These seriously fudgy homemade brownies are quite possibly the richest, most decadent brownies you’ll ever try. They’re thick, dense, and supremely chocolatey, thanks to a triple dose of chocolate: cocoa powder, melted chocolate, and chocolate chips. They’re basically one step away from pure fudge!
I originally published this recipe in 2016 and have since made a few important changes based on reader feedback. We reduced the sugar to make them less sweet, and now bake them in a 9-inch square pan instead of a 9×13, which yields thicker, richer brownies.
If you Google “homemade brownies,” prepare to receive thousands of search results. (I don’t recommend doing this while hungry.) I threw my homemade frosted brownies recipe into the ring back in 2014—and I still love that one. Those brownies are chewy, dense, easy, and topped with chocolate frosting to boot.
But maybe today you’re not in the mood for chewy brownies or sweet buttercream. Maybe what you want is something even richer. Deep, pure chocolate flavor that melts in your mouth… almost like eating fudge, but with a little more texture.
That’s where today’s brownie recipe comes in.
Because that’s the best part about baking: you can continually experiment like a mad, butter-loving scientist. And if you think about it, we can never have too many recipes that combine butter, sugar, and chocolate. I even have a different recipe for thick & fudgy brownies in my New York Times–best-selling cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients You Need
- Butter: You can make brownies with butter, oil, or a combination of both, but in testing, we liked these brownies best with all butter. Unparalleled for flavor!
- Baking Chocolate: You need 4 ounces (1 standard bar) of either semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate. Chop it up, and divide it in half. You’ll melt half with the butter, and then fold in the rest of the chopped chocolate along with the chocolate chips.
- Sugar: Sugar does much more than sweeten brownies. It liquifies as they bake, creating a softer center, and migrates to the top, creating that shiny, crackly surface characteristic of a good brownie.
- Eggs: Eggs are one of the main ingredients in brownies. Just as they do in flourless chocolate cake, eggs bind, add richness, and provide structure.
- Vanilla: Even the most chocolatey desserts benefit from pure vanilla!
- Cocoa Powder: Though natural cocoa powder can be used, I suggest a Dutch-process cocoa powder (I really like this brand) for a richer, smoother chocolate flavor. This brownie recipe does not rely on chemical leaveners; if a recipe does, that’s when it’s important to remember the difference between Dutch-process vs. natural cocoa powder.
- Flour: The cocoa powder takes the place of some flour, so you’ll only need 1 cup in these homemade brownies. The more flour in brownie batter, the cakier the brownies will taste. We want a dense and fudgy batch today, so use as little flour as possible.
- Salt: To balance all the flavors.
- Chocolate Chips: You may think these brownies have enough chocolate already that you could leave out the chocolate chips, but see below for why they’re key to brownie success!
Why is there no baking powder or baking soda in these brownies? Adding baking powder or baking soda lifts brownies up and creates a cakier result. But today, we all want a brownie so dense and fudgy that it’s basically 1 step up from eating pure chocolate.
You’ll get a taste of how dense these brownies are when you’re whisking the batter. It’s so thick and so fudgy.
Seriously fudgy.
How to Make the Fudgiest Brownies: Key Steps
Start by melting together the butter and half of the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Next, beat together the sugar and eggs. This is a new step in this recipe, and it’s key to developing that shiny, crackly, tissue-thin surface on the brownies.
Whip until your sugar and egg mixture reaches what’s known as the “ribbon stage”—the color will lighten to a very pale yellow, and the consistency will thicken and increase in volume. (This takes around 3 minutes.) It should look like a creamy, slightly foamy custard. That foam is going to provide necessary structure for the brownies:
Why Is It Called the Ribbon Stage?
If you stop whipping and lift the beaters or whisk attachment up out of the bowl, the mixture should fall in a continuous stream that creates a trail of folded ribbon lines on the surface that remain visible for 10–30 seconds before they disappear back into the mixture. King Arthur Baking has a helpful article about this, if you’d like some more information and visuals.
Now combine your two mixtures, and then add in the remaining ingredients.
