These fudgy brownies from scratch have a soft, dense middle, chewy edges and a shiny crinkle top. They’re rich and very chocolatey, with cocoa powder, melted chocolate and chocolate chips, plus a little espresso powder to bring out the chocolate flavor. They bake in a 9×9 pan in about 28 minutes and are best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
We Baked These 10 Times to Get the Shiny Top Right
When developing this recipe, we wanted a brownie that was fudgy and rich, with chewy edges and a shiny crinkle top. My team and I made them about 10 times before we were happy. Our early batches used a mix of white and brown sugar plus some oil along with the butter.
For the final version, we switched to all superfine sugar and all butter. Superfine sugar dissolves faster, and the more sugar dissolves, the shinier the top. We also tried regular granulated sugar. It works, but you need to mix for 6 to 8 minutes instead of 5, and the batter doesn’t get quite as thick. Beating the eggs and sugar until the mixture is thick like pudding is the step not to skip.
In testing, the fudgy brownies were usually done at about 28 minutes.
Ingredients for Fudgy Brownies
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Superfine Sugar: Superfine sugar dissolves faster than regular sugar and makes the shiny top easier to get. It’s sometimes labeled as baker’s sugar at the store. You can also use regular granulated sugar, but you’ll need to mix longer.
- Dutch Process Cocoa: This type of cocoa is deeper and richer in chocolate flavor than natural cocoa powder, which we did not test in this recipe.
- Chocolate Chips and Melted Chocolate: Melted semisweet chocolate (from a bar) mixes smoothly into the brownie batter, while the chocolate chips are added to create little pockets of chocolate in each bite.
- Espresso Powder: Just ½ teaspoon enhances the flavor of the chocolate without making the brownies taste like coffee. I use a whole teaspoon in my tiramisu brownies to really infuse the brownie base with a coffee flavor.
- Eggs: Let your eggs come to room temperature before adding them to the batter.
How to Make Homemade Fudgy Brownies
This is a visual walkthrough of the recipe steps. The full recipe instructions are in the recipe card below.
Beat the Sugar with Melted Butter
Combine steaming hot melted butter with superfine sugar in your mixer and beat for 2 minutes to combine. Then add the eggs and vanilla and beat again for 5 minutes, until the sugar has mostly dissolved and the mixture is thick, stiff, and pudding like.
Add Three Types of Chocolate
First, add the dry ingredients (cocoa powder, flour, salt, and espresso powder). Then stir in melted semisweet chocolate, and finally, fold in the chocolate chips.
Bake and Cool
Spread the brownie batter into a parchment-lined baking pan and bake according to the instructions below. Let the brownies cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
How To Get Crinkle Top Brownies
To get crackly top brownies, we need to focus on dissolving the sugar into the other ingredients as much as possible. This is the one step not to rush.
- Use hot butter so that the heat will start dissolving the sugar.
- Beat for 5 minutes on high after the eggs and vanilla are added. The paddle of your stand mixer will do the rest of the work to mostly dissolve the sugar.
- The mixture should be thick, stiff, and like pudding when it’s ready. It should cling to the paddle instead of falling off.
How To Tell When Brownies Are Done
These fudgy brownies should be slightly gooey in the center with firm edges. In testing, our brownies were done at around 28 minutes, but you should start checking at the 25 minute mark.
Use a toothpick to check for doneness. In this case, the toothpick should come out of the center of the pan with a few moist crumbs, but without any wet batter.
Be careful not to hit a chocolate chip with your toothpick, though. To tell the difference, melted chocolate will be dark, glossy, and streaky on the toothpick, while raw brownie batter will coat more of the tester. If you aren’t sure, try again with a clean toothpick in a different spot.
Pan Size and Pan Type
A metal pan is ideal, as metal conducts heat more evenly than ceramic or glass. This means that the brownies will bake evenly without overbaked edges. We did not test this recipe in anything other than a metal baking pan.
The recipe is sized to be baked in a 9×9 inch pan, and that’s the only size that we tested.
If you want to use an 8-inch square pan, my suggestion would be to bake longer, since the brownies will be thicker.
