Brownie recipe: I searched for a brownie recipe that satisfied me for years, but I was never able to discover one. I always wanted my homemade brownies to be fudgy, moist, and chocolaty, with crispy edges and crackly tops, much like the brownies I had as a child. The truth is, though, that there was no recipe for these brownies.
Every time, we made them out of a box. Even though I like baking from scratch more these days, no brownie recipe I’ve attempted could compare to the chocolate brownies of my youth.
Brownie recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 3/4 teaspoons sea salt
- 2Â large eggs
- 1/2 cup canola oil or extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Set the oven temperature to 325°F. Apply a thin layer of cooking spray to an 8×8 baking dish (do not use a 9×9 dish as the brownies will overbake) and cover it with parchment paper. Give the parchment paper a quick spray.
- Mix the sugar, flour, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
- Whisk the eggs, water, vanilla, and olive oil in a sizable basin.
- After sprinkling the dry mixture over the wet mixture, stir just until blended.
- The batter will be thick, but that’s okay. Pour it into the prepared pan and level the top with a spatula. Bake for 40 to 48 minutes,
- or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean (keep in mind that it’s preferable to remove the brownies sooner rather than later)
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Notes
- If you’d like to reduce the sugar, I’ve had success with 1 cup granulated sugar instead of 1 1/2 cups.
- I like to use olive oil because it’s what I keep on hand, and I enjoy the pairing of olive oil with chocolate. Keep in mind that you will taste it here. For a more neutral flavor, use canola oil.
- When these brownies come out of the oven, they’ll be super gooey in the middle. Allow them to cool completely, about 2 hours, before you slice into them to give them a chance to set up. They’ll continue to firm up the longer they’re out of the oven. If you still prefer a firmer brownie, store them in the fridge.
TIPS
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The Greatest Brownie Recipe Advice
- Better brownies = better chocolate chips. Using large, premium chocolate chips is one of the key ingredients to consistently delicious brownies, according to Michelle in her book. Enjoy Life’s Dark Chocolate Morsels are my favorite, but Ghiradelli’s 60% Cacao Bittersweet Baking Chips are her recommendation. This recipe would be wonderful with either brand!
- It is preferable to remove them too soon rather than keep them in too long. When preparing this recipe, err on the side of caution because nobody like dry brownies. Bake them until a toothpick put into them comes out mostly clean of crumbs. Remove them from the oven even if you’re not sure you should. When they cool, they will keep getting firmer!
- Hold off until they cool. Make every effort not to gobble these fellows right out of the oven. They get gooier and fudgier and are less likely to crumble when sliced if you let them cool. They will also taste even more chocolatey. I promise it will be worth the wait!
How to Make Nut-Free Brownies
- In two different dishes, combine the wet and dry ingredients first. In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and salt. Next, in a large bowl, mix together the eggs, water, and olive oil.
- The wet and dry materials should then be combined. After sprinkling the dry ingredients on top of the wet, fold it in until barely incorporated. There will be a lot of batter!
- Next, transfer the mixture into a parchment paper-lined 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Spread it evenly over the pan’s four sides and level the top with a rubber spatula. It’s okay if the mixture will be extremely thick.
- And lastly, have some baking! Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake the pan for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out slightly crumbs attached. Let cool fully before slicing and serving the brownies. Have fun!
- Any leftovers can be kept for up to three days at room temperature in an airtight container. They freeze well for up to one month as well. When I prepared them the last time, I doubled the recipe and put the extras in the freezer.