Hands down, the best Homemade Brownies I’ve ever had. Rich and chocolatey, this EASY recipe produces seriously fudgy brownies. Makes 24 brownies to easily feed a crowd. No mixer needed.
Let’s talk Brownies.
They’re one of my all-time favourite things to make and eat. For me, the perfect brownie is delightfully rich in chocolate flavour, with a super fudgy centre and a shimmering brownie crinkle. And that is exactly what I was going for with this recipe.
One of my readers sent me a message on Instagram, asking me to please make a big batch brownie recipe for a 9 x 13 inch pan. All my brownie recipes call for an 8 or 9 inch square pan. But what happens when you want to make brownies for a dinner party or to feed hungry colleagues or a classroom? Well, you make these.
recipe testing
Even though I have many brownies recipes on my site, it still took a few tries to get this one just right. For the first attempt, I took inspiration from my favourite Chocolate Raspberry Brownie which makes a deliciously fudgy brownie using real chocolate, cocoa powder AND chocolate chips in the batter.
While the brownie was lovely, it turned out slightly too cakey – and I lost that all-important brownie crinkle. Next, I tried an all-cocoa version, like my favourite One Bowl Brownies and my popular Gluten Free Brownies. It also tasted good but it didn’t have the depth of chocolate flavour that I craved.
So in the end, I went back to version 1 but changed things up. I added a little more butter to help with the cakey-ness, took out the brown sugar and went with all caster sugar, and mixed the eggs and sugar separately. The result? Heaven. A truly fudgy brownie with a perfect crinkle and SO much chocolate flavour.
how to make brownies from scratch
- Melt together butter and dark chocolate until smooth. I prefer to do this in the microwave to make it quick and easy. Just be sure to stop and stir every 20 seconds to prevent it from burning or seizing.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Do this just using a hand whisk and only for about 30 seconds. It’s only to break up the egg yolks and combine the two ingredients. The mixture should be slightly creamy and yellow (see photo below in recipe card).
- Sift together the flour, cocoa and salt. Add to the melted chocolate mixture, along with the eggs, and gently stir with a spatula just until combined. You should have a lovely thick brownie batter.
- Add chocolate chips and walnuts. And then bake brownie until that beautiful crust forms and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out almost clean. Leave brownie to cool completely in cake pan before slicing.
Change it up
I’ve added walnuts to my recipe because I love the crunch they add to these traditional brownies. But you can change up the flavours if you like. Try adding a spoonful of peanut butter, almond butter or Biscoff cookie butter, adding pistachios or macadamia nuts, trying white chocolate chips or fresh berries or Oreos. This brownie recipe is the perfect base for you to get a little creative.
Frequently asked questions
I recommend a good quality dark chocolate, at least 45% cocoa. I use a block of chocolate that I break up into pieces by hand, rather than chocolate chips or melts.
Unfortunately, no. I don’t recommend using any egg substitutes as the eggs are important for texture (both for the fudgy centre and the crinkly top). If you are looking for an egg free brownie, try my popular Vegan Brownie recipe.
If you didn’t make any changes to the recipe, your brownie might have just been a little undercooked. Brownies also tend to be gooey and wet straight out of the oven so make sure you let them cool completely. If they are still too wet, pop the whole pan in the fridge for a few hours and they’ll firm right up.
If you followed this recipe and your browine was cakey, it’s likely you added to much flour/cocoa. The ratio of fat to flour is very important so make sure you measure the dry ingredients using a baking scale for accuracy. Try also baking the brownies for a few minutes less next time. Remember every oven is different, so use baking times as a guide only.
More brownie recipes to try
- Nutella Brownies (so fudgy)
- Oreo Brownies (for Oreo lovers only)
- One Bowl Cocoa Brownies (deliciously easy)
- Flourless Brownies (gluten free)
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more amazing recipe ideas.
Let’s Bake
Homemade Brownies (Big Batch)
Deliciously fudge Homemade Brownies made with real chocolate, chocolate chips and walnuts.
Ingredients
- 200 grams butter, roughly chopped
- 250 grams (1 and 2/3 cups) dark chocolate (45-70% cocoa), roughly chopped
- 4 large eggs
- 300 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 105 grams (3/4 cup) plain flour or all purpose flour, sifted
- 40 grams (1/2 cup) cocoa powder, sifted
- Pinch of salt
- 150 grams (1 cup) chocolate chips
- 100 grams (1 cup) walnuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with baking or parchment paper.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, add butter and dark chocolate. Heat in the microwave, stirring every 20 seconds, until melted and smooth.
- In a separate bowl, add eggs, sugar and vanilla. Whisk together by hand for 30 seconds or so, just until creamy and combined (see photo below).
- Add flour, cocoa powder and salt to melted butter mixture, along with the egg mixture. Stir gently using a spatula until a thick, smooth brownie batter forms. Gently stir through chocolate chips and walnuts.
- Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and smooth out into one even layer. Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until shiny on top. Brownie should no longer wobble in the middle and a toothpick inserted into the centre should come out almost clean.
- Leave brownie in pan to cool completely. Then cut into small squares to serve. You can store brownies at room temperature or in the fridge. They also freeze really well.
Amy says
May i know size for pan for this recipe ☺️
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Amy, see step 1 of the recipe. I used a 9 by 13 inch sheet pan.
Fazla says
Hi
Can I use this recipe for brownie cake too?
Jessica Holmes says
Sure can! Or try my Brownie Cake recipe.
Jaz says
Hi, I’m thinking of making these but am wondering how many chunks they will cut into as can’t find it on the page. Thinking of using them for a brownie stack cake but don’t know if I need to make one or two batches?
Jaz says
Oh no worries I’ve found it but how big are the pieces approx and how many will I probably need for a brownie stack?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Jaz, 20 pieces would be roughly 2.5 by 2.5 inches each. So it depends how big you want your brownie stack!
Sanober Kalliwala says
Brownie was superb
Bt my brownie got stucked to butter paper
Cn i knw d reason…?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi, so glad you liked it! Maybe try a better quality baking or parchment paper? I don’t usually have that problem with my bakes.
Noor Fatima says
Yum yum and yumm!!
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you liked it!
Nour says
Honestly the best brownies I’ve ever made! Never buying a ready mix again, they are super easy to make and so delicious it’s addictive! Highly recommended! 😍😍😋😋
Jessica Holmes says
I LOVE hearing this!
Pamela says
I am a 65 year young lady that has never made brownies from scratch but here I am enjoying a cup of tea and my very own brownie, thank you Jessica for a fool proof recipe perfect in every way now to share with my grandchildren x
Jessica Holmes says
Ohh this makes me so happy Pamela! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Sounds like you nailed it – well done 👏🏻
stella says
Any special instructions for high altitude baking?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Stella, I’m sorry but I don’t have much experience with high altitude baking.
Linda Spence says
This Brownie recipe is the best.
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you liked them Linda!
Rochelle says
Fantastic flop proof recipe and can’t wait to whip up a batch again 😋
Jessica Holmes says
Yes! Love hearing that!
Daniela says
Amazing recipe, so quick and easy, everyone loved it, even those that said they don’t normally like brownies. I didn’t add any chocolate as I had non, but it was perfect with just walnuts. Will definitely be adding this to my regular go to recipes, love anything that doesn’t involve a hand mixer. Thank you!
Jessica Holmes says
Oh brilliant! Love hearing that Daniela!
Angie says
Amazing recipe, super easy and delicious 👍🏻
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed them Angie!
Adrie says
So I was reading some comments and was concerned about them coming out cake like. I promise you that the comments that say that likely didn’t measure by grams properly. I followed this recipe exactly how it’s posted, no changes AT ALL. They came out fudgy, the only reason I gave them a 4/5 is because I think they’re a bit bitter, they’re sweet but I believe the dark chocolate made them bitter. I was very happy with them though!! Next time I’ll try using milk chocolate from the start.
Jessica Holmes says
I’m so glad you enjoyed them Adrie! Thank you for your lovely feedback. You can definitely alter the sweetness by the type of chocolate you use. Personally, I quite enjoy a dark chocolate that’s 45% cocoa – so not too bitter.
Zeena says
I will try to make it
Ananyaa says
Hi Jess! Can you please give the measurements in measuring cups and spoons?
PS: I made your brownie cookies, and they truly were absolutely beautiful!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Ananyaa, so glad you enjoyed the brownie cookies! The measurements should all be there except for the butter as it’s hard to accurately convert that amount into cups/tablespoons. But 200 grams would be about 1 cup of butter minus 2 tablespoons. I do recommend using a scale for accuracy if you can.
Charley Colbeck says
These were INCREDIBLE!!!
I was super nervous going into this as my traybakes can either be horrifically under-baked or dry and cakey….alas I have found the PERFECT basic brownie recipe right here!!!
I added dark chocolate chips and chopped Bourbon Cream biscuits into the mix and let me tell you, they taste like a gift from the gods!
I’m thinking of making attempt 2.0 and adding a top layer of dark chocolate finished off with some more Bourbon Creams to elevate it even more, but my gosh!!! This recipe is everything!
Thank you!!
Jessica Holmes says
Yes! I love hearing that! Thank you so much for the kind feedback Charley.