Best Fudgy Brownie Recipe

Achieving the best fudgy brownie boils down to 7 tips. Follow these tips and you’ll be rewarded with a chewy, moist, fudgy brownie that will disappear in minutes!  Just be sure you have enough friends and family around to share these brownies with, otherwise left unsupervised you might just find yourself eating the whole pan, they are that good! 

Need a Vegan alternative? Try my Vegan, Gluten-Free Fudgy Brownies which dare I say rival these conventional brownies! 

a platter of fudgy brownies dusted with powdered sugar

Tip#1: Choose The Right Mix of Chocolate

  • For me, the best ratio is 12 ounces of Bittersweet Chocolate (60% Cacao) to 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate.
  • Mixing the bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolates will get you the perfect mix of sweetness and rich chocolate flavor.
  • Pay attention to the percentage of Cacao. I wouldn’t go over 60% otherwise the brownies will be too dense and bitter. 
  • I really love the Ghirardelli brand of chocolate because it’s great quality chocolate you can find at just about any major grocery store and contributes to a fantastic brownie!

a close up of a bar of bittersweet chocolate showing Cacoa content at 60%

Tip#2: The Ratio of Chocolate to Butter Counts

  • 1 cup of butter I’ve found is the sweet spot. I know it may seem like a lot of butter, but let’s face it unless you eat the entire pan, you won’t have much to worry about. (see note at the top about having lots of friends around!)
  • If you want a great-tasting brownie, you need to embrace the butter! 
  • If you live in the U.S.A, use Land O’ Lakes Salted Butter. I find this butter is more “flavorful” than salty and definitely more flavorful than their unsalted butter.
  • But if you like outside the U.S.A I would use unsalted butter since salted butter outside the States can be pretty salty. 

A person unwraping butter sticks with chocolate in the foreground

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a jar of instant coffee on a counter top

Tip#3: The Flavor of Chocolate Is Enhanced By The Flavor of Coffee

  • I like to use coffee granules (instant coffee) that will dissolve in the heat of the chocolate. 
  • I find the instant coffee will provide a deeper flavor than liquid coffee which is a bit diluted in flavor.
  • It’s not a total deal breaker if you leave it out, but I do think it gives the brownies a deeper chocolatey flavor.
Measuring out flour from a canister into a measuring cup
I use the “scoop and settle” method of measuring

Tip#4: Easy on the flour!

  • A fudgy brownie will remain fudgy so long as there isn’t too much flour involved. 
  • Too much flour will turn a fudgy brownie into a cakey brownie.
  • And how you measure for this recipe matters! 
  • This recipe calls for 3/4 cup of flour and the way that I measure this is by placing the measuring cup into my canister of flour (or bag of flour) and shaking the measuring cup loose of any excess until the flour settles and is even at the top. 
  • I mention this since other methods like packing the flour too tightly or spooning the flour in, will not yield the same measurement which will affect your results. 

a person showing the size of a brownie pan

Tip#5: Use The Right Pan

  • My favorite brownie pan size is 11″ x 16″ x 1″. But if you can’t find that try to find a similar pan that is roughly the same size. Smaller dimensions are better than larger dimensions. 
  • Also line the pan with parchment paper. I love pre-cut parchment sheets for baking since it makes using them so much easier!
  • Remember these brownies are fudgy so no amount of butter and flour will help prevent them from sticking to the pan!
  • The parchment paper will make it much easier to remove the brownies and slice them once cooled.
a person cutting brownies that were baked in parchment paper
Fudgy Brownies baked in parchment-lined cookie sheets are much easier to slice

Tip#6: Do Not Overbake The Brownies

  • If you want a nice chewy and moist brownie you cannot overbake them.
  • I’ve found the perfect temperature is 375F for exactly 10 minutes
  • At the 9-minute mark the brownies will rise up and start to crack at the edges, but not to worry they will settle down as they cool. 
Brownie corners rising up and cracking in the oven
Brownies cracking in the corners at the 9-minute mark in the oven

Tip#7: Allowing Your Brownies to Cool

  • Allow your brownies to cool at least 30 minutes if you can stand it, but an hour is even better! 
  • This will give the brownies a chance to set up probably
  • If you cut into them too quickly they will become too crumbly

a pan of brownies cooling on a counter

Storing The Brownies:

  • You’ll find fudgy brownies are even better the next day because of how they will congeal and set up.
  • Or better yet, leave them in the fridge overnight since it gives the brownies a chance to become even chewier.
  • This a great one to bring to co-workers on Monday morning and help ease the “Monday Morning Blues” and brighten the week ahead!

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a platter of fudgy brownies dusted with powdered sugar

Best Fudgy Brownie Recipe

Yield: 12 brownies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Achieving the best fudgy brownie recipe boils down to 7 tips. Follow these tips and you'll be rewarded with a chewy, moist, fudgy brownie that will disappear in minutes! 

Ingredients

  • 4 oz (112 g) semi-sweet chocolate
  • 12 oz (336 g) bittersweet chocolate
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp (2.5 ml) instant coffee
  • 1 cup (240 g) of unsalted butter
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup (200 g) of sugar
  • ¾ cup (90 g) of flour
  • ½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt
  • ½ tsp (2.5 ml) baking soda
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) Powdered Sugar for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F. (190 C)
  2. Melt chocolate and butter in a sauce pan on low. Add vanilla and instant coffee, stir to combine. Allow to cool slightly.
  3. In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt.
  4. Beat eggs and sugar together until smooth. Add chocolate mixture and beat until smooth. Then add flour mixture, beat until smooth.
  5. Transfer into a 11 x 16 x 1 pan, lined with parchment paper. Pour batter into pan, and smooth with a spatula.
  6. Bake 10 mins exactly. Allow to cool for at least 30 mins to 1 hour, but overnight even better! (they will get chewier)
  7. Cut into 3 x 3 squares, sprinkle with powdered sugar (icing sugar)

Notes

  • Allow the brownies to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. This will allow them to set up properly
  • I also think these brownies are even better the next day or left in the fridge overnight since it gives the brownies a chance to really set up and become even chewier.
  • Use Ghiradelli chocolate, I think it provides the best results!
  • Nutrition Information:
    Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 121Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 32mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 4g
    Brownie cake scooped into a mug with ice cream

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    17 Comments

        1. Beth,
          I just wanted to let you know that the pure coffee extract worked great. It’s definitely an alternative. They turned out great and definitely will be a favorite of mine. Thanks!
          , Teresa Bratcher

    1. hi Beth! thanks for the recipe, its delicious!

      if i use cocoa pownder insted of part of the chocolate, it will still work?

    2. Hi Beth: I want to bake the chocolate fudgy brownie with my new square brownie pan recommended for the vegan gluten bownie recipe
      you recommended whick I purchased from amazon. What would be the time and oven temperature that would give me the best results for these brownies. Thank you
      Susan

    3. …anxious to try this recipe but I don’t have that specific sized pan. Any other pan suggestions that I could consider using?

      1. Oh sure you could actually spoon it into a muffin tin 🙂 And make brownie muffins. Increase the baking time until a toothpick comes out clean. Hope you enjoy!

    4. Hi Beth. Tried this. 16 oz of chocolate – i used approx 2 cups of chocolate. I wonder why the mixture was so runny and it didnt bake at 10 min. I extended up to 35 min.
      Pls advise.
      Thanks

      1. If you are using chocolate chips, 12 oz of chocolate is 2 cups chips. 16 oz of chocolate would be 2 2/3 cups of chocolate chips.