Homemade Brownies
An easy recipe for homemade brownies made in one bowl using just a few simple ingredients. This is the only fudgy brownie recipe you will ever need!
There are a few recipes I feel everyone should have in their recipe box. The first one is a really good chocolate chip cookie recipe and the second one is a simple brownie recipe. Not just any brownie recipe though, but a super chocolatey, fudgy, and dense one.
This brownie recipe from scratch delivers all of that, plus it’s so easy to make you’ll feel like you’re doing something wrong. Or wondering if something so delicious can really be that easy. The answer is YES!
You only need one bowl, 7 ingredients (including the vanilla extract and salt!), and about 10 minutes to prepare these brownies. You don’t even need a mixer or anything fancy to make them either. It really doesn’t get much easier than that!
Ingredients For This Recipe
This easy brownie recipe is made using cocoa powder rather than melted chocolate. But don’t worry, these still turn out perfectly fudgy every time! Here’s what we’ll be using to make this simple brownie recipe:
- Unsalted butter: I recommend using unsalted butter since the amount of salt in salted butters can vary between different brands.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens these homemade fudgy brownies without taking away from the rich cocoa flavor.
- Eggs: I suggest room temperature eggs because they incorporate into the batter more thoroughly. If you forget to set them out ahead of time, just fill up a small bowl with some warm water and let the eggs sit in it for about 5 minutes.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract is best, but imitation vanilla extract works too.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Makes these easy brownies from scratch taste super chocolatey.
- All-purpose flour: The batter is pretty thick so be sure to spoon your flour into your measuring cup and level it off with the back of a knife. Too much flour can lead to a cakier brownie and we’re going for fudgy ones here!
- Salt: Balances out the sweetness in these brownies and enhances the chocolate flavor.
How To Make Homemade Brownies
1. Melt some unsalted butter and set it aside to cool for a minute or two. You don’t want the butter piping hot, otherwise, you may end up with some scrambled eggs in your batter.
2. Once the butter has cooled for a couple of minutes, whisk in some granulated sugar.
3. Mix in a few room temperature eggs and vanilla extract.
4. Sift in some all-purpose flour, unsweetened natural cocoa powder, and a little bit of salt. I really suggest sifting in the dry ingredients so that you remove any lumps of cocoa powder.
5. Whisk or stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. You can either use a rubber spatula or whisk for this step.
6. Once the batter is mixed up, you’ll pour it into your prepared baking pan. It’s also important to spray your pan really well with nonstick cooking spray, otherwise, the homemade brownies may try to stick to the pan.
For easier cleanup, I like to line the pan with aluminum foil first and then spray it with nonstick cooking spray. This will also make it easier to lift the fudgy brownies out of the pan and slice them.
FAQ’s
How long do I bake brownies?
I suggest keeping an eye on the brownies and checking them at about 25-26 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs.
Can I use a smaller baking pan?
If you don’t need to make an entire 9×13-inch pan of homemade brownies, feel free to cut the recipe in half and bake the brownies in an 8×8-inch baking dish instead.
How long do they last?
They will keep for 3-4 days at room temperature in an airtight container.
Can I freeze them?
Yes! If you need to store them longer, you can freeze the brownies, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and bring to room temperature before serving.
How do I make brownies more interesting?
You can top them with some chocolate ganache, chocolate buttercream frosting, or some ice cream and homemade magic shell!
Baking Tips
- Make sure to let the melted butter cool slightly before whisking in the rest of the wet ingredients.
- I suggest using room temperature eggs for this recipe. To get your eggs to room temperature quickly, simply place them in a bowl with warm water and let them sit for 5-10 minutes before using them.
- When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it from the container. Instead, stir the flour around, spoon it into your measuring cup, and level it off with the back of a knife.
- Make sure to sift the dry ingredients before adding them to the wet ingredients. This will remove any lumps of cocoa powder in your brownies.
More Easy Brownie Recipes to Try!
