Like a Box Brownies

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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!

Closeup of a brownie with a bight out of it. There are more brownies stacked behind it.

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.
Ingredients for homemade brownies separated into bowls.

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.
A stack of homemade brownies surrounded by chocolate chips.

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.

Overhead of a stack of like a box brownies.

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.

Watch How To Make Them

Read Transcript

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A stack of homemade brownies. The top one has a bite taken out of it.
Recipe

Quick and Easy Brownies

  • Author: Lindsay
  • 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

  1. 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.
  2. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt to a medium sized bowl and set aside.
  3. Add the oil, sugar and vanilla extract to large mixing bowl and mix together until well combined.
  4. Add the eggs and mix until well combined.
  5. Add the dry ingredients and mix until well combined, but don’t over mix.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
  7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
  8. Allow brownies to cool completely, then use the overhanging parchment paper to remove the brownie from the pan. Cut into bars. 
  9. 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

Categories

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428 Comments
  1. Megan

    These brownies are absolutely delicious and so easy to make! It took me less than 10 minutes to whip them up! It did take mine around 45 minutes to bake, but hey I’m all good with waiting for these delicious treats! Thank you so much for this recipe! 






      1. Yuxi

        I loved these so much! They are always gone so quickly every time but they always take about 40 minutes to bake but still, they taste so fudgy and amazing; I’m so glad I found this recipe!






    1. Jim

      Love these brownies! I’ve made them a few times now. Instead of vanilla, I used two teaspoons of cinnamon for a Mexican chocolate taste. …Turned out great!

  2. Becca

    Didn’t have chocolate chips and was heavily craving that pillsbury box mix brownie – this is an absolutely fantastic recipe without all the preservatives if you’re looking for the same cakey/chewy/fudgy texture! Thanks so much! 🙂 p.s. i’m an edge person and these edges were INCREDIBLE.






  3. Amanda

    I’ve been looking for a good brownie recipe for a while and every time it’s fallen short. This recipe is not only simple but the brownies are DELICIOUS! I added a bit of chocolate chips and walnuts the first time but they’re amazing with it without them. They’re thick and fluffy all at once. ❤️ Definitely my go-to brownie recipe now! 






      1. Karthika Srinivasan

        I made this today and it turned out perfect !! My son enjoyed eating them. I used regular cocoa but still I felt it was more chochlatey. We felt it was more sweeter may be next time I can reduce the sugar little. Otherwise it was perfect ! Thanks for the easy recipe.






  4. Pratiksha Bundela

    Hi Lindsay,
    I tried this recipe, and Trust me, never in my life have i tasted such a delicious brownie. Everyone in my family loved it, and i had to actually make 4 batches for my brother’s office potluck.
    However, i just have one concern, the brownies were gooey and soft inside with crackling top.
    But the sides become very tough and rubbery. i don’t know what to do, hence, i had to cut sides by half inch from all the four sides. Please help.






    1. Lindsay

      I’m not sure I know what you mean by rubbery and tough. The edges will obviously cook more and be firmer, but I’m not sure how they’d be rubbery.

  5. Ashleigh Gifford

    Our batter was so super thick. I ended up mixing it with my hands to get all the flour incorporated. I saw others said theirs were more wet. Not sure the difference- I guess we will have to keep trying them to see the difference ????

  6. Li Amy

    These were awesome! I followed your recipe exactly – I baked mine for 30 minutes and they were quite gooey in the middle (didn’t stop anyone from downing them though!), so for my oven, I think when I make them again today, I will give them an extra 5 minutes. Ovens are so variable! Thanks for sharing and rescuing me from the dreaded box-of-tasty-chemicals which i normally resort too…. 🙂






  7. Brandi

    Mine are in the oven now. My one word of advice so far, MIX BY HAND! I made a mess with the first little bit of flour mixture that I added. Hahaha! But, after I started mixing by hand, it went smoothly. I expected the batter to be thicker. I guess we will see!

  8. Zeynep

    This is the BEST brownie recipe EVER!! You might not even see this but, I just want to let you know. I’ve tried a lot of different brownie recipes in the past and they never really turned out the way I like brownies. The first time I tried this recipe I was so satisfied. I’ve now been making these brownies for my friends & family for years, and everyone who has ever tasted them absolutely falls in love!! So thank you for this incredible recipe!

  9. Kari

    Ok, so I made your brownie recipe, HOPING it would be a good one and not one of those brownie recipes that ends up having that bitter after taste of baking powder. Let me just say…DELICIOUS!!! So delicious that I got on the internet and searched for you here because I HAD to tell you how yummy they are…and a big THANK YOU, too, for the recipe itself! BEST BROWNIE RECIPE I’VE EVER USED…HANDS DOWN! For those of you who haven’t tried it…seriously…it really IS like a good, boxed brownie mix. I’m pigging out on them right now!

  10. PB

    I used baking cocoa (dutch dark cocoa) and the batter was thick. It’s in the oven right now, so will see how this will turn out.

  11. Joanna

    I have never actually made brownies from scratch before, we were having company for dinner and decided we needed dessert–I googled “Fool Proof Brownie Recipe” and your’s looked easy enough I decided to try it–I only had regular cocoa, but they turned out great! My husband normally doesn’t even like brownies and ate a bunch of them–that was 2 weeks ago… I’m on my 3rd batch (second 2 times with dark chocolate). Bonus–I’m lactose intolerant and since they don’t have milk or butter, as long as you use the right chocolate, these are lactose free brownies!

    Thank you for saving the day!

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I’m the baker, recipe developer and photographer behind Life, Love and Sugar. I love sharing trusted recipes with helpful tips to give you great results.

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29