Our easy homemade brownies are thick, have a perfectly fudgy middle, and are packed with rich chocolate flavor that makes each bite irresistible. Mixed up in one bowl with ingredients you likely already have on hand, they’re the perfect sweet treat to whip up whenever a chocolate craving strikes.
Simple Brownie Recipe You’ll Want On Repeat
I’ll be the first to admit that I used to be a boxed brownie enthusiast. The convenience, ease, and reliable results were hard to beat. Over the years, I experimented with countless homemade brownie recipes, but while many were decent, they simply couldn’t compete with those familiar boxed versions. Until these came along.
In 2018, I stumbled upon a homemade recipe that was genuinely outstanding. I immediately saved it, and over the past seven years, I’ve meticulously adjusted, tweaked, and perfected this easy brownie recipe into the chocolate masterpiece it is today.
Why You’ll Love These Easy Homemade Brownies
Better Than a Box Mix, and Without the Additives! These brownies deliver that perfect texture and flavor you love from box mixes but are made with simple, recognizable ingredients and no artificial preservatives.
One-Bowl Recipe. Less dishes mean less cleanup! This entire recipe comes together in a single bowl, making the process almost as simple as a box mix.
Reliable Results Every Time. After seven years of perfecting this recipe, I’ve eliminated all the guesswork. Follow our simple steps for consistently delicious brownies that will impress family and friends.
Easy Brownies Recipe Ingredients
- Salted Butter. Butter provides a rich flavor, contributes to the fudgy texture, and helps give our treat a shiny crust on top.
- Granulated Sugar AND Brown Sugar. We’re using a combination of sugars for the perfect treat! Used to sweeten our brownies, and offset the bitterness of the cocoa powder. The brown sugar helps keep these moist and soft, while also imparting a richer flavor. The white sugar helps to give our treat a nice, shiny top.
- Neutral Oil. A bit of oil is used to help us get that perfect, fudgy texture. Canola oil or vegetable oil are my go-to options, but grapeseed oil would also work. If desired, you can use olive oil but that will add it’s flavor to your bake (which some people love).
- Large Eggs. Eggs have several roles in our brownies: they act as our leavening agent, they create structure, and add moisture. This in combination with our other ingredients help us to create that dense, moist, and fudgy texture that you’d expect in a good brownie.
- Vanilla Extract. Adds depth of flavor as well as enhances the chocolate flavor of our brownies.
- Salt. Used to enhance the other flavors.
- All-Purpose Flour. You standard all-purpose flour is perfect for making brownies because it gives your treat a nice structure without creating too much gluten, resulting in a fudgy, moist texture.
- Natural, Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. Cocoa powder adds the chocolate flavor to our dough. Natural cocoa powder is the most common type that is sometimes referred to as unsweetened cocoa powder or pure cocoa powder.
- Chocolate Chips. You can use any of your favorite chocolate chips in these soft and fudgy brownies! I personally love using a dark chocolate chip, but use what you have or what you love best.
See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for all ingredient measurements and recipe directions.
Tip: High Quality Chocolate Makes High Quality Brownies!
Good chocolate and cocoa powder make good brownies! I personally LOVE Scharffen Berger cocoa powder (and they have great baking chunks too). My go-to chocolate chips are Ghirardelli or Guittard, but Nestle work ok in these too.
How to Make Easy Brownies From Scratch
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9 metal baking pan (and add a sheet of parchment paper into the greased pan if desired for easy removal), and set aside.
Add the melted butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and oil to a large mixing bowl.
Whisk to combine.
Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and salt to the bowl.
Whisking to break apart the egg yolks, and combine into the other ingredients.
Slowly add in the flour and cocoa powder.
Stirring until JUST combined.
Gently fold in the chocolate chips. The batter will be thick!
Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan.
Spread the batter to the edges of the pan, into an even layer.
Top with additional chocolate chips if desired.
Bake until the edges are set and the center isn’t jiggly. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out mostly clean (a few moist crumbs are ok).
Allow the brownies to rest in the pan for at least 30-minutes (they will continue to cook a bit and set as they sit). Slice and enjoy!