Spread the batter in a lined 9-inch square baking pan. Use a metal baking pan, not glass or ceramic, to ensure the brownies bake evenly.
How to Get Shiny Crackly Tops in Brownies
The secret is in the sugar! If properly dissolved, the sugar will migrate to the top as the brownie batter bakes, creating that signature shiny and crackly surface we all know and love.
Whipping the sugar with the eggs gives it a head start on dissolving, thanks to the water content in the egg whites. Combining that with warm melted butter and chocolate will help to dissolve it even further. If your sugar isn’t properly dissolved, your brownies will look—and taste—grainy. Very unappetizing!
The other trick is to always include chocolate chips. I learned this years ago from the smart folks at King Arthur Baking, and Tessa at Handle the Heat also has a great article explaining the keys to brownie crust success.
How to Tell When Brownies Are Done Baking
This can be tricky, so here’s how to determine when these brownies are done:
- Set the timer to 28 minutes as soon as the brownies go into the oven. Once you begin to smell that captivating scent of chocolate permeate through the kitchen, check the brownies. Even if this is at the 25-minute mark.
- Stick a toothpick in the center and pull it out. If the toothpick comes out coated in wet batter, the brownies need more time.
- Continue to check the brownies with a new toothpick every 2 minutes. If there are a few moist crumbs on the toothpick, the brownies are done. You don’t want a totally clean toothpick—that could mean your brownies are overbaked and might be dry. 32 minutes is the most these brownies have ever taken in my oven (if using a 9-inch metal baking pan).
Now comes the hardest part: waiting for the brownies to cool completely before cutting them. I wish I had a tip for you here on how to speed up this torturous process, but I do not. BEST OF LUCK.
Here’s the real question: are you a center person or an edge person? Save me the corners please.
Seriously Fudgy Homemade Brownies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 16 brownies
- Category: Baking, Bars, Brownies, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This recipe has been *slightly updated* since my team and I originally published it in 2016. These seriously fudgy homemade brownies are thick, dense, and intensely chocolatey thanks to cocoa powder, melted baking chocolate, and chocolate chips. With shiny crackly tops and melt-in-your-mouth centers, this is our go-to brownie recipe.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, sliced into 12 Tbsp-size pieces
- 4-ounce (113g) semi-sweet chocolate bar, coarsely chopped and divided*
- 1 and 2/3 cups (333g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (84g) unsweetened natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder*
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a 9-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two opposite sides to lift out the finished brownies (makes cutting easier!). Set aside.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the butter and half (2oz/56g) of the chopped chocolate. Melt in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until completely melted and smooth. Set aside to slightly cool while you continue.
- In a large bowl with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the sugar and eggs. Beat on medium-high speed until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is pale and ribbon-y, about 3 minutes.
- Pour the warm melted butter/chocolate into the bowl with the sugar/eggs, add the vanilla, and beat or whisk to combine.
- With a fine-mesh sieve, sift the cocoa powder, flour, and salt into the batter, then whisk or beat on low speed to incorporate. Fold in the remaining 2 ounces/57g chopped chocolate and the chocolate chips. The batter will be very thick. Spread it evenly into the prepared pan. (A small offset spatula can help here.)
- Bake for 28–30 minutes, then test the brownies with a toothpick. Insert the toothpick into the center of the pan. If it comes out coated with wet batter, the brownies are not done. If there are only a few moist crumbs, the brownies are done. Keep checking every 2 minutes until you have moist crumbs. Brownies typically take 30–32 minutes in my oven. Err on the side of under-baking, as the brownies will continue to set as they cool.
- Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool completely in the pan. When cool, lift the brownies out by gripping the parchment overhangs and transfer to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into squares.
- Cover and store leftover brownies at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Brownies freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9-inch Square Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Fine Mesh Sieve | Whisk | Wooden Spoon or Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Chocolate: Baking chocolate is typically sold in 4-ounce (113g) bars. Half will be melted with the butter, and half will be chopped up and folded into the batter with the chocolate chips. I suggest Ghirardelli, Baker’s, or Lindt brands; in either semi-sweet (56% cacao) or bittersweet (60% cacao).
