – added 100g melted dark chocolate instead of the chunks.
These are up there with the best brownies I’ve ever had – slightly cracked top and super chewy in the middle.
Thanks for the recipe!
Excellent! Glad to hear it, Alice. Thank you for letting me know!
I made these last night and read a lot of comments first so thought I’d give it a go.my partner said ther not brownies without all the chocolate as main ingredient but I was chuffed to say he was wrong they turned out lovely n texture perfect too with cracked top.was worried I’d manage to mess it up coz I have a lot of hit n misses in the kitchen but thanku it somehow worked for me :-D
Thanks, Cala! I’m glad to hear it!
I just popped the pan of decadence into the oven, and am waiting eagerly for them to be done. So far, they look amazing!! I couldn’t help myself and took a few licks of batter off the spatula, and wowowowow.
If all fails, I’ll just eat the batter.
Thanks, Forrest! I hope the brownies turned out well!
He’s even asked if kept recipe don’t think Ever done that lol.deffo rate these perfect :-D
Lovely recipe, turned out amazing!
I had the butter separation problem, twice during the recipe, but after beating the batter extensively, all returned to normal and the result was great.
If i had to take a guess at the reasons behind some of the problems some have been experiencing, I’d look to my own mistakes:
1) After thoroughly browning the butter, I left My pan on the element when I added in the sugar, and this resulted in some of the sugar crystallizing and forming small lumps. at that point, the whole thing was lumpy and thick and almost un-mixable, with the butter slowly separating from the sugar. By adding in the cocoa poweder all returned to more normal and semi-liquid state (though the crystallized sugar lumps remained).
2) I made a quadruple batch (no, although I do love sweets I’m not a total pig, I’m using most of these to make chocolate rum balls to bring to a Haloween party -with edible bat wings and spider legs to turn them into creepy-crawly critters), and did not allow for extra cooling time before adding in the eggs. As a consequence, when mixing them in one by one, they partially cooked (like a hollandaise where the eggs are only cooked by the hot butter), and the batter became increasingly thicker with each egg, until the coldness of the eggs had cooled the mix and allowed it to return to a more or less flexible state.
3) While mixing in the first 2-3 eggs (quadruple batch = 8 eggs!), the water content from the eggs bonded with the chocolate and began to separate from the fatty content. By thoroughly beating the mixture at each egg addition, it was nice and even by the time I was done with it. But by my estimate, i must have beaten it at least a good five hundred strokes in all :)
So overall, great results, on a quadruple batch, in two 9”x13” molds, with the cheapest butter (used semi-salted and withheld on the salt in the recipe), cheapest cocoa powder, and semi-sweet chipits as chocolate. Also, I know my oven heats a little lower then it should be, so I baked at 335 instead of 325, in the lowest rack, for a total of 40 minutes.All the promised flaky and glossy crust, just-ever-so-lightly-burn edges, and warm yummy chewiness.
And remember ladies, it may be a lot of efforts beating the batter thoroughly to emulsify it appropriately, but not only is it waaaay worth the effort, it burns extra calories to allow more brownie consumption :D
For those of you interested in the rum balls, use the Martha Stewart recipe http://www.marthastewart.com/351250/rum-balls but use these brownies, and coat in chocolate sprinkles. decorate with (edible paper or chocolate) bat wings or spider legs for a creepy-crawly scare that’s not only fun, but scrumptious as well. Oh and I withheld on the coffee because of the rum ball re-purposing.
OK, you have ruined me. I will never be able to make brownies any other way. These were gone in all of about 10 minutes. Holy grail recipe, thank you!
Hi Kate,
Just a quick question, do I have to melt the sugar until it reaches a caramel-like consistency? Hoping for your immediate response
Thanks! ^o^/
Nope, just stir it in as directed!
These brownies are the BEST!!! If you want them even darker try 1/4 dark cocoa powder and 1/2 cup regular cocoa powder. Everytime I make these I get requests for the recipe!! Thank you for these!!
Yay! Thanks, Marissa!
