The BEST BROWNIE RECIPE
Here it is... your foolproof, satisfy your chocolate cravings, ultimate chocolate chunk brownie recipe.
These "Better than a Boyfriend Brownies" are whipped up in one bowl and are so easy even kids can make them. I am pretty sure I could make these brownies in my sleep. I've tried more brownie recipes than I would like to admit but all of that practice has made me a brownie connoisseur of sorts, right? This is hands down the BEST homemade brownie recipe.
I have been baking since I could stand up on a stool! I have been able to compete in the Pillsbury Bake-Off for a million dollars twice, win the Cooking Channel Contest for the most perfect cookie in America and film in the Food Network Studios (the #1 recipe in 2012), and land on the cover of Food Network Magazine for winning their Bake Sale contest. This was all before I started Modern Honey and have been baking up a storm ever since!
All of these years of baking and working to create the perfect brownie recipe and here it is! Once I tried this homemade brownie recipe, I have never looked back. This is the ONLY brownie recipe I use because it is the best!
This brownie recipe is rich, decadent, and fudgy. No dry cakey ones here! You may want to eat the entire pan - they are that good and it might just become your absolute family favorite.
The name - Better than a Boyfriend Brownies stems from where all good inspiration comes from - a breakup. I have a ridiculous memory. It can be a really good thing and a really bad thing, simultaneously. Here's where the really good memory isn't so great.
For some stupid reason (because teenagers generally don't always make the most sound judgments), my friends and I thought it would be funny to toilet paper my first little boyfriend's house.
Since we couldn't drive, we convinced my Mom to drive us to this unsuspecting boy's house. We realized pretty fast that his yard was huge and we needed some help. So we ran to the car and grabbed the master toilet paperer - my Mother. We somehow convinced her that toilet papering at the age of 50 was completely normal.
All was going well and we were quite impressed with our TP skills...until we saw car lights rounding the corner into the cul-de-sac. There was nowhere to run so we squealed like little girls and hurdled into the bushes. Unfortunately for us, our hurdling skills weren't the best and our covers were blown....by his parents!
They got out of the car, walked over to the bushes and we slowly peaked our heads out in utter shame and embarrassment. The real entertainment came when they discovered that my Mom was hiding WITH us!
I don't think they were impressed. That little boyfriend - the giver of my first kiss completely broke my heart into smithereens when he broke up with me. Note to self: don't toilet paper your boyfriend's house. They usually have to clean it up and won't like it.
I went home and did what any normal teenager would do...put on some really sad music, baked up a pan of brownies, ate every one of them and drowned my sorrows. Hence the name - Better than a Boyfriend Brownies.
If only, I would have applied my good memory to the periodic table in Chemistry.
I've had a lot of years to work on my brownie making skills. I am going to give you 5 tips to make sure those calories are worth it and to NOT screw up your brownies. These are truly the best brownies in the world!
5 Ways to NOT screw up brownies:
- Don't overbake. Holy cow this is a big one. Ask my kids how crazy it makes me when I see the cooking times listed on a brownie mix or cake mix box and it's so long that you'll end up with hockey pucks! No wonder people think they are bad cooks when really we can just chalk it up to bad directions. Can we do that? Yes, we can. Anytime you are baking up a cookie, cake or brownie....watch those precious gems like a hawk. You want laser beam focus because a few minutes can be a difference maker.
- Cream butter + sugar for at least 3 minutes to ensure you don't end up with grainy brownies. Creaming works wonders in baked goods as it helps to dissolve sugar crystals and it creates little pockets of air. The butter wraps around the sugar as it coats it and helps to say goodbye to the grainy texture.
- Don't overmix your flour. You know how kneading bread makes it better....well it's the opposite with baked goods. If you overmix your batter, it creates more gluten which can leave you with a tougher brownie. We want a tender one! Mix until just combined or even turn off your mixer and fold in your flour.
- Use high-quality cocoa. It's the star ingredient and it's integral to the overall success of the brownies. I buy Callebaut cocoa powder in bulk at Winco and even though it's high-quality stuff, it is actually less expensive than buying one of the other popular brands in the store. It makes a huge difference in the depth of flavor.
