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:
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for all my latest updates!
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.
Thank you for your receipe! Awesome brownies!
Thank you so much!! I am so glad you liked them!!
Followed directions precisely, ended up edible in some places
Sorry you didn’t like the recipe!!
Excellent and so simple! Rave reviews from friends and their husbands!1
Yay!! I am so glad everyone like them!! Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
My brownies turned out still watery under the crusty top layer. Should I just throw them in longer or at a higher temp??
Hi, so sorry I didn’t get answer your question sooner!! If they are still watery they needed to bake longer. Thanks for asking! 🙂
Always seem like my brownies come out too oily. I’m gonna try doubling the batch and only using 1/2 cup of oil (since the original recipe calls for 1/2 a cup I’m gonna try seeing if doubling all ingredients except the oil will help with the super oilyness)
That is really strange!! I’m not sure why that would be happening!
These are absolutely delicious! I didn’t have any unsweetened chocolate so added just a tiny bit extra of the semi-sweet chocolate chips and melted that down, and still turned out perfectly gooey, chocolately and oh so heavenly. Better than anything from a box. My sweet tooth thanks you!!
Thank you so much Rachel!! I am so glad you liked them and thanks for sharing!! 🙂
OMG! Thank you soooooo Much for posting this! My Browines came out perfect ..other recipes that I have tried tasted like a cake consistancy. These were chewy goodness! I love the taste of the 3 Chocolates really gives it a great flavor! I cant say enough about them. I bake to help raise funds for our local Animal Rescue and the Trap Neuter & Release program
Tammie
Thank you SO MUCH!! I am so glad you liked them and thanks for sharing!! And what a great cause to bake for!! 🙂
The only suggestion I have is maybe a little more flour. They were soooo yummy, but they also didn’t set up completely. The outside was perfect while the inside was just a little runny. Thanks for the recipe though. My pregnancy cravings are satisfied.
I am so glad you craving was satisfied!! I can totally relate to that ;)! Thank you for the suggestion too!
These are the perfect brownies! I used the updated recipe and the only change I made was to use melted butter instead of oil. The instructions were easy to follow and recipe came exactly as you said, chewy and gooey on the inside with a beautiful crust on top. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you for sharing your changes and so glad you liked the brownies!!
These are delicious! I used half butter, half oil instead of all oil. So delicious!
Thank you so much!! I am so glad you liked them and thanks for letting us know about using 1/2 butter 1/2 oil!! 🙂
I just typed in a search for brownies and yours was on the first page of google. Happy to have found you! I have not yet tried these, in fact, I often look for inspiration.
Thank you! Let me know how you like them!! 🙂
I don’t know what happened as I followed the recipe exactly and I did not get nice chewy brownies. I ended up with a TOO moist, wet-like brownie… I even tried baking it an extra 10-15 to see if it just needed more time in the case my oven was a little off, but it did nothing. Is my idea of chewy just different or did something go wrong? Also, the taste does taste box-like which I don’t like because it has a hint of cardboard flavor.
Hi Alannah! I know you baked them for an extra 10-15 minutes but it sounds like they needed longer to bake yet. So sorry they didn’t turn out as you hoped! I have learned that brownies can be a tricky thing and take some trial and error. Thank you for letting me know how you liked them, I appreciate it! 🙂
Are people making the original or the revised recipe?
Which results In a chewy (not cakey or too fudgey)?
I think there are people making both the original and revised. It’s really just a matter of opinion. I feel you could get a chewy brownie with either recipe as long as they aren’t overbaked. Bake until there are crumbs and just a little batter left on the toothpick. My biggest tip is to let the brownies cool completely or they will fall apart. Hope that helps and let me know how you like them!
Hi Malinda, I just finished reading both recipes and ALL of the comments,which were very helpful! I feel inspired! But I’ve got a few questions for you before I get up the nerve to take the plunge:
1) I need some clarification please, Does your recipe yield fudgey, gooey, or chewy brownies? Or perhaps they might be a mixed bag, depending on whether they are cut from the center or sides of the pan? The brownie style I prefer is one that is intensely chocolatey, slightly chewy but tender, and not overly gooey. Definitely not cakey!
