I have shared a whole lot of brownie recipes over the years. Almost 40 to be exact!
Between all that brownie baking and completing my Ultimate Brownie Guide I’m pretty much your go-to brownie expert for the best brownie recipe. Really, I should put that on my business card.
But what I realized in looking at all those brownie recipes is that I’ve never shared a CHEWY brownie recipe. Sure, my Ultimate Brownies have a good level of chewiness. But they’re also very rich and fudgy. So these Chewy Brownies have been a long time coming. If you love box mix brownies, you’ll love these both for their chewiness and for how easy they are. Much quicker and easier than my Ultimate Brownies!
I think if you read some of the comments for these best homemade brownies below you’ll want to make this recipe ASAP. Just see what Susan said:
“These are the BEST brownies ever! My husband says that in the 31 years we’ve been married and I’ve been baking these absolutely his favorite of all time.”
The Kitchn recently tested this Chewy Brownie recipe, with author Grace Elkus raving about how quick and easy this recipe is! She says the brownies “form a shiny, crackly top as promised. Each square is thick and decadent, with melty chocolate chips studded throughout.” Thanks so much to Grace Elkus and The Kitchn team for trying this recipe.
Bon Appétit also recently used this Chewy Brownie recipe as part of their research in their quest to create a perfect brownie. Thanks so much to Chris Morocco and the Bon Appétit team for including us!
How to Make Chewy Brownies
Let me explain exactly what makes these brownies so chewy and easy. You can skip this if you don’t care WHY these brownies are the way they are and you just want the printable recipe asap.
Chocolate & Cocoa Powder
Unlike my Ultimate Fudgy Brownies, which utilize two types of melted chocolate, these brownies get their main chocolate flavor from cocoa powder with semi-sweet chocolate chips stirred into the batter. Cocoa powder definitely yields a chewier brownie and has a flavor reminiscent of boxed brownies.
The photos on this post show what the brownies look like if you use regular unsweetened cocoa powder. In the recipe video, I used Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder. It gave the brownies an ultra dark chocolaty appearance with a little less sweetness.
Since creating this video, however, Hershey’s has changed the formula of that specific cocoa powder to a Dutched cocoa powder. I recommend sticking with a natural cocoa powder, such as Ghirardelli Cocoa Powder or Penzey’s Natural Cocoa Powder, for best results. Learn more about the differences between Dutch-process cocoa powder and natural cocoa powder here.
Feel free to fold in any kind of chocolate chips you want from dark chocolate or milk chocolate, but semisweet is my favorite. Whatever you do, don’t skip the chocolate chips! They help to develop that shiny crust on top of brownies.
Fat
With any cocoa powder-based brownie recipe, we need quite a bit of fat to prevent the cocoa powder from drying the brownies out and making them crumbly. In looking at what makes box mix brownies so chewy, it appears that the combination of saturated (solid) fats and unsaturated (liquid) fats is the winning answer. According to Cooks’ Illustrated, boxed brownies have the saturated fat component covered which is why you add oil (unsaturated) to the mix. I opted for a combination of melted butter and vegetable oil for the best marriage of taste and texture.
Make sure your vegetable oil is fresh to avoid any off flavors and use unsalted butter so you can fully control the level of saltiness. I haven’t tested these brownies with canola oil.
For a full breakdown on these two types of fats and how they affect flavor, tenderness, and texture, check out my Butter vs. Oil in Baking article. There are lots more side-by-side comparisons like this one (and not just with brownies!):
Sugar
I stuck with granulated sugar here because although I love the taste of brown sugar, I didn’t want to add any more moisture (brown sugar contributes more moisture due to the molasses that’s added in) to these already very moist and rich brownies. Too much moisture creates brownies that have lots of holes on top instead of that shiny tissue thin crust.
Eggs
2 large eggs is pretty standard for an 8 by 8-inch brownie recipe, but I just had to add in an egg yolk for the extra dose of chewiness and richness it gives. The protein and the fat in the egg yolk helps achieve those textures. We use cold eggs, instead of room temperature, to prevent the brownies from doming and to increase moisture with a tighter crumb texture.
Flour
All-purpose flour is the way to go here, cake flour makes these brownies way too tender and light. We can achieve enough chewiness without having to use bread flour, which can prevent an extra trip to the store for a lot of people. To make chewy AND fudgy brownies, we only need to use a little bit of flour. Any more flour will create drier or cakier brownies. If you want to be super accurate and weigh your flour, 1/2 cup equals 63 grams or 2.25 ounces. Check out my How to Measure Flour article for step-by-step instructions for weighing dry ingredients using a digital scale.
If you live in a very humid environment, or really dislike any kind of “greasiness,” you may want to add an extra 2 tablespoons of flour to your brownie batter mixture.
Leavener
With my brownie recipes, I usually prefer a very small amount or no chemical leavener (baking soda or baking powder). The reason is because I like brownies to be very rich and on the denser side, not even remotely cakey. Since they lift and give a lighter airier texture to baked goods, we’re only using 1/8 teaspoon baking soda here for just enough leavening to get a nice thick texture.
Cornstarch
This little secret ingredient really helps to improve the texture of these brownies so they’re that much closer to the box mix kind. 1 tablespoon of cornstarch makes the brownies thicker and improves that crust on top.