Oh my word! Kate, you’re two for two- the second recipe of yours I’ve tried, and it too was a success. We seem to have the same baked goods preferences. These are now “my brownies”. I’ve never browned butter before (okay, maybe by accident a few times…). The whole time I made these, I felt like I was creating art. You know those recipes where the batter looks beautiful the whole way through? And you just know something awesome is gonna happen. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Thanks, Maci! Delighted to hear that you’re enjoying the brownies. I’m so glad they turned out well for you!
I was hoping to decrease everything to half the original recipe.. how do you suggest I adjust the cooking time for that?
Hey L., good question. I think you’ll just have to keep an eye on it once it’s been in the oven for ten to fifteen minutes. This recipe doesn’t make a ton of brownies as is so the halved recipe won’t yield much!
I was slightly skeptical of the pictures- there’s no way any brownie can look that delicious, right? You proved me wrong! These are amazing and so easy! They’re really quick to whip up and the cook time is incredibly short. AMAZING!!!! Make me more miracle recipes please!
The photos are real! Now you know. :) I’m so glad you loved the brownies, Rachael!
I had the same problem as a few others, where each egg I added in (and I stirred them in very, very vigorously) made the batter thicker and thicker until it was a big, thick, unstirrable lump, no matter how long I vigorously beat it. (I doubled the recipe to make a 13×9, so I used 4 eggs altogether). After adding the flour and beating it more, I could tell it wasn’t going to be able to be spread in the pan and wouldn’t turn out right like others had mentioned.
In desperation (I’m baking them to bring somewhere TODAY, and don’t have time to re-make a new batch), I read some more comments and saw someone suggesting to add a little water to see if that might help the problem. I added about 1/3 cup water and beat it 50-75 strokes and the consistency was MUCH better, still on the thicker end, but spreadable and more the consistency I’m used to when dealing with brownie batter. I spread it in the pan just fine and it looked normal. It’s in the oven right now, so I’m crossing my fingers it turns out since I’m bringing them to a get together! I just hit the 25 minute mark and it’s not done, I will keep checking on it every 5 minutes, but it doesn’t look oily or greasy so I don’t think I will have that problem and that the addition of the water saved them. I’ll update once they’re done cooking.
Next time I make them, I’ll try doing the recipe as written in an 8×8 pan instead of doubling, and see if I still have the issue. :)
Hi Denise! Thank you for sharing! How did your brownies turn out?
i was craving peanut butter brownies so I substituted 3 tbsp of the butter for peanut butter (next time I’m doing 4) and added pb chips instead of chocolate chips. I had to bake them for over 30 minutes. They turned out very yummy. Definitely the best homemade brownies I’ve made.
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed the brownies, Erica!
I made these tonight; after I had them in the oven, I started reading the comments and got worried, especially since I made a double batch in a 9×13 pan and saw at least one comment that it didn’t work.
I shouldn’t have worried. It took 45 minutes, being in the bigger pan, and they are super moist and thick with a crackly, crisp top. I used a whole via packet for the coffee, which I think was too much, but other than that, they are superb. The little bit of carmelization you get from adding the sugar into the browned butter really comes through and gives absolutely excellent flavor.
Thank you!
Excellent! Thank you for reporting back with your cooking time. This recipe can be kind of finicky so I’m really glad it turned out well for you with those adjustments.
Oh, my theory on why the lower third of the oven matters: The steam goes up, and eventually out the vent of your oven but a lot of it will hang out in the top half of the oven. The lower part of the oven will be the driest part of the oven and that might help the formation of the crackly crust. I’m not sure if that’s the reason or not, but it is an interesting theory. Would need to be able to actually test oven humidity at the top and bottom to see if it is actually a factor.
But it’s the only real difference I can think of between the sections of the oven.
Aha, maybe that’s it! Thanks for hypothesizing with me, Merlin.
