The most delicious, homemade brownies that are chewy with the perfect amount of chocolate. They’re topped with whipped sour cream chocolate frosting. They’re moist, fudgy, and made in one pot! You’ll love these brownies made from scratch! The perfect dessert for all occasions.
Also, check out our favorite recipe for chewy vanilla brownies!
There’s no doubt about it, brownies are one of the best desserts out there. Whether you eat them plain or serve them with a dollop of cold vanilla ice cream or drizzle caramel sauce all over them, it’s hard to go wrong with a gooey, fudgy brownie.
But, as a classic of a recipe as brownies are, it can sometimes be difficult to make them from scratch. If you’re not careful, your brownies can turn out cakey, undercooked, or underflavored.
Oddly enough, I really like store-bought brownies. I like that they are always fudgy, not over the top rich, and have the right amount of chewiness.
After testing and altering countless recipes and never finding one I truly liked, I finally have one! I have one that measures up to the store-bought, boxed brownies that I love!!
These brownies become even chewier as they cool, they have the perfect amount of chocolate and you make them in one pot! They’re actually even better the next day!
We topped them with the most delicious, whipped chocolate frosting and I don’t think there is anything better. It’s light and not very sweet. It’s perfection!
Read on to discover how to make the absolute best brownies from scratch.
And if you love chocolate desserts as much as we do, you must try this chocolate cake recipe it’s delicious as a snacking cake! Our chocolate zucchini cake is pretty incredible too.
We also have a recipe for gluten-free brownies that are rich and gooey too!
How to Make Homemade Brownies
Table of Contents
Ingredients
Unsweetened Chocolate Squares
Oil (vegetable or canola) – Either one of these oils will work to create super moist brownies.
Granulated Sugar – Use white sugar to sweeten this recipe.
Eggs – Large, organic eggs are best for baking.
Butter – Use high-quality, unsalted butter. Butter gives tenderness and structure to brownies. It also adds the best buttery flavor, which we all love!
Vanilla Extract – Pure vanilla extract is crucial for optimal flavor.
All-Purpose Flour – We use King Arthur flour for our baked goods. Flour provides structure to the brownies. It contains proteins that interact with each other when mixed with liquid, forming gluten.
Baking Powder – This is a leavening agent, that contains both the base (sodium bicarbonate) and the acid needed for the brownies to rise.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease the baking pan with butter.
In a mixing bowl, add flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk together.
In a medium pot, add butter and chopped chocolate and melt over low heat, constantly stirring.
This is all done on low heat.
Once the chocolate has melted, add in the oil and stir.
Next, beat in the sugar and eggs with a spoon. Stir until egg yolks are blended in.
Add in vanilla extract.
Remove from heat and fold in the flour mixture.
Pour into an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out semi-clean.
Let them cool completely and then frost with the chocolate sour cream frosting. This is optional as the brownies are good on their own, but we love them with frosting!
Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
This is the smoothest and most delicious chocolate sour cream frosting recipe ever! It’s made with bittersweet chocolate, butter, sugar, and your cream. All of the ingredients are whipped together for a perfect, smooth finish.
Tips for Making Easy Homemade Brownies
These brownies are simple to make using one pot! You don’t even need a mixer, it’s all done by hand. Here are a few tips for making them:
- Use good quality ingredients like King Arthur flour, organic eggs, and butter, etc. It all makes a difference.
- Make sure your baking powder is not out of date.
- Don’t burn the chocolate! Make sure you watch the chocolate and melt it slowly on low.
- Remember, baking times will vary depending on your oven and location. I always set my timer for 10 minutes less than what the recipes say and then adjust once I check the dessert.
- You can always continue baking but can’t undo overbaked! So watch carefully.
Frequently Asked Questions About Brownies
What Makes a Brownie a Brownie?
From the traditional chocolate brownie to mint brownies to bourbon brownies, there are all different kinds of brownie variations out there. But, what exactly is it that makes a brownie a brownie?
In order to for a brownie to be considered a brownie, it should contain these classic ingredients:
- Chocolate
- Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Flour
Of course, how much of each ingredient you use will depend on the type of brownies you’re going for. Additionally, you may add other ingredients if you’re looking to make a special kind of brownie.
But, how do we know these are the traditional ingredients of a brownie? While there are many different accounts of how the original brownie came into being, we do know that the first published recipe for the modern style brownie appeared in a 1904 cookbook entitled Home Cookery.
However, the first printed use of the word brownie actually dates back to an 1896 cookbook entitled Boston Cooking-School Cook Book.
The word was used to refer to molasses cakes, and in this instance, the recipe actually didn’t contain chocolate! We’re sure happy that the standard ingredients have evolved since then!
What Makes a Brownie Fudgy?
To make the absolute best brownies from scratch, you first need to learn how to make them fudgy.
For a brownie to be super fudgy, it needs to have a higher fat-to-flour ratio. To achieve, this you need to add more chocolate and butter and go a little lighter on the flour. If you want cakey brownies, you’d do the opposite.
To get that fudgy texture, we suggest doubling the amount of butter (ie, a full stick versus a half stick) and doubling the amount of chocolate (ie, 6 ounces of chocolate versus 3 ounces).
How Do You Make Chewy Brownies Instead of Cakey Ones?
In addition to making sure your brownies are fudgy, you also want to make sure they’re chewy. Figuring out the right amount of chewiness can be a delicate balance. On one hand, you don’t want to make them so chewy that they turn out stale. But, you also don’t want them to be cakey.
How do you find the perfect balance of chewiness Here are some tips to help keep your brownies extra chewy:
- Add fewer eggs.
