The Baked Brownie
The Baked Brownie! Totally famous and for good reason – they are rich, dense, fudge-like brownies; you’ll never need another brownie recipe!
The famed Baked brownie. Oprah says it’s one of her favorite things. America’s Test Kitchen claims it’s their favorite brownie.
I don’t put much stock in Oprah, but America’s Test Kitchen is pretty much like the bible to me when it comes to all things kitchen. I check their reviews before any other recipes, and before I buy any kitchen equipment or new ingredients. So, if it’s their favorite brownie, I need to take a serious look.
If you haven’t treated yourself to the beauty that is the Baked cookbook, run, don’t walk, to Amazon and order it immediately. The Baked series is one of my most coveted groups of cookbooks – they have incredibly wonderful recipes, many that have a cozy, homey feel as well as some that have unique tweaks. I could go on about all of the amazing recipes in this book, but for now, let’s focus on these brownies. Because they deserve it. They are one of my favorite things. And I usually need to hide them from myself.
There is a great explanation in the book about how the Baked brownie recipe came to be, which is a great read. The key is that they don’t want it to be cakey, so they use no leavening agents (no baking powder or baking soda). With 11 ounces of chocolate, additional cocoa powder, lots of butter and sugar, and 5 eggs, you don’t need me to tell you that these babies are R-I-C-H.
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This is quite possibly the most perfect brownie. Now, if you like cakey brownies you won’t think so. But, if you like honest-to-goodness, rich and dense brownies, you will have found your Eden when you bite into these.
They have a good bit of height given that they don’t have any leavening agents, so they aren’t thin, gooey and smooshed like some brownies (this is a good thing). They have substance and heft when you bite into them, and they boast the ever-elusive and much sought after thin, crackly brownie crust that seems to be the calling card of amazing brownies.
Now, get thee into the kitchen and make these! Then pour yourself a tall glass of cold milk and enjoy bite after decadent bite.
Three years ago: Toasted Almond Fudge Ripple Ice Cream
Four years ago: Coconut Cream Pie
The Baked Brownie
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (156.25 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, natural or Dutch-process will work
- 11 ounces (311.85 g) dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, optional
- 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 g) packed light brown sugar
- 5 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13-inch glass or light-colored baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.
- Put the chocolate, butter and instant espresso powder in a large heat-proof bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature.
- Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.
- Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a rubber spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it, about 30 minutes. Let the brownies cool completely in the pan, then lift them out of the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into squares and serve. Store at room temperature in an airtight container or wrap with plastic wrap for up to 3 days.
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 8, 2010.
Hi :) i just want to say i tried this recipe because I saw it in pinterest and it is the best brownies i’ve made.. really … it is a little bit on the sweet side but its really great.. :) although i did add almonds to my version but still, it really turned out well.. thank you for posting this recipe. :)
Hello, my name is Elizabeth and I work at a small library in Wyoming. We’re currently putting together a recipe book with recipes from our annual Death By Chocolate fundraising event. We’re looking for pictures for our section dividers, and I just love the second picture down on this post (brownies with a glass of milk on a blue background). If you would be interested in talking about what we could do to use your picture in our recipe book (credit, compensation, etc.), please email me. Thank you!
Michelle,
These brownies are RIDICULOUS!! Thank you for posting them. I too am a boxed brownie lover. I have always preferred them over homemade brownies. These trump all brownies, boxed and homemade. I was wondering if you had any tips to make mini brownie bites with this recipe? I am bringing them to a picnic and it is more convienent. I would be baking them in mini muffin pans. Have you ever tried this? I assume the only difference would be to bake them for a shorter amount of time. Thanks!
Hi Laura, I have not tried making brownie bites, but definitely reduce the baking time!
I have got to say that this is a really good recipe. The brownie came out really good and was just as you said it to be! I wouldn’t say I am a genius in baking but chancing on your blog was one of the greatest thing that happened in my baking history!
Also, thank you for your bits and pieces of thoughts put into your post…
They really help a lot!
just wondering do you think it would still work out if you added an extra 2oz of chocolate?
Hi Alexa, I have not tried it with extra chocolate, but I honestly don’t think these need it. They are wonderfully rich and chocolately; I wouldn’t add any more.
