Best Brownie Recipe - Fudgy, Moist, Chewy with a Crackly Top - 10-Minutes - Perfection. (2024)

Jill Mills

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Resulting in decadently chewy, fudgy brownies with a perfectly crackly top, this is by far the Best Brownie Recipe I’ve ever tried. You’ll only need two bowls and some basic ingredients to make these homemade brownies!

Best Brownie Recipe - Fudgy, Moist, Chewy with a Crackly Top - 10-Minutes - Perfection. (2)

Featured Comment

THE best brownies ever!! I’ve never made homemade brownies but we were celebrating and my kids wanted to try out a recipe! How lucky are we that we came across this one! They came out absolutely perfect. I can’t remember the last time I actually wrote down a recipe so I wouldn’t lose it! Lol this now has a permanent place in my recipe book!

– Victoria

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The Best Fudgy & Chewy Brownies

Over the years, we have made some really fun brownies with all sorts of ingredients like Milky Ways, lemon, and even Dr. Pepper. However, nothing compares to a traditional, homemade chocolate brownie. I just love the classics.

I went on a mission to discover the best brownie recipe, trying out all kinds of different variations and ingredients and bake times, and I can honestly say the recipe I’m about to share is the best one of all.

This is a recipe that receives a loud round of oooh’s and ahhh’s from the family every time I make them. At this point, I just know to make a double batch because one is never enough!

If you’re someone who often just reaches for a box of brownie mix because it’s easier, know that this easy brownie recipe calls for just basic pantry ingredients and is just as simple as using a boxed brownie mix. The only difference is that the homemade brownies turn out FAR more amazing. Think absolute perfection – glossy, moist, fudgy, chewy, and filled with rich chocolate flavor. Yum!

Best Brownie Recipe - Fudgy, Moist, Chewy with a Crackly Top - 10-Minutes - Perfection. (3)

What Makes This The Best Brownie Recipe?

Calling something the “best”, especially when it comes to something like brownies, takes a lot of confidence. And I do have 100% full confidence that this is THE best brownie recipe.

Let me count the reasons why…

  • Decadent fudgy texture…no cake-like brownies here!
  • Sweet but not TOO sweet
  • Rich chocolate flavor
  • Filled with cocoa powder AND chocolate chips.
  • Perfectly moist
  • Shiny, crispy, crackly outside
  • Made with easy-to-find-ingredients

Is your mouth watering yet? Cause I’m tempted to make another batch just writing this now!

Best Brownie Recipe - Fudgy, Moist, Chewy with a Crackly Top - 10-Minutes - Perfection. (4)

What You’ll Need

For this recipe, I’d be willing to bet that you probably have all of these ingredients in your pantry right now. Go take a peek at what you might be missing, gather everything up, and let’s bake!

  • Sugar
  • Flour – Be sure to measure the flour correctly. Too little or too much can affect the texture.
  • Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – It’s very important that you use unsweetened cocoa powder here!
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Salt
  • Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips – Use a quality brand for the best chocolate flavor.
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla
  • Vegetable Oil – Oil helps keep the brownies extra moist.
  • Water
Best Brownie Recipe - Fudgy, Moist, Chewy with a Crackly Top - 10-Minutes - Perfection. (5)

How To Make Fudgy Brownies From Scratch

These chewy brownies come together just as easily as a box mix – they just taste way better!

  1. Prep. Grab an 8×8 pan, line it with parchment paper and preheat your oven.
  2. Mix. Using two separate bowls, stir together your dry ingredients in one and mix the wet ingredients in the other.
  3. Combine. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until it’s all combined.
Best Brownie Recipe - Fudgy, Moist, Chewy with a Crackly Top - 10-Minutes - Perfection. (6)

4. Bake. Pour the chocolate brownie batter into the pan and bake for about 40 minutes.

Best Brownie Recipe - Fudgy, Moist, Chewy with a Crackly Top - 10-Minutes - Perfection. (7)

Tips for The BEST Homemade Brownies

I’m sure you’ve made brownies before but if you’re ready to make the best brownies you’ll ever try, follow these tips!