Simple Brownie Recipe Variations
Add nuts. If you love a little more texture in your brownies, stir in a ½ Cup of chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, or sliced almonds into your batter at the same time you fold in your chocolate chips.
Make them Christmas-y. Because we love these so much, we’ve also adapted this into a peppermint bark brownies recipe for the holidays!
Easy Brownie Recipe Tips
Use a metal baking pan. Because metal conducts heat more evenly, using an aluminum 9×9 metal pan for baking will help you make the very best brownies that are evenly baked throughout (instead of ending up with pan of brownies with edges that are way overdone and a middle that is underdone, sometimes almost raw).
For best results, and a fudgy texture, err on the side of caution and pull them out early (instead of over baking them). No one likes a dry brownie. Bake them until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few, moist crumbs on it. They will continue to bake and firm up as they rest.
Allow them to cool. I know it’s hard to not dive in immediately, but for the best texture and for the ease of cutting, allow the brownies to set up for at least 30-minutes before digging in.
A plastic knife will give you the best cut! Oddly enough, using a plastic knife to cut your brownies will give you those perfectly clean lines that we’re always striving for.
Serving Suggestions for Homemade Brownies
You can enjoy these brownies at room temperature or warmed up a bit, with or without a variety of toppings! To warm them up, simply microwave your brownie square for 5-10 seconds on a microwave-safe plate (or bowl).
My personal favorite way to serve these brownies is with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream! You can also add a dollop of whipped cream, a drizzle of chocolate or caramel sauce, a sprinkle of powdered sugar, serve these with some fresh berries, or simply enjoy them with a glass of milk. Bonus points if you use these to make brownie sundaes for an extra indulgent and fun dessert.
How to Store Easy Homemade Brownies
Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Some people will wrap them AND store them in an airtight container in an effort to keep them away from the air, which can dry them out.
Easy Homemade Brownies FAQs
Let your brownies cool at least 30 minutes, ideally 1-2 hours, before you cut into them. This allows them to finish baking in the pan and set up, which results in the best texture for cutting and eating.
The edges will look set (and may be pulling away from the pan a tiny bit), and the centers will be mostly set. Insert a toothpick into the center of the pan. If it comes out clean or with just a few, moist crumbs on it, they’re ready.
No, a typical brownie recipe (like ours) does not need to be refrigerated. If you’ve added any perishable ingredients (like a cream cheese frosting, or any fresh fruit), they should be stored in the fridge.
Love This Recipe? Try One of These Chocolate Dessert Recipes Next!
Easy Brownies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Cup salted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 Cup brown sugar (light or dark)
- 2 Tablespoons neutral oil (canola or vegetable recommended)
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 Cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Cup natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 Cup chocolate chips of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×9 metal baking pan and set aside.*If desired, add parchment paper into the greased pan for easy removal.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, sugars, and oil.1 Cup salted butter, melted and cooled slightly1 Cup granulated sugar1 Cup brown sugar2 Tablespoons neutral oil
- Then whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract, and salt.4 large eggs2 teaspoons vanilla extract½ teaspoon salt
- Slowly mix in the flour and cocoa powder and stir until JUST combined.1 Cup all-purpose flour1 Cup natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips (making sure not to mix too much).1 Cup chocolate chips of choice
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan (it will be very thick, that's ok!), and use a spatula to spread it to the corners and make an even layer.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few crumbs on it. The center should no longer jiggle (or looks kind of liquidy), and will be JUST set to the touch.*
- Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes (1-2 hours if you have time) to finish setting up before removing from the pan and slicing.
Kendra says
Yum!! Quick and easy with all pantry staples!
Extra bonus that the ingredients are listed within the instructions, no more having to scroll back & forth!!
Meredith says
I’m so happy you loved these, and the updated recipe card I’m trying out – happy to hear it was helpful!
Danny says
No words. These are perfect. Perfection.
Meredith says
I’m so happy to hear you loved these brownies Danny! Thanks for the kind words, and enjoy!
Meredith says
These brownies are EPIC.