How to Make Brownies: Classic Recipe & 8 Delicious Variations

Most brownies contain fat (oil or butter), sugar, flour, chocolate such as cocoa powder or melting chocolate, and eggs. Ingredient proportions can be tweaked to produce chewy, fudgy, or cakey brownies. For chewy or fudgy brownies use a greater ratio of fat to flour. Cakelike brownies have a greater ratio of flour to fat and may use a leavening agent like baking powder. Here are some helpful tips:

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Use quality Dutch-processed chocolate for deep flavor.
Don’t overwork the batter.
Line the pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and only grease the bottom of the pan so the sides crisp.
Don’t overbake; look for a dry top and clean toothpick.
Let brownies cool before cutting.
For chewy brownies try chilling them in the fridge.

Best Brownies Ingredients

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Chocolate: Good quality melted bittersweet or dark chocolate or Dutch-process cocoa powder add the richest chocolate flavor to brownies.

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Sugar: More than just a sweet taste, sugar helps brownies have a crinkly, shiny, and caramelized crust plus better texture and moisture retention. When sugar is creamed with butter, it works to increase the height of the brownie.

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Eggs: Eggs provide moisture, richness and structure that binds ingredients together. Yolks help dry ingredients combine with oil or butter.

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Butter or Oil: Butter delivers flavor, richness, fudginess and a crackly crust to brownies. Canola or vegetable oil makes brownies chewier with a matte top.

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Flour: The moderate protein in all-purpose flour makes chewy brownies with a pleasing structure.

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Leavening Agents: Baking powder or soda is an ingredient in some recipes to add lift and a cakey texture.

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Real Vanilla Extract: Adds additional flavor and moisture to brownies.

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Kosher Salt: Enhances flavors and balances the sweetness.

How to Make Classic Brownies

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See the Chocolate Brownie recipe

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8×2-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Spray bottom with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2. Microwave butter and chocolate until melted, stirring frequently. Stir in cocoa, sugar, vanilla and salt until well combined. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour just until combined.