  • Measure your flour exactly. Do this by adding the flour into the measuring cup with a spoon (instead of scooping from the container) without packing, and scraping the top off evenly with a butter knife.
  • Don’t overmix the batter. Overmixing the batter leads to more air in the batter, which can result in cake-like brownies.
  • Use a pizza cutter! One of our fun tricks is to pull the brownies out of the pan by the parchment paper, and after they cool just using a pizza cutter to cut them. Try it!
  • Real vanilla extract. Using this instead of the imitation may cost a bit more, but the flavor is so much better when you use the real stuff.
  • How to tell when brownies are done. The best way to tell if the brownies are done is to use a toothpick in the center. You want there to be a few moist crumbs on it. If there’s still wet batter, it needs to keep cooking. If there’s no crumbs at all, it’s probably overbaked. The center will likely still look undercooked but that’s okay.
  • Add new toppings. Try things like M&M’s, mint chocolate chips, sprinkles, nuts or whatever sounds yummy!

Serving Suggestions

What’s better than a warm, fudgy brownie with a glass of cold milk? The only thing I can think of is fudgy brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The warm chocolate and cold ice cream is a match made in heaven!

You can easily turn these into a brownie sundae with that scoop of vanilla ice cream, some chocolate (or caramel) syrup, whipped cream, and a cherry. Or just dig into a warm brownie straight from the oven.

No matter how you enjoy these brownies, you’ll be craving another one soon after!

Can I Freeze Homemade Brownies?

Yes, these fudgy brownies can be frozen. You can either freeze the whole pan or individual slices. I find they stay more moist if you wait to cut them just before serving.

Allow them to cool completely then cover with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. They can stay in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter and enjoy.

How to Store

Homemade brownies will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 5 days. The most important thing is to keep them out of direct sunlight and humidity. Instead of just placing them in an airtight container, I recommend wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap first, then placing them in the airtight container.

Best Brownie Recipe - Fudgy, Moist, Chewy with a Crackly Top - 10-Minutes - Perfection. (8)

More Delicious Brownie Recipes:

  • French Silk Brownies
  • Chocolate Milk Brownies
  • Chocolate Fudge Strawberry Brownies
  • Butterscotch Brownies with Caramel Icing

Best Brownie Recipe - Fudgy, Moist, Chewy with a Crackly Top - 10-Minutes - Perfection. (9)

5 from 52 votes

BEST Brownie Recipe

Resulting in decadently chewy, fudgy brownies with a perfectly crackly top, this is by far the Best Brownie Recipe I've ever tried. You'll only need two bowls and some basic ingredients to make these homemade brownies!

Servings: 9 brownies

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Total: 50 minutes mins

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Ingredients

Ingredients:

Instructions

Directions:

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

  • Line an 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an extra two inches over the sides for easy removal of the brownies whey they have finished baking.

  • Lightly spray or butter the other exposed sides of the pan. Set the pan aside until the batter is ready.

  • In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, salt and chocolate chips.

  • In a large mixing bowl, or stand mixer, mix the eggs, oil, water and vanilla together.

  • Gradually add in the flour mixture and continue mixing until the dry ingredients are completely mixed in with the egg mixture.

  • Evenly pour the batter into the lined pan, using a spoon or spatula to evenly distribute the batter.

  • Bake on the center rack, in the middle of the oven for about 40 minutes.

  • Optional: Sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips on top of the brownies about halfway into the baking process.

  • Brownies will be done when the top looks shiny.

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Calories: 377kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 143mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 2mg

Did You Make This?

Leave a below or tag @kitchenfunwithmy3sons on social media!

Best Brownie Recipe - Fudgy, Moist, Chewy with a Crackly Top - 10-Minutes - Perfection. (10)

Categories:

  • Brownies and Bars
  • Desserts
  • Recipes
Best Brownie Recipe - Fudgy, Moist, Chewy with a Crackly Top - 10-Minutes - Perfection. (11)
Best Brownie Recipe - Fudgy, Moist, Chewy with a Crackly Top - 10-Minutes - Perfection. (2024)

FAQs

What makes a brownie more fudgy? ›

Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones. So add more fat—in this case, butter and chocolate. A cakey batch has more flour and relies on baking powder for leavening. The amount of sugar and eggs does not change whether you're going fudgy or cakey.

What is the difference between fudgy and chewy brownies? ›

Fudgy brownies are moist, dense and gooey, with almost the texture of fudge, but not quite as compact. Chewy brownies are dense (like fudgy brownies), but have a little more “bite” to them or elastic texture when you chew them.

