The ultimate Fudgy Brownie Recipe! These homemade brownies are decadent and stay moist for days. Plus, there’s a secret ingredient that makes them super chocolatey without being overly sweet.

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Brownies Video Tutorial:
These brownies are unbelievably satisfying. Watch the video recipe and you’ll know why everyone loves this recipe!
The Only Brownie Recipe You’ll Need!
The inspiration for these brownies came from Ina Garten’s Outrageous Brownies in the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. We made them fudgier and supremely chocolatey. Here’s why these are the best homemade brownies:
- Easy brownies – No fancy equipment or tools required. All you need is a saucepan, spatula, whisk, and a couple of bowls to make the batter.
- No Room Temperature Ingredients Needed – you don’t have to plan ahead and can start making brownies as soon as the craving strikes.
- Fudgiest Center – these literally stay moist and fudgy for days. I made the last batch on a Wednesday and ate the last piece on Sunday and it was still moist and satisfying.
- Rich Chocolate Flavor – adding the cocoa powder and chocolate chips make these intensely chocolatey without being overly sweet.
- Crackly Top – These brownies have that classic, irresistible crackly top.
The “Secret” Ingredient for Brownies:
Just like with our Chocolate Cake, adding coffee amps up the flavor of chocolate without tasting like coffee. We used Instant Coffee Granules. The rest of the ingredients are simple and will give you the perfect brownie texture.

How to Make the Best Brownies:
1. Melt Chocolate: In a saucepan over low heat, melt together 2 cups chocolate chips and butter. Set aside to cool 15 minutes.
2. Wet Ingredients: Whisk together eggs, sugar, instant coffee granules, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.

3. Dry Ingredients: Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt then fold these dry ingredients into the chocolate batter until no streaks remain.
5. Pour and Bake: Spread brownie batter into prepared pan, sprinkle the top with the reserved 1/2 cup chocolate chips, and bake at 350˚F for 35-40 minutes.

How Long to Bake Brownies:
Fudgy Brownies – Bake for 35-37 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center will come out fudgy.
Soft and Moist Brownies – Bake for 40 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with moist crumbs attached.
How to Store Brownies:
- At Room Temperature – Brownies can be stored at room temperature in a low humidity environment. To keep them fresh and moist, cover with plastic wrap directly over the brownies and store in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
- Freezer – brownies can be frozen for up to 3 months. To keep brownies moister, do not cut brownies until you are ready to eat them.
How to Serve Brownies:
Our favorite way to serve brownies is to top with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream. You can also try a dollop of whipped cream drizzled with chocolate, or top with fresh raspberries.
For Frosted Brownies: cover them with Chocolate Ganache or Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

What Mix-Ins Can I Add to Brownies?
Once you have a great brownie base like this one, you can change them up and make them your own.
- Caramel – Drizzle the top of the brownies with Homemade Caramel and a sprinkle of kosher salt.
- Walnuts or Pecans – chop 1 cup of walnuts and fold them in at the end, sprinkling a few over the top for walnut brownies.
- Chocolate Chunks – fold in some chocolate chunks in addition to sprinkling them over the top.
- Zucchini – if you want to sneak in some veggies, try our Zucchini Brownies

Can I Bake these in a Different Pan?
For this brownie recipe, we used a 9×9 square pan. Using different sized baking pans will affect the bake times, and the recipe. These tips should help.
- Bread Loaf Pan – Cut the recipe in half and bake as directed for a small batch of brownies.
- 8×8 Pan – this smaller pan will result in taller brownies that require a longer baking time (40-48 minutes) minutes).
- 12×9 Pan – this larger pan works, but the brownies will be flatter and will require less baking time (30-35 minutes).
- 13×9 Pan – Make 1 1/2 times the recipe or the brownies will be pretty flat. Bake about 40 minutes, or to your desired doneness.
Love Chocolate? More Chocolate Desserts:
- Chocolate Cake – so moist with the best frosting
- Chocolate Lava Cakes – with a gooey surprise center
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread – with melty morsels of chocolate
- Chocolate Chip Cookies – stay soft for days
- Chocolate Mousse – a classic, chef-approved recipe
Fudgy Brownie Recipe

Ingredients
- 1/2 lb unsalted butter, (softened or cut into pieces if cold for faster melting)
- 16 oz semisweet chocolate chips, (2 1/2 cups by measuring cup), divided
- 4 eggs, large
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp instant coffee granules, (6.2 grams)
- 3 Tbsp light olive oil , or vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter a 9x9 pan and line with parchment paper.
- In a medium saucepan over low heat, Melt together 2 cups chocolate chips and butter while whisking then set aside to cool 15 minutes.
- In a second large bowl, whisk together 4 eggs, 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar and 1 Tbsp coffee granules, 3 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp vanilla extract.
- Stir cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt then use a spatula to fold mixture into the batter and fold just until combined. Do not over mix.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan and sprinkle all over with remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 35-40 min depending on the desired doneness.* Cool until nearly at room temperature then cut into bars before serving.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen




