Ultimate Homemade Brownies
A deeply fudgy, crackly‑topped brownie recipe inspired by classic Southern comfort—simple pantry ingredients, no fancy tools, and full of heart.
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Rubber spatula
- 9x13‑inch pan
- Parchment paper (optional)
Ingredients
Main
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), melted
- 2¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1¼ cups unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch‑processed preferred)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup all‑purpose flour
Optional
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder for deeper chocolate flavor
- ½ cup chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate for richer texture
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13‑inch pan or line with parchment.
- Melt butter over low heat in saucepan, stir in cocoa (and espresso powder if using) until smooth.
- Remove from heat and whisk in sugar, salt, and vanilla until glossy.
- Beat in eggs one at a time until mixture is glossy.
- Fold in flour gently using rubber spatula; avoid overmixing.
- Stir in chocolate chips or chunks if desired.
- Spread batter evenly in pan and tap once to release air bubbles.
- Bake 28–32 minutes until edges are set and center jiggles slightly.
- Cool in pan for 30 minutes before slicing; wipe knife between cuts for clean edges.
Notes
Store brownies in airtight container: room temp 3–4 days, fridge up to 7 days, freeze up to 3 months. Revive frozen by warming at 300 °F for 5–10 minutes.