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These easy homemade brownies with chocolate chips require just one bowl and about 10 minutes of prep! They’re moist, rich, and fudgy, with crinkled tops and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Table of Contents
- What Makes Brownies Fudgy or Cakey
- The Secret to Moist Brownies
- Which Brownie Pan to Use
- Ingredients for Homemade Brownies with Chocolate Chips
- How to Make Homemade Brownies
- How to Cut Brownies
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage Tips
- Recipe Variations
- Tips for the Best Homemade Brownie Recipe
- One-Bowl Homemade Brownies Recipe
The kids say that these homemade brownies taste just like boxed mix brownies — and in their eyes, that’s the highest praise! I appreciate that the recipe is very quick and easy to stir together, and uses simple ingredients that I always have stashed in my kitchen. If you love chocolate as much as we do, then you’ve got to try our favorite salted chocolate chip cookies, this chocolate pudding pie, and this one-bowl buttermilk chocolate cake, too!
What Makes Brownies Fudgy or Cakey
Cakey, chewy, or fudgy…that is the great brownie debate! There’s no right or wrong answer here — it’s purely a matter of personal preference — and there’s a homemade brownie recipe to match every individual taste. That said, we sit strongly in the fudgy brownie camp. The best brownie recipe yields nice and thick treats with firm, chewy edges, lightly-crinkled or cracked tops, and moist, fudgy centers.
Fudgy brownies have a dense, moist, and gooey texture in the middle, while chewy brownies are also dense, but have a slightly elastic texture with more “bite.” Fudgy brownies use only butter as the fat of choice, while chewy brownie recipes also benefit from the addition of canola oil. Brown sugar, which speeds gluten formation, is an essential ingredient in chewy brownies.
Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey brownies, and often include just a small amount of leavening agents (or none at all). By contrast, cakey brownies will utilize more baking soda or baking powder to give the brownies a lighter, airier, more cake-like texture. These brownies have a slightly cakey texture, while still staying moist and fudgy, thanks to a little bit of baking soda and the three eggs.
The Secret to Moist Brownies
In addition to plenty of butter, the eggs in this recipe add moisture and a little bit of “lift.” The other secret to moist brownies — the baking time! You want them slightly under-baked (not raw), so that when they cool and firm up a bit, the brownies retain that moist, gooey center.
Which Brownie Pan to Use
We recommend a 9-inch square baking pan for this recipe; however, an 8-inch square pan will also work. If using the smaller 8-inch pan, your brownies will be very thick, and you will therefore need to bake them a little bit longer. Similarly, if you prefer thin brownies, you can bake this recipe in a 9 x 13-inch pan and decrease the total baking time.
I recommend a glass, ceramic, or light metal baking pan. If you’re using a non-stick or dark metal pan, you may need to decrease the baking time by a few minutes.
Ingredients for Homemade Brownies with Chocolate Chips
This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for our favorite homemade brownies. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step baking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: not too sweet and not too bitter, these are just right for the brownie recipe. We prefer Ghirardelli brand.
- Salted butter: if you’d like to use unsalted butter, you’ll need to add an extra ¼ teaspoon salt to the batter.
- Eggs: give the brownies structure and a little bit of “lift.”
- All-purpose flour: the base of the brownie batter.
- Vanilla extract: for warm flavor.
- Baking soda: the leavening agent that helps the brownies rise and puff up a little bit.
- Kosher salt: to balance the sweetness and enhance the rich chocolate flavor.
- Chopped walnuts: these are optional. If you’re like my boys, you’ll prefer even more chocolate chips instead!
How to Make Homemade Brownies
This homemade brownie recipe comes from my friend Jackie. When she originally shared it with us, my 13-year-old son was the first to bake them. That’s how easy the brownies truly are!
Even a kid that spends almost ZERO time cooking or baking was able to whip up a delicious pan of homemade brownies from scratch in a matter of minutes. Needless to say, the whole family has been hooked ever since!
I’ve included the detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick overview:
- Melt the chocolate chips and butter.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish.
- Bake, cool, dust with powdered sugar, slice, and serve!
How to Tell When Homemade Brownies are Done
The total baking time will vary depending on a number of factors, including the size and type of pan that you’re using, as well as your individual oven. As a result, it’s best to just keep an eye on your brownies towards the end. For instance, glass pans or ceramic pans will require a longer baking time than metal pans. Dark metal or nonstick pans will require significantly less time than gold or lighter metal pans.
