Best Fudgy Brownie Recipe
As someone who deeply loves brownies, I have to tell you with full confidence that this is the best fudgy brownie recipe you’re going to find on the internet. Rich with a double dose of chocolate, cracked on the surface but tender and fudgy on the inside, this is simply the best brownie recipe I’ve ever made in my life.
Best Brownie Recipe Ever!
Whenever people ask me what my favorite dessert is, they expect something really fancy and French to be my preference. Crème Brûlée, profiteroles, or a tarte au citron.
As a Francophile and creator of a French lifestyle brand, I get it. The thing is, before I was ever a Francophile, I was just an American child. I was the girl who grew up with Oreos, Rice Krispies treats, chocolate chip cookies, and brownies.
That’s why when I tell you that this best fudgy brownie recipe is the best, I tell you this from a place of genuine enthusiasm and love. Because to me, brownies are right up there with a good chocolate chip cookie when it comes to my favorite desserts I’d enjoy in a last supper scenario.
Chewy fudge brownie recipe without cocoa powder
Over the years, I’ve used over a dozen different brownie recipes in my quest to find the perfect brownie. I found it deeply disappointing that even though I stumbled upon some pretty good ones, they were no match for the Ghirardelli boxed mix.
I’m not against store-bought mixes and the convenience of using them. In fact, it’s my firm belief that if I’m going to make something, especially a baked good, from scratch, it’s got to be better than store-bought. Or else, what’s the point?
I particularly loved the texture of a Ghirardelli brownie, cracked and crisp along the surface and edges, but fudgy and moist on the inside. The rich flavor of chocolate that also comes through in each bite was always something I was trying to mimic with my homemade brownies.
I was starting to think it wasn’t going to be possible to have a fantastic, I-can’t-stop-eating-these brownie recipe until I came across Ina Garten’s recipe for Outrageous Brownies in one of her very first cookbooks.
I love Ina Garten and her recipes, but my expectations were so-so because I had already tried lots of brownie recipes before. One bite of the finished brownies, however, and I knew I had a clear winner. This was the kind of brownie I knew would replace the Ghirardelli boxed mix and make me the star mom on the block one day! Ha!
These fudgy brownies are absolutely decadent and perfect, including texture and flavor.
They’re rich from the double dose of chocolate (solid chocolate, no cocoa powder in this recipe). It’s all about incorporating the good chocolate here, including some Guittard bittersweet chocolate (both in the form of a chocolate bar and chocolate chips).
Also important, you want to incorporate instant espresso powder into the batter. Unless you have some dietary or religious reason against using it, don’t skip this! It doesn’t make the brownies taste like coffee at all; it only serves to amplify the chocolate flavor.
If you’re a fan of nuts, then let me share that Ina originally makes these brownies using walnuts too. In my opinion, they make the brownies even more spectacular, but I’m also a big fan of walnuts, so make your choice according to your own preference.
What makes a brownie more fudgy?
Usually, when you have more fat than flour in a recipe, you’re going to get a fudgier brownie. In this recipe, you’ve got exactly that: more butter than flour.
Are brownies better with butter or oil?
Brownies are far better with butter, in my opinion. The butter allows the brownies to rise better than oil does while still delivering the necessary fat content to get moist, fudgy brownies.
How do you keep brownies soft and chewy?
Wrap the brownies tightly in plastic wrap and then place them inside a large ziplock bag or a Tupperware container. They should last up to a week this way.
For best results, here are my top tips:
- Don’t over-mix the batter once you add the flour. Anytime you add flour into a cake batter, brownie batter, or muffin batter, you want to stir just until it’s combined. This will prevent your baked goods from getting too tough.
- Allow the brownie batter to rest for a few minutes before you mix in the chocolate chips at the end. This will prevent the chocolate chips from melting too quickly before they’ve even gone into the oven.
- Use good quality chocolate like Guittard or Valrhona; IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE!
- For that matter, use the suggested amount of espresso powder! It’s worth the trip to the store if you don’t already have it in the pantry. Trust me, you’ll be making these brownies again soon enough!
- I bake my brownies about 10 minutes longer than Ina suggests, and they’re still fudgy and moist. I like the crisp surface and edges, but if you want it softer all along the top and edges, then don’t bake the extra 10 minutes.
- Let the brownies cool until they’re just slightly warm before cutting them into squares. You’ll get neater squares. I totally get it if you can’t wait that long, but I would suggest cutting out one square for yourself, and then waiting to cut the rest as it will make things SO much easier and cleaner.
Best Fudgy Brownie Recipe
Decadent, fudgy brownies with a crisp exterior and tender, chocolate-y interior.
Ingredients
- 11 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips plus 1/2 cup, divided
- 2 oz. bittersweet (70%) chocolate
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp instant coffee powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 7 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 1 cup chopped walnuts, optional
- baking spray, to grease the pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9"x9" pan using the baking spray. Temporarily set aside.
- Add the butter, 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, and the bittersweet chocolate to a medium saucepan over low heat. Make sure the flame is on the lowest setting and allow the chocolate and butter to slowly melt for about 10 minutes, stirring every minute or so to make sure everything is evenly getting heated in the pan.
- Allow the melted chocolate mixture to cool for a minute. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir the eggs, vanilla, coffee powder, and sugar together using a wooden spatula (not a whisk or electric mixer; you don't want to beat this mixture, you just want to stir it to combine). Slowly, stream the warm chocolate mixture into the egg batter, stirring constantly as you do.
- To the bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Let this mixture sit for a minute. Now, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. If using walnuts, toss the walnuts in a tablespoon of flour before stirring those in too.
- The batter will feel really thick; this is normal. Do your best to scoop the batter into your prepared pan, spreading it out with a rubber spatula so that it's evenly distributed in the pan. Bake the brownies for 20 minutes, then open the oven door and give the pan a tap against the oven shelf to let out any trapped air. Then continue baking for another 15 minutes for really fudgy brownies. If you like them slightly crisper on the top, you can continue baking them after the total 35 minutes, approximately 5 to 10 more minutes depending on your oven. Remember, they will continue to bake a bit as they cool outside of the oven too.
- Let the brownies rest on the counter until they're just slightly warm, then use a sharp knife to divide the brownies into 9 to 12 squares. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a ziplock bag or a tupperware container on the counter for up to 1 week.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: 9 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 365Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 159mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 2gSugar: 22gProtein: 5g
Love these! I am always looking for baking recipes that use butter because I don’t like to use vegetable/canola oils and coconut oil is hard to work with. Just delicious!!! Merci!