Brownie

Basic Fudgy Brownies

by:
January 16, 2015
4.4
11 Ratings
Basic Fudgy Brownies
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 35 minutes
  • Makes one 9 x 9 inch pan
Author Notes

Crackly on the top, fudgy in the center with just a liiiiiiiiittle bit of chew, these brownies are what I think of as the "just right" combo, and they satisfy many a chocolate craving in my house. —Erin Jeanne McDowell

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 3 eggs, lightly whisked to combine
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 9 x 9-inch pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving at least 1 inch of overhang on the sides.
  2. In a medium heat safe bowl, combine the butter, oil, and chocolate. Place over a small pot of simmering water and heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is fully melted and combined. Let cool slightly.
  3. Add the sugars to the chocolate mixture and beat well to combine. Add the eggs gradually, mixing fully to incorporate before adding the next addition. Beat in the vanilla.
  4. Add the flour and salt and mix to combine; beat well to ensure there are no flour pockets, but do not overmix.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until moist, clumpy crumbs appear when you insert a toothpick into the center of the brownies, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.
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Erin Jeanne McDowell
I always have three kinds of hot sauce in my purse. I have a soft spot for making people their favorite dessert, especially if it's wrapped in a pastry crust. My newest cookbook, Savory Baking, came out in Fall of 2022 - is full of recipes to translate a love of baking into recipes for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between!

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34 Reviews

elisa
elisa July 19, 2022
I have made this recipe many times, always bringing it to my coworkers and family. Everyone always raves about it and makes requests for me to keep making more. This is the best brownie recipe that I have ever tried.
 
Kendall
Kendall January 7, 2022
A perfect basic brownie recipe! Loved how quickly this came together. I used avocado oil instead of vegetable oil and they turned out great. Next time I think I will add in some walnuts or pecans for some texture.
 
Antoine R.
Antoine R. November 4, 2021
It's easy and fast. Delicious, succulent and fudgy. Don't over cook.
You'll love it. ❤
 
bailey
bailey February 13, 2021
I think EJMcDowell is great so I was pretty confident that this recipe would be yummy, but I was unprepared for just how successful it would be. I didn’t grow up making brownies and have had my shared of brownie fails, but this worked perfectly-no stress or second guessing. Huge Valentine’s Day success.
 
Liz B.
Liz B. December 8, 2020
I've made this recipe countless times - it became my go-to a few years ago because it's so perfectly fudgy. I now prefer the version in Erin McDowell's book The Fearless Baker because it's got weight measurements (no need to dirty measuring cups!). 22 minutes is the sweet spot for me, with about 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder added in, half bittersweet and half semi-sweet chocolate, and a slightly reduced amount of white sugar.
 
Tam
Tam December 7, 2020
I melted everything in the microwave at 70% for about 90 seconds. Then followed the rest of the recipe, except added about 2 teaspoons of instant coffee powder with the flour. I always distribute about 20 fresh raspberries on top of the batter and push it in before baking. So good, thank you for the recipe.
 
Antoine R.
Antoine R. November 21, 2020
The best!
 
RaquelO
RaquelO May 26, 2020
This is now our go-to brownie recipe. Perfect, fudgy texture with a crust on top. My daughter made it for our family Zoon dinner and just by the looks, people wanted the recipe. My sister made it the next fast and said it was DELISH. Next time, we'll try to double it so we have more!
 
RaquelO
RaquelO May 26, 2020
This was a hit with my family. Perfect fudgyness and we all loved the crust on top! My daughter made it and we enjoyed it while having a Zoom dinner. Just by its looks people wanted the recipe. My sister made it the next day and said it was DELISH. I've finally found the perfect brownie recipe.
 
Naomi
Naomi April 3, 2019
Doubled this recipe, used Bob's Red Mill 1:1 GF flour, baked in a parchment paper lined 10.5 x 14.75 pyrex-- took an extra 10-15 minutes of bake time and turned out beautifully. Brought them to a party where everyone raved about them. Thanks!
 
Abhiruchi R.
Abhiruchi R. June 2, 2018
What would the calorie content of one such tin of brownies be? They are so delicious though, never buying this stuff from the markets again! :)
 
Raven
Raven November 11, 2019
MY SWEET DEAR, This is mom, just eat these brownies dont count calories ever, love thr food you eat, YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL ,
 
arina
arina May 15, 2018
can i use cocoa powder instead of chocolate bar
 
Nada
Nada April 9, 2018
can I use yogurt,sweetened condensed milk or coke or any club soda instead of eggs?? please tell me which ingredient should i use for brownies as i don't eat eggs
 
Leah F.
Leah F. March 13, 2018
These are awesome and add a cheesecake top with fresh raspberries or even fan sliced strawberries are divine.
 
Alison
Alison February 4, 2018
I made these last week after yet another batch of brownies from a mix that was disappointing (I actually tossed them, which is sad but why eat something that just doesn't taste that good?), and I realized that I had the ingredients for this recipe. These were delicious, and so easy to make that I was embarrassed--how could I have forgotten that brownies, like pancakes, are basically no more difficult to make from scratch as they are to make from a half-way decent mix? I don't want to give the impression that I don't see any reasons to use a mix ever, or that all mixes are the same, but it was a good reminder that they aren't necessarily the best option for all occasions! so, thank you, Erin McDowell, for reminding me of that and for providing me with a terrific way to indulge a chocolate craving. It would be easy to add chocolate chips or some additional cocoa if more chocolate is desired, and I may try that next time around.
 
Reshma A.
Reshma A. December 12, 2017
I want to make a LOT of these for a party this weekend. I was thinking of using 9x13 pans, possibly 2. How should I scale the recipe for that? Thanks!
 
Michael S.
Michael S. December 9, 2017
OH I love CHOCOLATE can't do without it everyday LOVE THE STUF
 
Melanie
Melanie November 21, 2017
Delicious! Added pecans and walnuts.
 
Anthony
Anthony September 20, 2017
Can I check whether the sugar dissolve before you bake it? Mine doesn't dissolve
 
Erin J.
Erin J. September 20, 2017
The sugar won't fully dissolve in the batter - no worries!
 
EvaInNL
EvaInNL January 8, 2017
Thanks for sharing the recipe! I tried them twice now and they came out perfectly. I do like a deeper chocolate flavor so I will exchange some of the flower with unsweetened cocoa powder. And the time after with dark chocolate chunks perhaps.