- Cocoa Powder: You can use either natural or Dutch-process cocoa powder in this recipe. I prefer Dutch-process (such as this brand) for a smoother chocolate flavor.
- Recipe Update in 2026: My team and I made a couple slight updates to this recipe based on reader feedback. To make it the way it was originally written, increase the sugar to 2 cups (400g) and increase the chocolate chips to 1.5 cups (270g). Proceed with steps 1 and 2 in the recipe above. Skip step 3. Then, whisk the 2 cups (400g) sugar into the melted butter and chocolate mixture. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla, followed by the remaining ingredients. Spread into a lined 9×13-inch pan and bake for 30-32 minutes.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Can espresso powder be added?
These are literally the best brownies I’ve had in my entire life and I’m so glad I found this recipe!
Whoa!!!! What a Brownie Recipe!!!!So Followed the instructions 100% Perfect results!! Added some homemade caramel pieces cut into pea size about 1/2 cup in at the very end with about that many more semi-sweet chips. Serving with homemade vanilla ice cream to guests tonite!
Thank-you very much for all your hard work and wonderful recipes!
hi sally! is there anything i can do to replace the cocoa powder?
Hi Elizabeth, this recipe relies heavily on the cocoa powder for flavor, so we wouldn’t recommend replacing it.
How do I bake these in a muffin pan?
Stephanie, this recipe would definitely work in a muffin pan, but we’re unsure of the exact bake time. Bake at the same temperature, but the bake time should be a bit less. Keep a close eye on them and use a toothpick to test for doneness. We hope they’re a hit!
I absolutely love love the recipe, this is my second time baking the fudge brownies they are absolutely delicious, moist and chocolatey. My family love them so much I double the recipe lol. I’m not a fan of dark chocolate I used mike chocolate instead they taste so much better. Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful recipe, it is hard to find delicious fudge Brownie recipe. This is best and simple recipe. I really appreciate it, God Bless.
Hi Sally- I can’t wait to try this Chocolate Brownie recipe of yours. I will be making them in a week and would like t to save it in my Pinterest for then and in the future. It is not letting me do this. Please help. Thanks
Hi Elana, happy to help. Do you see the orange “pin this!” button at the top of the page? That’s the easiest way to save this recipe to Pinterest!
Sally. What have you done. I use your recipes all of the time, but these are by FAR the best thing I have ever made from your recipes. (The salted caramel and lemon blueberry scones are up there) but this recipe is miles above the rest. Amazing.
Hi James, yes, that would definitely be helpful. I suppose it’s not as common for baked treats like this because some prefer brownies gooier/under-cooked, and some prefer them chewier/more firm. Still, having a temperature that would equate to those consistencies and textures could be very helpful. Thank you for the suggestion, and it’s certainly something I can add when I make these again.
Seriously delicious! I used bittersweet chocolate and added semisweet mini chips. This one is a keeper!
Great recipe. I cut the chocolate chips down to 3/4 cup and added 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Yummy!
I made this recipe before and felt it was baked too long. This time I think it may not be baked enough. Can I put it back in the oven after I have cut it and see if it will bake a little more? I feel like the inside is too soft after i cut them into pieces.
Hi Leslie, if the brownies have been out of the oven for a while and cut, it’s probably a bit too late to place them back in the oven. Although you can certainly give it a try.
Absolutely my favorite brownie recipe. I add chocolate chips, and serve them with a drizzle of fresh raspberry syrup. To die for.
These are THE BEST homemade brownies I have ever made. I want to say, I have made them 2 times and it is really important to have good quality chocolate. I personally love using 55% chocolate bar, Cadbury cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips. Thank you for sharing such an easy yummy recipe!
I normally love all Sally’s Baking Addiction recipes, but this one did not hit for me. It has an incredibly rich flavor, akin to dark chocolate. If that’s your thing, I’m sure you’d love this recipe! I was not looking for a dark chocolate brownie though so this was kind of dissapointing for me.