Hi,
I tried your recipe last night and the brownies were delicious! I did find they took a bit longer to bake more like 35 minutes and I had a hard time serving them as they were completely crumbling apart. Are they crumbly when you make them? Any tips
Hi Bridget, I’m sorry you had trouble with the brownies. No, mine are never that crumbly. It sounds like you had an emulsification problem. Did you stir the batter really vigorously as described in the instructions? That part’s really important.
Yes, I agree with others that these took way longer to cook than the recipe stated. Mine were in at least 45 mins and still came out like goo, but my husband would not wait any longer. And I followed the recipe to the letter!!
I’m sorry that happened to you, Ellen! I’m not sure why it happens sometimes. I suspect maybe because your batter wasn’t entirely emulsified. Chocolate, butter and eggs can be tricky sometimes. :(
Made some for my boyfriend and myself. They were AH-Mazing! Which we were both surprised about because I am usually an average baker at best, even when following recipes :) So here are two more testimonials that they are definitely the best brownies ever!
Also, super easy recipe to follow, with ingredients I usually have on hand, so definitely making them again!
Thank you so much!!!
Thank you, Rosie! Yay, so glad the brownies turned out well for you. (P.s. I am not the best baker, either! I can’t bake anything too complicated.)
Hi Kate,
2 questions:
1. Is Turbinado sugar considered pure cane sugar?
2. Will whole wheat pastry flour work?
thanks!
Hey Ruby, I’ve heard that turbinado sugar (which is different from the fine cane sugar I meant in the recipe) produces a sugary top. For brownies like the brownies you see here, I’d recommend using fine cane sugar and regular or white whole wheat flour. Usually, I’d say go for it on both accounts, but this recipe doesn’t take well to substitutions.
Used whole wheat pastry flour and they turned out great! Otherwise followed the recipe exactly. These are really exceptional.
Awesome, thanks Erika!
I was reading the comments while the brownies were in the oven and I got really nervous. I didn’t cool the batter very long, I added both eggs at once, and I only had a cup of sugar, so I made up the extra with ground almonds. When they came out of the oven I was sure I’d have the textural difficulties others have reported. Well, they’ve been cooling for half an hour and- they have the crinkly top! They look perfect. I was so relieved. But that doesn’t help your research. . .
If it is a butter issue, I used a local Canadian brand called Stirling.
Thanks, Kathleen! I’m so glad your brownies turned out well regardless. I wish they turned out perfectly for everyone!
Hi Kate! I made these last night. My husband has a friend visiting from out of town, and they were talking about going out to get brownie mix–can you believe it?! I said no no no–I will make some. In the past I’ve used a recipe out of an old cookbook but the result is a pretty traditional, cakey brownie so I wanted to try something different. These are so good, I’m really happy I fond your recipe–I love the espresso, the chocolate chunks, so good. Thank you!!
Thank you, Alicia! So glad my recipe turned out just right for you. I’m never going back to a boxed mix, that’s for sure!
hi kate.. thankfully i found ur recipy. i made these last night… my very first time baking. overall my brownie turned out good. i dun have espresso so i replaced it with instant coffeemix. i dunno it will alter the final taste or not.
my oven had 4 racks,so i placed the baking tray in lower third.. but i wonder which heater to use for baking brownie either lower heater, upper heater or both upper & lower heater? really hope u can reply me..
and one last question, since brownie have had cakey, fudgy & chewy brownie, which brownie do u think being like most by people, because i plan to sell brownie for parttime income since im a full time housewife. hope u can give opinion..
lots of thanks,
clara.
Hey Clara, I can’t really control which burners are used in my oven. I believe both of the burners turn on when I make these brownies. I really don’t know which brownies people prefer most (these are my favorite), so you might want to hold some taste testing sessions! Good luck!
After all the ingredients were mixed my batter looked like nothing but play dough it become too thick i followed exact recipe but cant believe this can happen to my brownies. too much butter is floating on top of the brownies. all i can smell is butter. instead of brownies seems like i baked butter cookies i will never try these brownies again.
Noreen, I’m so sorry the brownies didn’t turn out well. This recipe has turned out well for me on many occasions and I’m bummed it didn’t do the same for you.