Why does my brownie not have a crackly top? ›

Add semisweet chocolate chips

That's when I realized that the extra step of adding chocolate chips to the brownie batter helps the brownies get a crackly top. The next time the top of your brownies looks matte or dull, try incorporating these tips!

Which brownie mix is the chewiest? ›

Duncan Hines Dolly Parton's Fabulously Fudgy Brownie Mix

And if you're looking for fudgy, this is the best brownie mix for you. Even the fully cooked brownie was like chewing brownie batter. And it doesn't end there.

Are brownies better with butter or oil? ›

the butter brownies actually had a fudgier texture. they were softer, and they really just melted in your mouth. they also had that shiny crust and just better flavor, whereas the oil brownies were actually chewier. they were crunchier at the top and at the edges.

What's the difference between a fudge brownie and a brownie? ›

Cake brownies are as the names suggests more cake like in texture. They have an open cake style aerated structure. Fudgy brownies on the other hand are richer, deeper and more dense in structure. A fudgy brownie may have a cake like open or cracked texture at the top but remains gooey and viscous in the centre.

Are Ghirardelli brownies chewy or fudgy? ›

Ghirardelli's brownies weren't too sweet and had a denser, more fudgelike texture. They had the most intense flavor of the bunch, which I think came from the chocolate chips and the darker chocolate used in the batter. These were also fudgy, which is my personal preference for a brownie.

What size pan is best for fudgy brownies? ›

Brownies are pretty versatile when it comes to pan size. Most are baked in 13x9x2-inch pans. Baking them in a 9x9x2-inch pan will give you thicker brownies. You'll need to follow the directions for extra-thick brownies on the package and bake them about 10 minutes longer.

How thick should fudgy brownie batter be? ›

The ideal consistency of brownie mix is thick and gooey, similar to a thick cake batter. When you mix the ingredients together, the batter should be smooth and free of lumps, with a slightly sticky texture. This consistency is important for achieving moist and fudgy brownies that are rich in flavor.

Should you let brownie batter rest? ›

Recently, as I was reading through the comments on all our brownie recipes, one suggestion in particular stood out: Refrigerate the batter overnight for a richer, chewier brownie.

Are brownies done when the top cracks? ›

Check for cracks on the surface.

As brownies cook, moisture evaporates, so a few cracks mean that the brownies are cooked, but still moist in the center. You can also check the sheen of the surface—cake brownies will look matte or dry instead of wet and shiny.

Why doesn't my brownie get the crinkle top? ›

The paper-thin crinkly crust can only form if the sugar in the brownies has fully dissolved and broken down. The best way to achieve this is by making sure you thoroughly beat the sugar and the eggs.

Is Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker brownies better? ›

For those looking for light and cakey brownies, Duncan Hines is likely the mix for you, while Pillsbury or Betty Crocker's mixes are better for fudge fans.

How to improve Ghirardelli brownie mix? ›

Crushed potato chips, pretzels, and salted nuts stirred in or sprinkled on before baking can add textural interest, plus a little savoriness that can make the rich chocolate flavor more pronounced. A shower of sea salt or flaky salt like Maldon over baked brownies before slicing makes for a dramatic, sparkly finish.

Can you use butter instead of vegetable oil in brownies? ›

As the team at Betty Crocker explains, you can substitute butter for oil in brownies by using the same measurements. Simply melt the butter down and let it cool slightly before adding it to the mix. Because of butter's taste and texture, it might even improve the recipe.

Why are my brownies not fudgy? ›

Not using the correct recipe may result in dry and crumbly brownies. Recipes that have a lesser amount of fat and moisture content will not make a fudgy brownie. Not resting the brownie enough before cutting will result in the brownies crumbling. This is because they need time to cool down and solidify.

Why is my brownie not dense? ›

By minimizing any air in the batter, relying on just a touch of baking powder or baking soda for rise, you'll get brownies with that desirable dense, fudgy center.

What consistency should fudgy brownie batter be? ›

Me: The ideal consistency of brownie batter is thick and gooey. .

Are brownies supposed to be fudgy in the middle? ›

Brownies are perfect when the middle is just baked, so it sets to a fudgy, moist consistency - if your flour and baking powder are causing the edges to rise, cook and set too quickly, they will give the appearance of a sunken centre, even if the centre is perfectly cooked.

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