Make sure to measure correctly, and don’t skip this ingredient! When shooting the photos for my article on how to make brownies with a shiny, thin crust, my food photographer captured the shocking differences between a batch made with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch vs brownies made with an accidental amount of 1 teaspoon cornstarch. The bottom brownies also had no chocolate chips. Take a look:
Can I Add Nuts to Brownies?
Yes! You can add 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans. You can add them either in addition to the chocolate chips or in place of the chocolate chips. Just note if you remove the chocolate chips your crust on top may not be as shiny. For best flavor, try toasting the nuts on a lined tray in a 350°F oven for about 6 to 8 minutes, stirring once.
How Long to Bake Brownies:
Bake these brownies in a 325°F oven for about 30 minutes to avoid overbaking. There will absolutely be moist crumbs attached to a tester by the end of the baking time. That’s what we want. Even after 30 minutes if the middle still seems too moist, just remove the brownies from the oven. Carry-over cooking, the residual heat of the oven and pan, will continue to cook the brownies.
Some readers have said their brownies were really undercooked after 30 minutes. I’m guessing they used a glass baking pan, which I DON’T recommend for this recipe. I recommend a metal baking pan like this one lined with foil or parchment paper. Learn more about the differences between Glass vs. Metal Baking Pans here.
Also, you might want to check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer as many home ovens run cold (especially when they say they’ve just preheated).
For best results, allow the brownies to cool completely before slicing and serving.
How to Store Brownies:
The brownies definitely taste best the day they are baked, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge. They are even more fudgy when they’re chilled.
Brownies Substitutions:
This brownie recipe is written exactly the way it is for very specific reasons, as noted in the explanations above. If you can’t use one of the ingredients listed, take a look at my extensive brownie index for other options (including coconut oil brownies). If you try to reduce the sugar, use a sugar substitute, use a butter substitute, or make this recipe vegan the results will NOT be the same. Feel free to add in nuts, chips, toffee bits, or anything else to the batter (1/2 cup to 1 cup, depending on how much you’d like).
This recipe was originally published in 2017 and updated in 2021 with more tips and new photos. Photos by Ashley McLaughlin.
This recipe was the May 2021 pick for our monthly baking challenge! Every month you can join the challenge by baking the recipe and snapping a photo for a chance to win prizes! Learn more about my monthly baking challenges here. Check out everyone’s brownies:
Greetings, fellow brownie enthusiasts! As someone who has delved deeply into the art of brownie baking, having shared around 40 brownie recipes and even completing the Ultimate Brownie Guide, I can confidently declare myself your go-to brownie expert. Allow me to showcase my firsthand expertise and depth of knowledge in this delectable realm.
One of my revelations while exploring the vast world of brownie recipes is the absence of a dedicated CHEWY brownie recipe in my repertoire. While my Ultimate Brownies boast a good level of chewiness, they are also exceptionally rich and fudgy. Hence, the creation of these Chewy Brownies has been a long-anticipated endeavor. If you have a fondness for box mix brownies, you're in for a treat with this recipe, as it promises both chewiness and ease of preparation.
But don't just take my word for it. The acclaim from brownie enthusiasts speaks volumes. Susan, a satisfied baker, hails these as the BEST brownies ever, with her husband declaring them his absolute favorite after 31 years of marriage. The Kitchn and Bon Appétit have also put this Chewy Brownie recipe to the test, with rave reviews about its quick and easy preparation and decadent results.
Now, let's delve into the secrets of making these irresistible Chewy Brownies:
Chocolate & Cocoa Powder: Unlike my Ultimate Fudgy Brownies, these Chewy Brownies derive their main chocolate flavor from cocoa powder, complemented by semi-sweet chocolate chips. Cocoa powder is key for achieving a chewier texture, reminiscent of boxed brownies. Opt for natural cocoa powder like Ghirardelli or Penzey’s for the best results.
Fat: To prevent the cocoa powder from drying out the brownies, a combination of melted butter and vegetable oil is used. The mix of saturated (solid) and unsaturated (liquid) fats contributes to the chewiness. Fresh vegetable oil and unsalted butter are recommended for optimal control over saltiness.
Sugar: Granulated sugar is chosen over brown sugar to avoid excess moisture, ensuring a shiny, tissue-thin crust instead of a hole-ridden top.
Eggs: In addition to two large eggs, the inclusion of an extra egg yolk enhances chewiness and richness. Cold eggs are preferred to prevent doming and increase moisture with a tighter crumb texture.
Flour: All-purpose flour is the go-to choice, as cake flour can make the brownies too tender and light. A careful balance is struck to achieve chewiness without resorting to bread flour.
Leavener: A minimal amount of baking soda (1/8 teaspoon) is added for just enough leavening to maintain a thick texture without veering into cakey territory.
Cornstarch: The secret ingredient, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, is instrumental in enhancing the brownies' texture, making them closer to the coveted box mix kind.
Nuts: Feel free to add 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for added texture. Toasting them beforehand in a 350°F oven for 6 to 8 minutes enhances flavor.
Baking Time: Bake at 325°F for approximately 30 minutes to achieve moist, chewy brownies. A metal baking pan is recommended for optimal results, and a foil or parchment paper lining is advised.
Storage: While these brownies are best enjoyed freshly baked, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or 5 days in the fridge, becoming even more fudgy when chilled.
Substitutions: This recipe is meticulously crafted, and substitutions may alter the outcome. For alternative options, explore my extensive brownie index.
Trust me, these Chewy Brownies are a game-changer, and I encourage you to embark on the brownie adventure. Happy baking!
