These Homemade Chewy Brownies are thick, fudgy, and made completely from scratch. You’ll never need a box mix again!!
Chewy Brownies
These are my go-to fudgiest brownies, and I make them all the time! They are thick and gooey brownies, so easy to make and a reader favorite!
My other favorite easy desserts are these No Chill Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies and No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars.
When I first created this chewy fudgy brownies recipe, it took me a lot of recipe fails to create what I call my perfect brownie. I had several boxes to check to call these my go-to brownies!
The great news is, that I finally nailed it and these chewy chocolate brownies are perfection.
Chewy brownies have a dense interior but not so dense that there isn’t any crumb. There should be a little crumb. Having thick brownies also helps them to stay chewy.
Why You’ll Love Gooey Brownies
- Ultimate chewy fudgy brownies
- Cures your sweet tooth
- Perfect for taking to parties and potlucks
- Can add in all your favorite brownie ingredients
- Everyone loves the dense chocolate flavor
Ingredients For The Fudgiest Brownies:
Sugar: Sugar is what creates the crust on top of the brownies. So there has to be a certain amount, or the crust disappears. I know 1 1/4 cups of sugar is a lot, but it was the lowest amount I could use and still have the crust on top.
Unsweetened chocolate: These are the baking bars of chocolate sold in the baking aisle. I like to use Ghirardelli, but use whatever brand you prefer. Using unsweetened chocolate really amps up the chocolate flavor in these brownies.
Flour: I used all-purpose flour and haven’t tested these with Gluten-Free Flour. However, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour is a good choice. Cake flour and whole wheat flour will not work in this recipe.
Cocoa Powder: This is what makes these homemade brownies similar to that boxed version. Cocoa powder helps make chewy brownies and gives them that familiar taste. I prefer using natural cocoa powder and had the best results with it.
Chocolate Chips: I like adding chocolate chips because what’s more fun than biting into a pocket of melted chocolate??? Use whatever % chocolate you prefer!
Baking Powder: My original recipe (found below the recipe card) used 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. I lowered it to 1/4 teaspoon after a lot of readers complained about the brownies being too cakey. I find using a little leavening necessary to create a little lift. Otherwise, the brownies are too dense and lose their chewiness.
Salt: Salt is very important in baking, so don’t leave it out!
Eggs: Help bind everything together and also lend to the chewiness of the brownie.
Oil: Fat is necessary in these chewy chocolate brownies to prevent them from drying out. And it also helps make chewy brownies.
Vanilla
Expert Tips For Chewy Fudgy Brownies:
What may turn out for my family may not turn out for yours, and I definitely have experienced that with this recipe.
Maybe my definitions of cakey and chewy are different from yours??? When I think of cakey, I think of, well, cake, and I don’t consider these to have the same spongey texture of a cake.
These are my tips for making the fudgiest brownies….I can’t guarantee success because, unfortunately, chewy chocolate brownies are just one of those desserts that vary from person to person and can be difficult to master.
- Melt the sugar/chocolate mixture just until the chocolate has melted. Don’t boil.
- Don’t overmix anything. Just mix until combined, and that is it.
- Don’t overbake. It should have some moist crumbs on the toothpick when you test it. Leave the brownies in the pan, and they will finish cooking.
- Cool your brownies completely. This is a must if you don’t want your brownies to fall apart.
- Also, I highly, highly recommend you get an oven thermometer. I found that my oven wasn’t completely preheated after the beeper told me it was. It was 15 degrees cooler than it needed to be. Thanks to a thermometer, I now know when my oven is at the correct temperature. And don’t think that just because you have a brand new oven that you don’t need to worry about this, because mine is new too.
Frequently Asked Questions
After making these chewy brownies over and over, I have learned a few things when it comes to cutting them. First of all, it’s best to let them cool down before you ever cut them.
Secondly, using a plastic knife to slice the gooey brownies is a game changer. The plastic knife allows it to make clean slices, and fewer brownie crumbs will stick to the knife.
Be sure to wipe off the knife after each pass if there are crumbs.
These chewy fudgy brownies are incredible as they are, but you can also add all sorts of yummy ingredients. Here are a few ideas:
Andes Mints, chopped
White chocolate chips
Nuts, pecans, walnuts, or chopped hazelnuts
Dried fruit like cherries, cranberries, or raisins
Chopped candy bars
Mini Reese’s peanut butter cups
Peanut butter chips
Butterscotch chips
More Chocolate Dessert Recipes To Try:
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Homemade Chewy Brownies
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (265g) sugar
- ¼ cup (60ml) water
- 2 ounces (56.5g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped into small pieces
- ¾ cup (100g) all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (30g) regular not dutch process unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup (45g) semi sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ½ cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper or foil and lightly grease with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan combine the sugar, water and unsweetened chocolate. Cook over medium-low heat just until chocolate is melted and smooth. The sugar will not be completely dissolved. Let mixture cool slightly (about 5 min).
