These brownies are rich, fudgy delight that can be made in one dish with no mixer! Try my paleo double chocolate brownies or fudgy chocolate banana brownies if you’re gluten or dairy free.

I’ve been looking for the ultimate fudgy brownie recipe for years. I don’t even want to think about how many batches of brownies I’ve prepared, much alone consumed that calorie amount.

They have to meet the following criteria:

• prepared in a single dish
• created without the use of a hand or stand mixer (aff link)
• They’re fudgy but not so gooey that they’re heavy and crumbling.
• not sweet
• rich yet not too sweet
• stuffed with melty chocolate pockets
• cooked in a 913 pan but easily altered for an 88 pan

Putting on a batch of brownies was a lot of pressure, but it really paid off since I eventually got them to be everything I wanted. Calling these the ideal fudgy brownies sounded a bit arrogant, so I went with the greatest fudgy brownies instead.

They’re rich enough to pair with a glass of cold milk, but not so much that you become an immobile slug after completing a piece.

The taste has the perfect amount of sweetness to please your sweet craving.

They’re delicious at room temperature, but much better warmed up so the chocolate pockets go all melty and gooey.

What makes brownies fudgy?

Fudgy brownie recipes have less flour than cakey brownie recipes and more fat in the form of butter and chocolate. This mixture results in a thick, dense, and wet texture.

My desired fudgy brownie recipe begins with melted butter, eggs, and sugars, followed by the dry ingredients and chocolate chips. Also, I use two eggs instead of just one! All of the wetness.

To top it all off, we’re not overmixing the mixture or overbaking the brownies. You almost want to undermix and underbake the batter. Not much, just a bit less time for both than your instincts suggest.

It’s done when you poke a toothpick into the middle and get wet crumbs. But, if you obtain a completely dry toothpick, it signifies they’re overcooked. Oops!

What kind of pan should I use for baking brownies?

Let me begin by highlighting the importance of the baking pan. Truly. If you’ve ever cooked brownies from a boxed mix, you’ve definitely noticed that various baking temperatures and durations are specified depending on the kind of pan you’re using (usually calling out 88 metal pans vs. 88 glass pans). There are reasons for this, so let’s go through them briefly.

For the best results, bake brownies using a light colored metal baking pan or stoneware.

Since they are great heat conductors, these pans provide for the most uniform cooking. Personally, I like stoneware, although many individuals report uneven outcomes merely because of variances in how the stoneware was created (hand thrown vs. poured in a mold). To be safe, stick to light-colored pans until you’ve figured out how your pans function.

Why not a dark colored metal pan?

Dark metal pans, on the other hand, transfer heat more rapidly than light metal pans. You may be wondering, what’s the big deal if I eat brownies faster? A good point. Except that since they will bake faster, there is a greater risk of their overbaking and the edges scorching.

Fair enough. But what about glass pans?

Glass pans are insulators, which means they impede the passage of heat around your batter until it has heated up, and then they maintain that heat for far longer than metal or stoneware. In general, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 25 minutes (but how much longer can be tough to determine).

Thus brownies prepared in a glass pan take longer to bake, and it’s easy to overbake them since the middle takes longer to bake than the sides. This brings me to my next point.

Avoid the dreaded curled, tough brownie edges

There is another another reason to choose a light-colored baking pan or stoneware. Using these baking plates, the brownie edges will not climb up the sides of the pan and become rough and burned.

As previously stated, brownies cooked on a glass pan will cook the sides before the middle, resulting in tough, often charred edges. Your brownies should be even from the center to the borders, and stoneware is my personal preference for even baking in this recipe.

What kind of chocolate chips should I use?

I like dark chocolate, so I use a chopped 60% bittersweet chocolate baking bar or dark chocolate chips, but you may use anything you choose: semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or a mix of any of those.

Personally, I like a combination of chopped chocolate bar pieces that melt and chocolate chips that hold a little more of their structure.

Can I add nuts to this recipe?

2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans added at the same time as the chocolate chips for a little crunch. You certainly can! I would suggest adding one.

6 tips for making the perfect fudgy brownies

• Make it a one-bowl recipe by first melting your butter in a microwave-safe bowl on 50% power. Then just add the other ingredients, eliminating the need for a second dish or pot!
• Avoid overmixing. This is the very worst thing you could ever do to your brownies! They’ll be difficult, and you’ll be upset. So when the recipe says to mix until just incorporated, I mean it.
  If you find a single trace of flour, stop stirring and just leave it! It will take care of itself since you will be messing with the batter again when you pour it into the baking pan.
• And, don’t overbake. We’re not trying for cakey brownies, but rather rich and fudgy ones. But not fall apart; a spoon fudgy is required. There’s a delicate line between underdone and overcooked, so just keep an eye on them and know how your oven is tuned.

• Oil the pan, then line it with parchment paper, and then grease it again! Other from overmixing and overbaking, another bad issue is the brownies adhering to the pan. You want every last morsel of that batter because it is so delicious.
  I put nonstick spray in the pan and on the parchment paper, but you may also use shortening or butter. Another method that has worked well for me is to spray the pan with nonstick spray before coating it with cocoa powder.
• With this simple method, you can get clean slices every time. Let the brownies to cool fully before serving. I understand. Warm your knife in hot water, then dry with a towel before slicing over the pan in one continuous motion, wiping the knife clean between cuts.
  If necessary, rewarm and dry between cuts. It takes more time, but it’s definitely worth it for a beautiful look and even slices!
• Better yet, use a kickass pizza cutter (affiliate link)! My preferred method is to pull the brownies from the pan, set them on a cutting board, and cut them with a rolling pizza cutter (aff link). It’s large enough to cover the breadth and length of the bars, resulting in one continuous, even cut.

Want to make it in a 9×13″ pan?

Just double the recipe and you’re done. The brownies will be little less dense, but just as tasty. To learn more about how the volume and surface area of each pan matter, see this article on adapting recipes for various pan sizes.

Can I freeze brownies?

Sure thing! To freeze these brownies, bake them according to the package directions and cool thoroughly. Don’t cut them into bars; instead, cover them securely in plastic wrap, then foil, and store in a resealable plastic bag.

Freeze for up to 3 months, then bring to room temperature before cutting into squares to serve.