- Add chocolate chunks. Because if you are going to eat chocolate, you want to really eat chocolate. Adding semi-sweet chocolate adds a richness to it and another depth of flavor. Guittard and Ghiradelli are some of my favorite brands of chocolate. Trader Joe's makes a killer chocolate bar and it melts beautifully. If you are really crazy, add some white chocolate just to really mix it up (think Paradise Bakery black + white chippers).
Use a toothpick or even a cake tester (OXO makes a good inexpensive one HERE) to test the middle to make sure it's not a goopy mess.
You want it to come out with a soft crumb and not be dry as cardboard. No one likes to eat cardboard. Use light colored pans. The dark colored pans cook the bottoms of baked goods too quickly. Here are a few of my favorite pans -- USA 9 x 13 inch pan and USA Square Cake Pan 9 inch.
Feel free to up your game and add some caramel or dulce de leche. People will be impressed at your mad skills. Carefully heat up a jar of that caramel goodness and swirl half of the jar into the brownie batter. Bake in the oven. Once they come out of the oven, top and swirl with remaining caramel.
Make sure you lick the spoon after you are all done.....in the name of research, of course. *They are adapted from I am Baker's brownie recipe (who you must follow because she's so hilarious and incredibly talented).
Click the video below to see how quick and easy it is to make homemade brownies:
- 1 cup Butter softened
- 2 cups Sugar
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 4 Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
- 1 cup Flour
- 1/2 cup Cake Flour
- 1 cup Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 1/2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks or Chips
- *Optional: add 8-ounce jar Dulce de Leche. Carefully heat in the microwave. Swirl in 4 ounces into the batter. Bake. Top brownies with remaining Dulce de Leche.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and brown sugar for 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Stir in flour, cake flour, cocoa, and salt until mixed together.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour into 9 x 13 pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 28-36 minutes.
- *Adapted from I am Baker's decadent brownies
Pin on Pinterest:
Happy Baking!
Katie F says
These brownies have earned the title of best brownies ever at the school where I work! Both students and teachers cannot get enough of them. Thank you for an AWESOME recipe.
Heather says
I had to continue baking these for 45-50 minutes total, I added 1/4 tsp baking soda so they would be a tiny bit lofty. We didn't have the recommended amount of chocolate chips but it was plenty chocolaty.
They look and taste delicious - my twin teen age daughters loved making them especially after reading your story & asked me if I'd help TP a boyfriend's house in the future! Maybe I will 😉
Hope says
Hello there,
I’m very excited to make this recipe! Quick question, can I substitute the butter for coconut oil?
Thanks!
Hope 😊
Rebecca says
Hello from Germany! I made these brownies last Friday for the very first time and they are absolutely amazing. I used all purpose flour and added a tablespoon of cornstarch instead of using cake flour. Also I made them extra chocolatey by mixing 2 chocolate bars in the batter (200 grams, bittersweet). I let the brownies bake for round about 50 minutes and they just turned out to be super chewy. Thanks, Melissa, for this one-of-a-kind recipe.
Annie says
I love this blog, but I am always skeptical of brownie recipes. I have never had much success at getting fudgey brownies instead of cakey ones. These are AMAZING! I think it’s because of the butter and brown sugar. I highly recommend this recipe.
Jessica says
Do you know how I could adjust these to be gluten-free and/or sugar-free?
Marcy says
Have you ever tried cutting the recipe in half & baking the brownies in an 8x8 pan? If so, do you have an idea of how long to bake them? I am going to make a peppermint buttercream frosting & crumble mint Oreos on top to make Christmas Grinch brownies 😉.
Thank you!
Natalie says
I halved the recipe and used an 8x8 pan. I cooked them for 35 minutes and they turned out amazing:)
Todd Bulloch says
I've baked countless brownies in my life. I've eaten only a few that I really liked. This recipe is one of the best things I've ever eaten. By far the best brownie recipe out there. Thank you!
Jennifer wardrip says
I just made these and folded in about a cup of mini marshmallows at request of my 3 year old the smell amazing!
Lilly says
I am using this recipe for a school math project, and then I get to bake these beautiful brownies and share them with my class!!!!! I'm SO excited!
Lisa Green says
I was going to order the Callebaut Cocoa Powder on Amazon (no Winco here) but there are a couple options and I'm not sure which is correct. There is Callebaut CP777 Cocoa Powder 22/24% and I also saw Callebaut Baking Cocoa Powder 2.2 lb bag in Cook's Illustrated. The brownies sound so AMAZING and I want to be sure to use your recommended ingredients. Thanks in advance for your response!