- In a large bowl add mix together the flour (spoon flour into measuring cup and level off with the back side of a knife for accurate measurement), cocoa powder (spoon cocoa powder into measuring cup and level off with the back of a knife for accurate measurement), chocolate chips, baking powder and salt. Mix until combined.
- Pour in the oil, eggs, and vanilla. Pour in the melted chocolate and stir just until combined. Don't overmix!! Spread evenly into prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with SOME MOIST CRUMBS. DO NOT OVERBAKE if you want moist and chewy brownies. Cool completely before cutting.
Video
Notes
- Overbaking will result in drier, crumbly brownies. I accidentally overbaked them once and they were very crumbly. The toothpick needs to have a few moist crumbs on it. Some readers like to test them 5 minutes before the suggested time.
- This recipe may be doubled and baked in a 9×13 pan. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
- Nutrition facts: Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the information shown is just an estimate.
Nutrition
Original Recipe
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped into small pieces
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder (dark or regular)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 or 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper or foil, lightly spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan combine the sugar, water and unsweetened chocolate. Cook over medium low heat until chocolate is melted and smooth (about 5 min) Let cool slightly.
- In a large bowl add in the flour, cocoa powder, eggs, oil, vanilla, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips. Pour in the melted chocolate and stir all just until combined. Don’t overmix!! Spread evenly into prepared pan and bake anywhere from 25-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out with SOME MOIST CRUMBS. DO NOT OVERBAKE if you want moist and chewy brownies. Cool completely before cutting.
These are amazing! I didn’t have unsweetened chocolate and melted the chocolate chips with the sugar and water mixture instead. They were perfect. Thank you!
Thank you so much!! I am so glad you liked them!!!
Thank you thank you thank you for this awesome brownie recipe. I used the original recipe and followed your instructions and they were PERFECT!
Ok, actually I made a couple of changes – I used bitter (dark) chocolate because I wasn’t able to find unsweetened chocolate (I’m currently living in Mexico and don’t have access to the same range of products that we are used to in Canada/US). As such they may have been a tad too sweet. I may try cutting back on the sugar next batch (likely later today as the first batch went very quickly).
I also found out that my oven was running hot. I wasn’t sure whether to trust the thermometer or the oven temp so I didn’t adjust the temperature but I shortened the cooking time to 30 mins. It worked perfectly. I’ll never need to search for another brownie recipe. I’m so grateful.
Thank you so much!! I am so glad you liked them!! Just an FYI, when I was testing out this recipe I never had luck cutting back on the sugar, when I did I couldn’t get that papery crust. I am so glad you used a thermometer to check your oven, it really changes things!! Thanks again!
These were perfect! Exactly what I was craving, chewy crackly brownies!!!! Thank you so much!
YAY!! I am so glad they turned out the way you wanted and thank you so much for your comment!! 🙂
just made these brownies………and loving every bite! thanks for the recipe……………IV posted it up on my blog! credits have been duly given:)thank you!
Hi Farah
Did you make the original or the revised recipe?
Thank you so much and I am so glad you liked them!! Can’t wait to check out your post!! 🙂
Malinda, I followed your revised recipe method exactly and they turned out perfectly!!!! Shiny and crunchy on the top and chewy in the middle. Yummo!
Though I followed your method I didn’t follow the ingredients exactly as in Australia we have slightly different products. So for any Aussies out there this is what I used. Aldi 70% dark chocolate block that I melted into the sugar, organic cacoa powder, and again Aldi’s Milk chocolate bits. The other thing I changed is that I used rice bran oil instead of vegetable oil and our version of your sugar is castor sugar. I only hand whisked the eggs lightly. I baked the mixture in a 180 degrees Celsius fanforced oven for 30 min, turned off the oven and left them in for the last 5 min to finish baking. They were still gooey and my wooden stick did not come out clean but I knew they would be perfect when they cooled. I think this is where some people may be going wrong. It’s seems underbaked but it’s not. You really need to wait till they are cool to see the perfection that is your brownie. Thank you so much for all your advice as it really does work.
These are the things I learnt from the few times I have made brownies. Don’t use raw sugar only white castor sugar the same sugar you use for a pavlova, don’t beat the eggs until the are light in colour, and don’t use butter. Oh and all purpose flour is plain flour in Australia 🙂
Hi Anita! I want to thank you so much for your wonderful comment and taking the time to leave so many details, I really appreciate it!! This will be so helpful for others! Thanks again!! 🙂
Made these today for a friend who loves brownies and for health reasons is on a low fibre diet so they are a good item he can enjoy. They seem to have come out just perfect. I made according to the recipe and method, in an 8″ square cake tin, I did lower my oven temperature to 165 C as I have a fan oven and cooked for 30 mins. I haven’t tasted them but have sliced and they look good to me! Thanks for the recipe Malinda. 😊
Thank you so much for your comment!! Thanks for telling me about lowering the oven for convection and I wonder if that could be the trouble for some of these others. Thanks again and enjoy!! 🙂
Made these today and was very disappointed. Oven temp was correct, only baked them 25minutes and were very cake like and not chewy and moist
So sorry these didn’t turn out for you!
