These easy homemade brownies call for just 8 simple ingredients and can be made as a dairy-free dessert. They have a slightly crispy top and a super fudgy center with pools of melted chocolate chunks, making them a party-in-the-mouth for any chocolate lover… just like our Valentine’s brownies! Plus, get our expert tips on how to make the best brownies ever!
One of my favorite American desserts are brownies. Not cakey brownies, but chewy, fudgy brownies with a moist, dense, and gooey center. 😉
I don’t care if I eat them with a glass of milk or a scoop of ice cream because most of the time I am just so excited to sink my teeth into a batch.
Tell ya one thing, after trying our fudgy brownie recipe you won’t want to make anything else. In the last 2 decades I have tested many brownie recipes until I finally got this one. It is my go-to recipe… it’s top-notch!
The only issue you’ll ever encounter is becoming addicted to them! You have been forewarned! 😉
Ingredients and substitutions for chocolate fudge brownie recipe
- Chocolate: Choosing good-quality chocolate is essential in order to make flavorful brownies. But that's not all! Bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate is ideal to produce chocolate brownies that are neither too rich (as when using dark chocolate) nor too sweet (as when using milk chocolate). For this recipe, you will need to chop up a chocolate bar to make these chocolate chunk brownies. To make dairy-free brownies, use a dairy-free or 100% chocolate bar.
- Vegetable oil: This makes the center moister than when using butter and is key for a dairy-free dessert as well. But if lactose intolerance is not an issue, you can use unsalted butter instead, making these brownies tastier. For every ¾ cup of oil, use 1 cup of butter. If you need to convert sticks of butter into cups or vice-versa, see how many sticks of butter in a cup there are, especially if you'd like to render this recipe well.
- Sugar: I used white granulated sugar, but for richer brownies, you may use ⅔ of the amount of white sugar and ⅓ of dark brown sugar, which has molasses.
- Eggs: These have to be at room temperature before adding them to the brownie batter. This will make sure that it rises properly and guarantees more even baking.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract is the best. Vanilla flavoring is not strong enough to add flavor to the recipe!
- All-purpose flour: Make sure to spoon and level the flour so that you don’t end up with cakey or dry brownies. To make them eggless, vegan, gluten-free, or keto, take a look at our baking substitutions.
- Cocoa powder: Make sure to sift it before adding it to the batter in order to remove any lumps. If you are using the metric system, see how to convert US cups to ounces to grams for almost every ingredient in this recipe.
- Salt: This is optional but it enhances the chocolate flavor and balances out the sweetness from the sugar.
OPTIONAL: For richer brownies, add ½ teaspoon of instant coffee to the melted chocolate mixture and combine until dissolved. You won’t taste the coffee but it will add a richer taste to your brownies.
How to make Easy Homemade Chocolate Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper (if needed, grease the bottom slightly so the paper can stick to the pan). Make sure the paper rise up to also line the sides of the pan so that you can lift the baked brownies out of the pan easily.
- Then, chop the chocolate bar into chunks. In a medium bowl, combine half of the chocolate and the oil together and heat in the microwave in 30-second intervals or until melted, about 1 to 1 ½ minutes. Let the mixture sit for about 3 minutes and stir well until smooth. Set aside!
- In a separate large bowl, mix the sugar, sifted cocoa powder, and salt, and then add the eggs. Beat with an electric hand mixer for about 3-4 minutes to incorporate air. Whisk in the vanilla and the melted chocolate (make sure it’s not too hot or else the eggs will cook) by hand.
- Sift in the flour and fold it in with a spatula to incorporate it into the batter, but do NOT overmix; otherwise, you will wind up with cakey brownies.
- Reserve about ⅓ cup of the remaining chocolate chunks and fold the rest into the batter. Transfer the thick brownie batter to the prepared baking pan and level with a spatula. Place the reserved chocolate chunks on top.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the edges start to pull away from the pan, the top is set and the center (if gently touched) is still slightly soft but not jiggly. Let the pan cool completely on a rack for about 40-60 minutes before lifting up the parchment paper and slicing our easy homemade brownies into 16 slices.
NOTE: See our video to find out how to make easy homemade brownies!
Expert's baking tips for the best chocolate brownies
- For tasty brownies, always use good-quality chocolate. The chunks will continue melted after the baked batter is completely cool.
- For balanced sweetness, prefer bittersweet chocolate over dark (too rich) or milk chocolate (too sweet). But if you are making them dairy-free, use 100% dark chocolate.
