A bit fudgy on the inside, a little cakey on the outside, and slightly chewy overall, these perfect brownies will become your new go-to brownie recipe!
I feel like I MUST start this post by asking you guys THE brownie question. Here we go:
Are you a fudgy brownie person? Or are you more of a cakey brownie person? Or a chewy brownie person maybe?
No matter what your answer is, I think we can all agree that brownies are everything. Drooling right now…
I like cakey brownies okay, and I think fudgy brownies really highlight the intensity of chocolate flavor but they are sometimes too dense for me. So I had to make a brownie both cakey and fudgy at the same time to satisfy my cravings. I’ve tried so many different versions, and I gotta say, these are SO damn good – a little bit cakey on the outside, somewhat fudgy on the inside, and slightly chewy overall. Seriously my absolute favorite!
After all, the most important thing about brownies is texture, right?
It’s All About Ratios
Brownie texture is all about the ratio between flour and fat (chocolate and butter). For example, a fudgy brownie has more chocolate and butter and less flour than a cakey brownie. Chewy brownies usually contain brown sugar too. So, pretty much, making your perfect brownie is possible if you play with ratios!
What’s in These Brownies?
- butter
- granulated sugar and salt
- eggs
- all-purpose flour
- semi-sweet chocolate bar
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- chocolate chips
- vanilla
Did you realize that this recipe calls for chocolate chips in addition to semi-sweet chocolate and cocoa powder? I’ve found that folding in chocolate chips to the batter at the end adds another layer of chocolate flavor, as well as moisture and delicious gooeyness. Can you spot the melted chocolate chips in the photos above? 🙂
How to Melt the Chocolate
Melting the chocolate and butter properly is a crucial step. I used a DIY double-boiler. Here’s how to do it: add some water (a few inches) to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Then place a pyrex bowl on top of the saucepan, and melt the butter and semi-sweet chocolate bar chunks in there.
Why use this method?
- gentle heat helps with consistency
- prevents water from touching the chocolate: if water droplets touch the chocolate, it will seize, meaning that the chocolate will become paste-like
- low heat makes it easier to mix in the rest of the ingredients
Thickness, Baking Time and Texture
Thickness and baking time can affect texture too. These brownies have to bake for about 40 minutes. I used an 8×8 square inch pan to achieve some extra thickness. They are quite thick (about 1 1/4 inches), meaning that with about 38-40 minutes bake time, you’ll be able to achieve a somewhat crumbly and cakey texture on the exterior + a moist and fudgy texture in the center.
Alright, time to make those heavenly brownies now! I hope you love them as much as I do 🙂
And don’t forget to pin this recipe! 🙂
Kitchen Tips
- When melting the chocolate, don’t cover the bowl. Covering will create condensation and the water droplets will cause the chocolate to seize.
- Check for doneness at 30 mins, and then again every 2-3 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center. It should come out clean with a few moist crumbs. If you inserted it right into a melted chocolate chip, do it again for accuracy.
Perfect Brownies
Equipment
- 8x8 inch baking pan
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate bar, coarsely chopped
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips - plus more if desired
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 8x8 baking pan with butter and line with parchment paper on all sides. Make sure to leave some overhang on all 4 sides.
- In a bowl set on top of a pot with simmering water (bowl should not touch water), melt the butter and chopped chocolate bar. Using a rubber spatula, stir until the mixture is melted and smooth. Turn off the heat. Set bowl aside and gradually whisk in the sugar until nicely melted.
- Transfer mixture to another bowl since the one you’re using is a bit hot and we don’t want that when mixing the remaining ingredients. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, making sure it is nicely combined before adding the next one. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Mix in the cocoa and salt until the batter is smooth.
- Fold in the flour, scraping the sides, until fully combined. Then, fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and gently smooth out the surface.
- Bake for about 40-42 minutes, until set and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few moist crumbs in the tester is fine). Lift brownies from pan. Remove the parchment paper and let cool on a wire rack.
- Cut into squares and enjoy!
Notes
- You can also use a 9x13 inch baking pan, and reduce the baking time to about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean (moist crumbs are fine).
Gia says
Can this be doubled in 9×13 lower temp longer cook time?
Tania says
There’s no need to double it. You can just bake it in a 9×13 inch pan for about 32-35 minutes.
Gia says
I would like to double the recipe and retain the thickness and fudgy/cakey texture. Is it better just to make 2 batches in 8×8 or double the recipe in a 9×13 with a modified cook time and temp? I’m afraid in a 9×13 the middle will not get done??
Tania says
Hey! Either way is fine. If you make it in a 9×13, bake for about 33 to 35 minutes.
Tianna says
These are so so so good! This is the only brownie recipe I’ve used since I found it. The brownies sit in that perfect sweet spot between cakey and fudgy and are just heavenly! *chefs kiss*
Tania says
Thank you, Tianna!
Zhihua says
I swapped 1/4 of the chocolate with nutella(trying to get rid of what was left since no one was having it at my house), and reduced some sugar, as well as adding about 2 tbsp of maltose to keep the moisture (maltose is much less sweet than cane sugar or corn syrup). I doubled the recipe and used a 8×8 and a 9×13 baking pan, baked for 30min(convect oven, 335℉) . The result was great! Crispy top with chewy, soft center, not too sweet, but definitely rich and chocolaty. Love it!! Thanks for such a great recipe!!!
Tania says
That sounds great! I’ll have to try adding nutella next time!
Ann says
Left them in 45 minutes as they didn’t seem quite done. The center I thought was finally done but after letting them cool, they were so not done. Definitely needed more baking time.
Jen says
These Brownies were AMAZING!!! Great recipe!!!! I don’t like over sweet anything… thus pretty picky about my desserts… these are absolutely perfect!!! Rich, perfect texture, and just delicious! Thank u for posting this recipe… has become a favorite in my home!