Free recipe American

Fudgy Brownies

Name: Fudgy Brownies
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 16 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 10 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for the pan; 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, 60 to 70 percent cacao, chopped; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed; 3 large eggs, at room temperature; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tsp instant espresso powder; 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips; flaky sea salt, for sprinkling, optional

Dense, deeply chocolatey brownies with a shiny crackly top, gooey centers and pockets of melted chocolate chips.

By Marisol Vance, Founder & Head of Recipe Development Published March 16, 2026

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Prep: 15 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 45 min
Servings: 16
Level: Easy

These are brownies for people who want fudge, not cake. Melted bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder deliver double the chocolate flavor, while a high ratio of butter and sugar to flour keeps the middle dense and gooey.

The shiny, paper-thin crust comes from whisking the eggs and sugar vigorously into the warm chocolate mixture, which dissolves the sugar and forms that crackly top. A spoonful of espresso powder does not make them taste like coffee; it just makes the chocolate taste more like itself.

Cut them small and serve them at room temperature, or warm a square and top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Shiny crackly top
Double chocolate, gooey center
One bowl, no mixer

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8x8-inch metal baking pan and line it with a parchment sling that hangs over two sides.
Melt the butter and chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat.
Whisk the granulated sugar and brown sugar into the warm chocolate mixture until well combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, whisking vigorously for about 30 seconds after each, until the batter turns thick and glossy.
Whisk in the vanilla, espresso powder and kosher salt.
Sift the cocoa powder and flour over the batter and fold with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Scrape the batter into the pan, smooth the top and sprinkle lightly with flaky salt, if using.
Bake for 28 to 33 minutes, until the top is shiny and set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter.
Cool completely in the pan on a rack, at least 2 hours, then lift out by the parchment and cut into 16 squares with a hot knife.

Test-kitchen tips

Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days, or wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months.
Use a metal pan rather than glass. Glass holds heat longer and can overbake the edges before the center is done.
Swirl 1/3 cup peanut butter or salted caramel over the batter before baking, or fold in 1/2 cup toasted walnuts with the chips.