I’ve never made homemade brownies before, but I made these last night and they were beyond amazing. I’m not a coffee fan, but sometimes with chocolate it just works… and that is so true here. My whole entire family went wild for these and I had so much fun making them. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Hooray! Thank you, Brianna! :D
Hi Kate:
I can’t wait to try your recipe! I don’t eat brownies often (..if I had the metabolism for it, believe me, I would), but your brownies sound like a perfect match for my taste buds!
I just made Christmas treats for family and friends and I was searching for the perfect recipe; unfortunately, I did not find yours in time, but I can’t wait to give it a try. Just one question: Have you used (or can you use) a mixer for this recipe? I see that at least one other commenter experienced some difficulty. If not, I will mix by hand, but I’m thinking that a mixer would be a little easier.
Thanks for your help!
Hi Angela, that’s a really great question. I have not tried using a mixer for this recipe. That might be a good idea! I think it’s important to beat the batter about 50 times to get the right consistency, so my only concern would be overmixing.
Kate-
Absolutely fantastic recipe!! I added some mint chocolate chips (for some holiday flavor). Very good! I did have to cook it for about 45 minutes, but they still turned out great!
Thanks for sharing this great recipe! Happy Holidays :)
Awesome! Thanks, Nicole!
Tried your recipe and It was oily, I followed every step and ingredients it came out grainy on top not the crackly top I was expecting. Can the cocoa powder be the factor? I used bensdorp cocoa powder. I made sure the butter was cooked long enough also.
Ira, so sorry your brownies didn’t turn out well. I have not been able to find a conclusive answer to why the brownies have turned out that way for some other people. They have never done that to me! But yes, I think the cocoa powder could be the problem. Maybe another one would work better.
Worked grat with Canna-Butter =) look up the stoners cook book on google for a recipe on how to make it!!!
My brownies fell apart as well and had an odd consistency.
I’m sorry to hear that, Pat. :(
Yes mine had an odd consistency as well. It was also way too buttery and rich..almost inedible. I really wanted to love the recipe. :(
I’m sorry to hear that, Ash! These brownies can be a little finicky and I’m just not sure why. :(
Nice photos! Is there a way to fully substitute cocoa powder with chocolate or vice versa? I don’t bake alot so I was hoping to avoid buying too much ingredients.. >.<
Hello! Great question, I’m afraid that substitution is not so simple. If you swap chocolate for cocoa powder, you’ll change the amount of fat in the recipe and your brownies might not turn out right. I’m sorry!
lets say u double or triple the recipe, what size pan should u use an for how long. I always have trouble adjusting cooking times when doubling recipe’s. I have a very large family and an 8″ pan isn’t enough, lol more like four 8″ pans, specially if they are good!!!
I’m sorry, this recipe is a little finicky so I’m not exactly sure how well it quadruples!
This recipe was way too dry/stiff even after adding an extra egg. I did try some different things like separating the whites and whipping them into a meringue to get a flaky top. I also found that the sugar didn’t fully melt with that amount of butter. I think perhaps you got your wet ingredients off.
Sorry George, I’ve made these brownies seven times and they turn out great for me. Whipping the whites is unnecessary for the flaky top with these; the flaky top is a by-product of sugar melting into hot butter.
I made these brownies today and they taste amazing but they didn’t rise as much as I would have liked. They got a nice crackly top but are more fudgy then I expected. I followed the recipe exactly except for subbing regular table salt for sea salt. I’m a pretty pathetic baker, any suggestions on what I might have done wrong to cause them not to rise?
Hilary, you might double-check that your baking powder hasn’t expired. Sometimes brownies are fudgy because they’re undercooked, but if that’s not the case, you could try adding another egg next time for a more caky brownie.
Nice photos!!
Just wondering, could I substitute all the chocolate ingredients (chip+powder) with all chocolate chips?
Hey Laura! I’m sorry, I wouldn’t recommend doing that. The fat ratio in these brownies is already a bit finicky so changing the chocolate could mess up the brownies.
