Worlds Best Fudgiest Brownies is my best brownie recipe! Perfect crisp crackly top, super fudgy centre, chewy or gooey in all the right places, studded with melted chunks of chocolate.
Each ingredient comes measured AND weighed to make your baking easy! Worlds Best Fudgiest Brownies really live up to their name.
Brownies
Warning: not for the faint-hearted.
Since posting our decadent Best Fudgy Cocoa Brownies a couple of years ago, some of you have been commenting that those are the best brownies you’ve ever tasted while also asking me about doubling that recipe to bake them in a larger pan.
Well, the good news is YES you can… all prepared in under 10 minutes with only one bowl, using ingredients I know you already have in your kitchen. No melting chocolate needed and no mixers or beaters, just like the original.
Homemade Brownies
Pure. Chocolate. Heaven. This brownie recipe guarantees that you will never go back to a boxed brownie mix, let alone try yet another brownie recipe.
The bad news? Eating the entire tray of fudge brownies in one sitting.
Simple, easy to make decadent brownies pack a serious chocolate punch!
These are not only super fudgy, easy to make brownies that are ready to eat about 15 minutes after pulling them out of the oven (being careful NOT to burn yourself), each brownie comes full of melted chocolate lava chunks throughout.
They are absolutely incredibly fudgy the next day AND the day after that, and even stay fudgy after freezing them OR eating them cold out of the refrigerator up to a week later.
How to make brownies
Many of my readers have been doubling our best fudgy cocoa brownies recipe to get thicker, fatter brownies, substituting half of the white sugar for light brown sugar (as suggested in the notes section) and getting amazing results.
After passing these around to my neighbours and friends, hearing the moans coming out of each and every one of them while slowly sinking their teeth into these brownies, I knew in my heart this recipe is a winner.
The batter itself is to DIE for! Good luck NOT licking the spoon and bowl clean.
Add-In Ingredients
I threw in over 1 cup of chocolate chunks IN AND ON these (I used 45% cocoa chocolate), but you can also add:
- crushed nuts (peanuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc)
- dried fruits (dates, blueberries, cranberries, raisins)
- shredded coconut
- caramel pieces
- diced marshmallows
- peanut butter chips
Start with ½ cup each add in, or 1 cup if using only one option.
Baking Pans
Here’s where things got interesting during testing. We used three different baking pans, and they all came out perfect. It all depends on your preference of thickness:
- A 7×11-inch pan yielded thicker brownies (about 2-inches thick), baked for 40-45 minutes and slightly uneven in consistency (fudgier in the centre and set around the edges).
- An 8×12-inch pan yielded the perfect brownies and MY personal favourite (just over 1-inch thick), baked for just under 25 minutes and resulted in just the right thickness and consistency, while still ooey, gooey and chewy.
- A 9×13-inch pan resulted in thinner brownies (about ¾ of an inch) and even consistency throughout. Baked for around 18 minutes. Perfect texture but I prefer slightly thicker pieces.
Please note: some readers find using darker or black pans comment that baking goods bake a lot darker and drier underneath, while readers commenting using lighter pans yield better more even and better results.
DO YOU SEE THAT CRACKLY TOP?
The smell coming out of your ovens will be pure sweet heaven. Your house will smell incredible for hours after baking. If only the internet would design smell-er-net.
Wait about 15 minutes to slice these up, or up to an hour. The longer you wait, the ‘more set’ they will be and the slab will kinda sink into itself before slicing.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Do not over beat your batter once the flour and cocoa powder are added. That creates air pockets in the batter which will give you cake-like textured brownies.
- Please try not to over bake them. I liked mine at exactly 23 minutes in an 8×12-inch pan. You can go a little bit over if you like them set a bit more, but I don’t recommend it if you’re looking for the fudgiest brownies in the world. Remember, they will continue to bake slightly in the hot pan once pulled out of the oven. I use baking paper so I can pull them out of the pan easier after about 10-15 minutes from the oven (use your own discernment here), and place them GENTLY on a cooling rack.
- I bake my brownies on the top shelf in my oven. The middle shelf cooks them a lot faster, slightly burns them on the top and dries them out a little. Your oven may work differently.
Best Brownies ON VIDEO!
Best Fudgiest Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cups white sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 4 eggs large, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder good quality
- 7 oz large chocolate chips or roughly chopped chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175°C | 350°F.
- Lightly grease an 8x12-inch baking pan* with cooking oil spray. Line with parchment paper (or baking paper); set aside.
- Combine melted butter, oil and sugars together in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk well to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until lighter in colour (another minute).
- Sift in flour, cocoa powder and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until JUST combined (do NOT over beat as doing so well affect the texture of your brownies).
- Fold in ¾ of the chocolate pieces.
- Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top out evenly, and top with remaining chocolate pieces.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes for just under-done brownies (fudgier texture) or until the centre of the brownies no longer jiggles and is JUST set to the touch. OR 35-40 minutes if you like your brownies well set and firm. NOTE: Brownies will continue baking and set in the hot pan out of the oven. If testing with a toothpick, the toothpick should come out dirty for fudge-textured brownies.
- After 15-20 minutes, carefully remove them out of the pan and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing into 16 brownies. They set while they cool.ENJOY!
OPTIONAL ADD INS:
- Crushed walnuts, peanuts, almonds, pecans, etc. Chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, shredded coconut, dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, etc)
STORING:
- Store at room temperature for 3 days, or refrigerator for up to 5 days. These brownies can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving OR reheat in the microwave.
Notes
- Do NOT over beat your batter once the flour and cocoa powder are added. That creates air pockets in the batter which will give you cake-like textured brownies.
- Please try not to over bake them. Set a timer if you need too. I like mine at exactly 23 minutes in an 8x12-inch pan. You can go a little bit over if you like them set a bit more, but I don't recommend it if you're looking for the fudgiest brownies in the world. Remember, they will continue to bake slightly in the hot pan once pulled out of the oven,
- I bake my brownies on the top shelf in the oven. I find the middle shelf cooks them a lot faster, slightly burns them on the top and dries them out.
Robert Lowden says
I can’t get the shine on top my brownies what am I doing wrong
Tom Mozgala says
Hi Robert,
To achieve a shiny top on your brownies, consider the following tips:
Beat the Eggs Well: The shine often comes from the incorporation of air into the batter. Make sure you beat the eggs thoroughly after adding them to the sugar mixture. Whipping them to a pale color can enhance the shiny top.
Use Granulated Sugar: ensure that you are properly mixing the granulated sugar with the eggs. Granulated sugar helps create that glossy finish.
Avoid Overmixing: While it’s crucial to mix your eggs and sugars well, avoid overmixing once you add the flour and cocoa powder. Overmixing can introduce air pockets, affecting the texture and the shine.
Bake at the Right Temperature: Make sure your oven is calibrated correctly and maintain the baking temperature. An oven that’s too hot might not yield a shiny top.
Cool Properly: Letting the brownies cool in the pan can help them set better and possibly enhance the shine.
Consider Adding a Topping: Some bakers achieve a shiny top by sprinkling a little sugar or a glaze on the brownies right before they finish baking.
Try these adjustments in your next batch, and you may see a noticeable improvement in the shine on top of your brownies!
Denae says
AMAZING! Made them for a party and was told, “The best brownies I’ve ever had!” Thank you so much 💙
Joanne B says
These are the best, fudgy and delicious. I have tried many recipes in my 60 years on earth and this one is the absolute favourite. I get many requests to make these.
Alice Stamps says
The best brownies EVER!!!!! Thanku for sharing these x
Javajete says
Made these for after school snack and the kids LOVED them. Were better than box brownies