- Use oil or melted butter
- Slightly reduce the baking time
- Use a bit less flour.
By following these tips, your chocolate brownies will come out nice and chewy.
Are Brownies Better With Oil or Butter?
When searching for brownie recipes online, you’ll probably notice that many are made with oil while others are made with butter. Which should you use in order to create the best brownie recipe?
If you’re going for fudgy, chewy brownies, we definitely recommend using oil. While both butter and oil will give your brownies a tender, moist texture, only oil can give your brownies that fudgy, dense texture that makes your mouth water.
When it comes to the type of oil, vegetable oil is definitely your best bet, as it enhances the texture of the brownie without producing any overwhelming flavor. However, if you don’t have any vegetable oil on hand, you may also substitute it with olive oil. But, make sure it’s pure or light olive oil.
Our homemade brownies recipe uses mostly oil but a little butter too!
How Long Will Brownies from Scratch Keep For?
Of course, it would be nice if your brownies from scratch lasted for weeks and weeks so you could enjoy their gooey texture every day.
Unfortunately, this is not the case. If you keep your freshly bakes brownies in an airtight container (to prevent drying out), you can expect them to last 3 to 4 days.
Can I Make Brownies Without an 8×8 Inch Pan?
When browsing brownie recipes, you’ll notice that nearly all of them call for an 8×8 inch pan. This is because this size of the pan will help your brownies bake evenly, and it will help them achieve that chewy, fudgy texture.
If you don’t have an 8×8 inch pan handy, you can substitute a 9-inch round pan without having to adjust the recipe. However, we do recommend investing in an 8×8 inch pan, as this pan will give you the best brownies.
How Many Brownies Does an 8×8 Inch Pan Make?
When using an 8×8 inch pan, how many brownies you get really depends on how you cut them. If you’re going for larger-sized brownies, you should get about 9. However, you could get 12-16 medium to smaller-sized ones as well.
Should Brownies Be Gooey in the Middle?
While the level of gooey-ness often comes down to personal preference, fudgy, chewy brownies should be slightly undercooked in the middle.
However, you don’t want them to be raw. If you find that your brownies are way too hard on the edges and way too gooey in the middle, then you can turn the heat down on your oven by 25 degrees.
How Do You Know When Brownies are Done?
If you follow the recipe to a T, then your brownies should bake perfectly. But, if you’re looking for a good way to tell for sure if they’re done, you can stick a toothpick into the middle of the brownie pan.
If the toothpick is clean when removed, then your brownies are ready to go. But, remember that if you’re going for super gooey brownies, you’ll want the toothpicks to have some chocolate stuck to them.
Can Brownies Be Frozen?
If you want your brownies to last longer, we’ve got some good news. Brownies can be frozen for up to three months!
Just make sure you suitably wrap them with plastic wrap and foil in order to prevent freezer burn. To thaw out your brownies, let them stand at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours before cutting them.
Also, you want to do this before your frost them. They should only be frozen when unfrosted.
Do I need eggs for brownies?
Yes! Eggs are a vital ingredient for making the best brownies.
Eggs enhance the moisture content of the batter. If the batter is too dry, the end result is crumbly brownies. Eggs also provide air, which helps to produce the correct texture.
When to Serve Brownies
This is a classic dessert that can be served and altered to any occasion, event or holiday. Here are some of our favorite celebrations to serve them:
Baby Shower Or Bridal Shower
Birthday Party it’s also perfect for a last-minute birthday party!
Are You Ready to Make Some Homemade Brownies from Scratch?
As you can see, there’s a lot to keep in mind if you want to make the perfect brownies from scratch. But, follow these tips and you’ll have the most delicious brownies ever!
Also, if you’re looking for a great drink to serve with your homemade brownies, be sure to check out this delicious caramel brownie coffee recipe. It’s so good!
More Desserts You’ll Love!
Ricotta Cheesecake with Whipped Sour Cream Topping
The Best Devil’s Food Cake Recipe
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Homemade Brownies
Ingredients
Homemade Brownies
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 2 tbsp butter, unsalted (salted will be fine too though)
- 2/3 cup oil, vegetable or canola
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease the baking pan with butter.
- In a mixing bowl, add flour, salt and baking powder. Whisk together.
- In a medium pot, add butter and chopped chocolate and melt over low heat, constantly stirring.
- Once the chocolate has melted, add in the oil and stir.
- Next, beat in the sugar and eggs with a spoon. Stir until egg yolks are blended in.
- Add in vanilla extract.
- Remove from heat and fold in the flour mixture.
- Pour into an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out semi-clean.
- Let them cool completely and then frost with the chocolate sour cream frosting. This is optional as the brownies are good on their own, but we love them with frosting!
Sara says
I made these last night and they are OMG good! I’ve made and eaten thousands of brownies in my life and I finally found the perfect one! I was curious about the recipe. It’s so different from any I’ve seen, but you are a genius! The frosting came together quickly and never curdled. The frosting sends these brownies over into…cross your eyes good! Thank you for this decadent, rich, absolutely perfect brownie! Seriously…thank you!! ❤️????
Eden says
I am so happy Sara!! I have played around with this recipe and SO many brownie recipes and never liked any of them until these! They are even better the next day and that frosting is my fave!!
Laura Reese says
These homemade brownies are rich chocolate perfection. Loved them so much.
April says
Love these! Frosting on brownies is an absolute must.
Natalie says
I am so wishing I had one of these right now!! They look so fudgy & amazing! Brownies with frosting are my favorite!