Sick of the same old boxed brownies yielding a batch of too-cakey-brownies? Ooey-gooey brownies are always the best but are VERY hard to achieve from a box, but these Best Ever One-Bowl Fudgy Chocolate Brownies will give you that perfect bite every single time!
You know the one. The bite where you barely have to chew because it just melts in your mouth. And by bite two you’re already upset that the brownie is halfway gone, contemplating “how many brownies are too many brownies? “
Or “is there even such a thing as too many brownies?” Hint: the limit does not exist.
There’s something about the smell of fresh-out-the-oven homemade brownies that just makes a house feel like a home. And the smell coming from my kitchen at this very moment has me more excited than ever to share this recipe with you.
As a busy mom and environmental scientist, one-bowl recipes are my absolute favorite! Less clean-up means we save on both time and water! A total win, win!
Green tip: Speaking of cleanup, if you have a dishwasher-use it! Comparing dishwashing to handwashing, using an efficient dishwasher uses 1/6th the amount of water to get your dishes clean!
Fudgy Chocolate Brownies Ingredients
Here’s everything you need:
- Unsalted butter. Make sure it’s softened for the best batter consistency.
- Granulated sugar. You can also opt to substitute date or coconut sugar for a healthier option. If you only have brown sugar on hand, that will work, too. Just make sure to tightly pack it to measure.
- Oil. Vegetable, canola, coconut (in liquid form), or grapeseed.
- Eggs. For leavening and binding the brownies together.
- Vanilla extract. For a little extra flavor.
- All-purpose flour. All-purpose flour is much preferred in this recipe, but if you wish to substitute whole wheat, you can. Or better yet, use half all-purpose flour and half whole wheat flour.
- Cocoa powder. I love using dark cocoa powder, but any unsweetened cocoa powder works!
- Salt. For the batter, but you can also opt to add extra flaky sea salt or Himalayan salt on top!
- Espresso powder. Optional to enhance the flavor of the chocolate.
- Chocolate chips. Dark or semi-sweet.
One-Bowl Fudgy Brownies Tips and Tricks
Make Sure Your Butter is Softened
Though salted will definitely work if that’s what you have at home, I recommend using unsalted butter in this recipe. That way, you can control the amount of salt you are adding to your extra fudgy brownies.
But most importantly, your butter must be softened in order to get the best consistency batter. That means not melted, and not too cold and rigid.
The easiest way to soften your butter is to just allow it to rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes before you start baking.
But if you forget to take out your butter or decide to bake up a batch of homemade brownies on a whim—don’t fret! You can soften your butter in several other, quicker ways.
I typically just soften butter in the microwave. Start with 15 seconds on high, then drop down to 10 seconds if it’s still too solid.
From there, you’ll just heat the butter in just 5-second increments until it’s softened. You’ll know your butter is perfectly soft when your finger leaves an imprint on the stick of butter when you poke it.
Green tip: Look for organic and palm oil-free butter if you can. Buying organic means you are supporting farms that do not use damaging pesticides and fertilizers, and palm oil production is a huge driver behind deforestation.
Start By Creaming Your Butter, Oil, and Sugar
Add the softened butter to a large mixing bowl with the oil and sugar. Use a hand mixer on high to beat for about 3 minutes until smooth.
Creaming your fat (in this case the butter and oil) and the sugar together doesn’t just combine these ingredients together smoothly; it also adds little air pockets to the batter.
Aerating the batter is an effective way to get a fudgy and chewy texture you’d expect from a brownie coined as “best ever”.
Add the Eggs and Vanilla Extract Next
Once you’ve creamed together your butter, oil, and sugar, you’re ready to add your eggs and vanilla extract.
As a general rule of thumb, it’s always safest to crack your eggs in a separate bowl first, instead of adding them directly to your batter. It’s just the best way to avoid eggshells or a rare but dreaded bloody egg.
Green tip: Look for pasture-raised eggs (over free-range or cage-free) to support agriculture that is less reliant on chemicals and fossil fuels.
But to be honest, I typically “live on the edge” and crack them right in!
Use your hand mixer again, on low this time, and combine the eggs and vanilla extract into your batter until it is nice and smooth once again!
Add Your Dry Ingredients
Next, add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. If you’re adding espresso powder, now is the time for that, too.
Use the hand mixer once again and combine, careful not to overbeat. Use a spatula to scrape any extra dry ingredients off the bottom of the bowl, making sure everything is nicely integrated.
Line Your Baking Dish
I like my brownies chunkier, so I use a 9-inch by 9-inch pan. If you want thinner brownies, you can easily use a 13-inch by 9-inch pan.
No need to alter the cooking time or anything. I’ve made these Best Ever One-Bowl Fudgy Chocolate Brownies in this size pan before, and they are equally delicious.
Line the baking dish with parchment paper. The easiest way to prep your paper is to cut a piece that is about 1-2 inches larger than your baking dish on all four sides.
Then, use scissors to cut from each corner of the parchment paper to the corner of the baking dish as pictured below.
Then, cut from the corner of the baking dish, in a straight vertical line to the edge of the parchment paper, to cut out 4 triangles, as pictured below.
You should then easily be able to place the parchment paper into your baking dish, folding it where necessary to fit snuggly.
Add Your Batter to the Dish
Use a spatula to scrape your brownie batter out of the mixing bowl and into the lined baking dish.