When I first saw these I just couldn’t believe my eyes… So rich, so dense, so incredible!!! Thank you very much for this amazing recipe. When I first made these, my friends were absolutely amazed. The next time I made them, I added a tablespoon of powdered cinnamon and it was fabulous. I recommend you to try it out, I think you will love it… Thank you again for this amazing recipe! :)
Sorry I meant I did use regular powder, I used the chips for the chocolate to melt with the butter. The only thing is the bag of chips was 11.5ozs, didn’t think a half ounce would make a difference and I did eat a few chips before melting :) but like I said I loved the flavor, think the espresso gives it a little extra something. Will def try this recipe again and try and figure out what I did wrong. Hopefully I can find dark cocoa powder cause I do prefer dark chocolate.
Just made a batch today. I found the espresso but couldn’t find dark cocoa powder so I used regular with ghiardellis milk chocolate chips to melt with the butter. I cooked them at least 40 min and they still seemed not ready but I had to take them out cause I had to leave the house. They still seem undercooked or is that whats considered fudgy? I tried a corner an it was so good but the middle seems raw.
Hi Donna, If you used melted chocolate chips to substitute part of the cocoa powder, that definitely could be the problem. It could cause the batter to be a little runnier than it otherwise would be. In the future, you can substitute regular unsweetened cocoa powder.
well i do have to say that i took them to work and i had people stashing them to take them home to their family, one person who asked for the recipe, and another person calling in before her shift to ask if i could save one for her son( but they were already gone!) Expcept for one that I later found out was hidden, and he was nice enough to share it with a girl who missed out on the festivities. my boyfriend who is a baker also said they were really good, and to my dismay never compliments things i make:(
I just made these brownies last night and they are AMAZING! Much better than boxed brownie mixes! Those have always been the best tasting to me since every homemade brownie I have tried to make before has never come out right tasting. But these have changed my thoughts and have become my favorite brownie recipe. I was a little worried they might taste egg-y since they have 5 eggs (I hate the taste of eggs!) but it’s just pure brownie. Also, if you take them out a little early they are super fudgy and delicious.
Hi :) love your recipes. Can I use chocolate chips in place of 11 ounces of chocolate? I was thinking of Ghirardelli Chocolate Baking Chips Bittersweet they are 10 ounces than adding in 2 ounces of chopped chocolate. And for the espresso powder could I use coffee?
Thank you so much for your time
have a fantastic day :)
I used a bag of Hershey’s dark chocolate morsels and Starbucks via Italian roast coffee and they turned out amazing!
Yes, you could definitely do that. Enjoy the brownies!
Thanks a lot for sharing such a decadent brownie recipe. Just could not stop drooling over the picture. Had to make it immediately. Did not have dark chocolate bar, so used semi sweet CC and yet they came out just delicious. So moist on the inside with the elusive crackle on the top. This was the first time my brownies had the crackle on them. Absolutely love them.
Question: Is the espresso necessary? I don’t drink coffee. I don’t really care for the taste. But I’m never sure if its okay to just leave something out of a recipe…what do you think?
Hi Helen, It’s not necessary and you can certainly omit it. That being said, I’m not a coffee drinker either, but you’ll find that a large number of chocolate recipes (especially things like cakes and brownies) call for espresso powder. You can’t taste it at all, and it really amps up the flavor of the chocolate, adding more depth to the dish.
Thanks for the recipe, everyone loved it. For my taste it was a little too rich though:( what do u think i could do to make it a little less rich? I used hershey unsweetened cocoa( i put the cocoa u suggested on my amazon wish list :) ), and I used 10 oz dark chocolate. Thanks.
Hi Elise, These are definitely meant to be rich brownies. You could try using semisweet chocolate if you thought the dark chocolate was too much.
Done !
Absolutely divine ! Will put this recipe in my file.
Thanks a lot for this bliss moment !!
Next try will be the peanut buttercup for my daughter’s birthday next week.
Waouhhhhh !!
The cake’s picture has called me.
Then when i realised it was brownies. I became even more interested.
Then i read your note. What else can i do than try to make them ???? Your note is really well written, funny, gready and i’m very very impatient to have my decadent bites.
I’ll have to try it this week !
ps : i’m french, sorry if i’ve left mistakes
Great recipe! I only have a question about the baking time. I baked for 30 minutes @350, and the brownies weren’t done (at all!). In fact, I ended up baking them for nearly 50 minutes before they were done to perfection (with the toothpick test). I followed the recipe exactly. Anyone else have this experience?
