THE BEST Brownie Recipe I’ve Ever Made!

The other day, Truman asked me from the back of the car if he would have time to play Legos before dinner when we got home. I cheerfully said, “Absolutely!” And then there was this pause, and he said, very confused, “So…will there be time to play Legos?”

I laughed so hard. He was confused because, for some reason, I say the phrase “Absolutely not!” when my kids are in trouble or need reprimanding. I think they’ve picked up some unjustified negative connotations on the word “absolutely,” so he had no idea that I was trying to say “yes” in a happy and emphatic way.

Absolutely means, “with no qualification, restriction, or limitation; totally.” And I can say with fervency, guys, that these brownies are ABSOLUTELY the best ones to ever come out of my kitchen, or, dare I say, to cross my lips.

Everyone’s got a homemade brownie recipe, right? They are just an American classic. Even the boxed brownie mixes are okay. I mean, they are nothing to write home about, but in a pinch, a brownie is still a brownie, right?

I mean, it’s chocolate and sugar, it’s going to taste delicious even if you mess them up or use a subpar recipe. It’s like pizza. Even when it’s bad, it’s good. (Have you ever bought a Little Caesars Hot and Ready intended for kids only, but then you end up eating half the box? Guilty.)

But I say if you’re going to make brownies, you should go all in. Don’t waste your time or calories on brownies that don’t make you want to shout hallelujah.

Why this is the best brownie recipe

I will tell you the secret: BROWNED BUTTER.

It is the best way to take brownies from “wow, these brownies are so good” to “OH MY GOSH WHAT IS THIS MAGIC.” And the awesome news is that it’s not even hard to do this. We’re not using any special ingredients. We’re not dirtying half a sink full of pots and bowls.

It’s a one-pot brownie recipe that is so gooey and fudgy and deep in flavor, you will be nervous that it is so dangerously simple to make. You can have these in the oven in 15 minutes flat.

Browned butter typically lends a nutty, almost toffee-like flavor to whatever you add it to. But this recipe is a little different. Chocolate is such a strong flavor (and there is so much of it!), that these brownies do not have that toffee-ish flavor. Instead, the browned butter serves to deepen the chocolate flavor.

I don’t like to add espresso to my baked goods, but I know that it adds depth to chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee. Browned butter does the same thing. It makes the brownies rich and deep. And it’s SO easy. The best brownie recipes always call for melted butter anyway, so just…carry on a bit until it turns brown. You will not regret it!

Brownie ingredients

The most important ingredient is the chocolate.  First, make sure your chocolate chips are high-quality! Any name brand you actually recognize is a solid choice here: Nestlé, Ghirardelli, Lindt, Guittard. This is not the time for mystery chocolate from the bottom shelf. Generic brands tend to be waxy and sad, and your brownies deserve better. Treat them right. 

You´ll also need unsweetened baking chocolate. This is the backbone of truly rich, fudgy brownies. Using unsweetened chocolate gives you control over the sweetness and ensures that the deep, chocolatey flavor shines through. Sweetened chocolate? It’ll throw off your balance and can make your brownies cloying or flat. Trust me—real chocolate, no sugar added, is non-negotiable.

I already know what you are thinking: What can I substitute if I don’t have unsweetened chocolate?

This recipe requires either unsweetened baking chocolate or cocoa powder. I tested these four different times, alternating between unsweetened baking chocolate and cocoa powder. But on my first test, I accidentally used a bar of semi-sweet chocolate instead of unsweetened. It was waaay too sweet. Don’t be like me. Get yourself some unsweetened baking chocolate. Baker’s brand is best.

As for the semi-sweet chocolate chips, you can swap them out for milk chocolate or dark chocolate, no prob. (Dark chocolate is goooood.) Or go to town and try Rolos or Reese’s peanut butter cups, because YES. 

One more note about flour. If you can’t do gluten, you´ll be happy to know that a 1:1 gluten-free baking mix works perfectly in place of the flour. Hooray! 

For the full list of ingredients, check out the full recipe card below. 

Common brown butter brownie mistakes (and how to avoid them)

Let’s talk about why your brownies might not be living up to their full glory, and then we’ll fix it. 

First, make sure you are actually browning the butter long enough to turn nutty. If you don’t, that’s going to create lava-like, too-wet brownies. Let that butter get nutty and golden.

Second, using semi-sweet instead of unsweetened chocolate will throw off the balance and make them cloyingly sweet. Stick to the real deal. 

Third, cutting brownies too soon will make them collapse in despair. Patience, people. These brownies need to cool and set. 

And finally, over-mixing the flour turns what should be fudgy perfection into tough, sad brown rectangles. Follow these tips, and you’ll have the best brownies of your life.

How to store brownies

Brownies never last long at my house. Maybe it’s because every time I walk past the kitchen, I grab a “little” taste…and I walk past the kitchen about 100 times a day. To properly store brownies, you can put a lid on the pan or cover with foil. You can also cut them into squares and pop them in a zip-top bag in the freezer (as if that would keep them safe from me).

If you have more self-control than I do, they’ll stay fresh for 3–4 days at room temperature or up to 2–3 months in the freezer. 

Freezing brownies is easy, but you have to do it right so they stay fudgy. First, let them cool completely, then cut them into squares and wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and then cover with foil or pop them in a zip-top freezer bag. This double-wrap keeps freezer burn away and helps preserve the flavor. When you’re ready to eat, either thaw at room temperature for a few hours or warm gently in the oven for that fresh-baked feel. 

Pro tip: if you freeze the brownies in squares individually, you can pull out just what you need!

Best brownies recipe FAQs

I’ve been making these homemade brownies for many years now, and I get so many requests for the recipe. I just gave leftovers from this batch you see in the photos to a friend of mine, and she texted me a few hours later that her husband was going on about the brownies and needed the recipe. I promise, it will not let you down. Everyone needs a go-to brownie recipe, and this one should be yours!

I only have one other brownie recipe that I make on the regular: Nana’s Famous Fudge Brownies. They do not have browned butter, but there is fudge frosting involved, meaning they are ultra decadent. I love them, but the frosting is necessary in my opinion, and I don’t always want frosted brownies. I need those crackly tops in my life. Only these browned butter brownies will do when the need for a classic brownie strikes.