- Cheesecake Brownies
- Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
- Salted Caramel Brownie Bites
- Fudgy Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
- Raspberry Brownies
Recipe Video
![A stack of sliced brownies on parchment paper with more brownies around it.](https://i0.wp.com/www.livewellbakeoften.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Homemade-Brownies-9.jpg?fit=200%2C200&ssl=1)
Homemade Fudgy Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (230 grams) unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 2 1/4 cups (450 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (85 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil, making sure to leave some overhang for easy removal, spray the foil well with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugar until well combined, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Sift in the cocoa powder, flour, and salt and continue whisking until just combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it around into one even layer. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 26-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing into bars.
Notes
I am just starting to bake as a hobby. This is the first recipe I’ve tried so far. Let me just say, these brownies are the best I’ve ever had. The texture is absolutely amazing! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
So glad you liked the brownies, Rhonda!
The brownies are amazing. My whole family enjoyed them. Definetly will be using this recipe again. ❤️
I just took the homemade brownies out of the oven.They look and smell wonderful!Husband and I are patiently waiting for them to cool!We LOVE you’re recipes!Cant wait to make you’re recipe of banana bread!?
Thank you, Sharon! So glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
I just wanted to say how excited I am to make these and after I get some cocoa I will!I’ve made you’re soft peanut butter cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies and they disappeared in two days!I love you’re site and look forward to making all of you’re yummy recipes!
So glad you’re enjoying the recipes, Sharon! I’d love to hear how the brownies turn out for you too!
Fudgy, fudgy fudgy!! Im thinking about throwing on a few chocolate chips. I baked it in a 9×9 pan…wonderfully thick.
I made them again and threw a handful of chocolate chips on top…delicious!!!!
These are the BEST homemade brownies EVER! Thank you for the recipe!! I did not sift the cocoa or the flour. I just whisked it before I added it. Worked fine. I cut the brownies and took half the batch and wrapped individually in plastic wrap. Then I froze them. We are empty nesters and it will be great to pull out the other half batch when our daughter comes home from college!
Do you have a favorite cocoa powder that you use?
I love Rodelle or Nestle Toll House Baking Cocoa.
yes i do hersheys coca powder
Hi, I’ve found that my brownies are taking much longer to bake than 26-32 minutes, it’s been 50 minutes for my batch and I followed the recipe exactly, lining with foil and using a 9x 13
Hi Katie! Were the top of the brownies not set at about 30 minutes? Keep in mind that this is a fudgy brownie recipe, so they’ll continue to set up as they cool.
Absolutely LOVED! this recipe! It’s the perfect recipe for simple brownies or add ins. I added peanuts, chocolate chips, and marshmallows to make a rocky road brownie. Oh my goodness AMAZING!! Thank you for this recipe!
Super amazing and so easy to make!
I have been living in Japan for the past 5 years and only have a toaster oven available to bake with. Brownie mixes, cookie mixes, are all difficult to buy here, so I do all baking from scratch. This is the first brownie recipe that actually tastes like real brownies- the texture, the flavor. I cut the recipe into 1/4 the size, so that it would fit into my toaster. My fiance absolutely loved the brownies and requested that I make them again today.
Thank you so much for your recipe:)
So happy the brownies turned out great for you, Alice!
Hi Danielle! The brownies were extra fudgy. It was the best!!
I just made these today. Turned out fantastic! Definitely keeping this recipe! My son is going to flip for these brownies!
After making a disaster of a chicken dinner for my husband, i redeemed my cooking skills with these fudgy brownies for dessert. They are sooooo delicious !! My husband had more with his morning coffee. I wish you had more recipes and tips for dinner recipes as I have had lots of success with your sweets. I altered your thumbprint cookies and topped with your buttercream frosting for a baby shower dessert table. Everyone thought I had purchased the cookies from a bakery. My cooking skills must be improving!
Love all your tips…keep it up as I look forward to all your emails.
So happy the recipes are turning out great for you, Barbara! I do have a few dinner recipes, you can find them here.
