Fudgy Chocolate Brownies
Rich, dense chocolate brownies with a thin, shiny crinkled top and visible chocolate chips. One square pan makes 16 brownies, with no frosting needed. Batch yield: 16 brownies from one 20 cm square pan. One serving: 1 brownie, approximately 43 g. Prep time is total non-oven elapsed time: approximately 20 minutes of active preparation and cutting plus 120 minutes of complete cooling. Microwave melting is included in preparation; the brief melted-chocolate cooling period overlaps whisking, and oven preheating overlaps preparation, so neither is counted again. Cook time is approximately 25 minutes for one pan, with no sequential batches. Total elapsed time is about 165 minutes. No chilling, butter-softening wait or frosting time is required. Appliances: Oven; Microwave. Equipment: 20 cm square metal baking pan, approximately 5 cm deep; Baking parchment; Kitchen scales; Measuring spoon; Microwave-safe bowl; Mixing bowl; Small bowl; Balloon whisk; Flexible spatula; Skewer; Cooling rack; Chopping board; Sharp knife; Airtight storage container. Allergens: Contains milk from butter, eggs, and wheat gluten from flour. Semi-sweet chocolate and chocolate chips may contain milk and soy lecithin; soy is a possible product-dependent allergen. Check both chocolate labels for their allergen declarations. Storage: Cool completely before sealing. Keep airtight at a cool room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days total. For longer storage, wrap individual cooled brownies and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw wrapped overnight in the refrigerator or for 1–2 hours at room temperature.
140 min
Prep
25 min
Cook
16
Serves
207
Calories
Macros · per serving
2g protein
26g carbs
11g fat
Ingredients
For 16 servings
- 120 g Unsalted butter, diced
- 120 g Semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 200 g Caster sugar
- 2 whole eggs Large eggs, approximately 100 g without shells
- 5 ml Vanilla extract
- 80 g Plain flour
- 30 g Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 g Fine salt
- 80 g Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional / 350°F, or 160°C fan, with a shelf in the centre. Line a 20 cm square metal pan, approximately 5 cm deep, with baking parchment covering the base and sides and leaving an overhang for lifting. No greasing is necessary.
- 2
Put the butter and chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at 50% power in 30-second bursts, stirring thoroughly between bursts, until just melted and smooth, usually 2–3 minutes of heating. Refrigerated butter can be used directly; no softening is required. Let the mixture stand for about 3 minutes while you begin the next step, so it is warm rather than hot.
- 3
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, caster sugar and vanilla vigorously by hand for 2–3 minutes, until glossy, slightly thickened and lighter in colour. This helps create the shiny crust. Slowly whisk in the warm chocolate-butter mixture until smooth and fully combined.
- 4
In a small bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder and salt, pressing out any cocoa lumps. Add to the chocolate mixture and fold with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Fold in 60 g of the chocolate chips. The batter should be thick and glossy. Do not taste the batter: raw flour and raw eggs can carry harmful bacteria.
- 5
Scrape all the batter into the lined pan and spread it evenly into the corners. Scatter the remaining 20 g chocolate chips over the surface and press them very lightly into the batter.
- 6
Bake the single pan for about 25 minutes, checking from 23 minutes; it may need up to 28 minutes. The top should be shiny and crinkled, the edges set, and the centre should no longer wobble like liquid. A skewer inserted near the centre, avoiding a chocolate chip, should come out with moist, dense crumbs but no streaks of raw batter. Do not wait for a completely clean skewer.
- 7
Place the pan on a cooling rack and leave the brownies to cool completely in the pan, allowing about 120 minutes. Do not cut them warm: the fudgy centre needs this time to set.
- 8
Lift the cooled slab onto a chopping board using the parchment. Cut into a 4-by-4 grid to make 16 equal squares, each approximately 5 cm across. Wipe the knife between cuts for neat edges. No frosting or garnish is required.
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