HEY-YO! Today, we’re serving up another go-to basic. Is it possible that I’ve shared nearly 400 recipes on this site without dishing out a perfect brownie? This recipe is just that. If you’ve been looking for a homemade substitute for box brownies (let’s face it- they’re delish), look no further. These easy chewy brownies are a home run and a great back pocket recipe. Let’s check them out.
First Up: Science Stuff
Ok, nerds. Put your science hat on, and let’s think about what really makes box brownies so great. Aside from the ease, they’re also consistently delicious, right? They also offer a terrific chew, fudgy insides, and a dreamy crinkled top. How could we ever beat that at home?
Well, let’s tackle all of those things one by one. First up: ease. My easy chewy brownies come together in one bowl. Sure, there’s a few more ingredients than the box mix requires, but don’t we all feel better about that anyways?
Second, the chew. Here’s where a healthy balance of liquid ingredients (eggs and butter/oil) and dry ingredients is everything. Too much dry ingredients and we have cakey or (even worse) dense brownies. Too few and you’re looking at a greasy pudding.
Third, the illusive yet wonderful crackled top. Let me fill you in on a secret: it’s all in the sugar. Crackled glossy tops come from slightly dissolved sugar. We achieve that by melting the butter with the sugar in the microwave (or stovetop!), stirring until smooth and dissolved. Easy peasy!
Easy Chewy Brownies
This recipe yields an 8″ or 9″ pan of brownies that makes about 16 modest brownies. With crackled tops, chewy insides, and rich chocolatey flavor, they really are hard to beat. Here, I’ve added vanilla and a smidge of espresso powder; Ina Garten taught me those ingredients help make the chocolate taste more like… well, chocolate. (Hint: She’s NEVER wrong.) The sugar melts with the butter to achieve a glossy cracked top, and the addition of chocolate chips to the batter means they’re fudgy too. I have nothing against box brownies, but being able to say these are homemade makes me feel all kinds of good.
Get fancy with your brownies by switching things up. You can substitute in Dutch-processed cocoa for more intensely flavored treats. Fold in your favorite chopped nuts or flavored baking chips (hello, dark chocolate mint!) to spice things up a bit. These brownies also makes a terrific crumbled addition to your favorite no-churn ice cream recipes. Truly, this is one of the basics you NEED. PS- check out the difference between brownies made using regular unsweetenedweetened cocoa powder and ones made with dark cocoa powder!
Give these easy chewy brownies a try and let me know what you think! Happy Wednesday to y’all and happy baking!!
If you like this recipe you should try:
Peppermint Brownie Cookies
Brownie Shortbread Bars
Brownie Petit Fours
Fudgy Brownie Tart
Brownie Batter Cake
Easy Chewy Brownies
These easy chewy brownies are a simple one-bowl recipe that is a delicious substitute for box mix brownies!
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 16
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, diced
- 1–1/4 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Farhenheit. Lightly grease a heavy weight 8” square baking pan and set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and sugar and melt in the microwave for 30 second increments, stirring occasionally, until the butter is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. (It took me about 2 minutes of microwaving.) Alternatively, you can melt these together over a double boiler on the stove. Add the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously to combine. Add the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, salt, and baking powder. Stir, just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the top is puffed and a toothpick inserted to the center only comes out with moist sticky clumps. Allow to cool prior to cutting.
5 thoughts on “Easy Chewy Brownies”
Nice and very informative blog, glad to learn something through you.
food technology consultant
Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe with us !.
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Just checking—-it might be a typo—-it took you 20 minutes to melt the butter and sugar in the microwave oven?
DELICIOUS! I made these late afternoon and by dinner time, my husband ate almost half! Thank you for this recipe!
★★★★★
Hi!
This looks absolutely delicious, I can’t wait to try it!
I think there is a typo in the directions, you said it took about 20 minutes of 30-second increments of microwaving the butter and sugar. Did you mean 2 minutes, not 20?
Thanks!
-Janet