These are absolutely amazing! This was my first time trying homemade brownies and they were excellent. Thank you for this recipe
I made these yesterday, I will definitely save this recipe!! They were the best brownies I ever made. Other recipes were too “cake like”. I added walnuts to the batter and semi sweet and white chocolate chips to the top, fresh out of the oven, and swirled the top when melted. What a treat!! Thank you for sharing.
Danielle, your brownies were a hit with my family on Thanksgiving! I added semi sweet chocolate chunks to mine and they were so goooood!! Love your recipes!!!
Thank you, Maureen! So happy to hear that!
Your recipes are the best… I’ve baked your snickerdoodles, peanut butter cookies and everyone who has tried them all loved them. Trying this out to bake with my little siblings. This website is my go to for any recipe so thank you for helping me find a passion in baking.
So happy to hear that, Elisha! Thank you!
Hello, pls in the absence of foil paper and nonstick cooking spray, can parchment paper be used.
You can use parchment paper, but I do recommend greasing it with some oil or butter too.
Hi!! I only have small eggs, how many can I use?
It really depends on how small the eggs are, but one large egg without the shell is about 50 grams.
Yum yum yum! Thanks for the great recipe!
YUM Easy to follow, detailed and delicious! I layered ganache on top of the brownie, then red velvet cake, then more ganache!
!
Thank you
I have never made homemade brownies before so I set out to find a recipe and came across this one. I just wanted you to know that these are the best brownies I have ever eaten. We usually just buy the package mix but never again. Thanks for this recipe 🙂
Do I need to scale down the recipe if I want to bake this in an 8×8 pan? I’d really love to try this but my oven only fits an 8×8.
Yes, you’ll want to cut the recipe in half for an 8×8 pan.
Hi Danielle. Love your blog. Love the recipes. Want to try out this one for sure. Just a question .. is it ok if I reduce the sugar ?
Also I have a problem with my Fudgy Brownies, they tend to sink in the middle when cooling. What is the solution for that ? I guess that’s two questions ?.
You can reduce the sugar slightly, but I wouldn’t reduce it too much because it will affect the texture and sweetness of the brownies. Also, are you using a different brownie recipe? If so, it’s hard to say why it’s sinking.
Justmade these and they are sooo yummy. I added some walnuts to it. When i got my piece it crummbled but that was ok i just had some ice cream with it for a wonderful trear. Will make these again since i had all the ingredients
First time I tried this I used stevia instead of sugar really big mistake they tasted horrible remade them and absolutely yummy
These brownies are to die for! The best I’ve ever had. Made the ganache also. Such a great treat!!! Thanks!
I saved the recipe to make them again. We haven’t tried them yet, they’re not out of the oven yet, but I was so sure they would be great I went ahead and saved the recipe lol. Oh this was my first time making brownies from scratch.
Hope you enjoyed the brownies, Susan!
We love brownies at my house and this is a winner!!! Thank you!!
I’m going to try these today! They look amazing. Is it ok if I use salted butter though?
That’s fine, I would probably reduce the salt to 1/4 teaspoon.
Hi, I don’t have nonstick cooking spray. May I use butter to grease it or use something else instead?
It would be fine to grease the pan with butter.
I followed the recipe exactly and checked these after 32 minutes but they were nowhere near done – the centre was still like liquid. They took 50 minutes in total. The consistency was fudgy as stated but they seemed to lack a rich, chocolatey flavour that I had hoped for and expected from the description. I was therefore a bit disappointed. Still a nice basic recipe however.
Sorry the brownies didn’t turn out well for you, Emma. Did you make sure to bake them in a 9×13 pan? 50 minutes seems like a really long time for these brownies unless they were in a smaller pan.
Just made these today and I’m kind of disappointed- I followed directions exactly and they’re kind of bland – I’ve been making things from scratch since being stuck at home but maybe I’m just too used to the box brownies to like these 🙁
Sorry you didn’t enjoy the brownies, JoAnna. Did you find that they weren’t chocolatey enough? If so, you could add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the batter and see if that helps.
Amazing recipe I am going to bake this recipe a gazillion times