Best Ever Brownie Recipe - What's Gaby Cooking (2024)

Buckle up friends... this is hands down the BEST BROWNIE RECIPE you will ever make! I've decided that summer 2023 is the summer of the brownie. You already know this is the the year of the cookie at WGC, so the summer of the brownie feels right.

Why I Love This Recipe

As someone who has put more than their fair share of brownies- blondie brownies, brownie pudding and crinkle top brownie bites into my body, I feel confident that I can say that this is in fact the Best Brownie Recipe YOU WILL EVER HAVE IN YOUR LIFE. And yes, I am screaming because it's that important.

Before we get into how to make the best brownies from scratch... a story as credit is due to a very special chocolate company. Before we set sail for the Galapagos, we did a quick city tour in Quito, Ecuador. Ecuador is home to some pretty insane chocolate. It's pure. And perfect. And we tasted a LOT of it when we were at Yumbos Chocolate. I'd highly recommend a stop if you're in town. Before leaving, our host offered the group brownies. I mean, who says no to that, right? We bought them out of stock and sat around eating the brownies like vultures. Super on brand for a What's Gaby Cooking trip. Cut to... it was easily the best brownie I've ever tasted in my entire life.

Lucky for you, and for me, the recipe was on the back of the bag of chocolate that I had purchased and now it lives here on WGC. These brownies are the perfect fudgy consistency. They're slightly underbaked so they are extra gooey and chewy while still having crispy edges and crackly tops. These are perfection and I also use them as the base in magic bar brownie to take it all up a notch.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Dark Chocolate – This Brownie Recipe is made with pure chocolate rather than cocoa powder. The moisture from the melted chocolate really goes a long way for this flavor and consistency. I've made it with the chocolate from Ecuador, this brand, and this brand - all are amazing.
• Unsalted Butter – I like to use unsalted butter when baking to control the amount of salt I add to the recipe.
• White Sugar – Using white sugar yields a chewier brownie.
• Eggs – Use large eggs at room temperature. If they're straight from the fridge, they will make the butter seize and won't combine evenly.
• Vanilla Extract – Adds another depth of flavor to this brownie recipe.
• All-Purpose Flour – This Brownie Recipe uses less flour than butter to achieve fudgy brownies.
• Kosher Salt – Salt will help balance the sweetness and enhance the flavor.
• Bonus – If you want to add 1 teaspoon of coffee extract, I support you!

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and substitutions.

How to Make the Best Brownie Recipe

Start by preheating the oven to 325º F. Then combine the chocolate and the butter over medium low heat until smooth. Add in the sugar and stir to combine. Remove from the heat for 15 minutes to slightly cool. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir to combine. Add in the flour and salt and mix until just incorporated and smooth.

Transfer the brownie batter to a sprayed and parchment lined 9x9 baking pan and bake on the middle rack of your oven for 50-60 minutes. (NOTE - I have an oven thermometer to make sure my oven runs true to temp - I bake these for 50 minutes on the middle rack and they're perfect. You might need a few extra minutes depending on your oven but you want them to come out with the slightest jiggle and then set while cooling)

Remove from the oven and let rest on the counter for 1 hour. It will absolutely still jiggle when removed from the oven -this is key and important.If you bake it until it no longer jiggles, you've over-baked them. The 1 hour of cooling on the counter allows the residual heat to continue to bake these by just a bit. After 1 hour, place the baking pan into the fridge and chill for 1 hour. Once they have set for at least the combined 2 hours, slice and serve.

How to Store Brownies

The easiest way to store brownies is to leave them in the baking pan and cover with some tin foil and refrigerate.

However you can also take them out the pan and put them in your glass tupperware and refrigerate or freeze.

Tips & Tricks

• You MUST use a metal 9x9 baking pan for this Brownie Recipe. Glass doesn't retain heat as well. The disposable ones don't retain heat at all. My fav is super inexpensive and great for all brownies, blondies, bars etc.
• All ovens run at slightly different temperatures. I'd recommend an internal oven thermometer to ensure your oven is properly heated. They are 4 bucks usually and an essential tool when baking!
• Don't over bake it and don't skimp on the "resting" time before slicing. It really makes a difference.
• The Brownie Recipe you'll find below is technically a double recipe as I wanted these to be thick, gooey and chewy. If you alter the ratio of butter to eggs to flour etc, things change. So promise me you'll stick to the simple ingredients below and you'll be in a good place.

Recipe FAQs

More Brownie Recipes