If you've ever bitten into a brownie that was dry or too cakey, you know how disappointing it can be. These Easy Fudgy Brownies are the exact opposite: rich, gooey, and loaded with chocolate flavor in every bite. The best part? They can be ready in 30 minutes with simple pantry ingredients and no fancy equipment.
This is the brownie recipe I reach for every single time. They're chewy at the edges, gooey in the middle, with shiny, crackly tops that make them look bakery-worthy! Loaded with melty chunks of chocolate and finished with a sprinkle of flaky salt, they're the kind of treat that makes you forget about store-bought brownie mixes!
If you love brownies as much as I do, make sure to check out my Cherry Brownies, Ferrero Rocher Brownies, or Skillet Brownie next!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- They have the perfect texture. These brownies are chewy at the edges, gooey in the middle, with shiny, crackly tops. These Cheesecake Swirled Brownies have a similar texture with some added creaminess!
- Fudgy brownies have a rich chocolate flavor that is complemented by the salt sprinkled on top. My Chocolate Filled Cookies give you that chocolate punch too!
- This quick brownie recipe can be ready in 30 minutes. Just like my Brownie Mix Cookies.
- They are made with simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand and are extremely beginner friendly. My Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread is great for beginners too!
What Makes Brownies Fudgy?
- More fat than flour. Using more butter than flour gives the brownies that extra gooey texutre.
- No leaveners. We're skipping the baking powder and baking soda, which would help the brownies to rise and make them cakey.
- Minimal mixing. You want to mix until everything is just combined so we create as little gluten as possible.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Cocoa powder and chocolate work together to give you maximum chocolate flavor. I also use both in my favorite Brownie Pie.
- Brown sugar adds moisture for fudgier, softer brownies while also adding more flavor than white sugar would. It use it in place of white sugar in my Banana Donuts too.
- Melted unsalted butter will add flavor, moisture, and give us those perfect shiny, crackly tops. This Skillet Brownie has the same shiny top.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
- There are endless variations of brownies and you can find many of them in my brownie recipes!
- These brownies can be made dairy-free by substituting dairy-free butter or oil. I have a full dairy-free brownie recipe you can reference.
- Stir in some chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds for nutty brownies. I use pecans in these Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies.
- Swirl peanut butter into the batter before baking. PB is the star in my Peanut Butter Lava Cakes.
- Add instant espresso powder to the batter before baking to boost the chocolate flavor. I use the same technique in my Chocolate Black Bean Cupcakes.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Step-By-Step Instructions
STEP 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F). Spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and then lay thick strips of parchment paper across the bottom of the pan in a cross shape.
STEP 2: In a medium bowl combine the melted butter and brown sugar. When fully combined add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until fully combined and light in color.
STEP 3: In a small bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and remove any lumps
STEP 4: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
STEP 5: Fold the chocolate into the mixture and pour it into the prepared baking dish.
STEP 6: Bake the brownies for 17-20 minutes. Bake for 5 minutes longer if you want the brownies to be more firm.
STEP 7: Remove the gooey fudgy brownies from oven and allow to cool.
Expert Tips
- Add chunks of chocolate on top before baking for gooey puddles of chocolate.
- Sprinkle the brownies with flaky sea salt before serving.
- Use an oven thermometer. Most ovens run either hot or cold.
- Weigh your ingredients for accuracy (especially flour).
- Don't over mix. You need to mix your batter until all of the ingredients are JUST combined, otherwise, you will make too much gluten and your brownies will be more like cake instead of fudgy.
Recipe FAQ's
A higher ratio of fat (the butter and chocolate) and minimal mixing. A cakier brownie uses more flour and usually a leavener.
You either added too much flour (this is why I recommend weighing your ingredients), over baked the brownies, or mixed them too much. It's important to only mix enough to incorporate the ingredients, otherwise too much gluten is created and it can make the brownies tough.
Room Temperature: The brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
Refrigerator: If stored correctly in an airtight container this Gooey Fudgy Brownies Recipe will last up to 1 week in the fridge.
Freezer: If stored correctly in an airtight container they will last up to 2 months in the freezer.
More Recipes You'll Love
If you tried these Easy Fudgy Brownies or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I so appreciate hearing from you!
Recipe
Easy Fudgy Brownies
Ingredients
For Brownies:
- 12 tablespoons (170 grams) unsalted butter melted
- 1 ¼ cup (266 grams) brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (90 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (42 grams) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (170 grams) chocolate chopped
Instructions
For Brownies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and then lay thick strips of parchment paper across the bottom of the pan in a cross shape. This will make it easier to lift the brownies out of the pan once cooled.
- In a medium bowl combine the melted butter and brown sugar. When fully combined add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until fully combined and light in color.
- In a small bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and remove any lumps.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Overmixing will create tough brownies.
- Fold the chocolate into the mixture and pour into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake the brownies for 17-20 minutes, longer if you would like a firmer brownie
- Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Notes
- The provided nutrition information is an estimate. The calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.
- Add chunks of chocolate on top before baking. This will give you those incredible puddles of chocolate on top of the fudgy brownies.
-
Christine says
Waaayyy too wet and falls apart. Leaves a very oily sheen on your fingers when you pick it up.
I cooked it way longer than the recipe suggests but its still falling apart. It tastes cook but not structurally sound at all.
Ann says
This recipe looks really promising among all the ones I've spent hours researching and I really wanna give it a try but I only have a 9x9 inch and 10x10 inch pan, could I ask how you would alter the recipe for either pan size? Thank you
Ellie Haley says
You would make the recipe exactly the same, just adjust the baking time a bit! They won't need to bake as long because they will be more spread out, so just start checking them sooner.
Bella says
I made chocolate sauce to go on these and excluded the chocolate chunks and they were amazing!
Ellie Haley says
Oooooh I love the idea of the chocolate sauce!
Ellie says
I wonder if I need packed brown sugar or loose brown sugar. what did you use for this recipe? It would be good to write specific kinds of ingredients for readers.
trying this out this valentines!
Ellie Haley says
It is packed. I'll be sure to update the recipe to reflect that. Thanks for pointing it out!
kyah says
it was easy to follow, and well written. and they tased amazing. I would highly recommend this recipe
Ellie Haley says
Love! Thank you!
Hira says
Amazing this is my go to Brownie recipe everytime however this time I added melted chocolate to the mix aswell excited to see how it turns out!!
Ellie Haley says
I would love to know how this went!
Laura says
Theyre more like cake brownies than fudgy
Beth says
The ONLY way that is true is if you overmixed them or overbaked them. The recipe makes a FUDGEY brownie everytime for me
Angela says
This is a great recipe, perfect combo of chewy and flavor!! I only had chocolate chips on hand and substituted them for the chocolate chunks.
Ellie Haley says
I'm glad you enjoyed them!
Diana says
I haven’t made this recipe yet, but I am looking for a 9 x 13 recipe. Could this be altered at all?
Ellie Haley says
If you're going to make it in a 9x13 pan I would double the recipe and it will probably need some additional baking time. I would just add 5 minutes at a time until they reach your desired doneness.