Rich Fudgy Chocolate Brownies (Printable Version)
Fudgy dark chocolate brownies with crackly tops and a moist, rich center—pure chocolate indulgence.
# What You Need:
→ Wet Ingredients
01 - 2/3 cup (1 1/3 sticks) unsalted butter
02 - 7 oz dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa), chopped
03 - 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp granulated sugar
04 - 1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
05 - 3 large eggs
06 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
→ Dry Ingredients
07 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
08 - 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
09 - 1/2 tsp fine salt
→ Optional Add-Ins
10 - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
11 - 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on two sides to lift the brownies out later.
02 - Combine the butter and chopped dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir gently until completely melted and smooth, then remove from heat and let cool for about 5 minutes.
03 - Add the granulated sugar and light brown sugar to the melted chocolate mixture. Whisk until fully combined and the mixture appears glossy.
04 - Crack in the eggs one at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition until fully incorporated. Stir in the vanilla extract.
05 - Sift the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, and fine salt together directly into the wet mixture. Use a spatula to fold gently until just combined — avoid overmixing to keep the texture tender.
06 - If desired, fold in the chopped walnuts or pecans and dark chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
07 - Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and use a spatula to spread it evenly, smoothing the surface.
08 - Bake on the center rack for 22–25 minutes, or until the top is set and slightly crackled while the center still has a gentle jiggle. Do not overbake.
09 - Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once fully set, use the parchment overhang to lift them out and cut into 12 even squares.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- That shatteringly crisp top hiding a dense, fudgy center is pure texture heaven and surprisingly easy to achieve.
- They taste even better the next day, so you can make them ahead and absolutely dazzle whoever shows up.
02 -
- That jiggle in the center when you take them out is exactly what you want because it means fudgy, not dry, and residual heat will finish the job.
- A teaspoon of espresso powder dissolved into the melted chocolate awakens a deeper, more complex chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee at all.
03 -
- Use a piece of parchment paper long enough to create handles on two sides so you can lift the entire block of brownies out cleanly for slicing.
- Refrigerate the batter in the pan for twenty minutes before baking and the top gets even cracklier with an even denser center.