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My Chewy Fudge Brownies have been in my family for over half a century. They always produce a satisfying chocolate bite of deliciousness.
This is my favorite brownie recipe. As a kid, my dad would always whip up a fresh batch of homemade brownies and serve them warm with vanilla ice cream.
They were the best brownies I have ever had until I got my hands on the recipe and modified it just a little bit.
My dad did all the hard work developing these amazing fudgy chewy brownie recipe. I'm just blessed to inherit them and have been eating them all my life.
These brownies are so incredible I had a friend who used to eat them frozen! Weird right?! But that's a testament to how great these brownies are.
I also remember my mom being too tired to make brownies from scratch, so she would take the easy way out and use brownie mix. I remember the texture being a more cake-like brownie which wasn't my favorite.
Box mix brownies are delicious and come in handy when you're short on time, but they just don't compare to homemade brownies.
I believe the best brownies recipe produces a gooey brownie center with a chewy texture. That's what I consider to be successful brownies every time.
Baking brownies shouldn't cause you a major headache. All you need is a little confidence.
Key Ingredients
Before you start whipping up these chewy brownies, look at this list of ingredients to make sure you have everything you need.
Unsweetened Chocolate
I love using dark chocolate for my brownies because I love the deep chocolate flavor it adds. Bittersweet chocolate is my second favorite.
Unsalted Butter
For brownies, I always use unsalted butter.
Eggs
We will need 3 large eggs to bake up these fudgey brownies.
White Granulated Sugar
Pick your favorite granulated sugar.
Flour
I prefer to bake with unbleached all-purpose flour.
Baking Powder
This will give our brownies the perfect amount of rise.
Nuts
Given my Southern origins, I prefer to use pecans in brownies.
How to make Fudgy Brownie recipe
This recipe will produce fudgy, chewy brownies with a shiny, crackly top and a dense texture with a fudgy consistency. You don't need a hand mixer for this recipe. Use a whisk, wooden spoon, or rubber spatula to combine everything.
Step 1: Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave.
Step 2: Mix eggs and sugar together. Stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla extract until smooth.
Step 3: Mix the flour, kosher salt, and baking powder. Stir the flour mixture into the chocolate until the flour is incorporated; then fold in the pecans.Step 4: Pour the brownie batter into a 8 x 8 baking pan lined with parchment paper or foil. In a 325°F oven, bake brownies for 35-40 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean. Cool for 1 hour before cutting. Serve brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Pro Recipe Tips & Tricks
Here are the best practices, techniques, substitutes, and flavor builders you'll need for my go-to brownie recipe.
- Measure your ingredients with a scale to get consistent results every time.
- Place a piece of parchment paper or foil in your brownie pan to make it easier to remove the brownies. You only need enough to hang over the pan by ½ inch.
- You can make these gluten-free brownies by swapping gluten-free flour for all-purpose flour. Bob's Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 flour.
- If you prefer, use walnuts instead of pecans.
- Add chocolate chips to make brownies even better! Semi-sweet chocolate chips are my favorite.
- You can swap out granulated sugar for light or dark brown sugar.
- If you like cocoa powder-based brownies, use ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder instead of the chocolate bar. Stir it into melted butter.
- Since the recipe calls to use baking powder, you cannot use Dutch-processed cocoa powder, only natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
- If you only have salted butter for your homemade brownies, omit the salt in the recipe.
- Adding 1 teaspoon of espresso powder to your brownies is absolutely delicious!
- Pop your finished brownies in the fridge for 1 hour to make them easier to cut.
FAQ
Here are the top questions readers have about making chewy fudge brownies.
For chewier brownies, use brown sugar and add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to your batter.
The batter's moisture is the main difference between fudgy, chewy, and cakey brownies. Fudgy brownies have a higher proportion of chocolate than flour, making them dense and rich.
Chewy brownies use brown sugar, making them moister and giving them their signature texture.
Cakey brownies have more leaving agents (baking powder and baking soda), which makes them have a cake-like texture.
You can omit using vanilla extract in any recipe that calls for it.
Baking your brownies at a lower temperature for a longer time will keep them from overbaking. The ideal temperature is 325°F for about 35 minutes instead of the traditional 350°F for around 25 minutes.
Brownies bake from the outside in. So your edges will be finished before the center is, make sure you do not overbake your brownies. The best way is to use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven temperature is accurate.
Fudgy brownies are best 2 days after baking but will be fresh for 7 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
I like to individually wrap each piece in plastic wrap, then freeze them in a freezer-safe container or storage bag for 3 months.
Reheat brownies by popping them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
More Brownie Recipes
This list of recipes is for my brownie lovers!
- Sea Salt Caramel Brownies
- Triple Chocolate Brownies
- Peppermint Fudge Brownies
- Fudge Brownie Ice Cream
- Chocolate Fudge Brownie Sundae
Latest Recipe Video:
Before You Begin
Here are my steps for getting organized and moving fast in the kitchen.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 325°F before pulling the tools and ingredients out.
Step 2: Put everything measured into individual bowls.
Step 3: We don't want any surprises, so use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is heating to the correct temperature.
Step 4: Start following the recipe and get ready for the best brownies you've ever enjoyed.
I hope you give my fudgy brownies a try. They've always been a hit in my family; hopefully, they'll do the same for yours. After you make them leave me a comment below and a 5-star rating.
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📖 Recipe
Best Chewy Fudge Brownies
Ingredients
- 3 oz. unsweetened chocolate 84g
- 1 stick unsalted butter cut into tablespoons
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 310g
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 135g
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 2g
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder 3g
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 8g
- 1 cup chopped pecans 68g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Melt the chocolate and butter for 1 minute in the microwave until both are melted and smooth.
- In a large bowl, mix eggs and sugar together for 15 seconds with a hand mixer until combined. Add chocolate and vanilla, and mix until smooth.
- In a medium bowl, blend the flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir into chocolate and mix on low speed for 30-60 seconds until flour is incorporated. Fold in the pecans.
- Line an 8 x 8 square pan with foil or parchment paper. Pour in the batter and bake for 35-40 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean. Fudgy brownies will seem slightly under-baked when finished. Brownies should have some fudgy texture.
- Fudgy brownies are easier to slice when cold. I usually place the pan of brownies in the fridge for an hour before cutting and serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Measure your ingredients with a scale to get consistent results every time.
- Place a piece of parchment paper or foil in your brownie pan to make it easier to remove the brownies. You only need enough to hang over the pan by ½ inch.
- You can make these gluten-free brownies by swapping gluten-free flour for all-purpose flour. Bob's Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 flour.
- If you prefer, use walnuts instead of pecans.
- Add chocolate chips to make brownies even better! Semi-sweet chocolate chips are my favorite.
- You can swap out granulated sugar for light or dark brown sugar.
- If you like cocoa powder-based brownies, use ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder instead of the chocolate bar. Stir it into melted butter.
- Since the recipe calls to use baking powder, you cannot use Dutch-processed cocoa powder, only natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
- If you only have salted butter for your homemade brownies, omit the salt in the recipe.
- Adding 1 teaspoon of espresso powder to your brownies is absolutely delicious!
- Pop your finished brownies in the fridge for 1 hour to make them easier to cut.
NickiDE says
While the taste was delicious, my "crackly top" peeled right off of the brownies. Just impossible to cut through it. I ended up throwing the top out. I'm wondering why and if anyone else had this problem. Thank you.
Kenneth Temple says
Hi Nicki! Sorry, that happened. This can happen when you incorporate too much air into the batter. After you pour the brownie batter into the pan, tap in gently a few times on the counter to release any extra air.