These classic brownies are moist, rich, and fudgy with a beautiful crackly crust! Two ingenious methods make these brownies ultra chocolaty, thick, chewy, and velvety inside! These are by far the best homemade brownies from scratch!
I don't know anyone who doesn't like brownies!
And there has always been a long-standing controversy: those who love cakey brownies and those who love fudgy ones.
Personally speaking, I have always loved thick brownies that are somewhere in between, but with more of a chewy texture.
HOMEMADE VS. STORE-BOUGHT
Boxed brownie mixes are convenient but, to be perfectly honest, they’re nothing compared to classic homemade brownies made from scratch!
Don’t get me wrong. I understand that not everyone has a tried and trusted brownie recipe, or they may just feel intimidated by making them from scratch.
Well, I’m here to tell you that making homemade brownies from scratch is SO easy, and SO totally worth it that you probably won’t buy store-bought ever again! I’m convinced that this will become your new go-to recipe!
Why I believe these homemade brownies are better than store-bought mixes:
- They’re incredibly easy to make.
- They’re not overly sweet, yet they’re decadent.
- They’re not greasy.
- They have an exceptional distinctive chocolate flavor that far surpasses any box mix.
- They taste even better the following day! Time really allows for the flavors to develop, creating a much richer taste.
HOW THIS RECIPE STANDS OUT FROM TRADITIONAL ONES
For years, I’ve been making brownies using the standard method: whisking together the melted butter and chocolate and then the eggs, followed by adding the dry ingredients. Easy, peasy and delicious. However, I discovered 2 amazing techniques that take these brownies to a whole new level: the "ribbon stage" and "blooming" the cocoa powder!
The Ribbon Stage
I learned about this technique in this amazing article on Epicurious . After reading it, I knew I had discovered a secret weapon for making the most incredible brownies EVER!
The article discusses whipping the eggs until you reach “the ribbon stage”. This is a technique that is common among pastry chefs and bakers, especially when making sponge cakes. Generally speaking, the ribbon stage refers to beating the eggs and sugar together until you get a really thick mixture that almost looks like a thick cake batter. When you lift your whisk or beaters, the egg mixture falls off into beautiful thick ribbons that hold their shape for a few seconds.
Beating the eggs and sugar together until you reach the ribbon stage incorporates a lot of air into the mixture, which is crucial for the texture and thickness!
Blooming the Cocoa For a Rich Chocolate Flavor
For this recipe, I used Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which I think has a deeper flavor and color than natural cocoa powder. I also “bloomed” the cocoa so that the chocolate is even more intense!
(Check out my post if you want to learn about “blooming” as well as the difference between Dutch-processed cocoa powder and natural cocoa powder.)
The result of using these methods?
PHENOMENAL!
The top is crackly and shiny.
The inside?
OMG!! Soooo chewy, creamy, chocolaty, and thick!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Flour
- Butter
- Unsweetened Dutch-processed Cocoa Powder (If you don’t have it, you could use natural unsweetened cocoa powder, instead.)
- Baking powder
- Coffee powder (Don’t worry, you don’t taste the coffee!)
- Salt
- Eggs
- Packed Brown sugar (You could use granulated sugar, but I found that packed brown sugar gives a slight hint of caramel.)
- Dark, bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (I use couverture chocolate with 70% cocoa solids, which is perfect for baking.)
HOW TO MAKE CLASSIC HOMEMADE BROWNIES FROM SCRATCH
STEP 1
First, melt the butter, chocolate, coffee powder and half of the cocoa powder.
STEP 2
After that, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and remaining cocoa powder.
STEPS 3 & 4
Mix the sugar and salt together. Then add the eggs and beat on high for 5 minutes until the mixture is thick, like cake batter.
STEP 5
Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat until well incorporated.
STEP 6
Then gently fold in the flour mixture until it's just combined - don't overmix.
STEP 7
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and even out the top.
STEP 8
Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.
VARIATIONS
- Feel free to mix in your favorite add-ins, like chocolate chips or chopped walnuts!
- Although they are amazing on their own, you could top them with your favorite frosting. For a delicious chocolate buttercream cream frosting, check out my recipe here. It's vegan, but if you’re not vegan you could replace the vegan butter/margarine with real butter and the almond/coconut milk with real milk or heavy cream.
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Get the best quality ingredients you can.
- Measure all the ingredients properly. A digital scale will result in CONSISTENT results every time.
- When adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, don’t overmix the batter. You need to GENTLY fold it in until it’s just combined, otherwise you will deflate all the air that you created in the egg mixture (see the picture tutorial above).
- Use the right brownie pan size. For this recipe, I used a 9 X 9 inch (23.5 X 23.5 cm) pan. If you have an 8 X 8 inch pan, the brownies will be a bit thicker, if you use a larger pan, they’ll be thinner. Keep in mind that pan size will also affect the baking time.
- When you line your pan with parchment paper, make sure you leave about 2 – 2 ½ inches hanging over so you can just lift the whole pan of brownies out at once without breaking it.
- Don’t overbake! You should take them out of the oven when you see a few crumbs on the toothpick inserted to test if they’re done (see picture tutorial above). If you prefer cakey brownies, just bake them for an additional 5 minutes or so. Generally speaking, the longer you bake them, the drier and cakier they'll be.
- Let them cool completely in the pan before removing them so they don't fall apart.
- You can easily freeze these brownies. Just wrap individual squares in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer-safe container. They can be frozen for up to about 3 months. To thaw, just put them in the refrigerator overnight.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
They can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Yes! Wrap individual brownie squares in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer-safe container. They can be frozen for up to about 3 months. To thaw, just put them in the refrigerator overnight.
Enjoy!
~Voula
MORE EASY CHOCOLATE DESSERTS!
Classic Chocolate Cupcakes (No Mixer)
Ultimate Chocolate Chunk Cookies (+ Secret Ingredient)
Cheater’s Chocolate Mousse (+Easy Chocolate Garnishes)
Easy Egg-free Chocolate Salami - Greek Kormos/Mosaiko (No-bake + Vegan Option)
Easy Homemade Chocolate Syrup (Without Corn Syrup)
Sugar Free Whole Wheat Chocolate Cupcakes
Let me know how these classic homemade brownies from scratch turn out for you in the comments below! I’d love to hear from you!
Classic Homemade Brownies From Scratch
Equipment
- 9 X 9 inch (23.5 X 23.5 cm) pan
Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g / 4 oz) unsalted butter
- 4 oz (125 g) good quality dark, bittersweet, or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I use couverture chocolate with 72% cocoa solids)
- 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
- ½ cup (60 g / 2 oz) unsweetened dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted & divided (If you don’t have it, you could use natural unsweetened cocoa powder, instead.)
- 1 cup (127 g / 4.5 oz) all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup (200 g / 7 oz) packed brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- Grease and line a pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.
- To a medium saucepan, add the chocolate, butter, coffee powder, and half of the cocoa powder. Melt everything over medium heat and whisk continuously so as not to burn the chocolate. Keep whisking until everything has melted.
- Sift the remaining cocoa powder with the flour and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the sugar and salt together. Add the eggs all at once and beat on high with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes. The mixture should be thick like cake batter.
- Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat until well combined.
- Gently fold in the dry ingredients until you don’t see any more white streaks. Don’t overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly on top.
- Bake for about 15- 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. The longer you bake them, the drier and cakier they'll be.
- Allow it to cool completely to room temperature, then lift out of the pan.
- Cut into squares and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by! Let me know what you think: