How to make Brownies at home? (Crisp, Fudgy and Chocolaty Flavor)

• Recipe: Homemade Brownies
• Writer: Lizzie Green
• Content-Type: Food Blog

THE BEST recipe for brownies! These brownies are baked at home and have a rich chocolate taste, crunchy edges, and fudgy centers.

I spent years searching for a brownie recipe that lived up to my expectations.

I always wanted my handmade brownies to taste exactly like the ones I used to eat as a child: really moist, chocolaty, and fudgy with crispy edges and tops. But the fact is, there is no recipe for these brownies.

They were always manufactured from a box. Although I now prefer to make all of my own baking, no brownie recipe I attempted could compare to the chocolate brownies I ate as a child.

So this fall, I was flipping through Weeknight Baking by Michelle Lopez when her recipe for Boxed Mix Brownies, From Scratch, caught my attention.

Would I ever be able to create brownies from scratch that tasted as good as those from a box?

Yes is the answer. Since I first tried this brownie recipe, I’ve made them numerous times. It only requires common cupboard components and is not much more challenging than using a mix.

The brownies are just perfect—glossy, fudgy, and bursting with a robust chocolate taste. I assure you that you will want to make these right away!

Ingredients for the Homemade Brownie Recipe

Let’s get back to Michelle’s brownie recipe! Granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, salt, and chocolate chips are the ingredients that Michelle uses to make it turn out like (or better than) the boxed mix. She then includes these essential components:

• Without using any commercial emulsifiers, Michelle uses two eggs and a small amount of water to create the luscious, gooey texture of brownies made from a boxed mix. Eggs are necessary for this recipe’s baking-powder-free brownies since baking powder prevents baked goods from rising in the oven.
• The secret to making homemade brownies that taste exactly like boxed brownies is powdered sugar! Cornstarch, which is a component of powdered sugar, thickens the batter without the need for artificial ingredients like those found in mixes.
• Hershey’s Special Dark Dutch-processed unsweetened cocoa powder is what Michelle suggests using (I used Whole Foods’ 365 Cocoa Powder). Ensure you sift it if it has lumps!
• Oil: Michelle’s recipe calls for canola oil, just like the boxed brownie mix, although many brownie recipes call for unsalted butter. I use olive oil since I always have it on hand and because I like the flavor it has.
• Vanilla Extract: A half teaspoon of vanilla significantly enhances the flavor of chocolate.

I’m done now! It’s incredibly simple to make these delicious homemade brownies.

How to Prepare Homemade Brownies

First, combine the dry ingredients with the wet ones in two separate dishes. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, flour, powdered sugar, cocoa, chocolate chips, and salt. Then, in a big one, mix the eggs, water, and olive oil.

The wet and dry materials should then be combined. Place the dry mixture on top of the wet one and gently fold everything together. There will be a thick batter!

Then, transfer the batter to a baking dish that is 8 by 8 inches and coated with parchment paper. Spread it evenly over the pan’s four sides and level the top with a rubber spatula. It’s okay if the mixture will be rather thick.

Lastly, bake! Bake the dish for 40 to 45 minutes at 325 degrees, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the dish emerges with a few crumbs still attached. Before slicing and serving, let the brownies cool fully. Enjoy!

Any leftovers can be kept for up to three days at room temperature in an airtight container. They also keep well in the freezer for a month.

The last time I made these, I doubled the recipe and frozen the extras. Having them on hand for a simple dessert or afternoon treat was so much fun!

Top Brownie Recipe Advice

• Brownies with better chocolate chips are better. Using huge, high-quality chocolate chips is one of the key ingredients in Michelle’s book. While I adore Enjoy Life’s Dark Chocolate Morsels, she suggests Ghiradelli’s 60 percent Cacao Bittersweet Baking Chips. In this recipe, either brand would be wonderful!
• It is preferable to remove them too soon than to leave them in for too long. When creating this recipe, err on the side of caution because nobody likes dry brownies. When inserted with a toothpick, they are done baking when only a few crumbs remain. Remove them from the oven if you’re still debating. They’ll keep solidifying as they cool!
• Hold off until they cool. Make every effort not to eat these right out of the oven. They become gooier and fudgier as they cool, and cutting them will be less likely to result in a crumble. They will also taste even richer with chocolate. You won’t regret the delay, I promise!

Homemade Brownies

The perfect brownie recipe! They have beautiful crispy edges and are really moist, fudgy, and chocolatey.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 3/4 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil or extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. The oven should be heated to 325°F. If using a 9×9 baking dish, the brownies will overcook. Instead, use an 8×8 baking dish and line it with parchment paper. the parchment sheets with spray.
2. Combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Whisk the eggs, water, vanilla, and olive oil in a sizable basin.
4. The dry mixture should be added on top of the wet mixture, then mixed quickly.
5. The batter will be thick, but that’s okay. Pour it into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Note: It’s best to remove the brownies from the oven early than to leave them in for an extended period of time. Bake for 40 to 48 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out with only a few crumbs attached. Slice only after complete cooling. For up to three days, keep it at room temperature in an airtight container. These freeze well, too!

Notes

• I’ve had luck using 1 cup of granulated sugar in place of 1 1/2 cups if you’d want to cut back on the sugar.
• I like to use olive oil since I always have it on hand and because I like the way it tastes with chocolate. Remember that you will be tasting it here. Use canola oil for a more bland flavor.
• These brownies will have a very gooey middle when they are done baking. Before cutting into them, let them cool completely (approximately 2 hours) to give them time to set up. The longer they remain out of the oven, the more they will firm up. Put the brownies in the refrigerator if you still prefer a harder brownie.