Ina’s Outrageous Brownies
These brownies are the brainchild of Ina Garten – huge, wonderfully rich and complete with tons of chopped walnuts!
I first made Ina Garten’s outrageous brownies recipe only a few short months after I launched this website; I had originally halved the recipe and I’ve been wanting to make the full recipe for some time now. Something about an entire half sheet pan of brownies sounded way too good to pass up. Mission accomplished!
At the time, I had read so many crazy wonderful things about this recipe on cooking and baking forums that I frequented and these outrageous brownies in no way disappointed. They are super rich, packed with chocolate and include a substantial amount of chopped walnuts for good measure.
You may have a slight heart attack when you read the ingredients below, so let me prepare you…
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Yes, this recipe calls for one pound of butter PLUS one pound of chocolate PLUS six eggs.
These brownies are rich, and the half sheet pan makes an enormous amount of brownies. While Ina’s recipe calls for cutting this recipe into 20 large brownies, I think that’s a bit overkill (even for me). You can easily get anywhere from two dozen to 40 brownies depending on how you decide to cut them.
Last but not least, definitely refrigerate these! They transform from really soft brownies to firmer, fudge-like brownies and you can really appreciate the addition of the chocolate chips when they are chilled. The refrigeration is definitely not optional as far as I’m concerned!
Grab a glass of milk and dig in!
One year ago: Pumpkin Pie
Two years ago: Dill Sandwich Pickles
Six years ago: Baby Onesie Sugar Cookies
Ina's Outrageous Brownies
Ingredients
- 16 ounces (453.59 g) unsalted butter
- 16 ounces (453.59 g) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 6 ounces (170.1 g) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
- 2¼ cups (450 g) granulated sugar
- 6 extra-large eggs, or 7 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups (156.25 g) all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (351 g) chopped walnuts
- 12 ounces (340.2 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13x18-inch rimmed half sheet pan (or grease and line with parchment paper).
- Place the butter, semisweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl and microwave on 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until completely melted and smooth. (Alternately, you can also melt the butter and chocolates in a double boiler on the stovetop). Allow to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla with a wooden spoon. Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.
- In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture and stir gently with the wooden spoon until mostly combined. In a medium bowl, toss the walnuts and chocolate chips with the remaining ¼ cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter and stir until totally incorporated. Pour into the baking sheet and spread into an even layer.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool thoroughly, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and cut into 20 large squares. Leftover brownies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on October 9, 2007.
I’m dying to try this recipe… but does it exist in metric or imperial measurements? I’m in London and have no idea how big one of the “cups” might be! :O
I just updated it with metric measurements where cups are listed. I’ve been doing this on new recipes, but am still working on getting all of the old ones done!
Please email Ina Garten’s brownie recipe to me. I love good and easyrecipes for cookies and bars.
By mistake I melted all the chocolate chips…. 1 pound Plus 12 Ozs. Plus 4 ozs.of unsweetened squares plus 1 pound butter. Have I ruined the recipe? I am letting the chocolate cool. Hope you can up help me!
How do I make this recipe more “cake like”? Do I add more flour and less chocolate and butter? I don’t know. You tell me.
Hi Matthew, Honestly, this recipe is nowhere even close to cake-like, so I would recommend looking for a cakey brownie recipe. I think you would have more success. I don’t have any on the site, as I definitely prefer the fudge-like brownies.
These just came out of my oven, and I’m having a really big challenge in allowing them to cool before sampling “just 1″ ;) I do have a question: the recipe says 1 tablespoon of baking powder, and one of the first few comments questioned that amount, to which you replied 1.5 teaspoons . . . I’m not sure which amount should be used, but I decided to go with the lesser amount (since you don’t have a helpline to call ;) ). Judging by the way these look once baked, I think the 1.5 teaspoons is sufficient, but I don’t know since I haven’t cut into them. Also, I baked mine in a 9x13x1” pan, which I lined with parchment paper. I think that’s a good sized pan for this recipe as written, but I would highly recommend using parchment to line the pan as it seemed to keep what would have been a slight spill-over of batter in the pan. So . . . which is the correct amount of baking powder to use, and what about pan size? Thanks, Michelle!
