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!
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!
How do know when 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.
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.
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 these over and over again, just the way they are. if you want that fudgy brownie with cream cheese, then try some brownie bites.
What do you NEED to make homemade brownies from scratch
- Butter
- Dark chocolate
- Cocoa powder
- Flaky sea salt
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Cayenne pepper
- Flour, sugar and salt
How do you make the BEST 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.
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.
FAQ’s and tips
You only need 3 ounces of chocolate, so use a good quality chocolate like ghiradelli or guittarrd.
The fat is what makes a brownie fudgy, these have two and a quarter sticks of butter, so you don’t have to worry about cakey brownies.
Not in this recipe. You will have flat brownies that don’t have that rich buttery taste.
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.
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
Brownie recipes I want to try
- Brownies with Reese’s peanut butter pieces sound interesting from A Farmgirl’s Kitchen
- Brownies in a jar for gift giving is such a great idea – Foodologygeek
- I want to try these Chocolate Mint brownies – Sally’s Baking Addiction
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Fudgy Brownies
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.