Perfect Fudgy Brownies

Even though 2020 feels like it’s never actually going to end, one silver lining we have to look forward to is the holiday season! The holidays are going to look very different for a lot of people this year, myself included, but I’m as excited as I always am to spend an inordinate amount of time in the kitchen trying new recipes and sharing them with friends and family. To start the 2020 holiday baking, let’s go with a classic: Fudgy Brownies.

Fudgy. Brownies. It’s hard to beat them. Brownies are the all-around perfect dessert, fitting for almost every occasion. They’re the ultimate crowd pleaser, especially at the holidays. While a classic chocolate brownie is always delicious, brownies also carry complementary flavors well, so you can zhoosh them up if you’re feeling creative.

Related: are any of y’all watching this new season of Great British Baking Show? Did y’all see the disaster that was Chocolate Week? Brownies as a signature challenge sounded awesome and relatively doable, compared to what Paul and Prue could have made the bakers do. But my goodness, it seemed like it was anything but awesome and doable. Also, an all white chocolate showstopper was cruel and unusual punishment.

Anyway, back to Fudgy Brownies.

There’s this whole discussion about fudgy vs cakey brownies. I’ll never say no to either, because, duh, brownies. But if I have a choice, I’ll choose fudgy every single time. There’s something so rich and indulgent about a thick, gooey brownie that drips with melted chocolate. Top it with some good vanilla bean ice cream and mmmmm. I love the warm-cold combo. It’s comforting.

Making brownies fudgy over cakey is a matter of fat to flour ratio. If you want a fudgier brownie, you want more fat than flour. In this recipe’s case, I use melted butter and melted chocolate, and I do not add any baking powder to make them rise. If you prefer more cakey brownies, you’ll want more flour than fat, and will add some baking powder for leavening.

[bctt tweet=”Best Ever Fudgy Brownies” username=”@kate3robertson”]

Speaking of melted butter… if you really want to flex your brownie muscles, brown your butter before mixing the recipe. I’ve talked about browned butter in past recipes for the effect it gives baked goods. It adds a wonderfully nutty, caramel-y flavor that gives the baked goods more depth and complexity. When it comes to brownies, the touch of caramel-y notes from browned butter are the perfect flavor companion to the rich dark chocolate.

One last flavor note: when you take these brownies out of the oven, don’t forget to sprinkle some flaky (or other coarse) salt on top. Sweet and salty deliciousness.

Now I’m hungry.

Let’s make some Perfect Fudgy Brownies.

For this recipe, I recommend using a 9″ x 9″ baking pan. That way you get brownies that are thick and fudgy, but not too hard to slice and eat. This recipe can be easily doubled for larger batches and larger pans, like a 9″ x 13″.

I hope y’all love these Fudgy Brownies as much as I do! If you like this recipe, check out my Beer Brownies, which I made with a Chattanooga-made stout.

Perfect Fudgy Brownies

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Equipment

• 9" x 9" baking pan
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Spatula

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 oz dark chocolate, melted (1 Baker's bar)
• 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup chocolate chunks (optional)

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line or grease a 9" x 9" baking pan.
• Add flour, cocoa, and salt to a medium mixing bowl, whisk, and set aside.
• Melt chocolate in a small bowl and set aside. Microwave melting is fine.
• Mix melted butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating and mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and stir.
• Carefully pour melted chocolate into butter-sugar mixture and stir until well combined.
• Add dry ingredients and coffee to wet ingredients, alternating pours of each. Stir with a spatula until it's all combined. Batter will be thick. At this point, add the optional 1 cup of chocolate chunks and fold into the batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread so it's even. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
• Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove and cool on a wire rack. Or slice and enjoy warm with ice cream.

Keyword brownies, chocolate chip, desserts, fudgy, holiday desserts, holiday recipes