One Bowl Brownies

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Quick Summary

Best Brownie Recipe-you only need ONE bowl to make these fudgy, chewy, gooey, chocolaty brownies with shiny crackly tops! This easy homemade brownie recipe will be your GO TO! You will never buy a boxed brownie mix again!

One Bowl Brownie Recipe

Brownies are hands down one of my all-time favorite desserts. I love this brownie recipe, but the other day I needed a quick and EASY dessert because some friends stopped by unexpectedly and I wanted to serve them something sweet. I whipped up my One Bowl Brownies and everyone was dying over the deliciousness!

These easy homemade brownies taste similar to box brownies, in a good way, but even better! And I promise they are just as easy. You only need ONE bowl and you don’t even need a mixer! I guarantee they will be a family favorite dessert.

Best Brownie Recipe

These brownies are perfect in EVERY way! A few things I love about them:

  • They are EASY! You can’t beat a ONE bowl recipe!
  • They are chewy and GOOEY!
  • They are FUDGY!
  • They have shiny, CRACKLY tops!
  • They are rich and CHOCOLATY!
Best Brownie Recipe

Ingredients

I always have the ingredients on hand to make these brownies because you never know when a craving will strike or when friends might stop in for an impromptu dessert night! The ingredients are simple, but when they all come together you will be left with the most amazing pan of brownies.

  • Butter-Use unsalted butter. The butter needs to be melted and cooled slightly. You can melt the butter in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop.
  • Sugar AND Brown Sugar-use granulated sugar AND brown sugar. The brown sugar makes the brownies extra moist!
  • Eggs-choose large eggs and make sure they are at room temperature. I usually take the eggs out of the fridge 30 minutes before I start. If you forget, place your eggs in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
  • Vanilla ExtractPURE vanilla extract is the way to go! I know it is pricey, but SO worth the extra cost.
  • Flour-You need all-purpose flour. If you need the brownies to be gluten-free you can use all-purpose gluten-free flour. I like Cup4Cup gluten-free flour.
  • Cocoa-I like to use Dutch processed cocoa but you can use unsweetened cocoa powder. Splurge and use a high quality cocoa for the best chocolate flavor. I like this Dutch processed cocoa or this one!
  • Espresso Powder-The espresso powder is optional but I like using it because it intensifies the chocolate flavor. I highly recommend using it for the best brownies. It really makes a difference.
  • Salt-Use kosher salt or sea salt.
  • Chocolate-I like to use semi-sweet chocolate chunks, but feel free to use chocolate chips. Guittard brand is my favorite!

Can I add Nuts?

Yes! If you like brownies with nuts you can stir in 1 cup of chopped nuts when you stir in the chocolate chunks. Walnuts, pecans, and almonds are all good options.

Should I Use a Metal Or Glass Pan?

You need a 9×13-inch pan for this recipe. You can a metal or glass pan, but I prefer baking brownies in a metal pan, just make sure the pan isn’t too dark. When you use a metal pan, the brownie edges and corners get crispier and I am all about the brownie edges. I know some people like the middle and that is fine, but I want a brownie with a nice edge:) If you use a glass pan, you might have to bake the brownies for 5 more minutes. Check them to be sure!

If you want a thicker brownie, you can use a 7×11-inch pan or 8×12-inch pan, but you will need to bake the brownies for longer.

How to Make Brownies

Here are a few tips that will help you make the BEST brownies every single time!

  • Line your baking pan with parchment paper. Spray a 9×13″ baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line with parchment paper with an overhang on the sides and spray again. This will make it easy to lift the brownies out of the pan after baking.
  • In a large mixing bowl stir together the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.
  • Sift the flour and cocoa together to make sure you don’t have any cocoa clumps.
  • Don’t over mix the batter. If you over mix the brownies will turn out cakey and they won’t have a nice crackly top.
  • Don’t over bake. This one is REALLY important. If you over bake, your brownies won’t be fudgy and moist. They will keep baking in the pan while they are cooling so take them out when are just set. Use a toothpick to test for doneness. For fudge brownies, you want there to be a some crumbs stuck to the toothpick. Check at 25 minutes to be safe.
  • Let the brownies cool completely before cutting. Cut with a sharp knife or you can cut with a plastic knife. Yes, a plastic knife works wonders when cutting brownies. The crumbs don’t stick to the plastic. It’s amazing!
Easy Brownie Recipe

How to Store

Uncut brownies that are stored in the pan and covered will keep on the counter for up to 4 days. If you cut the brownies, they will dry out faster. Wrap cut brownies in plastic wrap and keep on the counter for 1 to 2 days. Don’t store brownies in the refrigerator or they will dry out.