Rose says
Hi! Just wondering which oven setting this recipes counts on? Convention or fanforced?
Thank you! These brownies are amazing!
Courtney says
I never comment on recipes online, but I had to take a minute to for this one. I have never made a brownie recipe I liked, and I have tried countless. Admittedly, Im not a gifted baker, but nonetheless, i never ever get what I want from a brownie unless its from a Bakery. Until NOW! These were amazing. I don't know if it's the recipe, or your awesome instructions, but even after accidentally over-baking them a teeny bit, they're still fantastic. The only change I made was using the whole bag of chocolate chips, rather than 3/4 the bag. Otherwise I followed your instructions to the dot and ended up with rich, dense, chewy, fudgey and perfectly-chocolatey brownies. Thank you 🙂
Donna says
I made these yesterday in combination with a cheesecake recipe. Put cheesecake in center of brownie recipe. THE BEST AND MOST FANTASTIC BROWNIES EVER EATEN!!!. Poured salted caramel over the top...voila!
Carolina says
Wow! These were amazing! I halved the recipe, since I can never eat a whole batch of brownies in one go! However, I did not have cake flour so I substituted 1/4 cup of all purpose flour with 1/2 tbsp of cornstarch. I also did not realize that the recipe called for salted butter, so I had put unsalted butter and the amount of salt the recipe calls for. Although they were a bit too sweet, it was most likely because I needed more salt. I also didn't have chocolate chunks or chips on hand, so I left those out too. Besides those changes, they were the best! I baked them for 36 minutes, slamming them against the countertop twice during the bake to create more crackling on the top, and then let them rest until they were warm since they were still a bit soft when I touched them (and I was too impatient to wait!). Decadent, fudgy, and everything a brownie should be! Thanks for the recipe!
Otis Mardre says
Hi.. I've got a question, please. After reading the comments, I see the flour to be used is all purpose. What about the butter? Do I use the salted or unsalted butter? I see that the recipe calls for 1/2 tsp of salt, so I would guess unsalted butter, but I wanted to make sure. I'm really looking forward to these brownies and I want to make sure they are just right. 🙂
Dii Ranopa says
Hello. I wanted to try making this tomorrow. Do you know what would be temperature for convection oven? And how long? Thank you so much. Please advise.
Crystal S. says
Made these today and they are AMAZING! Thank you so much for the recipe! Can’t wait for the kids to try them!
April says
You said to not use dark pans, but what about glass? My brownies are never as good as I want them to be and I'm wondering if it's because I bake them in a glass pan.
Liz says
Yes!! Glass insulates and takes a duration to cool. I would suggest anodized aluminum (Fat Daddios is a great brand).
They quickly heat up and quickly cool down andcare non reactive for things like lemon bars
Umber says
THE BEST BEST brownies ever! Can’t stop eating them!! Have been making them since a year or so and everyone just LOVES them! Thankyou so much for this amazing recipe! xox
Marshall says
Can you folks do a "Better than a girlfriend" pizza recipe? That would be awesome!
Melissa says
So what do you do when you’re quarantined from work/school with a stir crazy 9 year old? Find new recipes to try! I’ve been scouting your blog since Christmas because your copy-cat Levain chocolate chip cookie recipe was such a hit! I let my son chose whatever recipe he wanted, and this was the easy winner! OMG.. these are life changing! Our new Go To brownie recipe! So glad I stumbled upon your site! Can’t wait to try more recipes!
Nathalie says
This is the best recipe Ive tried by far! It’s so delectable and fudgey, it was an absolute hit with my family. I had to substitute regular sugar for the dark sugar since we had none but it was amazing!!
Shareen says
These took a long time to set in the middle and then the edges were brittle. I wish I had baked it on parchment because they were so hard to come out of the pan...fudgy on bottom and hard on sides. The flavor was good especially the one I had added toffee chips to. I may try it again but kind of disappointed with first outcome.
Liz says
Sounds like you used a glass pan...
Deborah Kelly says
The recipe calls for flour but you don’t indicate if it is all purpose or self rising?
