If you’re looking for an indulgent, fudgy brownie that is extremely flavorful whilst not being cloyingly sweet, this recipe is it! It’s literally one of the best brownies I’ve ever had 😀
What makes these brownies so good?
There’s a few key things which I believe makes these some of the best brownies out there!
- Firstly, to make sure these brownies aren’t too sweet, I upped the cocoa content and used dark chocolate instead of regular milk chocolate.
- To get that perfect gooey texture, I used some brown sugar in addition to the white sugar. I also played around with the cooking time and found that the 22 minute mark made for the perfect fudgy brownie texture!
- The crinkled top creates a delicate crunchy layer to the brownie which adds an element of indulgence. The beautiful shiny top also just creates a visually stunning brownie which I LOVE 😀
How do you achieve that crinkled top?
If I’m being honest, I don’t really understand the science behind it! I tried to do some research but I couldn’t seem to find a straight answer. But from what I read, and my own trials and errors, melting the sugar and whipping the eggs helps! 🙂
My biggest success was when I whipped my eggs and sugar for a full 3 minutes, and then made sure I didn’t overmix my batter when adding in my dry ingredients. This gave me the most beautiful shiny top!
How to make these fudgy brownies
These brownies are actually really easy to put together and come together in 30 minutes!
Start off by greasing an 8 inch square cake tin (I like to grease mine with some homemade cake release). Once greased, line the tin with a piece of baking paper that is long enough so there is some overhang on two opposite edges of the tin. This will make it easier to pull your brownies out of your tin when they’re ready.
Next cut up your chocolate into large chunks (about 1/4 inch pieces). Place into a bowl, and in the same bowl, sift in your flour and salt. Mix until well combined and set aside.
In a microwave safe bowl, add in your butter, oil, cocoa powder, soft brown sugar, coffee powder and vanilla. Give it a mix (it may not mix completely if your butter is a little hard which is fine), and then heat in the microwave for 20 second bursts at a time, mixing in between each burst until the mixture is liquid and hot to the touch.
We want the mixture to be hot so that our cocoa is bloomed. It shouldn’t be boiling though, so just hot enough that when you touch the sides of the bowl you can feel a good amount of heat. It usually takes me about a minute to reach this stage. You can also do this over a double boiler. By heating the cocoa it helps to release more of the flavor and by melting the sugar, it helps with achieving that shiny crinkled top.
Set aside to cool and in another bowl add in your white sugar and eggs. Using a hand or stand mixer, mix on a medium-high speed for 3 minutes. The mixture should be light and creamy.
Next add your chocolate mixture from earlier into your egg mixture and gently fold it in until just combined.
You want to mix the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture gently. If you mix it too vigorously, you’re going to get rid of the air bubbles that we just whipped into our eggs/sugar. The air bubbles help us create a rich brownie that isn’t too heavy.
Lastly, add in your dry ingredients and chocolate from earlier and gently fold it in until just combined. Do not overmix the batter otherwise your brownies will be less fudgy and more cakey.
Pour the batter into your pre prepared cake tin and give it a little shake to even out the batter, and a light bang on your counter to get rid of any large air bubbles. Bake for 22-25 minutes depending on how fudgy you want your brownies to be (I recommend 22 minutes). Once done, poke a toothpick into the center and it should come out dirty.
If the toothpick comes out clean, then it means the brownies have been overbaked. If you choose to bake your brownies for the full 25 minutes for a less fudgy brownie, then I would recommend checking them at the 22 minute mark to make sure they aren’t overbaking.
Let the brownies cool in the tin for 1 hour to firm up. When ready, run a thin knife around the edge of the tin to release the brownie, and use the baking paper to lift the brownie slab up from the cake tin. Cut into slices and enjoy!
Fudgy Brownies
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (105 g) dark chocolate - I use 50% dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chips okay too
- ¾ cup (90 g) flour - regular, all purpose
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter - room temperature or melted, see note 5
- ¼ cup (53 g) unflavored vegetable oil - I use canola
- ½ cup (100 g) soft brown sugar - packed, see note 1
- ⅔ cup (75 g) cocoa powder - unsweetened. I use natural cocoa powder for this recipe.
- 1 tsp coffee powder
- 1 tsp vanilla essence/extract
- 1 cup (200 g) white sugar - granulated
- 2 large eggs - room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 160 °C (320°F) with the fan on (see note 6 if you don't have a fan function) and grease a square 8 inch cake tin (I use my homemade cake release). Once greased, line with a piece of baking paper that is long enough so there is some overhang on two opposite edges of the tin. This will make it easier to pull your brownies out of your tin when they're ready.