These are so good. My family will love them! Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so much Lina!!! And you are very welcome! 🙂
Do you recommend the revised version?
It’s really just preference. I made the revised version based on feedback from readers. Thanks for asking and let me know how you like them!
What is the difference between the original and updated version. Is it the amount of brownies it makes ?
No it still makes the same amount of brownies. There is more chocolate, less baking powder and less vanilla. Even just those small changes made a difference in the outcome of the brownies. Thanks for asking!
We dont have unsweetened chocolate here where i live. The best thing i could find is dark chocolate 73%. How can i make this work? I really want to make this for bake sales. They look gorgeous!
That’s still a pretty high % of chocolate so it should be ok. Maybe just use 1 tablespoon LESS sugar when preparing. Let me know how they turn out! Thanks!
Great. Thanx! 😊
These brownies look so good! I’m going to make tmrw after work. Can’t wait!!
I am invited to a slumber party tmrw at my aunties house
😁😁😁😁😁😁😁👍
Thank you Shannon!! Let me know how you like them!! 🙂
This was my first time making my own brownies without using the mix from the box, and although I’ll likely reduce the cooking time by about five minutes (pulling them out at around 30) I loved them!!!! And everyone who ate them adored them too. They were super thick and chewy with the crispy outside. Just fantastic.
I am so glad you enjoyed the brownies! And thank you for the note about pulling them from the oven a little sooner since everyone’s oven can bake a little differently. 🙂
How long are you supposed to bake these? I followed the new recipe (40-45 minutes) and didn’t even bake them for 40 minutes and I’m pretty sure they’re over done (not burned, just won’t be fudgy). The old recipe says 25-40 minutes? (Which I didn’t look at until after)
So sorry I didn’t answer your email sooner!! It really depends on how hot your oven is. I left such a wide range on the first recipe because so many people were having problems with overbaking. When I made the newer recipe I used an oven thermometer to make sure the oven was at the correct temperature every time and the 40-45 minutes is what turned out best for me. Hope that helps! 🙂
I made these. I wanted something sweet but didn’t have all the ingredients. I used vegetable shortening instead of vegetable oil that’s all I had. I only used cocoa powder none of the other chocolates because its all I had and the brownies still came out the most amazing brownies vie ever eaten! Love! Thank you.
I am so glad you enjoyed the brownies and thank you so much for your comment!!!
Your welcome….can’t wait to make them again with all the correct ingredients…you know if they tasted good with all the missing stuff they are going to be amazing when I use all the goodies 😊😂
LOL! Thanks again!! 🙂
Thank you for this recipe , it was so easy to make. The last time I tried to make brownies it turned out so bad that I had sworn off making brownies for the rest of my life hahah until i tasted my aunt’s brownies and she told me she got the recipe from here and so I tried and I’m so glad it turned out so well this time. God bless you.
I am so glad you gave brownies a second chance! 🙂 And I am so glad you made my recipe and enjoyed them!!
Thanks for this recipe it is awesome! I just made them and they were almost perfect ( I over salted mine slightly, my fault) I agree about brownies being hard to make and to get just right. I made a double batch, baked in a glass pan, used grape seed oil and ground flax seed oil mixed with water as egg replacement. The texture was absolutely perfect- dense and chewy but somehow still airy and they are so chocolaty and crunchy on the outside. Perfect!
Thank you so much for your comment and sharing your alterations for egg replacement!! I am so glad you enjoyed them!! 🙂
I made these using the original recipe and they were amazing!!! Putting this in my go to category.
Thank you so much for your comment and I am so glad you enjoyed these!!
Is this suppposed to have a liquid consistency befote putting it info the oven? Or have I done something wrong…?
So sorry I didn’t get to your question sooner!!!! It has been a crazy Christmas vacation here. I hope they turned out ok for you but it shouldn’t be liquid but thick and batter like. Again, so sorry!!
I don’t know what happened to make you regret posting the original recipe, but I am glad you didn’t take it down! I made them today exactly as per the original recipe and they were perfect; chewy and chocolatey with a nice glossy crust. I will definitely make these again!
I’m so glad you like the original recipe. This was probably the most challenging recipe to perfect and even still it doesn’t turn out the way some people would hope. Thank you so much for your comment!!