JUST MADE THIS AND IT’S SO GOOD. FUDGY AND RICH AND ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! No oily brownie problem:)
Anyway, is it possible to make a bigger batch (x5 at one go) of the brownies? An 8 inch pan is definitely not enough!
Awesome, thanks Angeline! I think another commenter had success doubling the recipe. I’m not sure about quintupling it, but let me know if you try!
Hey Kathryn!
I had a craving last night and googled browned butter brownies and what do you know – came to your site! I made these with brown sugar and while they don’t look like yours (no crackly top), they are delicious! I also poured in way too many mini chocolate chips without measuring so that could account for the difference in appearance, too. They are delicious – my coworkers are loving them!
Hey Katherine! That’s so funny. Glad the brownies turned out well! I crave them, like, all day every day. :)
I absolutely love these! I doubled the recipe and used a 16 by 16 (I think) but found that the batter didn’t completly fill it. Next time I am going to triple and use the same pan, I am almost positive it will fit it perfectly. I am an exchange student living in Germany and I love sharing american foods with my host family! And apparently they also love when I make things because they’re eaten in less than 48 hours. Anyways, the point is these were amazing except I burned them a bit, whats weird is the top and bottom wasnt burnt but the inside was burnt and darkened. Yet they were still amazing! Pointer- when you double or triple this recipe in a large pan (such as 16 by 16) the time for baking stays the same.
Thanks, Maygen! Glad they turned out well for you in Germany!
You would need to quadruple the recipe for a 16×16 pan. :) (8×8 = 64 square inches; 16×16 = 264 square inches; 264/4 = 4.125)
16 x 16 = 256
8 x 8 = 64
256/64 = 4
You must quadruple the recipe to match the thickness. Math is your friend! :)
I used to think that too but many recipes for baked goods can’t be doubled or tripled.
I made these for our Super Bowl party and they were a smash. Everyone asked if this was an old go-to brownie recipe and when I said this was the first time making brownies they gave me such a hard time about being the “perfect” cook (far from true!). But I shared my secret… a blogger who basically knocks it out of the park every time. Thanks for all your work on this recipe! Couldn’t have asked for more!
Haha, thanks, Rachel! That makes me happy. :)
for a school project i have to find experts to ask questions too. I decided to choose you as my expert because i like your blog! Just two questions and i’d really appreciate if you answer(: What do you think is the key ingredient for baking a brownie? Do you think brownies are something that take a lot of time to perfect?
Hey Sam, thanks for picking me! :) I think there are a few key ingredients for brownies, but cocoa powder makes it a brownie! This brownie recipe took me a long time to perfect. If you are just following a good recipe, though, I think a beginner baker could make good brownies!
thank you soo much for answering !!:)
You’re welcome, Sam!
I loved Pollan’s In Defense of Food. Loved it. Resonated with me so much, and have made some great changes because of it! But as for the brownies… I made them tonight for my niece’s birthday dessert. I was a tad nervous because brownies aren’t the sort of thing you can cut in to to taste ahead of time, plus I’ve never browned butter. But I was completely intrigued by the use of vigorous mixing with a wooden spoon because I don’t own fancy kitchen mixers and my mom has always used wooden spoons as her favorite for mixing. Anyway…I gotta say…these were absolutely delicious, the texture was just as it should be, crackly top, rich flavour, just seriously perfect!! Everyone kept asking for more. The only changes I made were using AP flour because I don’t trust my whole wheat right now, used milk chocolate chips, and baked almost ten minutes extra. Thank you for your painstaking research, well worth it :) .
Hey Stef! I’m so glad the brownies turned out well for your niece’s birthday! Hooray.
Hey Kate!
I just made these brownies, and I have to say they honestly look really good! Though when I made them, I used brown sugar instead of regular, it that okay? And also, they ended up quite dark chocolate-y which sucks because I have a major sweet tooth for sweet stuff, and they were so dark. Was it because of the brown sugar?
