Better than boxed and almost just as easy, these Homemade Brownies are everything you want them to be – soft, moist, and full of chocolate flavor. It’s the only brownie recipe you’ll need!
If you have a chocolate craving, you can’t beat a batch of Homemade Brownies! For more chocolate treats, try this Chocolate Pound Cake, Dark Chocolate Cake with Nutella Buttercream, or Chocolate Cream Pie.
One thing that everyone needs in their recipe repertoire is a good brownie recipe. Now, I’m all for all of the different fun versions and flavors, but having a basic brownie recipe will always be necessary.
And this homemade brownie recipe is the only one that you’ll need.
Now, I totally get the allure of a brownie mix. So easy, so fast, and really, so good. There is something about boxed brownies that even people who only bake from scratch can’t deny. Well, this brownie recipe gives you all the things you love about those boxed brownies: a chocolatey, fudgy center and a crackly top – but from scratch!
Not only are you in control of the ingredients you are using, but you can whip up a batch of brownies on a moment’s notice. You can’t beat it!
Ingredients
My favorite thing about this brownie recipe is that it’s made from ingredients I always have on hand, so it’s always easy to whip up a batch!
- Sugar: You just need regular, white granulated sugar.
- Butter: I use unsalted butter, but you can use salted and cut back on the salt just a little bit.
- Chocolate Chips: You’ll want semi-sweet chocolate chips. These brownies are pretty sweet as is, so milk chocolate would make them overly sweet. You could use dark chocolate chips for an even richer brownie.
- Eggs: Use large eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: I always like to use real vanilla extract. Vanilla bean paste would work well here, too.
- Flour: I have only made this with all-purpose flour. You could try subbing in half whole wheat, but I haven’t tested it.
- Baking Soda: This will give the brownies a little bit of a lift.
- Salt: The salt will help to enhance and balance the other flavors.
How to Make Homemade Brownies
All you need for this brownie recipe is a saucepan, so they are technically a one-bowl brownie!
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and water. Cook over until the butter is melted and it comes to a boil.
Remove from the heat and stir in 3 cups of the chocolate chips.
Once the chocolate is mixed in and melted, add in the eggs and stir until combined.
Add in the dry ingredients, the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir just until combined.
Last, add in some extra chocolate chips and stir them into the mix.
Pour the batter into a lined baking dish and bake!
Tips and Tricks
No one likes a dry, overbaked brownie, so keep an eye on them as they bake. You can test if they are done by pressing a toothpick in the center. If it comes out with wet batter, they aren’t quite done. If it is dry, you have baked them too long. You should have some moist crumbs stuck to the toothpick. But I always like to underbake versus overbaking.
Let the brownies cool before slicing them. Some people swear by cutting brownies with a plastic fork, but I usually just use a sharp, long knife.
This makes a family sized batch of brownies. If you do want a smaller batch, you can cut it in half and bake in an 8×8-square baking dish.
Brownies freeze well! Freeze (well covered) for up to 3 months.
Change Them Up!
This is just a basic brownie recipe, which means that it’s easy to add to! Here are some of my favorite ways to change them up.
- Frost them with a basic chocolate buttercream, or simply dust them with powdered sugar.
- Add in white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips instead of the extra chocolate chips.
- Chop up your favorite candy bar and and stir it into the batter.
- Melt some peanut butter and drizzle it over the top of the brownies – either before or after baking.
- Add toasted, chopped nuts to the brownie batter.
More Brownie Recipes
Fudgy Nutella Brownies
Caramel Brownies
Banana Brownies with Peanut Butter Banana Frosting
Cookies and Cream Brownies
Coconut Flour Brownies
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Homemade Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup butter cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips divided
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, butter and water. Place over medium heat and cook until the butter is melted and the mixture starts to boil. Remove from the heat and add 3 cups of the chocolate chips (reserving the last 1/2 cup) and stir until the chocolate is melted.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt and stir to combine. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.
- Spread evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake until the brownies are set, about 25 minutes. Do not over-bake.
- Let the brownies cool, then cut into squares.
luci adams says
i love this. i used it for a school project. it was amazing.