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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
Absolutely delicious recipe! Brought these brownies to Kyle’s soccer party and everyone enjoyed them! I am really grateful to have found your amazing recipe and will continue to use it for future occasions!
So glad to hear that!
Hands down…. this is the BEST brownie recipe ever!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Omg so good! I added a bit more chocolate and a bit less sugar plus walnuts at the end and it was perfect!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
These were the worst brownies that i have ever eaten. They are absolutely disgusting. It is obvious that you dont have taste buds if you think that these are good. Making them was such a waste of ingredients and my time.
Wow, you’re hurling insults at quite a few people, LOL. These are very well loved brownies, as the comments show. I’m sorry to hear you didn’t care for them.
Everyone has the right of freedom of speech and giving opinions but this is distasteful. I can’t even look for a good recipe on the internet without coming across something rude. “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” Social media disgusts me. Pray for the future of our children. It will be filled with a world of bullies and a**holes.
I’ve been trying to make vegan brownies for years and they never come out right. Always too oily, too dry, too crumbly or burn too easily. I used this recipe with an egg replacer and they’re the best brownies I’ve ever made from scratch. Thank you!
I just made this recipe and haven’t tried them yet they are still baking as I type this but tasted the mix and it was so good I almost licked the bowl clean lol and it smells amazing in here, cant wait to try them!
These came out really good, although I needed 45 mins in my oven to cook them. I would also try to add half of the sugar next time, other than that, great!
Thank you Lindsay, I made the fudge brownies last night and they were gone within the hour. So simple to make and delicious!!!
Thank you for sharing!!
These brownies are good, but extremely cake. i wanted a brownie that wasn’t really fudge and this said it was a little cake, so i made them. they are good and have minimal sweetness but they are a lot closer to cake then brownie, rather than in the middle.
Hello Lindsay,
The pictures are amazing and your reviews are outstanding. I want to make the brownies but someone i know has allergies to Vanilla extract, if i omit this ingredient will it still turn out the same (more or less). Thank you.
Yes, it’ll still be fine.
Taste was great, but they took much longer to bake than the recipe stated. At 350°, they took almost 40 minutes to bake without being soup in the middle. My oven thermometer was reading 348 so it was right on the mark.
Thank you!!! This is the best brownie recipe!!!
So glad you enjoyed them!
I’ve made these at least 10 times this year!! My go-to!! Thank you 💙💙
Awesome! So glad you enjoy them!
Lindsay, this sounds yummy! I would definitely make it again! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Lindsay! How easy! Your directions make this seem like such an easy approach, too. I would love to make this soon!
I made this recipe using 100% unsweetened cocoa since that’s all I had. Added more vanilla (and should have added more sugar to even the bitterness) and the batter still was a little bitter. Hoping it won’t be too noticeable served with ice cream. :/
Bravo! What a great idea! Love this. I’m sure this is incredibly delicious!
Hi
I don’t know why but it refuses to cook i have been doing it for about an hour now :/
Thanks
Aaron