Thanks Kate
~Gaelle
Hi Gaelle, brown sugar has more moisture in it than white, so I’m glad to hear they turned out well. Sounds like you might want to decrease the cocoa powder a bit next time, I like mine dark!
Hi Kate, I made these yesterday for a diner party and they turned out delicious! With a super crispy top! Thanks for a great recipe. I do think the elbow grease was essential!
Hooray, glad the brownies worked well for you! Thanks for letting me know!
I must admit, I love reading others comments and I find them very helpful but I never am one to go and leave my own feedback. However, these brownies deserve a comment! They are so amazing and I have made them 4 times now with great results each time. They are so rich and delicious! I have never tried brownies from scratch, and now I’m hooked. I love that they only require ingredients I have on hand, and they are fun to make with my daughter. She loves to help measure, mix, and pour. Thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe, it has officially been added to my family favorites cookbook.
Jennifer, thank you! I really appreciate your feedback.
Oh poo! Did you do something to the site so I can’t cut and paste? :( I wanted to paste this to an email so I could read it off the phone in the kitchen…
Well, looking forward to it anyway. Somehow. ;)
No, I didn’t change anything! You should be able to copy and paste. If you’re using a smart phone, you should be able to pull up my recipe on your phone just fine. If it’s easier, you can click on the “print” icon right next to the recipe header and view a simplified text version.
Yeah well, I was born in ’55. :)
Oh you yuppie! If you said “instant coffee” I would have gotten it. ;)
I’m eager to try your recipe.. but I was wondering, when you add the eggs, are you adding that to the hot butter mixture in the pan with the cocao powder, sea salt, and baking powder? In most recipes, they avoid adding eggs to the hot mixture so that the eggs don’t cook… I just want to make sure before I accidentally scramble the eggs
And also, if I were to use salted butter, would I be able to eliminate the salt called for in the recipe?
Thanks !! I look forward to hearing back from you (:
Hi Madeleine, there is a resting phase built into the recipe before you add the eggs. I haven’t heard from anyone whose eggs scrambled! I’d definitely reduce the salt in the recipe (maybe halve it?).
Just baked my third batch (in 2 weeks)- adding no more than 10 darc choc buttons directly to the mix helps to keep the top looking like the photographs (and my other two batches)
It’s so easy, that an amateur baker like myself can bake it with a flimsy measuring cup and a random teaspoon, and STILL get it as good, if not better than store-bought ones :D
Hooray! Thanks, Jin!
Whoa! I initially chose this recipe because a) My last name is Cook, and most people call me ‘Cookie’ and b) I made these to impress my sister, Kate… we also happen to love brownies in my house, but we’ve always made the boxed kind :/
And let me tell you, I rarely bake (talking to a former football player and all-around non-baker) and these turned out A-MAZING! Thanks for the recipe!
*Used Ghirardelli & Chopped Pecans, which added a little baking time but no problem otherwise (except deliciousness)
Haha, perfect! I’m so glad you all enjoyed the brownies!
I dont want to bother you, but i felt i needed to thank you.
I am known for my cooking in my family and anywhere i work. Some people know me only as “the chef” or “cookie man” and couldnt tell you my actual name, but brownies have always eluded me. no matter the amount of recipes and variations i tried, they always where missing something (im very picky about chocolate and textures).
My wife was having a really bad day, and her guilty pleasure are brownies, so for the millionth time i tried a different brownie recipe…yours. They are delicious!!! they have that slightly dense, slightly cake texture, they have mutliple chocolate accents that change with each bite, and the perfect combination of bitter and sweet. couldnt ask for a better recipe.
Thank you for making my, and more importantly my wifes, day.
I am planning on putting a tried and true recipe book together for friends and family (not getting actually published) and was wondering what you think about including this or any of your other recipes in it. i understand if thats a problem but i thought i would ask.
Thank you, Matthew! I’m delighted to hear that my brownie recipe meets your standards. :) If you’re just sharing your recipe book with friends and family in printed form, you may include my recipe. Please just include a link to this blog post with the recipe for credit. Thank you for asking!