Fudgy Brownies are my go-to brownie recipe with a fudgy center and crackly top. A no-fail easy recipe where you’ll get PERFECT brownies every time with only one bowl!
Best Fudgy Brownie Recipe
I hate making a batch of what I hope will be homemade fudgy brownies only to get dry mediocre brownies. Anytime I have something that doesn’t work out the way I expect it to, I’m on a mission to find a perfect recipe that I can rely on in a pinch.
I’ve cooked a few recipes out of Melissa Clark’s book, In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite and already have some favorites. She doesn’t have many desserts in the book but her description of her brownies sounded tempting, fudgy and very moist with a sprinkle of flaky salt.
Her exact words were “these brownies will change your life”. Well I was in, and made my first batch to hopefully share with a friend for her birthday. They turned out perfectly fudgy the first time and every time since, and trust me there have been lots of batches!
I was pretty sure these would taste good given the ingredients. They contain a little dark chocolate along with cocoa powder and lots of butter. They cut beautifully once cooled and I had a hard time giving these away. It makes a big batch so I was able to save a few.
Let me tell you, these have the perfect texture if you like moist fudgy made from scratch brownies. You don’t taste the cayenne pepper but I think it enhances the chocolate.
Reasons You’ll Love This Brownie Recipe
- You only need 1 bowl
- No mixer, just some elbow grease
- Pantry ingredients so you can whip up a batch with no planning
- The fudgiest brownies ever
They don’t need nuts or caramel or peanut butter or cookie dough topping, they’re just perfectly rich and decadent all by themselves. Of course you can add all of those things but I’ve found that I make this recipe over and over again, just the way they are. If you want a fudgy brownie with cream cheese, then try some brownie bites or if you’re in the mood for a really sweet decadent brownie, try turtle brownies.
Fudgy Brownie Recipe ingredients
- Butter: you need lots of butter for fudgy brownies.
- Dark chocolate: you don’t have to use dark chocolate but it adds a rich chocolate flavor without the sweetness of semi-sweet or milk chocolate. But honestly, I’ve dumped in all the little bits that are in my pantry and whatever you use, they will taste great.
- Cocoa powder: make sure this is unsweetened.
- Flaky sea salt: these really need the larger granules of salt, regular salt will just absorb into the brownie batter and you won’t get that pop of salt that the flaky salt adds.
- Cayenne pepper: I promise, this does not make them spicy at all but just enhances the chocolate.
- Pantry items: flour, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
What type of chocolate should you use for fudgy brownies?
You only need 3 ounces of chocolate, so use a good quality chocolate bar or wafers like Ghiradelli or Guittard. I prefer around 60-70% cacao.
Can you substitute oil for butter?
You can not use oil instead of butter in this recipe. You will have flat brownies that don’t have that rich buttery taste.
How to make Fudgy Brownies
Step 1:
Melt the dark chocolate and butter in the microwave and then whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar.
Add eggs and whisk until smooth and your arm is tired!
Step 2:
Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined and you don’t see any more white.
Step 3:
Pour into the pan and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Bake just until the edges start to pull away from the pan and the top is set and shiny.
How to know when Fudgy Brownies are done
I think the challenge with brownies is figuring out when they are done. If you cook them too long you get a dry brownie. For perfectly cooked brownies that are fudgy and moist, take them out of the oven when the edges just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and the top is set and shiny.
You can also do the toothpick test which for brownies you want it to not be runny but still have crumbs that stick to the toothpick.
The problem with using the toothpick method is if you’ve waited too long and the toothpick comes out dry, then you’re going to have dry brownies. If you take it out when the edges start pulling away then they won’t be dry. For this brownie recipe in my oven it takes 25 minutes.
How to Store Fudgy Brownies
Store brownies in an airtight container on the counter for 3-5 days. You can also store in the refrigerator but it will dry them out quicker. The best way to store for more than 3 days is in the freezer where they will stay fresh for 3-4 months.
Fudgy Brownie Recipe FAQs
Eggs, oil and the cooking time affect whether a brownie will be fudgy or not. The center should be a little wet when tested with a toothpick.
As long as your microwave safe bowl is large enough for all of the ingredients, you can make this in one bowl. Cleaning up is the only down side to making baked goods from scratch.
Brownie batter does not need to rest or be refrigerated before baking. You can refrigerate it, but it won’t change the flavor or texture.
Fudgy brownies have a higher fat to flour ratio. They will have more butter, oil and whole chocolate than a cakey brownie recipe.
More BROWNIE recipes
For those times when you want to jazz up your brownies, here are some of my favorites.
- Add some raspberries and cream cheese
- Peanut butter fudge on top is yummy
- Do you love cookie dough, then these are a must
- Throw in some pralines for a decadent brownie
- If you’ve got candy canes, add some peppermint
- Mini cheesecake brownies for when you just want a bite
If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.
Homemade Fudgy Brownies from Scratch in One Bowl
Ingredients
- 18 tablespoons butter
- 3 ounces dark chocolate chopped
- 1 ½ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Line a 9 X 13 baking pan with parchment.
- Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on medium power until melted and smooth, stirring every 30 seconds for about 2 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and cayenne.
- Place the melted chocolate in a large bowl and whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Gently fold in the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Place into prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula or knife. Sprinkle with Flaky sea salt.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and the top is set and shiny.
- Allow to cool Completely in the pan before cutting.
Video
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- Use the best quality chocolate for a rich chocolate flavor.
- Sprinkle generously with flaky salt so that there is a little on each bite.
- Remove from the oven as soon as the sides start pulling away from the pan.
- If testing with a toothpick, it should have crumbs on it and not come out clean.
- You can add chocolate chips or white chocolate chips, try adding about ¾ cup.
Nutrition
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These were sooooooo delicious! Thanks so much! For some reason it won’t let me rate them but 5 stars!!!
I am so glad you liked them and thrilled to hear that Nikita is making a good recovery.