The ULTIMATE recipe for brownies! These handmade brownies have a deep chocolate taste, crispy rims, and fudgy middles that will make them go quickly.
Read More: baking
I searched for a brownie recipe that satisfied me for years, but I was never able to discover one. I always wanted my homemade brownies to be fudgy, moist, and chocolatey, with crispy edges and crackly tops, much like the brownies I had as a child. The truth is, though, that there was no recipe for these brownies. Every time, we created them out of a box. Even though I like baking from scratch more these days, no brownie recipe I’ve attempted could compare to the chocolate brownies of my youth.
Thus, I was drawn to Michelle Lopez’s recipe for Boxed Mix Brownies, From Scratch, as I was leafing through her new book, Weeknight Baking, this autumn. Would it ever be possible for me to bake brownies from scratch that tasted as good as those in a box?
The decision is in: indeed! Ever since I tasted this brownie recipe, I’ve been making it often. It’s little more difficult than using a mix, and it just requires staple pantry goods. The brownies, on the other hand, are pure bliss—they’re fudgy, glossy, and bursting with flavorful chocolate. I promise you’ll want to make them right now!
Checking out Weeknight Baking is another thing you should do right away! There are so many delicious dishes in this book that are perfect for hectic weeknights. Every recipe includes creative variants (I’m eyeing the matcha snickerdoodles) and advice on how to bake more effectively. Michelle has years of experience managing her blog, Hummingbird High, and a 9–5 job. She is an expert at baking while managing a hectic schedule. “We’re all doing the best we can with what we have,” the author writes. And any night of the week that works for you, I’ll assist you bake. This book is perfect for everyone who enjoys baking.
Ingredients for a Homemade Brownie Recipe
Let’s get back to Michelle’s brownie recipe! Michelle adds chocolate chips, all-purpose flour, salt, and granulated sugar to make it taste like (or better than) the boxed mix. She then includes these essential components:
Michelle uses two eggs and a small amount of water to make brownies that are gooey and moist without the use of expensive emulsifiers. Additionally, eggs are necessary to help the brownies puff up in the oven because baking powder is not called for in this recipe.
The secret to creating brownies from scratch that taste just like ones from a box is powdered sugar! Cornstarch, an ingredient in powdered sugar, thickens the batter without the need of artificial additions like those in mixes.
Hershey’s Special Dark Dutch-processed cocoa powder (I used Whole Foods’ 365 Cocoa Powder) is Michelle’s recommendation for unsweetened cocoa powder. It should be sifted if it is lumpy.
Oil: Michelle’s brownie recipe asks for canola oil, same like the boxed mix, although many brownie recipes call for unsalted butter. I use olive oil since I always have it on hand and because I adore its flavor.
Vanilla Extract: A half-tsp vanilla significantly enhances the flavor of chocolate.
How to Make Nut-Free Brownies
In two different dishes, combine the wet and dry ingredients first. In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and salt. Next, in a large bowl, mix together the eggs, water, and olive oil.
The wet and dry materials should then be combined. After sprinkling the dry ingredients on top of the wet, fold it in until barely incorporated. There will be a lot of batter!
Next, transfer the mixture onto a parchment paper-lined 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Spread it evenly over the pan’s four edges and level the top with a rubber spatula. It’s okay if the mixture will be quite thick.
And lastly, have some baking! Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake the pan for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out slightly crumbs attached. Let cool fully before slicing and serving the brownies. Have fun!
Any leftovers can be kept for up to three days at room temperature in an airtight container. They freeze well for up to one month as well. When I prepared them the last time, I doubled the recipe and put the extras in the freezer. Having them available for a simple and fast afternoon snack or dessert was a lot of fun!
The Greatest Brownie Recipe Advice
Better brownies = better chocolate chips. Using large, premium chocolate chips is one of the key ingredients to consistently delicious brownies, according to Michelle in her book. Enjoy Life’s Dark Chocolate Morsels are my favorite, while Ghiradelli’s 60% Cacao Bittersweet Baking Chips are her recommendation. This dish would be wonderful with either brand!
It is preferable to remove them too soon rather than keep them in too long. When preparing this recipe, err on the side of caution because nobody like dry brownies. Bake them until a toothpick put into them comes out mostly clean of crumbs. Remove them from the oven even if you’re not sure you should. When they cool, they will keep becoming firmer!
Hold off until they cool. Make every effort not to gobble these fellows right out of the oven. They get gooier and fudgier and are less prone to collapse when sliced if you let them cool. They will also taste even more chocolatey. I promise it will be worth the wait!
Ingredients
1/2 cup of sugar, granulated
1/3 cup of flour for all purposes
1/3 cup cocoa powder, if lumpy, sifted
Half a cup of powdered sugar, if lumpy, sifted
Half a cup of chips made of dark chocolate
one and a half tablespoons sea salt
Two big eggs
**1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
two tsp water
one-half teaspoon of vanilla
Guidelines
Set oven temperature to 325°F. Apply a thin layer of cooking spray to an 8×8 baking dish (do not use a 9×9 dish as the brownies will overbake) and cover it with parchment paper. Give the parchment paper a quick spray.
Mix the sugar, flour, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
Whisk the eggs, water, vanilla, and olive oil in a large basin.
After sprinkling the dry mixture over the wet mixture, stir just until blended.
The batter will be thick, but that’s okay. Pour it into the prepared pan and level the top with a spatula. Bake for 40 to 48 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a word of caution: it’s best to remove the brownies from the oven sooner rather than later). Allow to cool fully before slicing.*** For up to three days, keep at room temperature in an airtight container. They freeze nicely as well!