Hi Dawn, Do you by any chance have an oven thermometer? It sounds like the temperature may have been off if there was that large of a difference in the baking times.
Thanks for your reply! No, I don’t have an oven thermometer, but perhaps I need to buy one. I suspected there might have been something off with the temperature.
So, mine just came out of the oven, and I couldn’t help myself, i just needed a little taste, and they were to die for!
I did however make a few slight changes. i didn’t have any dark cocoa or dark chocolate, so I used semisweet chips and regular cocoa, but they turned out absolutely wonderful! The only problem I had was that I had a hard time figuring out when they were done. The toothpick came out clean, but it was still jiggly. After 37 minutes I finally took them out, but they were still a little jiggly. Anyone else have this problem?
I’ve had that too with this recipe. I left the batch to cool and they hardened up but kept a little gooiness in the centre. Judging by the picture, I think they’re meant to be like that.
Oh, something I forgot in my first post was that they still taste good, but they aren’t brownies..
Hello!
I am an amateur baker, but I have such interest in making things, especially new things. I was searching pinterest for a brownies recipe, which I came across many. I came along this one and saw the fabulous reviews and the images were just delicious looking. So I tried it.
What I am confused about is why my brownies came out caramelly, rather than brownie. It’s really gooey — I left it in the oven as long as I felt comfortable leaving them in there (approximately an hour). Only because they just weren’t hardening up inside. I used cocoa and a really delicious milk chocolate bar (could that be the issue?) I have an idea that it may have been the butter, but I am quite sure I used the recipe’s callings of butter.
Do you happen to have any idea as to what may have happened? I have clicked the box where it says “Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail”, so I will be aware of any responses.
Thank you!
Maureen
Hi Maureen, It sounds like they should have been in there long enough. While milk chocolate is creamier than bittersweet I don’t think it should have played with the texture too much. Did you use the correct amount of chocolate, butter, etc.? If everything was as it should be, my guess is that your oven might be running on the cool side. Definitely look into an oven thermometer (they are less than $10) to ensure that the temperature inside is accurate.
Hiya!
Thanks for your very quick reply. I should have also included where I am. I am a Canadian who has moved to Finland for school (free schooling!!) :P
Anyway, to continue, I am using an oven that is set in Celsius, which isn’t too big of a deal — because I can just convert via Google what 375ºF (approximately 190ºC). The oven isn’t the best, of course, but could it be that I set it too low in Celsius?
Also, can I replace them back in the oven at a higher heat to see if they will bake more? I have played one set of the brownies into the freezer to keep fresh and the other that I have already started picking at in the refrigerator.
I have measuring cups and everything in cups, so it couldn’t be that. I also used two tin foil pans. They aren’t 9×13 so I made two batches out of them. About a little over an inch in depth… maybe 4 inches width and 8inches length. (I am just estimating).
Hi Maureen, You are welcome! As for the Celsius conversions, I really couldn’t say for sure, as I would do the same you have done – Google. The biggest issue, however, might be dividing the batter into different sized pans. I’m sure they would bake a little differently than the original recipe, as they could be thicker. I would still grab an oven thermometer, though. Mine, for instance, runs about 25 degrees cool, so with the thermometer in there I can see the exact temperature, and usually need to put the dial 25 degrees hotter than the recipe calls for in order for the oven temperature to get to the correct place.
Bit late, but in case you get a notification and are still having issues with this recipe it could be the cups. US cups are a different size to UK, Australian, Canadian & South African cups. And I’m assuming European cups too. US cups are 240mL whereas the others are 250mL. I always convert US recipes to grams and mL rather than attempt to use cups (why the US seems to persist with cups rather than using grams (or ounces) is beyond me as it’s a lot more precise which is what you need for baking! Oh, and “sticks” of butter?? Thank-you for including the weight, I never remember and usually have to go look it up!). You have to be careful as different ingredients obviously pack into a cup differently and have different weights. Here’s a site that has a handy table: https://www.dovesfarm.co.uk/resources/conversion-tables/us-cups-conversion-table/
It’s a little strange that you’re cooking at 190 Celsius & you still need so much extra time. The recipe says 350F, which is 175C. Usually you do cook brownies at this slightly lower temp (than for most cakes and biscuits). Possibly your oven isn’t quite right and an oven thermometer as Michelle suggests might help!
