I love the smell of homemade brownies. Waiting for these fudgy brownies to cool is optional! These easy homemade brownies are packed with chocolate flavor, and made completely from scratch. Once you try this homemade brownie recipe, you’ll never need a box mix again!
We love rich brownies with dense, fudgy middles and crinkly, crackly tops. This recipe is so simple to make and the results taste amazing – you certainly will be able to taste the homemade difference.
WATCH VIDEO: LEARN HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
Homemade Brownies
If you are looking for a go-to brownie recipe to add to your baking repertoire, we think this is the BEST homemade brownies recipe out there. It is sure to cure all those cocoa cravings and can be mixed up in minutes.
I know what you may be thinking — you are too busy for DIY brownies AND the box is just so convenient. Take the homemade challenge and once you taste the difference, you won’t be going back to the box.
The best part is the recipe goes together quickly, and fills a 12 x 18 pan (affiliate link), so it feeds a crowd. The ingredients are simple and should become staples in your pantry.
Here is What You Need To Make The Best Brownie Recipe
This delicious recipe is made with simple ingredients. I love that it serves a crowd! It really is the perfect brownie recipe!
- flour
- unsweetened cocoa powder
- salt
- eggs
- sugar
- butter
- pure vanilla extract
- chopped walnuts (optional)
- semisweet chocolate chips
Perfect Brownies from Scratch Tips
- Refrigerate or even slightly freeze the brownies to make cutting easier.
- Don’t overmix the batter and you will get moist fudgy homemade brownies – one of the best things about making brownies is you don’t need a mixer, just a rubber spatula or large spoon will do.
- Melt butter as you preheat the oven, and mix your dry ingredients so you mix them in all at once.
- Spray the baking pan with cookie spray, then line with parchment paper and spray again. Once brownies are chilled, they can be removed from the pan and then cut into squares.
- The brownies can be made ahead and frozen. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil to keep them fresh.
How to Make
So if you are asking, ” What’s the best chocolate brownie recipe?” Here it is! You might also ask what makes homemade brownies better than brownie mix? Well first off they were made by you! Secondly, you can use real wholesome ingredients and get rid of all the chemicals.
Homemade Brownies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/3 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 large eggs
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 pound 4 sticks unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts I omit
- 2 cups 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Lightly grease and flour a 17 by 12 by 1-inch baking pan (I use a 12″ X 18 “X 1” pan) and set aside. (I line pan with parchment paper then spray with cooking spray)
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a bowl and stir to mix.
- Cream together the eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla in a separate bowl until well blended.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix just until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Do not over mix.
- Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chips and stir to blend. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are firm to touch. They will be slightly soft in the center when tested with a toothpick. Remove from the oven and cool about 40 minutes before cutting.
- Trim the edges and cut into 2 1/2 by 3-inch bars.
Notes
Nutrition
You never know when you might need a quick dessert for unexpected company, and these ultimate homemade brownies will certainly make them feel like special guests! It is the perfect dessert to take to a potluck or a picnic. Children AND adults will be coming back for a second brownie as this recipe stands above the rest.
More Homemade Brownie Recipes
We would like to believe we are brownie connoisseurs! Whether they’re old-fashioned, chocolate or cocoa powder-based, simple or decadent, we love baking brownies (and eating them)!
Hopefully, these recipes will inspire you to teach the next generation about homemade recipes and cooking from scratch. The times spent in the kitchen together baking brownies will certainly be part of making some wonderful memories.
We like homemade brownies better than boxed mixes because they have fewer ingredients and you know exactly what goes into them. With this recipe, there is no need even for baking powder or baking soda, let alone coloring or preservatives – just a few wholesome ingredients and love!
Chocolate and peanut butter brownies
Looking for some unusual but delicious brownie recipes? Peanut butter or Nutella make for mouth-watering twists on classic recipes. Try these brownies with a crunchy topping. They are super moist, chewy, and topped with creamy marshmallow and chocolatey rice layers.
If you like the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, these brownies are three layers of perfection and the chocolatey rice layer gives them a unique texture. I guarantee they won’t last long once they are sliced into squares! YUM!
Mint brownies recipes
Peppermint Brownies in a jar make a delicious and thoughtful homemade gift! They would make a great Christmas gift for a teacher, or just about anyone on your list. They are easy to whip up a bunch at a time. The layered ingredients look very festive, and the jar makes them simple to give (and keep on hand for extra gifts!)
If you love the combination of chocolate and mint, these Junior Mint brownies are gooey and minty! Candy added to a brownie…What’s not to love? They are the perfect treat for a movie night.
Don’t miss this!
No time to make up a pan of brownies but still need a chocolate fix? This chocolate mug cake is a family favorite for sweet cravings! It takes only a few minutes to have a dense fudgy treat! I like it baked just at 1 min 45 seconds. This leaves a bit of warm chocolate batter just like a lava cake. YUM!
I have made this recipe multiple times for church coffee bar or other large gatherings. It is awesome!!! I do make one adjustment. I replace half the butter with Greek yogurt and/or unsweetened applesauce. I like a less oily brownie and the texture is a bit more cake-like. I always get compliments.
I love homemade brownies! These look so delicious, chocolatey and rich!
I haven’t tried that Jennifer, but I don’t see why it couldn’t be. I will say these brownies freeze beautifully and are great to have on hand!
Can this be halved for a 9×13?
WOW Jennifer! I am so happy you loved them!
So happy you liked them, Heidi! Wow, 15 people I guess makes it true! These are great brownies!!
best brownie recipe I’ve ever made! Delicious!
OH.MY.STARS! They look and sound fabulous. And all that vanilla! They have to be the best. Thanks for sharing your grandma’s amazing recipe. Pinning to make later!
These sound awesome! I am going to try them for a family reunion we have coming up.
Love giving these as a gift! Perfect way to say Thank You during teacher appreciation week (:
This recipe is so easy and they are delish!
I was in need of a big batch for a youth group event so I made these. They are beyond awesome! They bake up very nicely and are YUMMY! I modified by using only 1/2 lb. butter (2 sticks instead of 4). I replaced the rest with two 5.3 oz.containers of Fage plain Greek yogurt. I think Brownies can be too greasy with so much butter. They turned out perfectly! If you are cooking for a crowd, you can’t beat these!!!
I’m excited to try this. I have a question. I’ve heard that you can use mashed white beans as half of the oil in brownies. Is that only for boxed mixes or would it work in a homemade recipe like this?
Found this recipe on ‘Pinterest’ and immediately tried it. It is a simple and ‘all you need’ recipe. SQo many brownie recipes are dry and not really chocolatey tasting-but these are perfect! I dislike when people write how they modified a recipe, although sometime helpful, I must say just two things. I used excellent Cocoa Powder and instead of using chocolate chips I chopped up excellent quality chocolate bars. I did add a little bit more than called for. Over 15 people tried them and they all want the recipe very seriously!!! Thanks I am keeping this one forever!
Hi Cyndi, It makes a ton of brownies you need a 12″ X 18″ pan.