Baking these brownies in a 9×13 inch pan would require a recipe adjustment to make the amount of batter 1.5 times larger.
How To Cut Brownies Cleanly
You’ll need to let the brownies cool for at least 30 minutes before trying to cut them. At this point, they will hold their shape, but the knife picks up a lot of crumbs, and things can get messy.
For clean slices, allow the brownies to cool longer, for a few hours. The knife will still pick up a bit from the gooey center, so wipe it off between slices as needed.
How To Store Brownies
Once cooled, store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can freeze brownies, wrapped well, for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
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Fudgy Brownies
Equipment
- 9 x 9 inch (23 x 23 cm) baking pan
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter (1¼ sticks)
- 2 cups (400 g) superfine sugar (caster sugar in the UK)
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour
- ¾ cup (65 g) Dutch process cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 2 ounces (57 g) semisweet baking chocolate chopped
- 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), or 320°F (160°C) for a fan oven. Grease a 9 × 9 inch (23 × 23 cm) baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
- Place the butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until fully melted and steaming hot. Immediately pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the superfine sugar and beat until well combined, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat on high speed for about 5 minutes, until the sugar has mostly dissolved and the mixture is thick, stiff and pudding like. It should cling to the paddle instead of falling off.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt. Stir until no dry streaks remain.
- Place the chopped baking chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Add it to the batter and stir gently until combined.
- Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the brownies cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. They will hold their shape, but the knife will come out messy. For clean slices, let them cool for a few hours. The center stays gooey enough that the knife will still pick up a little.
Notes:
- Shiny top: Beating the eggs and sugar until the sugar mostly dissolves is what gives these brownies their shiny crinkle top, so give step 3 the full 5 minutes.
- Superfine sugar: Superfine sugar dissolves faster than granulated sugar, which makes the shiny top easier to get. Look for it labeled superfine sugar or baker’s sugar.
- Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar works too. Beat for 6 to 8 minutes in step 3. The mixture will not get quite as thick.
- Mixer: A stand mixer makes step 3 much easier. A hand mixer works too, but it takes more effort.
- Kosher salt: If using Diamond Crystal kosher salt instead of table salt, use about 1 teaspoon.
- Doneness: Take the brownies out when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, not clean. In testing, they were usually done at about 28 minutes.
- Storage: Store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Wrap cooled brownies tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Recipe FAQs
In our testing, we found that creating a high fat-to-flour ratio with the ingredients is the first step to creating a fudgy brownie recipe. Adding melted chocolate and mixing the sugar into melted butter is also important.
A cakey brownie recipe will usually include more flour and a leavening agent like baking powder to give the brownie a lighter, cake-like texture. Fudgy brownies utilize more fat, less flour, and melted chocolate to create a moist, dense, or gooey texture.
The key to brownies with a shiny, crinkly top is to dissolve the sugar as much as possible in the batter. If the butter wasn’t hot enough or the eggs and sugar weren’t beaten for the full 5 minutes, the top will be dull and matte.
Yes. To better incorporate it, mix granulated sugar into the batter for 6 to 8 minutes rather than just 5 minutes with superfine sugar.
We didn’t test this recipe with natural cocoa powder, only Dutch process cocoa, which gives this recipe a rich chocolate flavor and a dark color.
This recipe is sized for a 9×9-inch baking pan. To fill a 9×13 pan, you will need about 1.5 times the recipe. For brownies to feed a crowd, try my lunch lady brownies recipe that bakes in a 9×13 pan.
Yes, but you may need to adjust the baking temperature and time. I haven’t tested this, but I suggest lowering the oven by 25°F and baking longer.
At room temperature and stored in an airtight container, homemade brownies can last up to 4 days.
Yes. Wrap them well to avoid freezer burn, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Looking for more brownies and bars to bake? Oreo brownies are packed with pieces of Oreo cookies. Peanut butter lovers will enjoy buckeye brownies with a layer of peanut butter cream and a chocolate ganache top. For a brownie without chocolate, try my brown butter blondies.
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