Joy Go says
its mixed all purpose flour and cake flour
Leslie Ann Packard says
My husband wanted "THE BEST BROWNIES IN THE WORLD" for fathers day this year. This recipe delivered!!! The perfect balance between fudgy and cakey. They were a total hit
Neha Anand says
I made this brownie tonight but didn’t get that crinkly top. Why would that be? Honestly I love that shiny crinkles. My brownie have air bubbles on top and has a texture of cake on top although it’s fudgy inside.
Kel says
I used this recipe to make pot brownies. They turned out great! I did also melt a cup of chocolate with the sugar and butter to make them even more rich and chocolatey. It took them a little longer to cook but well worth it in the end.
Jp says
I've used this recipe for years and I'll never make brownies another way. The BEST brownies. Always a favorite with my family.
Janice Schmidt says
I agree. This is the ABSOLUTE best brownie recipe ever.No need to search for another I do add a heaping Tablespoon of expresso powder.
toni says
why so much sugar?
Sondra Armas says
Hi! Can you add to your recipes the gr of each ingredient? It will be nice to have his option already in the recipe. Thanks.
Joy Go says
Hi...first time to your website and tried your brownies and yep! better than boyfriend is the name of the game..fresh out of the oven already sold 5 slices and my customer loved it...so did everyone/family who had a free taste...will ve following you now. thank you
Syl says
So funny thanks for sharing!
Stephanie says
the taste is amazing but mine seem a little dry and not moist why is that ?
Bailey Dargo says
very good brownies! I had to end up baking for 46 minutes and I do feel my oven typically cooks fast. They came out the perfect texture- super moist yet fudgy. Added .5 cup mini chocolate chips and crushed up oreos.
Step says
What if I just used the cocoa powder and no chocolate chips or are the necessary for texture ?
So says
Hi! If I melted the chocolate ships would that change the consistency?
Kaylin says
These brownies are literally the best brownies I have ever had. I was a little bit skeptical when I was making them because the texture of the batter looked so different from whenever I’ve made brownies before. I swore they were not going to turn out good. I did have to bake them for a bit longer than stated in the recipe, but they turned out soooo good. I will be keeping this recipe forever!!
Sid says
These are without a doubt the best brownies I have ever made! I have been on the search for a recipe that I will stick with and I’ve finally found it!
Sarah says
Easy and fool-proof
Mary S. says
Umm…excuse me, but where have these been all my life?! There needs to be a warning written above like, “Warning: just keep scrolling if you’re on a diet. If you think you’re strong enough to stop at just one, just know you’re wrong. You’ll want to eat the entire pan in one sitting, so grab a giant glass of milk and buckle up.” They were so fudgy and perfect. I give these 10 out of 5 stars!
Dena says
I've made these twice. Once for Bible School family night service and for my granddaughter's birthday. First ones were the best I believe. Second ones were beautiful. First i only added half pkg chopped unsweetened chocolate chopped, semisweet chips, and milk chocolate chips. Caramel morsels, 1/3 bag with 1/4cup condensed milk microwaved and smeared over warm brownies. Perfect. Last one I used all this plus white chocolate chips and instead of caramel morsels I had to use Worthers soft and original caramel. And used too much for drizzle as my brownies were cold and overall too sweet but were pretty.
Both batches were delicious and moist. Used a small sheet pan under glass 9 x 13 to cook. Watch time and check often. like to post picture but not available in this so I can't. Thanks for recipe I Love it.
Mindy says
Hi there! I’m really wanting to make these but I don’t have cake flour. What can I use to replace that? Thank you!!
Ginny says
I have attempted to make brownies so many times and each time I have not been successful, no matter who's recipe I tried, and I followed the recipes exactly. I gave up on brownies figuring they were just that one thing I was never going to master. Today I decided to try your brownie recipe. SUCCESS!!!! Finally!!! They were easy, baked properly (for once) and oh so dang good!!!! I did omit the chocolate chips as we are not huge fans of super chocolatey desserts but these brownies were delicious and full of chocolate flavor without, which was perfect for us. We could not stop at one. Thank you for sharing this recipe and I will never "try" another recipe.
Aviana says
So I've made these twice now and each time they come out with a good flavor, but I never seem to get that light brown crunch / shiny top on mine like yours has. What could be the reason for this? Thanks!!