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This easy homemade brownies recipe makes wonderfully cakey, fudgy brownies with crave-able, crisp, crackly tops and chewy centers. They are just like the ones made from a box but even better.
The Best Homemade Brownie Recipe
For some time I’ve been searching for a way to make brownies from scratch without losing that brownie mix feel. It took a lot of brownie making and a whole lot of brownie testing (someone had to do it!) but I think I finally found it, and gosh am I excited to share it with you.
These simple brownies have a texture like “box mix” brownies but are actually made totally from scratch. There’s no crazy method here, you just whisk everything together in a bowl. And they are exploding with fudgy chocolate flavor and are just the right combination of cakey and fudgy/chewy. They even have that classic brownie “crack” on the top. Everyone needs a good, solid brownie recipe under their belt. This is the one!
What Makes These Brownies So Good?
Boxed brownies are pretty delicious but these are even better. Here are some of the reasons you have to try them.
- Texture. Making these brownies with oil (many homemade brownie recipes use butter instead) gives them a delightfully moist, fudge-like texture. They are the perfect combination of cakey and chewy and are an absolute dream to sink your teeth into.
- Rich chocolate flavor. As brownies should be, these wonderfully fudgy treats are filled with deep, rich chocolate flavor.
- Quick and easy. No fancy mixing method and no tricky twists and turns. This recipe is so simple and easy to throw together. You’ll only need to spend 10 minutes of active time in the kitchen before letting the oven do the rest of the work.
What You’ll Need
Here’s a list of ingredients needed to make these moist, flavorful brownies. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- All-purpose flour – Feel free to use your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour instead.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – I used to use Hershey’s special dark cocoa in these, but they changed it a few years back and now I prefer regular cocoa in these. The final texture is better.
- Baking powder – For just a bit of rise, contributing to that cakey texture.
- Salt – For flavor and always needed.
- Vegetable oil – I have tried butter in these brownies and while it works, the oil definitely produces the more intended mix of cakey/fudgy texture.
- Sugar – For sweetness and moisture.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract actually helps soften some of the bitterness of cocoa.
- Eggs – For binding things together and adding chewiness.
How to Make Brownies from Scratch
In just 10 minutes you could be popping these amazing homemade brownies in the oven. What are you waiting for? Here’s how to do it. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×9 square baking pan.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Mix together the oil, sugar, and vanilla extract. Add the eggs and mix to combine.
- Put it all together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix to combine.
- Bake. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Tips for the Best Homemade Brownies
Are you prepared for some seriously tasty brownies? Pay close attention to these simple tips and tricks and you’ll be well on your way to making them from scratch.
- Don’t over-mix. When mixing the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients, mix just until incorporated. Over mixing the batter will cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop, giving you a tough, dense brownie.
- Make it mess-free. You can either grease your brownie pan or line it with parchment paper. Either way will do. If you choose to grease the pan, do so liberally. If you go the parchment paper route, I suggest using a piece that extends over the sides of the pan. This will allow you to easily remove the brownies from the pan for cutting when the time comes.
- Oil, not butter. Many brownie recipes call for butter instead of oil. I promise you that oil is the best call here. It adds an incredibly rich, fudginess to the dessert that butter just doesn’t. Trust me. I’ve done all of the experimenting for you. So make these brownies without butter, please.
Serving Suggestions
On their own, these brownies are some of the best you’ve ever tasted but with the addition of a scoop of ice cream, some whipped cream, and/or a delicious sauce they are out of this world fantastic. Here are some ideas to get you inspired.
- Ice cream. Grab a pint of vanilla ice cream or make your own! I love this Birthday Cake Ice Cream and my Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream. Try my No Churn Peppermint Bark during the holiday season.
- Whipped cream. Add a dollop of store-bought or Homemade Whipped Cream to the top of these fudgy chocolate treats. Feeling adventurous? Try my Strawberry Whipped Cream or this Baileys Chocolate Whipped Cream.
- Sauce. Drizzle some of my Salted Caramel Sauce or this Easy Caramel Sauce over your brownies. You could also try this Raspberry Sauce or (for an extra chocolaty treat) my Easy Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce.
How to Store Brownies
Allow the brownies to cool completely before slicing and arranging them in a single layer in an airtight container. If you need to stack the brownies, separate any layers with parchment paper to prevent them from sticking. Alternatively, you can slice the brownies and wrap individual pieces in a double layer of plastic wrap. Store them at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Can I Freeze These?
You can! Store the brownies just as you would if you were to keep them at room temperature or in the refrigerator (see the section above titled “How to Store”) except place them in the freezer instead. They will stay good for up to 3 months. Allow the brownies to thaw in the fridge before devouring them.
More Easy Brownie Recipes
I love brownies so, naturally, I have spent some time playing with recipes and developing new takes on the classic. Here are some of my favorite brownie recipes for you to try.
- Fudgy Cookies and Cream Brownies
- The World’s Fudgiest Homemade Brownies
- Nutella Fudge Brownies
- Ultimate Peanut Butter Fudge Brownies
- Fudgy Strawberry Brownies
- Caramel Cheesecake Brownie Trifle
Watch How To Make Them
PrintQuick and Easy Brownies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12-16 Brownies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy homemade brownies recipe makes cakey brownies that taste like box mix brownies! With perfect crisp crackly tops and chewy centers, these brownies hit all the right notes.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (98g) all-purpose flour (measured properly)
- 1/2 cup (57g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (180ml) vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups (310g) sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×9 square baking pan, or line it with parchment paper, leaving some over hanging on the sides for easy removal from the pan later.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt to a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Add the oil, sugar and vanilla extract to large mixing bowl and mix together until well combined.