Hi Michelle, So I had originally posted this as a halved recipe and then updated it. For the half recipe, 1.5 teaspoons was correct; for the full recipe you need the 1 tablespoon as indicated. The correct pan for the recipe as written above is a 13×18; if you make a half batch, then a 9×13 will work.
You forgot the coffee powder!
I don’t use it :)
I hope you try it with it. It definitely elevates the taste.
I have a pan with the interior dimensions of 19.5 x 13.63 x 1 inches. Do you think that will work? If so, should I use the same cook time? Thanks!
Hi Amanda, That’s a smidge larger, but it should still work. You may need to reduce the baking time a bit.
As any consistent viewer of the Barefoot Contessa Cooking show knows THIS is the brownie recipe Ina used to “court” Jeffrey when he was away in college and the military. Now any GOOD woman knows there are two ways to a man’s heart and although the one way works well in the short term, THIS (meaning incredible food) is the way to capture the attention of any GOOD man and keep it for life. And trust me, You NEVER want a man who doesn’t appreciate GOOD cooking. For those single ladies out there, it may be an old fashioned idea but baking and cooking for a man STILL works wonders if you want to capture his attention and KEEP it. Men like women who are good at the “other” route you can take to capture his attention and keep him entertained. He can have a LOT of fun with a person like that. But despite what many might tell you, ESPECIALLY the big, tough, tattooed, redneck, guys (they can be the biggest softies at times), when it comes time to choose the one they will MARRY it will be the one who can cook, bake and the one they can be proud to take home to Mama. Don’t let the men fool you, many times they’re far more old-fashioned about these things than most women. And the mother’s, they’re the worst of all. Even here in the 21st you STILL have to prove yourself to a guy’s mother if she’s going to reluctantly and even a little graciously give up “her little boy” to you. If you feed him THESE brownies he’s going to go to bat for YOU to convince “Mom”. you’re incredible You may laugh at this but you would be surprised at how true so much of these old-fashioned ideas and values still are and still exist. I’ve learned in my 50+ years people do a lot of talking big and have a lot of modern excuses and crazy ideas, but when it comes right down to it most still want all of those old-fashion things to happen that they heard their grandmothers and mothers talk about all of their lives. All I can tell you is that if these brownies were good enough for Jeffrey Garten, they’re good enough for YOUR man.
VERY funny and TRUE:) I baked chocolate chip cookies for my guy after our second date and we have been together for 40 years:) and yes, I am still baking for him:)
My mouth is drooling looking at these, but would cut recipe in half, 3 c. walnuts, added on to the amounts of butter and chocolate, would make a smaller batch so I could still indulge.
Hi Michelle! Do the brownies turn out well if omitting the walnuts? I am not a fan and my dad is allergic, so I normally leave any nuts out of my baking.
Hi Hannah, Yes, you could definitely make these without the walnuts!
Do you have the halved recipe up still? I can’t find it anymore.
Hi Abby, No I do not, please note at the bottom of the recipe I provide a link to the halved recipe on another site that is the exact same one I had previously posted.
These are definitely a brownie to remember!
I agree. I’ve made these a number of times. They are incredibly delicious, and the chill time is a must.
Halving Ina’s recipes always brings out my inner geek…trying to substitute large eggs for extra large is trying enough…but to substitute an odd number of extra large eggs sounds impossible…Michelle how many large eggs did u use when you halved this recipe?
Hi Deepa, I used 3!
