The Most Amazing Brownies are the perfect chewy fudge squares of chocolate. You’ll never buy a boxed brownie mix again! You can make these brownies with either baking chocolate or cocoa powder too!
Looking for the perfect brownie recipe? Look no further! I’ve been making these brownies for years and have used them a base for some of my favorite brownie creations like my Oreo Fudge Brownies. Lately I’ve had so many friends ask for my basic brownie recipe I decided it was about dang time to publish just the brownie recipe itself.
These brownies are absolutely perfect. Several years ago my friend Sally had me make a boxed brownie mix for an event. We used a box so they’d all end up the same. Sally laughed when I told her I needed the box directions, not just the bag of mix because it had been so long since I had made a boxed mix. My kids and husband were stunned when they saw the completed box mix brownies. They wondered why anyone would ever eat that instead of homemade. Once you go from scratch, you’ll never be able to go back. It ruins you! Even the best, highest end of brownie mixes just don’t compare
I’ve included two recipes below, one where you use baking chocolate and one that is based off of cocoa powder. Both of them are absolutely fantastic and are really the same recipe. The only difference is where the chocolate flavoring comes from and the amount of fat needed to balance it out. Some people are all about using real chocolate in their brownies, and others love the convenience of cocoa powder so use whichever one suites your fancy!
I printed the recipe after having watched the video and followed the instructions EXACTLY. I didn’t pick up on the obvious misprint saying to bake for 30 minutes. I took them out of the oven and the inside of the brownies were almost like frosting…..very soft and runny. I put them back in the oven for another 20 minutes and they finally were the correct consistency for chewy brownies. When I watched the video a second time, I realized that Rachel said to bake them at 45 – 50 minutes or until done. Please check the recipe before submitting it… Read more »
I know this sounds stupid but could I use dove chocolate instead of baking chocolate? I would love to make these. I’ve made a ton of your recipes and they are always a huge hit unless I manage to mess up lol.
I’ll never turn down dove chocolate 😉
Rachel,
I just made your cocoa powder version as I was watching the brownie taste test on my computer, these are wonderful, and so easy to make,. My husband loves the middle and I love the outside, not a crumb is going to waste. It’s hard to believe that any other could beat yours..
Love them! Thank you!
Can I use Hershey’s cocoa ?
Yes.
Could I substitute gluten free baking mix for flour? My daughter is wheat allergic and she loves brownies . We use Pamela’s baking mix
Gluten free flour mixes vary quite a bit. Since I don’t have celiac’s disease I rarely use gluten free flours or blends so I’m not familiar with that one in particular. I highly recommend using baking recipes that are specifically made to be gluten free, otherwise it’s always just a risk that it may or may not work.
Please could tell me if I need to measure the butter( before melting or melt first and then measure the tablespooons for more accuracy.. I will be making this for my son’s birthday party this Saturday. also can I use unsalted butter instead. I will be trying your vanilla cake recipe also. wish me luck as I will need loads of it to produce something presentable at least.
It’s the same either way 🙂
How do you get your brownies out the pan and cut perfect brownies, mine gosh I’ve never been able to get them out the pan and even when I cut them they never perfect!!
You have to wait until they are completely cooled. Homemade brownies are easier to cut than the ones made from a box mix.
I am an inept baker and these still turned out great. I am throwing out my old brownie recipe because these are much better.
Have you ever tried half cocoa powder and baking chocolate? If possible, what are the measurements?
That’s actually some complicated calculations and I haven’t tried it so I can’t be sure.
For the cocoa powder version, are you using plain old powdered cocoa or could you use dutch process cocoa?
Yes, plain cocoa powder. Dutch process doesn’t work quite as well in this recipe.
can you use unsweetened cocoa powder
Unsweetened cocoa powder is what the cocoa powder version of the recipe calls for. Sweetened cocoa powder is rarely used in baking.
My brownies puffed up about 1″ over the 9 x 9 inch pan I baked them in. What did I do wrong?
Yup, that sounds about right. They inflate a bit in the oven with the chocolate version in a 9×9 pan, but they should settle back down.
Try greasing only the BOTTOM of the pan. Brownies need to be able to stick to the side of the pan as they bake. That way, you should get an even, flat top. Try it out in a 9×13-inch pan and see what you think.
Can you please tell us where you get all your delicious recipes? Everything you make looks delicious
Some come from my own head, others come from hours and hours in the kitchen testing and perfecting them, some are based off of recipes I started making more than a decade ago, and some are based off of recipes I’ve come across here and there and decided to experiment with. I don’t get them from anywhere per se, except countless hours of research and experimenting.
Should we use glass pans? Can’t we use tins?
You can. If you watch the video I explain why I use glass pans and the difference it makes.
Have only made brownies right once. Every other time they have come out like bricks. Hoping to try your recipe and make brownies again. Thank you! Love your videos.