Brownies were extremely dry, following recipe exactly.
Made these a couple weeks ago, and they came out sooo good. Held the extra chocolate chips as I didn’t have any semi sweet on hand. I began to pour the brownie batter into my 9×13 but decided they were going to be too thin for my liking, so I transferred it to a 9X9. They took 38 minutes to bake (8 minutes longer than the recipe calls for) and came out absolutely perfect. They weren’t too thick being done in the smaller pan. Will make these again and again.
They didn’t grow much a 9×13 seems to big they are very low hopefully fudgie though not sure if I did something wrong I used a 1/4 c brown sugar I wish ai hadn’t it didn’t blend smooth
I make these brownies to go as chunks in a “darkest chocolate ice cream” recipe from a Jeni’s Ice Cream cookbook. They’re perfect—the fudginess helps them not be hard as rocks once frozen.
One tweak I’ve made to the recipe is using baker’s sugar instead of granulated sugar. I noticed with granulated sugar, if I don’t get the butter/chocolate mix quite hot enough, the sugar doesn’t dissolve all the way, making the final product grainy. If I use fine/baker’s sugar, this never happens!
I made this recipe this past weekend. My son and grandson said it was the best they’ve ever had. Better than all of the others I’ve made over the years. I always read the comments for additional information. I doubled the recipe and made it in my 13×9 baking pan. Because I personally like thicker brownies. The only thing I will do differently is to sift the cocoa powder. There were small chunks of powder in the batter and I had to break them down with a fork. Not making that mistake again lol. But still the Best Brownies ever @Sally’s Baking Addiction. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
The recipe is very intense flavor. It didn’t taste sweet to me, is that they way it is supposed to taste? The first time I baked it, I thought maybe I forgot half of the sugar. I just baked a second time but only used 3/4 cup cocoa. I am not sure how it is supposed to taste.
I tried this recipe the first time with unsweetened chocolate, adding in a tbs of milk to balance out the dry super dark chocolate and it was pretty good!. I’d also use milk or white chocolate chips if I were to redo it with unsweetened chocolate.
This is a keeper. Added the extra chocolate chips and threw in a few Hershey’s kisses. Chocolatey, fudgy brownies. Just as good the next day. (some brownies get dry/hard).
Loooove this, best brownies recipe I’ve had so far! Easy to make and few dishes to clean.
These were a huge hit at my Superbowl party. My friend was breaking off small pieces to feed to her 1 year old. He grabbed the entire thing out of her hand and shoved it in his mouth. My coworkers loved the leftovers as well today at work. These are a keeper for sure.
I’m thoroughly confused. Is this recipe in American weights or British? The cocoa 1 cup -is it 1 cup in American measurement? Or does it all have to be converted? Please help
Hi JoAnn, we list the American measuring cups amounts as well as the weights in grams.
Can you use black cocoa powder in this recipe?
I can’t see why not!
Hi Sally! I know that you recommended Lindt chocolate bars for this recipe. I can only find those bars with a percentage on their wrapper (78%, 85%, etc ). Which percentage of Lindt should I be purchasing?
Hi L! Semi-sweet chocolate is usually 35-65% cocoa.
This recipe is AMAZING. Made it several times. Lately my favorite is to leave out the chopped 2oz of chocolate and the chocolate chips so that it’s a chewy brownie with no chunks. It’s just like a box mix but even better!! My absolute favorite as I love box mix texture but the flavors of homemade are so much better. Thank you!
I’ve been trying this recipe and after 2 attempts I’m running into the same issue: my edges are burning but the middle is undercooked even after 45 mins of baking. What am I doing wrong?
I flipped the pan to trouble shoot and the middle of the pan is completely underdone; just batter basically. Why isn’t the middle of the pan getting cooked?
Hi Aditya, it’s normal for brownies to be more baked on the edges and softer in the centers. However, if the middles are still underdone, you can tent the pan with aluminum foil part way through bake time. This will prevent the edges from burning while allowing the middle of the pan to continue baking through. Hope this helps for the next batch!