2) I often bake with Truvia Baking Blend (which is a mixture of sugar, stevia and erythritol), and I’m wondering if I could substitute that blend for the sugar and still have success? I know that baking is all about chemistry, and I am a mad scientist, LOL.
3) I have an accurate oven thermometer and a convection oven. The oven automatically adjusts the setting for 325 degrees, and the thermometer reads exactly 350 degrees—which works fine for most recipes. I’ve looked at some other recipes (from the King Arthur Flour website and America’s Test Kitchen/Cook’s Illustrated), and some of their recipes direct you to bake at 325 degrees. So, I’m not sure if I should reduce my oven temperature further so that the thermometer reads 325 degrees. If I bake your brownies at 325 degrees, will they come out perfectly?
4) Boxed brownie mixes don’t typically include chocolate chips. I’m trying to avoid excess sugar, so could I omit the chocolate chips? Or perhaps I could use Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips/morsels instead, for a slightly less sweet brownie?
Thank you so much, Malinda, for reading my opus of questions. And thanks to all of the readers who have contributed their comments. I hope that you might take the time to address each of my questions. I know that’s asking a lot, but I would really appreciate your detailed feedback. I’m a little OCD—can you tell? 😂😂😂
Hi Alyssa!! You have such great questions!! I will try my best to answer them.
1) This doesn’t produce fudgy brownies unless you decide to underbake them. I feel they are more on the chewy side and I don’t feel they are cakey. Sometimes I think it comes down to personal opinion. If I am going to call something cakey then it needs to be like cake and these brownies aren’t like a cake. There are 3 kinds of chocolate in this recipe to help amp up the chocolate flavor.
2) I don’t have experience baking with Truvia, so I can’t answer this question. Sorry!!
3) Since your oven automatically adjusts I wouldn’t change the temperature. Also, be sure to check your brownies before the bake time is over since they will cook faster. If you are wanting them somewhat fudgy bake just until the top is set and no longer jiggly. If you want them more on the chewy side bake them until the toothpick comes out with crumbs and not full of wet batter. There will be some wet batter but also crumbs. Also, convection may dry out brownies and form a thicker crust on top as well, just something to note. But every oven is different. 🙂
4) You don’t have to add the chocolate chips but they do add to the chocolate flavor and yes I would definitely use a bittersweet chocolate for deeper chocolate flavor.
Thanks for asking and let me know how they turn out for you!! 🙂
Also, don’t fret if they don’t turn out perfectly on the first try. I know many people say brownies are a no brainer or easy recipe but I feel they can be much more advanced and sometimes tricky to master. 🙂
Hi Melinda,your brownies look amaazing 😋😋
I’d like to try it today. What do u think if I substitute the oil in your recipe with melted butter instead?
Hi Lin!! I haven’t tried using butter so I can’t say for sure how they will turn out. Thanks for asking though and feel free to report back with your thoughts about the brownies if you make them!! 🙂
Just pulled them out of the oven and they are gorgeous! Cant wait to try them, my 3 children have been drooling since we started making them.
Thank you so much!! Let me know how you liked them!! 🙂
hi, i was just wondering how many brownies this recipe makes, thanks!
It makes 9 brownies. 🙂
Why it is not in grams and mililiters?? 🙁
I need to do 7x this recipe but every site give me the proportions wrong.. like 1 cup of water = 150ml in one site and 170ml in another one
help
Hi! Thanks for your comment and I have updated the recipe with conversions!! Let me know how they turn out for you!! 🙂
Followed the recipe exactly as written and IMO they are perfect chewy brownies.
Thank you so much Cheryl!! So glad you liked them!! 🙂
Although we made a few adjustments to the chocolate used in the recipe, in the end we found that it was the lovely gooey consistency that we were looking for, it didn’t hold a shape very well and we had a hard time figuring out when it was ready. The upper crust of the brownie hardened and cooked much before the inside of it making it very difficult to judge. in the end the taste was delicious but it was quite a struggle to get there.
I am sorry it was struggling to figure out when the brownies were ready. I have found brownies to be one of the most difficult things to make and get them just right!! Thank you for your comment and letting me know! 🙂