How to Make Fudgy Brownies from Scratch
Updated: Mar. 29, 2022
Finding the perfect brownie recipe is a challenge, but if you're looking to learn how to make fudgy brownies—the gooey, decadent, can't-stop-eating-them kind—you can stop looking. We've got the recipe and techniques for you.
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We all love a decadent chocolate dessert. Who could pass up a slice of flourless chocolate cake or a few homemade truffles? But let’s be honest, while we love the richness of these bakes, we’re not always interested in the fuss that comes with some of these elaborate treats. That’s where a recipe that’s both homey and chocolaty comes in—we’re talking fudgy brownies.
Learning how to make fudgy brownies is essential when it comes to satisfying urgent chocolate cravings. The good news is that making these chewy, delicious brownies from scratch isn’t too difficult and you don’t need any fancy gear—just plenty of chocolate.
How to Make Fudgy Brownies
The fudgiest brownie recipe in our archives comes to us from Executive Culinary Director Sarah Farmer. Sarah is a brownie pro and made batch after batch to get the absolute perfect fudgy brownie. Here’s what you’ll need to make them yourself:
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2/3 cup butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules, optional
- 2-3/4 cups bittersweet chocolate chips, divided
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Test Kitchen-Approved Supplies
- 9×9 baking pan:Â Make sure you’ve got the right-sized pan on hand for this recipe. An 8×8 is a bit too small, so be sure to stock your cupboards with a 9×9 metal pan.
- Bittersweet chocolate chips: This recipe calls for nearly three cups of chocolate! Make sure you have enough on hand—our Test Kitchen bakers used Ghirardelli chips in this recipe.
- Flexible spatula:Â You’ll need a good spatula for stirring all the chocolate into this recipe. Our Test Kitchen is in love with this one-piece silicone spatula. There are no crevices where the batter can get stuck and it holds up well to heat.
Directions
Step 1: Start melting
To start making the fudgiest brownies, grab a heavy saucepan and fill it with the sugars, butter, water and coffee granules. Turn on the heat and stir, stir, stir until the mixture comes to a boil.
Once boiling, remove the mix from the heat. Then add in 1-3/4 cups of the chocolate chips (we’ll come back to that other cup later). Stir in the chips until melted and the mixture is nice and smooth. Let this cool slightly before moving onto the next step.
Editor’s tip:Â The instant coffee in this recipe isn’t to give the brownies a mocha flavor. A touch of instant coffee or espresso powder gives the chocolate extra depth of flavor. If you’re really not a coffee fan (or don’t have any instant granules at home), you can omit it from the recipe.
Step 2: Whisk the eggs
When it comes to brownies, everyone looks for that crinkly, tissue paper-like top. Something about that texture just screams these are going to be good. And the secret to getting that crackled finish: whisking the eggs.
According to Sarah, you’ll want to give your eggs a good whisking until they’re nice and frothy; this should take about three minutes of whisking by hand. This is just one of our Test Kitchen’s favorite tips for the best-ever brownies.
When the eggs are perfectly foamy, add in the vanilla extract. Like the instant coffee in this recipe, vanilla really amplifies the chocolate flavor. Don’t skip it!
Step 3: Add in the chocolate mixture
Next, it’s time to start adding the fudgy, chocolate mix to the eggs. Be sure that the chocolate isn’t too hot; it the chocolate mix is super hot, it will cook the eggs (and no one wants chocolate scrambled eggs).
Start by whisking in a small amount of the warm chocolate into the eggs, then add in the remaining chocolate until you have a consistent mix.
Step 4: Add in the dry ingredients
In a separate bowl stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Then add the dry ingredients to your chocolate mix and stir gently until the mix is just combined. You want a light hand with this step to ensure your brownies are tender and fudgy—not tough.
Step 5: Add more chocolate
You know you can’t stop with just one form of chocolate when learning how to make fudgy brownies—there’s got to be multiple cocoa additions!
The last step before popping these brownies in the oven is to add in that remaining cup of chocolate chips. Fold them in until just combined.
Editor’s tip:Â This recipe calls for more of the same chips melted into the batter, but you can fold in any kind of chip you like here: milk chocolate, white chocolate or even some fun flavored baking chips.
Step 6: Prep your baking dish
With the batter complete, it’s time to prep the baking pan. You’ll want to use a light-colored metal pan here. You also want to line the pan so you can remove the brownies easily.
To do this, give the pan a quick coating of cooking spray and grab a roll of parchment paper (aluminum foil will also work) to line the pan. You can use a single sheet and carefully fold the edges in (kind of like wrapping a gift) or use two sheets—one going across one way and the other going perpendicular.
Editor’s tip: If you only have dark metal pans, that doesn’t mean you can’t bake brownies! Sarah recommends decreasing the oven temperature by 25 degrees. Then bake the brownies as instructed. Got a cupboard full of dark pans? Here are tips on how to use them.
Step 7: Bake the brownies
After you’ve prepped your square pan, add your brownie batter and pop it into a 325º F oven. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes; start checking for doneness at the 40-minute mark (you do not want overbaked brownies!).
You know your brownies are done baking when you insert a toothpick into the center and it comes away with gooey crumbs. You want the brownies to have that slightly underdone interior coming out of the oven so you achieve that fudgy, chewy center.
Editor’s tip:Â Don’t worry about the brownies being underbaked or raw if the toothpick comes out with crumbs. Your baked goods do continue to bake after coming out of the oven thanks to carryover cooking.
Step 8: Cool and slice
After your brownies are done baking, let them cool in the pan on a wire rack. Once they’re completely cooled, you can lift the entire pan of brownies right out of the baking dish with the parchment paper.
Then you can peel away that paper and cut the brownies into neat bars for serving. Need some cutting tips? Here are our favorite techniques for cutting brownies right from our Test Kitchen pros.
Finish off your brownies with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar and start snacking! Extras can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about three days. If you have extras, you can pop ’em in the freezer. Brownies freeze really well.
Tips for Making the Fudgiest Brownies Ever
When it comes to making brownies, we’re all looking for that nearly intangible fudgy quality. But achieving that perfect texture isn’t hard to do if you know the right steps to take. Here are our Test Kitchen’s best tips for making chewy, fudgy brownies:
- Don’t overmix:Â When you add the dry ingredients, mix them until just combined. Overmixing the flour can create extra gluten and create tough brownies that don’t have the just-right chewy texture.
- Don’t overbake the brownies: This is our Test Kitchen’s number one tip! Bake the brownies until a toothpick comes out with gooey crumbs. If they’re slightly underbaked coming out of the oven, you’ve got them just right if you want a chewy, fudgy texture.
- Add in a few extra chips: Even if your brownie recipe doesn’t call for additional chocolate chips, it never hurts to stir in a handful or two before popping them into the oven. This will give you fudgy pockets of chocolate throughout—extra decadent and delicious!