You can freeze brownies, they actually freeze really well. I always like having brownies tucked away in our freezer. Wrap brownies tightly in plastic wrap, then wrap again with foil or place in a freezer bag. Note-I don’t like to freeze brownie squares because they don’t keep as well.

I like to freeze a pan of brownies or at least a half pan at a time. Freeze the brownies for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw at room temperature before cutting into individual servings.

Best Party Dessert

This fudge brownie recipe is the perfect party dessert. The brownies are made in a 9×13 pan so they are perfect for feeding a crowd! You can easily take the pan of brownies to a party, I guarantee you will come home with an empty pan.

They are good served alone but if you want to go over the top, take a brownie square and add a scoop of ice cream and hot fudge sauce or salted caramel sauce. OH YEAH! Dessert doesn’t have to be fancy to be the BEST!

More Brownie Recipes:

Fudge Brownie Recipe
Email Yourself This Recipe
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus, you’ll get NEW recipes from us every week!

One Bowl Brownies

You only need ONE bowl to make these fudgy, chewy, gooey, chocolaty brownies with shiny crackly tops! This easy homemade brownie recipe will be your GO TO! You will never buy a boxed brownie mix again! 
4.46 from 1226 votes

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13" baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line with parchment paper with an overhang on the sides and spray again. This will make it easy to lift the brownies out of the pan after baking. Set the pan aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl whisk together melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.
  • Sift in flour and cocoa. Add the salt and espresso powder, if using, and stir until just combined. Don't over mix. Fold in 1 cup of chopped chocolate. Spread evenly into prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup of chopped chocolate on top of the brownies. 
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes on the middle rack in the oven until the brownies are just set to touch. Don't over bake the brownies. They will set up as they cool. Remove from oven and let cool before cutting into squares. You can sprinkle them with a little flaky sea salt, if desired.

Notes

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 48mg, Sodium: 179mg, Potassium: 136mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 280IU, Calcium: 25mg, Iron: 1.5mg
Keywords brownie recipe, easy, homemade

Have you tried this recipe?

Leave a comment below and share a photo on Instagram. Tag @twopeasandpod and hashtag it with #twopeasandtheirpod

Photos by Dishing Out Health

Get the best of the best!
4 Recipes Guaranteed to be New Favorites

Maria

I'm Maria and my husband is Josh. We share a love of cooking, baking, and entertaining. We enjoy creating recipes that are simple, fresh, and family friendly. We love sitting around the table with good food, good conversation, and good friends and family! Our kitchen is always open!
Read More

Vegetarian Summer Fall Spring Winter

Other recipes you may like

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Comments

Leave a comment

    1. 5 stars
      Sounds like you overmixed. I took mine out at 30 minutes and let them sit overnight. They are very fudgy as proclaimed by my sons.

  1. 5 stars
    I made these last night right before bed for my Christmas cookie boxes. I read all the comments so I was very very careful not to overmix. My son walked in and snatched one up before I could swat him away and proclaimed “Oooh. Fudgy!”

  2. This is our favorite brownie recipe! If I need a LOT of brownies, do you know how I should adjust the cooking time if I double the recipe and cook them in a half-sheet pan?

    1. Glad you love the recipe, if the batter is thinner and more spread out they will cook faster, so reduce the baking time. Check early to be safe.

  3. My husband and I made these brownies for Xmas eve and they were absolutely delicious. Moist, rich chocolaty goodness.i was attracted to this recipe because was easy and everything was mixed in one bowl. Also, Instead of expresso grinds I added some brewed coffee and walnuts, which means I had to cook them about 7 minutes longer. This is my new go to homemade brownie recipe.

