Fudgy Chocolate Brownie (Printable)
Rich, fudgy chocolate brownies with a crackly crust and decadent melt-in-your-mouth texture.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
03 - ½ teaspoon baking powder
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 7 oz dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa), chopped
06 - ⅔ cup unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
07 - 1 cup granulated sugar
08 - ½ cup brown sugar
09 - 3 large eggs
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Optional Add-ins
11 - ¾ cup walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
12 - ½ cup chocolate chips
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9 inch square baking pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easy removal.
02 - Place the chopped dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until completely smooth. Alternatively, melt in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between intervals. Let the mixture cool slightly.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk vigorously until the mixture turns pale yellow and becomes slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
04 - Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and stir with a spatula until evenly incorporated.
05 - Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt directly into the bowl. Using a spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the batter until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the brownies tender.
06 - If desired, fold in the chopped nuts and/or chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
07 - Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it into an even layer using the spatula, smoothing the surface.
08 - Bake on the center rack for 22–25 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still has a slight wobble. A toothpick inserted into the center should emerge with moist crumbs, not clean.
09 - Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before lifting them out with the parchment overhang and cutting into 12 even squares.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The crackly top happens naturally if you whisk the eggs and sugars long enough, no tricky techniques required.
- They taste even better the next day, which means you can make them ahead and forget about dessert until guests arrive.
02 -
- A toothpick should come out with moist crumbs clinging to it, not clean, because clean means you have gone too far and the center will be dry.
- Letting the brownies cool fully in the pan is not optional because they continue to set as they sit and cutting too early turns them into a crumbly mess.
03 -
- Sift the dry ingredients even if you think you do not need to, because cocoa powder loves to clump and those lumps show up in every bite.
- For extra gooey brownies, pull them from the oven at the 22-minute mark and trust the residual heat to finish the job.