Made these fudgy brownies yesterday and they were soooooo good.
That’s so great to hear! Thanks for your good feedback, we appreciate it.
So yummy!!! Unfortunately these take too long to bake in my gas oven so the extra bake time for me feels like an eternity! Especially when the entire household nags “When are the brownies going to be done?!?!”
Super yummy!!! Definitely our new favorite brownie recipe.
I suggest that if you have a gas stove- leave it in LONGERRRR. I used an 8×8 pan
Thanks for sharing your experience with us, it does take some time especially when you’re already very excited to give it a try! I’m so happy to hear though that everyone loved the brownies. Thanks for sharing, Tina.
Natasha I love all your recipes, I have made alot of them and they are all delicious. My question is I want to make a huge batch of these brownies for a party can I triple the ingredients and still get the same result in a larger pan?
Hi Donna, I haven’t tested this tripled but it should work! If you happen to experiment I would love to know how you like that!
hi! my name is saja and i love your recipes can not wait to try your brownie recipe!!
Hi Saja! I hope you love this brownie recipe!
hi my name is saja and i love your recipes can not wait to try your brownie recipe
I really hope you enjoyed this recipe Saja!
Hi Natasha, I know you’ve mentioned about storing it in the freezer. Just wondering if I should wrap it first in a plastic wrap then put it on a ziplock before storing? Would you recommended storing it as a whole or sliced brownies doesn’t matter? I am planning to make 2 batches next week for a party, should baking it all at the same time works? Thank you so much, Natasha!!!❤
Hi Beverly, I would wrap in plastic wrap and then put in a freezer-safe ziploc to keep them from getting freezer burn. See the notes in the post above for storing which may help. I recommend not slicing until ready to serve so they don’t lose moisture.
I didn’t have the coffee but made them anyways and whoa are they fudgey and rich! I added chocolate chips in and on top. The 8×8 pan made for some thick brownies. Delicious and will be making them again with the coffee!!
That is so wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing your great experience with us. I’m glad it turned out awesome even without adding coffee.
I made these in an 8 x 8 inch pan because it was all that I had and followed your directions for the smaller pan. They tasted amazing, but unfortunately, the tops burned by the time the middle was cooked enough 🙁 I will buy the proper size pan and try again!
I’m glad you still enjoyed it! I”m sure it will be perfect next time.
Mine turned out cakey but it really taste great!
What should I do next time? Thank you so much!!
Hi Thalia, I haven’t had that experience, but it could be due to overmixing. Also consider if any of the ingredients were substituted and make sure to measure the ingredients correctly.
Hi Natasha,
Can I use baking soda instead of baking powder?
Hi Irene, baking soda is 4 times stronger than baking powder. I would stick with the recipe as it is written for best results.
Hi Natasha!
I am going to make this recipe this weekend but I was wondering if I could I omit the baking powder without ruining the recipe? I am worried the baking powder might make the brownies a bit cakey in texture. Please let me know! Thank you!!
Hi Rhonda, I haven’t tested that but following the recipe as written results in a fudgy (not cakey) texture.
I really enjoy watching your cooking show.
Thanks for watching, Gary. Glad you’re enjoying them!
Hi Natasha ,
My husband is diabetic and loves chocolate .How can I make this recipe with sugar substitutes . Such as Splinda or Stevia. Do I use the same amount ?
Thanks ,
HALA Nakshbandi
Hi Hala, I haven’t really tried that yet to advise. Others might have already tried it and could provide us with some feedback here?
So I’m typically a from scratch gal but have always used boxed brownie mix for convenience and cost. (insert hand over face emoji lol). Would you confidently assert that homemade brownies are better than boxed? 🙂
I would absolutely say that homemade is the best. I hope these completely win you over! My sister bought the boxed version for years until she tried mine.
Is the calories mentioned for the whole brownie or per serving?
Hi Jeelan, it is per serving and the serving size is towards the top fo the recipe card.
Hi Natasha, what could I use instead of butter I make this recipe diary free?
Hi Emilia, I haven’t used oil or a dairy-free substitute for butter to advise. You can probably go with melted coconut oil. I hope you love these brownies!
Hi Natasha, Is there anything diary free that you could substitute butter with in this recipe? Vegetable margarine maybe? Thank you!
Hi Emilia, I haven’t tested it with any dairy-free substitutions so I can’t speak to that. If you experiment, let me know how it goes.
Hi Natasha,
These brownies look delicious and I can’t wait to try this recipe out!
I hope you love this recipe Geesha! We look forward to your feedback!
The Tosha I love your recipes your chocolate cake is just out of this world I will try the brownies tomorrow and I have yet to try the vanilla cake I’m dying to try it when I get some company love to watch you you are so cute
Thank you so much for sharing that with me Dorothy! I hope you love the brownies recipe!
After watching your video, I couldn’t resist making these brownies Immediately. Thankfully I had all the ingredients in my pantry. I decided to use milk chocolate chips instead of semi sweet. I also didn’t use the coffee powder. The brownies tasted amazing!! I used an 8X8 pan. The brownies came out Super Fudgy. I had to bake them for 45 minutes. If I’d like a less Fudgy/moist centre, should extend the bake time? Also, just wondering what’s the reason for adding 3 tablespoons of oil when there’s already so much butter? Thank u for this recipe! I’ll be making this more often.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that! Thank you so much for sharing that with me! The oil in brownies helps the texture but also allows the chocolate flavor to shine.
Well, you are the best. Why aren’t u on TV? My hips are showing your expertise. As well my son is dieting and gets annoyed when I show up with your desserts.
Are you Polish desert? Do u have any easy perogi recipe?
Thx for all your great recipes. As u can tell I’m a great fan.
Hi Helena, thank you so much for sharing that great review with me! You’re so nice! We have a couple of pierogi recipes here.
Hi Natasha,
Could these be made in the Instant Pot? If so, what would the time be?
Hi Tina, I have not tested this with an Instant Pot to advise. If you experiment please let me know how you like that!