I seem to have found the perfection brownie recipe I wasted WAY too many hours on the Internet searching desperately for …after recently trying a “cakey” brownie that I (and every other family member) absolutely abhored…We are definitely in the fudgey brownie camp…
I am an avid, new follower of your exquisitely written blog…and particularly found myself laughing and shaking my head up and down in agreement about your “brownie” logic…regarding the whisper-thin, crackley crust ALWAYS present in a perfect brownie..but that this did not determine whether the brownie itself was delectable…In sum…your writing rocks…
Here in France, thankfully, it is not too difficult to find Callebaut…but I prefer Valrhona….I haven’t tried Caillier cocoa yet (which I can obtain just across the border in Switzerland) but I imagine it could be a quality product as well…
One question…before I embark on doing your brownie justice…would you know if I can obtain a lighter-coloured 9X13 metal pan (good/sturdy quality) online? Here in France the pans seems to be quite dark (black or dark grey)..and my only pan of this size is Le Creuset cast iron with a “non-stick” dark interior…
I lied…second question…should the pan be placed exactly in the middle of the oven for best results?…Thanking you profusely for your excellent blog and the time and creativity you so generously share…
Hi Donna, I believe you could probably find light-colored pans online. My favorites are called Magic Line pans (I do have a 9×13 in that brand), however I don’t know about international shipping, you’ll have to check that out. And yes, definitely place the pan in the center of the oven. I usually always rotate the pan halfway through baking for even baking.
Michelle, have you ever made Ina’s Outrageous Brownies? What do you think of those vs. these? They seem similar and I am a huge fan of Ina and her brownies!
Hi Katelyn, I have made Ina’s Outrageous Brownies (https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2007/10/09/outrageous-indeed/) and they are pretty different actually. Ina’s brownies are much denser and more fudge-like, while this Baked Brownie is much more moist. If I had to pick one to eat for the rest of my life, it would be this one – the Baked Brownie.
Hi! I’m a massive Ina fan and i’ve tried her brownies, but these are by far my favourite of the two!! Just realised you asked a year ago, so it’s probably pointless, but just in case anyone else is wondering :)
Hi!
Thinking of making these for Valentines! Have a couple of questions:
-When you say use ‘Dark Chocolate chopped’…Can I use dark chocolate baking chips or bar?
-If I don’t use espresso powder, will it make a big difference?
-I believe I have a 9×13 baking pan (the one Analon brand that is steel/silver looking). Would that be okay without parchment paper?
-How much time would you wait after heating the chocolate mixture before you put in the eggs?
I apologize if these questions have been asked already. Thanks for your time!
Hi Marissa,
You can use either chips or a bar, whatever you have available.
You can also omit the espresso powder without a problem.
You don’t have to use parchment paper, it just makes it really easy to remove them and cut them on a cutting board, but I would still grease the pan.
As for how long to wait, as the recipe states, wait until it comes down to room temperature. The amount of time this takes will depend on how warm the room is, how hot the mixture got to begin with, etc.
Enjoy the brownies!
Great recipe! I am badly craving for anything chocolatey right mow. Would you know how long these will keep in the freezer? Thanks! :D
Hi Kathy, I usually will keep frozen baked goods for 2-3 months.
These are by far the best brownie recipe I have ever made….I used Valrhona cocoa powder. So moist and delicious especially with the addition of Espresso powder….I’ll never use another recipe again…You have the best recipes and look forward to receiving the Weekend Dish every week.
I tried these last night and they baked up just the way you said they would. These are really nice brownies but as for my favorite the title still belongs to the recipe in the Food and Wine 2011 cookbook. Thank you for sharing though!
Made these brownies last night. They were Delish! I’m not even a chocolate lover like most women but I was in the mood for brownies and I’m always on the lookout for a “from scratch” recipe. They were incredibly moist, super rich and great with ice cream. I’ll be making them again. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Ok, I think I’v figured out what has been going on with the brownies turning out grainy. The first time I made these I was also disappointed but decided to try again. This time they came out PERFECT! When you mix the sugar in after melting the butter and chocolate together, make sure that it is exactly at room temperature before you add the eggs. Don’t even bother preheating your oven until you have given the chocolate-sugar mixture a few minutes to cool down and then let it set until COMPLETELY cool (this takes awhile). I had no issues this time!
SO fabulousy fudgey!! Thanks for sharing!!
Goodness me, these are PERFECT. I made them last night and can’t stop thinking about them in there, in the kitchen, so lonely, and wanting to be in my belly. Thank you for sharing this!