Half the Sugar Baker
These brownies are so easy to make and have the perfect fudgy texture. They are rich, chocolatey, and not too sweet. Best of all, the brownie batter comes together in no time with simple ingredients!
Why I Love These Ultimate Fudgy Brownies
- Texture: These brownies are dense and fudgy, but not as solid as fudge. They are super moist with slightly crisp edges. The walnuts add the perfect crunch!
- Flavor: Thanks to cocoa powder, dark chocolate, espresso powder, and salt, these brownies are packed with rich chocolate flavor. The espresso powder and salt really help to bring out the complex chocolate. The brownies are also not too sweet, which allows the chocolate to shine through.
- Easy to make: These brownies are made with just a handful of simple ingredients and the batter comes together in one bowl and less than 15 minutes! No special tools are required, which makes these brownies quick and easy to make.
What Chocolate To Use In These Ultimate Fudgy Brownies
- Cocoa powder: I recommend using high quality cocoa powder for the richest chocolate flavor in the brownies. However, they will taste great with any cocoa powder you have on hand! Make sure you are using unsweetened cocoa powder and not cocoa mix, which already has sugar and other ingredients added.
- Dark chocolate: You can use either a bar of dark chocolate that has been chopped up, or dark chocolate chips. Similarly to the cocoa powder, I recommend using high quality chocolate for best results. Depending on your preference, you can use chocolate with a cocoa content anywhere above 60%.
Key Ingredients For These Ultimate Fudgy Brownies
- Unsalted butter
- Cocoa powder: The higher quality the cocoa powder, the richer and more chocolatey these brownies will taste.
- Dark chocolate: Similarly to the cocoa powder, I recommend using high quality chocolate for the best results. Make sure to chop the chocolate into small pieces because they will melt more easily. You can also use dark chocolate chips instead of the chopped dark chocolate.
- Espresso powder: Although this is listed as an optional ingredient, I strongly recommend using espresso powder. It truly brings out the rich chocolate flavor and elevates these brownies to the next level. You can also substitute instant coffee granules.
- Sugar
- Salt: Please do not skip the salt! Although there is only 1/2 teaspoon in this recipe, it is so important for bringing out the sweetness and rich flavor of the chocolate!
- Eggs
- Flour
- Walnuts: Walnuts add extra texture and flavor that pairs so well with these fudgy brownies. You can also substitute pecans, hazelnuts, or even peanuts. If you don’t want to use nuts, feel free to leave them out.
Tips For Making These Ultimate Fudgy Brownies
- 8×8 inch baking pan: This recipe calls for an 8×8 inch baking pan, but if you don’t have one, I have had good luck by using aluminum foil to divide a larger 9×13 inch pan into a smaller 9×7 inch area.
- Brown butter: For extra flavor, feel free to brown the butter before adding the cocoa powder and chocolate chips. To brown butter, simply melt it over low heat and allow it to keep cooking until the milk solids turn a golden brown color. Make sure to watch it carefully because it can burn very quickly.
- Thick batter: It is completely normal for the batter to be thick. Simply switch from a whisk to a spatula or spoon and keep stirring!
- Baking: It’s super important not to over bake these brownies. Remove them from the oven when an inserted toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. If the toothpick comes out clean, then the brownies will be too dry. If the toothpick comes out with liquid batter, the brownies will be underdone. Allow the brownies to cool completely before slicing, which will give them a chance to firm up.
If you liked these ultimate fudgy brownies, you might also like…
The Ultimate Fudgy Brownies
These brownies have the perfect fudgy texture and aren't too sweet. They are rich, chocolatey, and so easy to make!
Servings: 16 brownies
Equipment
- 8×8 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup (2 ounces) chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee optional
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 335ºF. Line an 8×8 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter and transfer to a large bowl. To the hot butter, add cocoa powder, dark chocolate, and espresso powder. Stir and allow the chocolate to melt completely. Whisk until everything is well combined. Then whisk in the granulated sugar until fully incorporated.
- Add salt, vanilla extract, and eggs to the chocolate mixture. Whisk well until fully incorporated. Stir in the flour until just combined. Fold in the chopped walnuts. The batter will be fairly thick.
- Transfer the batter to the lined baking dish and spread into an even layer. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Be careful of over baking – these brownies will continue to firm up as they cool. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan to room temperature before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
For extra flavor, feel free to brown the butter before adding the chocolate and cocoa powder.
It’s super important to let these brownies cool before slicing. They will be quite gooey when they come out of the oven, but will firm up as they cool.
