The Best Chewy Brownies from Scratch – Slightly crispy edge with a chewy center and a rich chocolate flavor, these brownies from scratch are going to be your new favorite!
The Best Brownie Recipe
Truth be told, my favorite brownie has always been the Ghirardelli dark chocolate box mix. I’m not even ashamed to admit it. They are the perfect balance of rich, dark chocolate flavor, with a chewy but not overly fudgy center.
I love them so much that I decided to search for a homemade version that would compare… but the search left me empty handed. I tried dozens of brownie recipes and none of them were quite right.
So, I recently decided to work on my own recipe to create a homemade brownie recipe that gave me the flavor and texture I was looking for. And while these aren’t the perfect replica of the box mix, I’m super happy with how they turned out.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to make the best homemade brownies that are just as easy, rich, and delicious as any box mix. Whether you’re craving that perfect balance of fudginess and chewiness or simply want a brownie that’s deeply chocolatey, this recipe will hit the mark every time.
Why Homemade?
Boxed brownie mixes are popular for a reason—they’re convenient, quick, and almost always deliver a consistent result. But there are some real advantages to going homemade:
- Control Over Ingredients: You get to skip the preservatives and control the quality of the ingredients.
- Customizable: You can tweak the flavor, texture, and even add-ins to suit your preference.
- Satisfaction: There’s something extra satisfying about creating something delicious from scratch!
What Makes Boxed Brownies So Good?
Box mixes rely on specific ingredients to create that perfect texture and flavor. Some key elements include:
- Cocoa powder: For a deep, chocolatey flavor.
- Oil: It gives brownies that rich, moist texture.
- Sugar and flour: These are perfectly balanced in box mixes to give structure without sacrificing moisture.
The goal is to replicate this with your homemade version while keeping the process as simple as possible. Let’s get to it!
The Best Chewy Brownies from Scratch
This homemade chewy brownies recipe has a rich chocolate flavor thanks to the combination of melted chocolate and cocoa powder, as well as semi-sweet chocolate chips. They get their chewy texture from the brown sugar (no granulated sugar)
Ingredients for Brownies from Scratch
- Unsalted butter
- Bittersweet chocolate chips – I like THIS brand, but any good-quality bittersweet chocolate will work
- Light brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- All-purpose flour
- Dark cocoa powder – I like THIS brand
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
NOTE: good quality chocolate enhances the flavor and texture of the brownies
How to Make Brownies from Scratch
- Melt the butter and bittersweet chocolate over the stove You can also do this in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl. Stir until smooth.
- With the same bowl, stir in the brown sugar, followed by the eggs and vanilla.
- Sift in the flour, cocoa, and salt.
- Fold in the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.
- Top with Maldon salt, optional
Customizing Your Brownies
Once you’ve mastered this base recipe, feel free to experiment! Here are a few ideas to make them your own:
- Swirl in peanut butter or Nutella
- Add M&Ms and peanut butters
- Use mint extra and mint chocolate chips
Video Tutorial
Happy Baking!
With this recipe, you can say goodbye to the box mix without sacrificing that irresistible flavor and texture. Homemade brownies can be just as quick, simple, and delicious—and they come with the added bonus of knowing exactly what goes into them.
Happy baking! Let me know how your brownies turn out or if you’ve found any amazing customizations to add!
Chewy Brownies from Scratch
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (88.5 g) good quality dark chocolate cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (180 g) bittersweet chocolate chips
- 2 cups (440 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons (8.4 g) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (180 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium size saucepan, melt the butter and the bittersweet chocolate chips until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar to the butter and stir until smooth.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring well between each addition.
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture and stir until no streaks of flour remain.
- Fold in ¾ cup of the semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining semi-sweet chocolate chips on top.
- Bake the brownies for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow the brownies to cool for about 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Loved these! maybe a tiny bit too greasy(?) for me, but oh my god they’re so good!! I didn’t have enough cocoa powder so I just prayed they’d still turn out good and they did!! Courtney never fails me
I’ve never tried the box mix so I can’t speak to authenticity, but my whole family loved this recipe! We love a chewy brownie & this one did not disappoint! One problem I sometimes run into with brownie recipes is they are undercooked at the stated cook time on the recipe but these got to the perfect brownie temp of 200-220F in the stated time. One tip I have learned over the years is to cook in metal vs glass for better heat conduction to the middle. I think this recipe may just replace my old one!
One question, did you try this recipe with oil vs butter? What difference did it make?
If I can’t find bittersweet chocolate chips, can I use dark chocolate chips instead?
Yes
These brownies are perfect: thick, fudgy, soft, rich, and easy!
Will be my go-to brownie recipe from now on! I took them to a party and everyone was raving about them!
So happy you loved them!
If I wanted to put this in round cake pans instead, would I pour the whole batch into 1 or could I use 2 pans?
Yes, because this is enough batter for a 9×13 pan you could use 2 8-inch cake rounds.