- Next cut up your chocolate into large chunks (about 1/4 inch pieces). Place into a bowl, and in the same bowl, sift in your flour and salt. Mix until well combined and set aside.
- In a microwave safe bowl, add in your butter, oil, cocoa powder, soft brown sugar, coffee powder and vanilla. Give it a mix (it may not mix completely if your butter is a little hard which is fine), and then heat in the microwave for 20 second bursts at a time, mixing in between each burst until the mixture is liquid and hot to the touch (see note 2).
- Set aside to cool and in another bowl add in your white sugar and eggs. Using a hand or stand mixer, mix on a medium-high speed for 3 minutes. The mixture should be light and creamy.
- Next add your chocolate mixture from earlier into your egg mixture and gently fold it in until just combined (see note 3).
- Lastly, add in your dry ingredients and chocolate from earlier and gently fold it in until just combined. Do not overmix the batter otherwise your brownies will be less fudgy and more cakey.
- Pour the batter into your pre prepared cake tin and give it a little shake to even out the batter, and a light bang on your counter to get rid of any large air bubbles. Bake for 22-25 minutes depending on how fudgy you want your brownies to be (I recommend 22 minutes). Once done, poke a toothpick into the center and it should come out dirty (see note 4).
- Let the brownies cool in the tin for 1 hour to firm up. When ready, run a thin knife around the edge of the tin to release the brownie, and use the baking paper to lift the brownie slab up from the cake tin. Cut into slices and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
216 Comments
OMG i managed to make my parents eat chocolaty stuff. thank you for your efforts and patience in giving us the best recipes! ❤️
and to those beginners out there, you can confidently try cakes by MK’s recipes. you’ll not only get the best recipes but also learn the science behind them!
Aww so so happy to hear you all enjoyed the recipe Kathija! 😀
Thank you for the recipe! It’s a must-try recipe. My kids loved it.
So so happy to hear you and your kids enjoyed the recipe Fatima! 😀
I love this recipe. They are rich and delicious and not to sweet. It is my go to recipe.
So happy to hear that Christina! 😀
Hi! I am going to try the Brownies today,. Can I add some walnuts since I always make mine with toasted walnuts?
Hi Neeta! Yes absolutely 🙂 hope you enjoyed them!
Literally the best brownies I have ever made, and the first time in over a decade of baking experience that I have ever managed to achieve the crinkly top! Thank you for an excellent recipe, MK! I really will never need to use another recipe again. It even works perfectly with gluten free flour.
Aww yay I’m so so happy you enjoyed the recipe Melanie! 😀
Amazing recipe! Used this recipe for my first ever baking, it turned out EXTREMELY good. Brownies were very choccy, had an earthy like and moist texture and were soo delicious! They became even tastier and gooier after being in a refrigerator for half an hour. Also added less sugar to the batter and it was still really sweet, so all “If I’ll eat anything that has too much sugar in it I’m going to avoid food in a week” type of people gonna be careful with that 😀 This was also the first time me and my family have tried brownies so you have no idea how much of a good first impression it was for them! Big thanks from east-european teen who learns how to bake, wish your recipes would be more popular, bc they’re awesome!
Aww so so happy to hear you and your family enjoyed the brownies 😀 really appreciate all the love and support 🙂
Hi Miriam, I always make brownies with this recipe of yours. They come out great. But I have a problem that the sugar doesn’t fully melts so when we are taking bites, we can feel sugar under the teeth. I love it this way but many of my clients don’t. Please tell how to resolve this issue. I use super fine sugar
Hello Aiman! So happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipe 🙂 and hmm you shouldn’t be able to taste the sugar granules, so it may be because the type of sugar you’re using has granules which are too large. I would recommend pulsing the sugar a little in a food processor so the sugar is a bit finer and this should help it dissolve easier in the batter 🙂 hope that helps!
hey there! how do i adjust the measurements if i’m using a 7-inch square tin? love your recipes and hope you’re doing well ❤️
Hi Kathija! 🙂 So happy to hear you’re enjoying the recipes! For a 7 inch square tin you can do the same quantity your brownies will just be a bit thicker and you’ll need to bake them for a few extra minutes. Alternatively you can cut down the recipe by a 1/4 and this should fit well into the tin 🙂
Amazing recipe! Doesn’t get any better than this, turns out perfect every single time! thank you so much for sharing 🙂
So so happy to hear that Mariam! 😀
Wow the nicest brownies I’ve ever made. Thank you sooo much! Will share your recipe with my family xxx
Aww so so happy to hear that! Thanks so much 🙂