Anything-But-Basic Fudge Brownies

March 19, 2021lindsaynewman120

So you know those fall-back recipes that you just keep coming back to time and again? Well this is mine. Of all the fancy desserts out there in the world, nothing makes me happier than a really, really good brownie (except maybe a really good brownie with ice cream…). This is far and away the best brownie recipe I’ve found.

I recently watched an episode of The Great British Baking Show where they had fudge brownies as the challenge for the signature bake. Everyone tried doing all these fancy things to their brownies, but at the end of the day, all Paul Hollywood wanted was a delicious, no-frills, fudgy brownie—and no one delivered. Well these brownies, my friends, would have earned a Paul Hollywood handshake. This fudge brownie recipe is not anything fancy, but in my opinion a really good brownie doesn’t have to be fancy (nor should it be!).

This easy brownie recipe has been in my family for longer than I can remember. When I got to college and I saw my roommates making brownies for a box, I was genuinely confused. I had never once in my life made brownies from a mix (cake, yes; brownies, no). But why would I when I already had the best brownie recipe right at my fingertips?

Ok I’ll admit, by the time I graduated college I’d made brownies from a box once or twice (cheap, quick, and satisfying). But back then it was a means to an end. Homemade brownies are relatively easy and so much more delicious than their boxed counterparts. I promise you once you’ve tried this recipe, you’ll never pick up a mix again (or any other brownie recipe for that matter!).

How to make this homemade brownie recipe is simple: you’ll need 3 separate bowls.

In the largest, you’ll melt the butter and whisk in the cocoa powder. For cocoa powder, I love the Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa Powder, and that’s my go-to for most of my chocolate recipes. I’ve used some really expensive cocoa powders before (and they are truly delicious), but this one is a good inexpensive option with a similarly satisfying result.

In a second bowl, you’ll whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder).

Then in the third bowl, you’ll combine the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extra. Then you’ll take turns adding the flour mixture and the egg mixture to the cocoa mixture until everything is smooth.

Lastly, just fold in the chocolate chips, dump it in the pan, and enjoy delicious homemade brownies in just 30 minutes.

Also a note on the chocolate chips: the recipe calls for semi-sweet chocolate chips, and that’s typically what I like to use. But you can switch up this fudge brownie recipe by swapping in any chips you’d like: milk chocolate chips, peanut butter chips (which I’ve done… SO good!), white chocolate chips, maybe a mixture of different types of chocolate chips. You really can’t go wrong, so feel free to get creative!