Ultimate Fudgy Brownies Recipe

There's truly nothing better than a fudgy brownie. Sure, a warm or chocolatey brownie sounds pretty good, but "fudgy" really captures the essence of a rich, dense, and incredibly flavorful brownie. As it turns out, it doesn't take much to make the ultimate fudgy brownie, as proven by recipe developer Jennine Bryant. "My favorite thing about these brownies is how chocolatey they are — they are so packed with cocoa," Bryant describes. "They aren't too sweet but they are so soft, fudgy, and chocolatey."

While this recipe is a pretty simple one, only requiring a handful of ingredients that likely already live in your pantry and fridge, there's a special method behind the fudginess. "In the process for making these brownies I browned the butter, which isn't a commonly used technique when making brownies," Bryant explains. It really does pay off in the end though, as she says that the method adds "a much deeper, richer flavor" to the brownies, and it really isn't much extra work. In fact, the whole recipe comes together in just under an hour, so you can whip these brownies up for an after-supper treat in a breeze. 

Gather the ingredients for ultimate fudgy brownies

As we already mentioned, very few ingredients go into these brownies, but often the simplest recipes are the best ones. You'll need unsalted butter, soft brown sugar, room temperature eggs, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and flour. That's it!

Brown the butter

First things first, get your oven preheating to 350 F, and line a 12x6-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Once you have those little chores out of the way, place a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat. Add in all of the butter and allow it to melt, stirring it as it breaks down. Let the butter cook in the pan for a few minutes, but be sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. The butter will eventually begin to foam and change in color. Once it has a golden-brown hue and begins to smell nutty, remove it from the heat and transfer it to a clean bowl. Then, leave the browned butter to cool for 5 minutes.

Add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla

Once the butter has had a chance to cool a bit — but is still warm — add the brown sugar to the bowl and whisk it in. When you do so, the mixture will still be a bit grainy, but the sugar should mostly incorporate into the butter and it should look glossy. At this point, allow the sugar and butter mixture to cool for another 5 minutes.

After those 5 minutes have passed, add in the eggs one at a time, whisking each one before adding the next. Finally, pour in the vanilla extract, and give the mixture a good stir once again.

Fold in the cocoa powder and flour, then bake

Here's where things really start to get fudgy. Add the cocoa powder and flour into the bowl, then fold them in until they're just combined. Now, pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking dish, and pop the whole thing into the oven. 

Bake the brownies for about 35 minutes — you'll know they're done when the edges begin to set but the middle remains slightly gooey. At this point, remove the brownies from the oven and allow them to fully cool before diving in.

Serve your ultimate fudgy brownies

Once the brownies have cooled, go ahead and cut into them, serve, and enjoy. While any brownie is delightful on its own, Bryant offers up some refreshing serving options. "These brownies taste amazing with fresh fruit such as strawberries and raspberries, or bananas," she suggests, adding that if you take the banana route, a peanut butter drizzle also complements the whole thing wonderfully. "They also taste amazing with vanilla custard or ice cream as it cuts through the richness and complements the chocolate flavor," she adds.

And, if you have leftovers, you can rest easy knowing that they will keep for 3-4 days at room temperature. If you store leftovers, Bryant has one final tip: "Make sure to keep them well wrapped or in an airtight container so they don't dry out!"

Ultimate Fudgy Brownies Recipe
5 from 63 ratings
The secret to this ultimate fudgy brownie recipe? Brown the butter as you prep your batter. You won't regret this step as you bite into the chocolatey dessert.
Prep Time
20
minutes
Cook Time
35
minutes
Servings
12
Servings
brownie with bite taken out
Total time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups butter, unsalted
  • 2 ¼ cups soft brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups cocoa powder
  • 1 cup plain flour
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a 12x6-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
  2. Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the butter. Gently stir the butter as it melts and allow it to cook in the pan for a few minutes, making sure to keep a close eye on it. The butter will foam up and begin to turn a gentle golden-brown color and smell nutty. When this happens, remove the butter from the heat, transfer it to a clean bowl, and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
  3. After the 5 minutes, add the brown sugar to the warm, melted butter and whisk them together. The mixture should be glossy and the sugar should be largely incorporated into the butter, though it may still retain a slightly grainy texture.
  4. Allow the mixture to cool for another 5 minutes before adding the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition.
  5. Add the vanilla extract and mix again.
  6. Finally, fold in the cocoa powder and flour until it's just combined, then transfer the brownie batter to the prepared baking dish.
  7. Cook the brownies for 35 minutes. They will be ready when the edges are set but the middle is still a little gooey.
  8. Remove the brownies from the oven and allow them to cool completely before cutting and serving.
Nutrition
Calories per Serving 399
Total Fat 26.2 g
Saturated Fat 16.0 g
Trans Fat 0.9 g
Cholesterol 123.0 mg
Total Carbohydrates 41.3 g
Dietary Fiber 4.3 g
Total Sugars 26.9 g
Sodium 37.1 mg
Protein 5.6 g
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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