- Add the eggs and mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until well combined, but don’t over mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
- Allow brownies to cool completely, then use the overhanging parchment paper to remove the brownie from the pan. Cut into bars.
- Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature. Best if eaten within 5-7 days.
Notes
Recipe modified from AllRecipes.com
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Brownie
- Calories: 203
- Sugar: 18.9 g
- Sodium: 50.8 mg
- Fat: 11.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Protein: 2.3 g
- Cholesterol: 34.9 mg
I made these tonight. I made some changes.
I added 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract reducing vanilla extract by the same amt. before baking I sprinkled mini chocolate chips on top and when they came out of the oven after cooking I frosted and added crushed peppermint candies to it. It’s for a Christmas party redo – they looks great.
To anyone wanting to make substitutions, I used freshly blended oat flour instead of normal flour (no gluten reason, it’s just what we had), and melted butter instead of vegetable oil. They turned out great! Maybe a touch gritty but still very tasty!!
Made these for the first time as a dessert for Christmas. They were delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe, and for your excellent instructions
So glad you enjoyed them!
These R sooo good. I have tried many recipes but this is not only the simplest but I’m the best.!! Thank you!
So glad to hear that!
Hi! I have made these brownies before and we LOVE them! So delicious! I am making them again today and wondering if they freeze well?
Thanks for this wonderful recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoy them! And yes, they should freeze well.
This is the first time I made homemade brownies with the perfect texture and flavour I was looking for!! They are SO good. I made the recipe exactly as per the directions except the sugar- I ended up using 1/2 cup of white granulated sugar and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. I also added some semi sweet baking chocolate, cut into chunks. Perfection!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I’ve made this recipe so many times and my girls love it! Please offer tips on doubling the recipe and size pan to bake. I am making for a field hockey bake sale. Thank you in advance.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! For a 9 x 13 pan, I would normally do one and a half recipes worth. You could probably double it and use a 9 by 13 pan, but the brownies would be thicker. You could go up a pan size(like a 12×18), but I’m not sure if you would need to do more than doubling it.
I love this recipe I have made it dozens of times, the first time being just before national lockdown. This time something went wrong when I used the actual pan size recommended. As it cooled down it sunk in. What could be the cause of this.
It actually sounds like they may have been a little under baked. Glad you enjoy them!
I doubled the recipe but only did 4 eggs. I just popped them in the oven and they are very oily. :/ what did I do wrong?
If you double some things, but not everything, you’ll get a different outcome. I’d make the recipe as written or double everything equally.
On a budget and found this recipe. Don’t be scared about using oil it’s what makes the brownies awesome trust me. Made this recipe within two weeks over 8 times. Each time they come out perfect. Everyone loves them. I emailed the link to my mom and she used the same exact recipe. Thank you very much for sharing this recipe.
Awesome! So glad they’ve been a hit!
The taste is amazing, all though why did my brownies rise so much I added the exact same amount of baking powder told, like they aren’t flat and they are airy, what did I do wrong?
Hmmm, I’m not sure. I know you are pretty sure that you measured everything correctly, but that would be the thing I’d check because I’m not really sure what else would be the issue.
Did you use self rising flour?
No, I use all purpose flour.
This recipe is sooo good! I made them for company, but tried just one to make sure they were good and then couldn’t stop eating them. I had to make another batch! The only thing – which this doesn’t hurt the outstanding flavor – the top kind of bubbles up and when I cut them into squares, it breaks apart and the brownie looks messy. What am I doing wrong?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! The bubbles are probable being formed during mixing and coming to the top during baking. You might be over mixing the batter just a bit. Mix just until well combined and try not to mix too aggressively. I hope that helps!
Awesome brownies! My mother in law cannot have refined sugar or gluten, so I made this with gf flour and coconut sugar. Turned out great and none of us could tell they weren’t traditional brownies!
Awesome! So glad they were a hit!
Does it have to be vegetable oil. Can you use. A different oil. like extra virgin. Just and in nuts when you combine everything. If you want?
I haven’t tried other oils. I imagine canola oil would be fine. I think people have tried avocado oil. But I’m not sure about olive oil. That has a stronger flavor and may not work as well.
Olive oil is known to enhance chocolate’s flavor, along with a teaspoon of espresso powder. Try it sometime.
Are they supposed to be mixed and end up being gritty and super thick?
I’m not really sure what you’re asking. The batter may be kind of gritty from the sugar and it is relatively thick. But once they are baked, that should not be a problem.
You could do avacodo oil or coconut oil if your looking for a healthier option
Omg this is the first time I actually like the brownies I made. Before they were either too hard or too oily but these are sooo good. And I even messed up and didn’t separate the dry ingredients and wet ingredients. I do have to admit that I had to cook the brownies 9 minutes extra so the middle wasn’t a lake lol.
So glad you enjoyed them! There can certainly be variations between baking times in different ovens, so I’m glad you were able to adjust it.
I have a similar brownie recipe with a few differences. Some of my ingredients are doubled, but not all. I make mine in one bowl, everything in one after another. Your recipe only makes a small batch. If I make a batch that small I’d never hear the end of it because someone wouldn’t get some! Lol! I give the recipe away to anyone who asks but they all say that their batch wasn’t the same as mine. I butter the pan because the combination of salty and sweet are awesome! Our recipes come out the same, crackly top and all! Gotta love these recipes!