  4. This is my go to brownie recipe! Comes out perfect every time. I’ve made them for myself and for gifts using the small loaf pans to give as a gift. The ONLY adjustment to the recipe I made was adding the coco powder in the first step with the butter to ensure it was incorporated while warm.

  5. Had excellent results making these brownies even with my adjusting the recipe to a lower sugar content.
    Used only one cup of white sugar.
    Replaced cocoa powder and chocate chips with 100 grams of 70% Lindt dark chocolate.
    Will make these again.

  6. 4 stars
    Mine didn’t have a crackly top. I use make these as mini muffin brownies so I can edge pieces in each one (my favorite part) and this came out more cakey. I will try this again with less eggs and make a big batch again instead of muffin ones and see if that helps. I cooked for 30mins.

  7. Yum! These were so easy to make and a huge hit at my friend’s party. I used extra dark chocolate chips in place of the chopped chocolate because it’s what I had, which gave them a nice dark chocolate edge. They definitely have a notable salt taste from the kosher salt—good if you like salted dark chocolate.

  8. 5 stars
    My husband just absolutely loved these! Sadly my dog didn’t as much. He’s been acting a little weird since I gave him a piece

    1. Chocolate is poisonous to dogs you need to take him to the vet ASAP!! Please be careful 🙁

  9. 2 stars
    Super cakey, to the point I wouldn’t really call these brownies. I followed the recipe and everything, I’m so disappointed. The flavor was nice though but they are VERY VERY VERRRYY sweet!

  10. 2 stars
    Meh, not a fan of these. Seemed a lil salty. Also like it was missing and ingredient. Was really looking forward to these, but a bit disappointed.

  11. 5 stars
    I made a half batch, and they came out great. I used semi sweet chocolate chips for the chopped chocolate and had to use salted butter and self-rising flour, which turned out fine – I just decreased the amount of additional salt. Husband and guests (and me!) really enjoyed them, none survived great, easy recipe!

  12. 5 stars
    Followed recipe exactly, 9×13 metal pan / 350 / 24 minutes / spray oil no parchment… brownies were dense, super moist perfection with glossy top. Will definitely make again. ❤️

  13. 5 stars
    Followed recipe exactly. 9×13 metal pan / spray oil, no parchment / 24 minutes at 350… brownies were dense, super moist with glossy top. Perfection.

  14. 5 stars
    I have been on the hunt for the perfect homemade brownies and I FINALLY found them! We are making a second batch today because my family cannot get enough of these. My husband has never liked homemade brownies because they don’t get as fudge like as the boxes ones. He can’t stop eating these! Thank you for this recipe!

  15. 5 stars
    I made these yesterday and they are so delicious!! I added dark chocolate morsels and that took it to chocolate heaven. So fishy and rich! Thanks for another winner recipe!

  16. 5 stars
    These were so yummy! Nice and fudgy, the flavor was deep chocolate good. I did have to bake them about 5 extra minutes, but then they were perfect!

  17. 3 stars
    Pretty yummy, but I’m gonna say my family thought 1 whole cup of cocoa was too much. I’ll try them again with 1/2 next time. But thanks for the recipe!

  18. 3 stars
    These brownies are dry. If I make them a second time, I will substitute 1/2 canola oil for just 1/2 cup of the total butter.

  19. 5 stars
    These are great! Turned out very good! I used half white sugar & half organic Sucanat cane sugar, also cut down by half cup of the sugar.
    I broke up a Hershey symphony candy bar with almonds in it. Also addd a lot of walnuts!
    Mine don’t have a cracked top, I didn’t over mix, maybe being I didn’t use as much sugar & substitution I used. Either way they’re good. Thank you for the yummy recipe.

  20. 5 stars
    These come out perfect every single time! I only bake mine for about 20 min. It’s gotta be my oven but, wow! I added a scoop of protein powder to this batch tonight and it’s amazing! And the kids don’t even know they’re getting the extra proteins while enjoying these brownies!

See More Comments