These have been my go to Brownies for several years now. They are always a huge hit. I usually halve the recipe, and I don’t add the coffee that her original recipe called for. I agree- these are best when chilled
I’ve made these before, but it’s been several years. I do remember that they were really good, but then I got on a Baked Brownie kick and have been using that recipe ever since. I’ve been meaning to bake them side by side and compare. I know you are a Baked Brownie fan as well, so which one do you like best?
Hi Erin, I was actually thinking that I should bake up a batch of the Baked brownies for a comparison, you read my mind! They taste VERY similar!
OMG! The first heart attack comes when you read the recipe, the second heart attack comes after you eat these!!! I am all for occasional indulgences but (IMHO) this recipe is a bit ridiculous!!!
Hi Lynn, Keep in mind that this makes an entire half sheet pan of brownies. If you cut them the same size you would cut, say, a 9×13 pan, you’re talking more like close to 4 dozen brownies.
OK, I think I’m a little confused. HALVING the recipe uses a 9″x13″ size pan?
What would you use for a full batch then? A cookie sheet size pan? I guess I don’t know what a “half sheet” is?
Thanks! ?
Hi Lynn, See step #1 in the recipe above – a half sheet pan is 13×18.
These sounds like the ultimate brownies! They seem like a chocolate overload! Would it be terrible if I made this and used less chocolate?
Hi Jiselle, You could omit the chocolate chips if you’d like, but I wouldn’t adjust the chocolate in the actual brownie, as doing so would throw the texture off.
These look like pure decadence! Ina is my cooking/baking hero. Love watching her, learning from her, and making her recipes. When you’re in breakfast mode, try her overnight yeasted Belgian waffles. They are SO good. Love that they are to mixed up the night before and sit on the counter overnight and in the morning they’re ready to go to the waffle iron. I don’t have a Belgian waffler, so just use my normal waffle iron. I need to make cookies today for a function this weekend – wonder if brownies just might “have” to be substituted ;)
When you make a half recipe, what size of pan do you use?
Thanks.
9×13
In the post you mention that there is a pound of chocolate. I just looked at the recipe and it seems that there is over 2 pounds. Wow! They would have to be good:)
I stand corrected :)
Love Ina, but have never made these brownies. If I were to make them I’d omit the chocolate chips. I am not a huge chocolate fan. I’m aware that this i snot normal. :-)
These brownies are outrageous in the most decadent way possible! I love the number of eggs, butter and chocolate used! I can only imagine how deliciously fudgy these will be! Yum!
Thank you for reposting this, new photos, and for making me yearn for the day when I ‘need’ a half sheet pan of brownies to happen!
Looks delicious I love brownies!
xoxoBella | http://xoxobella.com
Made these last night. Baked them for 27 minutes. Cooled on counter and then in trudge. Tried to cut too early and the first one crumbled. Left in ftidge for a couple of hours. Then cut easily. Will definitely make again. Thinking about adding caramel bits and chopped pecans for a turtle brownie.
I make these wonderful brownies all the time with the original recipe and in the large pan. Never seem to have any leftovers. I do frost them tho, with a White Russian buttercream and just because we can, mini chocolate chips (for color!) on top. Great for cutting and bagging for giveaways…add a ribbon and make it pretty. My favorite part is the crispy edge…
Sally D
White Russian buttercream? Do share!! Sounds fabulous!!
I baked these but they came out crumbley
These are hands down the best brownies I’ve ever made. I make them for every occasion and am often asked for the recipe. Cool in the fridge before cutting – critical, otherwise you get nothing but big crumbs. For variety, instead of nuts I’ve added peanut butter cups, white chocolate chunks, mint chips… just be sure to account for the space these things take up, or your oven will need a major cleaning from the overflow. :)
DO NOT leave out the coffee! You don’t actually taste it , it just bring out the chocolate flavour and takes these brownies to another level!! (I’ve made them with and without coffee – I don’t like coffee, but will never make it without again)
I saw that ingredient on the half recipe and wondered about it. I think I’ll put it in when I make them. Thanks for the tip!