- When melting the chocolate with oil, make sure to let it sit for 3 minutes before mixing. This will prevent the chocolate from drying out or overheating, and will keep it melted for longer, instead of solidifying quickly.
- Sift both the cocoa and flour before adding them to the batter. It will make it easier to mix them into the batter and will result in less dense brownies.
- Beat the eggs for 3-4 minutes at least. This will help to incorporate air into the batter and allow it rise properly. This is essential because we are not using baking powder, a leavening agent, in our easy homemade brownies recipe.
- Do NOT overmix the flour. Fold it carefully just until combined so that the air bubbles from the beaten eggs won’t be deflated.
- Use parchment paper to line the baking pan, making sure it comes up the sides so you can lift it up and remove the brownies easily from the pan after they have baked and cooled. It will also be easier to slice them without scratching the bottom of the pan.
- Use a serrated knife to slice them easily and clean the knife before initiating the next cut through these homemade brownies. This will keep them neat and will help the knife slide through more easily.
- One of the secrets for moist brownies is to never overcook them! They are ready to come out when the edges start to pull away from the pan and the center is set yet soft (but not jiggly).
- Let them cool completely before slicing; otherwise, they will fall apart once sliced.
- For healthy brownies, you may add one mashed avocado to the batter made with oil and dark chocolate. To make keto brownies, use keto chocolate and unsweetened cocoa powder and also replace sugar with monk fruit (double the amount called for sugar) and all-purpose flour with almond flour (1:1 ratio).
- To adapt this recipe to make healthy black bean brownies, replace the flour (same amount) with drained and pureed canned black beans. It will make these brownies flourless or gluten-free. I promise you won’t be able to taste the beans!
Storage for Dairy-Free Brownies
Store these easy homemade brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze them individually wrapped in parchment paper and then store them in a sealable plastic bag for up to 2 months. Let come to room temp before serving.
After thawing them, the chocolate chunks will be solid instead of melted.
Make sure the container doesn’t contain any strong odors. The chocolate can absorb them quickly! That is why I prefer to store mine in Ziploc bags, squeezing out as much air as possible from the bag and sealing properly.
This is one of those easy freezer recipes that you can make ahead and thaw when you need them.
Other chocolate desserts to make:
- Brigadeiro recipe
- Brigadeirao
- Chocolate mousse
- Brigadeiro cake
- No bake chocolate pie
- Death by chocolate cake
PIN & ENJOY!
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Easy Homemade Brownies (Dairy-Free and Super Fudgy)
Equipment
- Baking pan
- mixer
- spatula
- microwave
- bowl
Ingredients
- 16 oz chocolate bar good-quality, chopped (use bittersweet to balance sweeteness. For dairy-free brownies, use 100% dark chocolate)
- 18 tablespoon vegetable oil if you prefer unsalted butter use 24 tablespoons
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- ½ cup cocoa powder sifted (preferrably unsweetened)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour sifted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper (if needed, grease the bottom slightly so the paper can stick to the pan). Make sure the paper rise up to also line the sides of the pan so that you can lift the baked brownies out of the pan easily.
- Then, chop the chocolate bar into chunks. In a medium bowl, combine half of the chocolate and the oil together and heat in the microwave in 30-second intervals or until melted, about 1 to 1 ½ minutes. Let the mixture sit for about 3 minutes and stir well until smooth. Set aside!
- In a separate large bowl, mix the sugar, sifted cocoa powder, and salt, and then add the eggs. Beat with an electric hand mixer for about 3-4 minutes to incorporate air. Whisk in the vanilla and the melted chocolate (make sure it’s not too hot or else the eggs will cook) by hand.
- Sift in the flour and fold it in with a spatula to incorporate it into the batter, but do NOT overmix; otherwise, you will wind up with cakey brownies.
- Reserve about ⅓ cup of the remaining chocolate chunks and fold the rest into the batter. Transfer the thick brownie batter to the prepared baking pan and level with a spatula. Place the reserved chocolate chunks on top.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the edges start to pull away from the pan, the top is set and the center (if gently touched) is still slightly soft but not jiggly. Let the pan cool completely on a rack for about 40-60 minutes before lifting up the parchment paper and slicing our easy homemade brownies into 16 slices.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
Michelle | Sift & Simmer says
These brownies look so delicious! They look incredibly fudgy too! 🙂
Denise Browning says
Rhey truly are quite fudgy and scrumptious.
Raymund says
I am all for fudgy brownies, love its chewy sticky texture.