It’s important not to over-bake the brownies in order to maintain that moist, fudgy texture. Press gently in the center of the pan — the brownie should feel like it has just set. Then insert a toothpick. The brownies are done when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs still clinging. It’s okay for the toothpick to look moist, but if you see wet batter, bake the brownies a little bit longer.
How to Cut Brownies
Brownies will break apart if you cut them while they’re still hot. It’s best to let them cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 1-2 hours (or until they come to room temperature) before slicing and serving.
Once the brownies are cool, spray a long, sharp knife with cooking spray before slicing them into squares. Don’t saw back and forth to cut through the brownies, but instead press down firmly once. This will prevent the brownies from falling apart.
If you prefer to cut the brownies on a cutting board outside of the pan, I recommend lining the pan with parchment paper overhanging the edges of the pan like handles. This makes it easy to lift the brownies out of the pan once they are cool. Then cut into squares and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Serve the homemade brownies warm, at room temperature, or even cold — straight from the fridge! They’re perfect for an afternoon snack with a cup of coffee, tea, or cold milk, and they’re also great as a dessert on a holiday buffet or cookie tray.
Once they’re cool, dust the brownies with powdered sugar. For a real treat, make a hot fudge brownie sundae by topping a warm brownie with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge sauce!
Storage Tips
Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To freeze the brownies, wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw on the counter at room temperature when ready to enjoy, and dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Recipe Variations
- Chocolate Chip Brownies: Add an extra ½ cup of chocolate chips to the brownie batter before baking (instead of the walnuts). You can also sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top of the batter. My boys love the extra chocolate and the added crunch! Milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate chips will all work.
- Brownies with Nuts: Stir ½ cup of chopped walnuts into the brownie batter before baking. Chopped pecans are also delicious!
- For that sweet-and-salty flavor combo, sprinkle the tops of the warm brownies with flaky sea salt as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Thinner Brownies: Bake the brownies in a 9 x 13-inch pan for about 25 minutes.
Tips for the Best Homemade Brownie Recipe
- Be careful not to scorch the chocolate. Melt the chocolate chips and butter in a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over very low heat. This only takes a minute or two, so don’t walk away — and stir constantly!
- To get a shiny, flaky, light-colored crackly crust on the top of your brownies, beat the batter really well with your whisk after adding the eggs (but before adding the flour). This incorporates extra air bubbles in the batter, and when the brownies cool the air bubbles shrink — giving the tops that cracked texture that so many of us love.
- Do Not Over-Bake. Be careful not to over-bake the bars or they will not have that soft, fudgy texture. When you remove them from the oven, the center will still be soft and may even look slightly underbaked. That’s fine! The brownies will firm up as they cool, and will be perfectly moist.
- Why are my brownies cake-like or crumbly? The bars will be dry and crumbly if you bake them for too long. That’s why it’s important to pull them out of the oven when they’re still soft and slightly under-baked.
More Easy Dessert Recipes with Chocolate Chips
Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies
40 minutes mins
Chocolate Bundt Cake {Using Cake Mix!}
3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
One-Bowl Homemade Brownies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided (we like Ghirardelli brand)
- ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, cubed
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or extra chocolate chips (optional)
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips and all of the butter over very low heat until smooth, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Add the eggs; whisk to combine. Add the flour, sugar, vanilla extract, baking soda, and kosher salt. Stir to combine. Fold in the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips and the optional nuts. Pour into the prepared pan.
- Bake for approximately 27-33 minutes, or until the brownies are set but still soft in the middle. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with just a few moist crumbs. If it looks like it’s too wet or just has batter on it, the brownies need to bake for a little bit longer. Cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar and slicing into squares.
Notes
- Be careful not to scorch the chocolate. Melt the chocolate chips and butter in a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over very low heat. This only takes a minute or two, so don’t walk away — and stir constantly!
- To get a shiny, flaky, light-colored crackly crust on the top of your brownies, beat the batter really well with your whisk after adding the eggs (but before adding the flour). This incorporates extra air bubbles in the batter, and when the brownies cool the air bubbles shrink — giving the tops that cracked texture that so many of us love.
- Do Not Over-Bake. Be careful not to over-bake the bars or they will not have that soft, fudgy texture. When you remove them from the oven, the center will still be soft and may even look slightly underbaked. That’s fine! The brownies will firm up as they cool, and will be perfectly moist.
- Why are my brownies cake-like or crumbly? The bars will be dry and crumbly if you bake them for too long. That’s why it’s important to pull them out of the oven when they’re still soft and slightly under-baked.
