The Ultimate 7-Ingredient Recipe for Irresistibly Fudgy & Chewy Chocolate Brownies

Prepare to fall head over heels for the quintessential homemade treat: rich, chocolatey, and perfectly chewy fudge brownies. There’s a universal adoration for these decadent squares, and for good reason! If you’ve been on a quest for that ideal brownie recipe – one that consistently delivers a moist, dense, and fudgy center with a delightful crinkly top – your search triumphantly ends here. This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a gateway to pure chocolate bliss. My friends, you are just seven simple, everyday ingredients away from baking the most incredible homemade fudge brownies you’ve ever tasted. This particular recipe isn’t just remarkably easy; it’s a true game-changer for anyone craving an exceptional chocolate dessert that’s guaranteed to satisfy.

Why This Easy Fudge Brownie Recipe Will Be Your New Favorite

What sets these fudgy brownies apart from all the rest? Beyond their undeniably incredible taste and their signature chewy texture, it’s the sheer simplicity of the process. We’re talking about basic pantry staples that are effortlessly transformed into a truly indulgent masterpiece. Forget complicated steps, obscure ingredients, or specialty equipment. This easy brownie recipe focuses squarely on maximizing deep chocolate flavor and achieving that coveted fudgy chewiness with minimal fuss and effort. Every ingredient plays a crucial role, contributing to a symphony of taste and texture that’s hard to beat.

Whether you’re a seasoned baker looking for a reliable, go-to recipe or a complete beginner stepping into the kitchen for the first time, you’ll find this brownie recipe incredibly straightforward and immensely rewarding. It’s designed for success, ensuring that even with just seven ingredients, you’ll produce a batch of rich, satisfying brownies every single time. Get ready to bake a treat that will quickly become your absolute favorite for satisfying any chocolate craving, perfect for family gatherings, potlucks, or a quiet night in.

Essential Ingredients for Perfect Fudge Brownies: Just 7 Items!

You’ll be truly amazed at how a handful of everyday items, readily available in most kitchens, can come together to create such a spectacular chocolate treat. This recipe relies on a thoughtful and precise combination of unsalted butter, semi-sweet chocolate chips, large eggs, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and all-purpose flour to achieve its signature fudgy texture and intense, rich chocolate flavor. There are no fancy leavening agents or special mix-ins required to achieve brownie perfection here; it’s all about the quality of these simple components and the careful method of combining them.

• ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted: Using unsalted butter gives you complete control over the total salt content in your brownies. Melting it helps create that dense, moist texture we all love in a fudgy brownie.
• ⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips: These provide bursts of melted chocolate throughout the brownies, adding to the rich flavor and contributing to the overall fudgy consistency. They melt beautifully into the batter.
• 3 large eggs: Eggs are crucial for the structure and chewiness of the brownies. They act as a binder and help create the dense, moist interior.
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar: More than just a sweetener, sugar plays a vital role in achieving the moist, dense texture and that characteristic shiny, crinkly top that indicates a perfectly baked fudgy brownie.
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder: This is where the deep, intense chocolate flavor comes from. Unsweetened cocoa powder ensures a robust chocolate profile without adding excessive sweetness.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract: Often overlooked, vanilla extract is a flavor enhancer. It doesn’t just add its own delightful aroma; it deepens and complements the chocolate flavors, making them even more prominent.
• ¾ cup PLUS 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or 7/8 cup / 4.2 ounces / 119g): The precise amount of all-purpose flour is key to getting a fudgy brownie and not a cakey one. It provides just enough structure to hold everything together without making the brownies dry or airy. Using a scale for flour (119g) offers the most accurate results.

Helpful Kitchen Tools for Stress-Free Brownie Baking:

While this recipe is simple, having the right tools can make the process even smoother and more enjoyable. These are standard items that will serve you well for many baking adventures beyond just brownies:

• Mixing bowls: Essential for combining your wet and dry ingredients without making a mess. A set of different sizes is always useful.
• 9×9 baking pan: The ideal size for achieving the perfect thickness and fudginess for this recipe.
• Rubber spatula or wooden spoon: Crucial for gently mixing the batter and avoiding overmixing, which can lead to dry, cakey brownies.
• Wire cooling rack: Allows for even air circulation around your baked brownies, helping them cool down properly and preventing a soggy bottom.