Then, use the spatula to smooth the brownie batter, making sure it’s evenly distributed throughout the dish.
Add the Chocolate Chips Last
Once the batter is in the pan, add the chocolate chips on top in an even layer.
As the brownies bake, some chocolate chips will sink down into the middle of the brownie, and some will remain on top, ensuring extra chocolate in every bite.
Bake the brownies at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.
When the brownies first come out of the oven, they may seem slightly underdone. This is intentional. They will continue to cook until they are completely cool. When you pull them out, give the pan a little shake. You should see just a tiny bit of a wobble.
But we are talking just a slight wobble in the very center. If you shake it and the whole thing looks like a wave pool, they probably need a couple more minutes.
However, if you are one of those people who prefer the corner pieces and not the ooey-gooey middle bits, first of all, why?
…I’m totally kidding!
Just leave them in the oven with the oven off for 5 extra minutes in order to get a crispier treat. We will still count them as Best Ever One-Bowl Fudgy Chocolate Brownies.
Consider adding Extra Salt on Top
For a delicious finish, consider adding a pinch of flaky sea salt or pink Himalayan salt on top.
The addition of salt gives you that perfect balance of sweet and salty and actually brings out the chocolate.
Speaking of bringing out the chocolate, the espresso powder really does so in this recipe. It is not intended to give these delicacies a coffee flavor.
That being said, I listed it in this recipe as optional because I do not want to discourage people from making this recipe if they stumble upon it looking for an easy baked good midnight snack and they have all the ingredients in their pantry except for the espresso powder (who me? never).
I’ve made these without the espresso powder several times and they are still outrageously delicious.
Tested Substitutions
These brownies can be successfully made vegan by subbing vegan butter and a flax egg. Or if you want an all-vegan brownie recipe, check out these Gooey Vegan Protein Brownies.
All-purpose flour can be swapped out for cake flour here for a cakier brownie. If you’re looking for gluten-free swaps, check out these Paleo Brownies!
Green tip: Make sure your chocolate is sustainably sourced. Look for Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, or UTZ certifications as opposed to self-proclaimed sustainability labels that sometimes falsely advertise “sustainably sourced”.
Storing Your Fudgy Brownies
Keep your one-bowl brownies in an airtight container or cover them to keep them fresh. At room temperature, these yummy fudgy squares will stay delicious for 3-4 days.
And in the fridge, these brownies will last up to a week!
If you want to extend the life of your brownies, you can freeze them in an airtight container for up to 4 months. Simply allow them to thaw at room temperature before biting into them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a brownie more fudgy?
The less flour in your brownie recipe, the fudgier your brownie will be. In this recipe, 1/2 cup of flour yields a super fudgy brownie that still binds together and doesn’t fall apart.
Do brownies taste better with butter or oil?
Butter is much more flavorful than oil in brownies, but all butter can yield a cakier brownie. We are going for fudgy here. Just a touch of oil on top of the butter in this recipe makes it extra moist.
Want to sharpen your kitchen skills?
Why You Should Make These Best-Ever One-Bowl Fudgy Chocolate Brownies
- They’re easy. Just mix and bake!
- There’s not much cleanup. One bowl.m Done and done.
- They’re fudgy as heck. The consistency is heavenly.
- THE SALT ON TOP. The perfect touch to balance out the sweetness.
If you love these Best Every One-Bowl Fudgy Chocolate Brownies, you may be chocolate-obsessed like me! In that case, check out this list of 30+ Chocolate Recipes.
Best Ever One-Bowl Fudgy Chocolate Brownies
PRINT PIN RATEEquipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon oil (canola, vegetable, grapeseed, or coconut in liquid form)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt (plus an optional extra pinch of flaky salt for the top)
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional)
- 1 cup chocolate chips (dark or semi-sweet)
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350°F.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer on high to combine the softened butter with the sugar and oil for 2-3 minutes to cream together.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and use the hand mixer on low until combined.
- Mix in flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder (optional), and salt and combine until smooth.
- Pour batter into lined 9 x 9 inch square baking pan.
- Cover top with an even layer of chocolate chips.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the middle doesn't wobble when shaken. option to crack on sea salt or pink Himalayan salt. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan and enjoy!
Pro Tips
- When the brownies first come out of the oven, they may seem slightly underdone. This is intentional as they will continue to cook until they cool. However, if you are one of those people who prefers the corner pieces and not the ooey-gooey middle bits, leave them in the oven for 5 extra minutes in order to get a crispier treat.
- I like my brownies chunkier, so I use a 9-inch by 9-inch pan. If you want thinner brownies, you can easily use a 13-inch by 9-inch pan. No need to alter the cooking time or anything. I’ve made them in this size pan before and they are equally delicious.
- If you love brownies as much as I do, you’ll love this collection of my greatest brownie recipes!
- Chocolate lover? Me too! You’ll love the collection of my best chocolate recipes!
5 thoughts on “Best Ever One-Bowl Fudgy Chocolate Brownies”
The FUDGIEST brownies I’ve ever made!! I made these in literally less than 10 minutes. They were gone within a day! 10/10 recommend!
Want now!
I love that you remembered I made brownies for you when you came home from school – of course they were out of the box!!
Your recipes are great EXCEPT for the fact some of them will make me OBESE!
Another great recipe! Thank you, Marley!