Our Best Ever Chocolate Brownies - a quick and easy chocolate brownie recipe that is delicious and perfect warm as a chocolate dessert or with a sprinkle of homemade icing sugar.
Chocolate lover? You should also check out our Rich Chocolate Mud Cake Recipe, Quick Rich Chocolate Mousse or our Runny Chocolate Fondant Pudding.
The best brownies I've ever tasted. - Claire's Grandma
Quick look at Best Ever Chocolate Brownies
- ⏲️ 10 mins hands-on time.
- 🛒 Ingredients: Just 7.
- 🍽️ Makes: 48 squares.
- 🧑🍳 Difficulty: Easy - kid-friendly recipe (with supervision).
- 🗃️ Make ahead: Keeps for 3 days or freezes for 3 months.
Calling these the best ever chocolate brownies is big but my Grandma named them the first time I made them for her.
She had the biggest sweet tooth ever so trust me when I say she was qualified to award them the title.
Why This Chocolate Brownie Recipe
- Rich, fudgy texture - We use melted chocolate (not just cocoa powder) and relatively little flour, so the brownies turn out moist and dense rather than cake-like.
- Relatively quick and simple - Prep time is just ~15 minutes, and the bake time around 25 minutes — so you don’t need to spend all day in the kitchen.
- Versatile - These brownies are great at room temperature (with a dusting of icing sugar) or warmed and served with vanilla ice cream and berries.
- Big yield, flexible scaling - The recipe as is makes a lot (48 servings). You can make the whole batch & freeze some or easily halve the recipe.
- Shareable & gift-friendly - Perfect for gifting or sharing — cut into shapes, package in containers, and they make a lovely hostess gift.
Jump to:
Recipe Ingredients
To make the best ever brownies you will need:
- Dark chocolate - make sure you get good-quality chocolate as this is where most of the flavour is coming from. We like the Aldi dark chocolate. For super fancy you could use couverture dark chocolate.
- Sugar - you can use raw sugar, white sugar or even rapadura sugar.
- Flour - plain flour, wholemeal flour or even spelt flour can be used.
- Vanilla - make sure you use the real stuff 'extract' not 'essence.' We like to make our own vanilla extract at home.
You might also like white chocolate and raspberry blondies.
Recipe Variations
You can add flavours to mix the brownies up a bit. Some of our favourites are:
- Classic walnuts
- Pecans
- Fresh or frozen raspberries
- Cinnamon
How To Make Best Ever Chocolate Brownies
Step 1 - Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large saucepan stirring frequently. Step 2 - Once smooth, set aside to cool slightly.
Step 3 - In a bowl beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla. A regular hand whisk will do the job, there's no need for an electric mixer.
Step 4 - When the chocolate mixture has melted, let it cool a bit before beating it into the eggs and sugar mixture
Step 5 - Whisk until smooth.
Step 6 - Add the flour, salt and nuts (if using).
Step 7 - Transfer to a greased and lined square baking tin.
Step 8 - Bake for about 25 minutes. Remember they will continue to firm as they cool. Leave to cool in the tin.
Step 9 - Use the extended sides of the paper to lift the slab of brownies out of the tin.
Step 10 - Use a sharp knife to cut the brownie into squares. Alternatively, use a cookie cutter to cut the brownies into shapes. I once made them into hearts to celebrate an engagement or Christmas trees coated in Royal Icing for Christmas.
Serving
When it comes to brownies, in my book there are two ways to eat them.
- at room temperature with a sprinkling of icing sugar
- warmed and coated with vanilla (must be vanilla) ice-cream and berries
There's actually a third way - top them with either buttercream or Royal icing.
For a quick hostess gift these work perfectly cut into shapes with cookie cutters.
There’s the added bonus that you get to eat the offcuts (if you do this it's better to make them a little thinner - split the batter across two tins).
How To Tell When Brownies Are Done
Stick a toothpick in the centre of the brownie, hold it for 2 seconds, then take it out.
- super gooey – if there is a lot of smear on it (24 minutes bake time)
- moist and fudgy (my favourite) – if the toothpick gets a brown strain and has some smear on it (28 minutes)
- cakey (but still fudgy mouthfeel) – toothpick is clean with just a few crumbs (32 minutes). But still really moist (because this recipe only has ½ cup of flour in it, impossible not to be moist!).
Reduce cook time by 2 minutes if you opt not to use the extra chocolate stir ins.
Recipe FAQs
Store fresh brownies (once cooled) in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for a week.
Brownies can also be frozen.
I cut them then put on a tray, freeze, then once frozen pop them into a ziplock bag.
The key is not to over-bake them. Start checking at the 22 minute mark and follow the guide above. They cool in the tin so remember they will cook a little further after you take them out of the oven.
Recipe
Best ever chocolate brownies
Ingredients
- 375 g 13oz soft unsalted butter
- 375 g 13oz best quality dark chocolate
- 6 large free-range eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 500 g 18oz raw sugar
- 225 g 8oz plain (or wholemeal) flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 300 g 110z chopped walnuts
- icing sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (360F).
- Grease and line an approximatley 33 x 23 x 5 ½cm brownie pan with baking paper.
- Melt the butter and chocolate together in a large saucepan stirring frequently.
- In a bowl beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla.
- Measure the flour into another bowl and add the salt.
- When the chocolate mixture has melted, let it cool a bit before beating in the eggs and sugar mixture, and then the nuts and flour. This can all be done in the saucepan so make sure you use a big one.
- Beat to combine and then scrape out of the saucepan into the lined brownie pan.
- Bake for about 25 minutes. Mine always take about 15-20 minutes longer than this. I think 25 minutes is for very gooey brownies.
- When it's ready, the top should be dried to a paler brown, but the middle still dark and dense and gooey.
- Keep checking the brownies as they cook; remember that they will continue to cook as they cool.
- When cool cut them up and serve dusted with icing sugar.
Notes
- super gooey – if there is a lot of smear on it (24 minutes bake time)
- moist and fudgy (my favourite) – if the toothpick gets a brown strain and has some smear on it (28 minutes)
- cakey (but still fudgy mouthfeel) – toothpick is clean with just a few crumbs (32 minutes). But still really moist (because this recipe only has ½ cup of flour in it, impossible not to be moist!).
Audrey says
I love brownies but when I make them they never seem to turn out quite right... these look promising though... ;) I will definitely have to try them out!
Claire says
They're pretty good Audrey. Good luck!
Shirl Martin says
I want to make these brownies soon. What is whole meal flour?
Claire says
Hi Shirl. It might be called wholewheat where you are? Alternatively you can just use white flour.
Mary Frances says
These do look like the best brownies! So chocolatey and delicious!!
Claire says
They are Mary!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
If someone is giving me a brownie that looks this good, I wouldn't object to icing sugar, ice cream, cream or plain. :)
Claire says
How about ice cream and icing sugar? ;-)
Kaylene @ The Links Site says
Oh wow these look so good. I normally eat brownies on their own but now I will have to make some so I can try them warm with some ice cream! ;)
Claire says
I recommend plain for afternoon tea and with ice cream for dessert!
Hotly Spiced says
These do look like great brownies, Claire, and how lovely they are so well endorsed by your grandmother. I do love your styling. And I like mine warmed with a bit of ice cream too xx
Claire says
Thanks Charlie! Mm yes I wouldn't mind one with ice cream now. x
Tania | My Kitchen Stories says
Glad you are bringing brownie back Claire. I could do with one of those too. I keep going back and changing the photos on my blog too!
Claire says
I'll probably redo them in another few years again haha