Expert Tips for Achieving Perfectly Fudgy Brownies Every Time

Baking brownies might seem straightforward, but a few key tips can elevate your results from good to absolutely phenomenal. Follow these insights to ensure your brownies are consistently fudgy, chewy, and utterly delicious:

• Patience with Cooling is Key: I know, I know – it’s incredibly hard to resist cutting into warm, fragrant brownies straight from the oven! However, this is arguably the most crucial step for achieving beautifully clean cuts and that truly dense, fudgy texture. Warm brownies are delicate, crumbly, and messy. Allowing them to cool completely, ideally for several hours at room temperature or even chilling them in the refrigerator, helps them set up properly. This process makes them dense, easy to slice into perfect squares, and enhances their chewiness. Trust me, the wait is worth it!
• Avoid Overmixing the Batter: This is a common pitfall that can turn your fudgy brownies into cakey ones. Overmixing introduces too much air into the batter and over-develops the gluten in the flour. To avoid this, use a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon instead of an electric hand mixer. Stir only until the dry ingredients have just disappeared and no streaks of flour remain. A few small lumps are perfectly fine and often preferable to an overmixed, airy batter. Gentle mixing ensures a dense, rich consistency.
• Master the Toothpick Test: Oven temperatures can vary significantly, so relying solely on the clock isn’t always foolproof. After the initial 30 minutes of baking, insert a toothpick into the center of the pan. For ideal fudgy brownies, you want the toothpick to come out with moist crumbs attached, but not wet batter. If it comes out completely clean, your brownies might be on the drier, more cake-like side. If it’s still wet, give them a few more minutes, checking frequently.
• Adjust for Pan Size: This recipe is designed for a 9×9 inch baking pan. If you only have an 8×8 inch pan, your brownies will be thicker and will require a slightly longer baking time, typically an additional 5-7 minutes. Always perform the toothpick test to ensure they are done, as baking times are always approximate. Adjusting the pan size changes the thickness and thus the heat distribution, so keep a close eye on them.
• Proper Storage: To keep your brownies fresh and fudgy, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, they can be refrigerated for up to a week. They also freeze beautifully for up to 3 months; simply thaw at room temperature before serving.
• Enhance Your Brownies: While these brownies are perfect as is, feel free to get creative! Stir in a handful of chopped walnuts or pecans for a nutty crunch, or add a different type of chocolate chip (milk, dark, white) for varied flavor profiles. A sprinkle of sea salt on top before baking can also beautifully enhance the chocolate flavor.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Irresistible Fudge Brownies

Follow these simple instructions to create a batch of the best fudgy brownies your kitchen has ever seen. The process is straightforward, ensuring delicious results every time.

1. Prepare Your Pan and Preheat Oven: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). For easy removal and effortless cleanup, thoroughly line a 9×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Make sure to leave an overhang on two opposite sides; these will serve as convenient “handles” to lift the cooled brownies out of the pan later.
2. Melt Butter and Chocolate Chips: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, pour your warm, melted unsalted butter over the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Allow this mixture to sit undisturbed for about one minute. This brief resting period allows the gentle heat from the butter to begin softening the chocolate chips. After a minute, stir the mixture thoroughly with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon until it is completely smooth, glossy, and well combined. This forms the rich, foundational chocolate base for your brownies.

3. Incorporate Wet and Dry Ingredients (Part 1): To the luscious chocolate and butter mixture, add the large eggs, unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir these ingredients together vigorously and thoroughly until everything is fully combined and the mixture presents a uniform, dark, and glossy appearance. The sugar, in particular, will contribute not only sweetness but also to the signature fudgy texture and the desired shiny, crinkly top of your baked brownies.
4. Add Flour Gently: Finally, add the precisely measured all-purpose flour to the wet ingredients. With your rubber spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold and stir the batter. Mix only until no more traces of dry flour are visible. Remember, this is a crucial stage: it’s important not to overmix at this point, as excessive stirring can develop the gluten in the flour, leading to a cakey brownie rather than the desired dense and fudgy consistency. A few small lumps are perfectly acceptable.

5. Bake to Perfection: Carefully scrape all of the thick, decadent brownie batter into your prepared 9×9 inch baking pan. Use your spatula to spread the batter evenly across the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in your preheated oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes. As mentioned in our “Expert Tips,” always utilize the toothpick test to accurately determine doneness, as oven temperatures can vary significantly.
6. Cool Completely Before Cutting: Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and transfer it to a wire cooling rack. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for at least five minutes. After this initial cooling, use the parchment paper handles you created earlier to carefully lift the entire slab of brownies out of the pan and transfer them directly onto the wire cooling rack. This is where patience truly pays off: allow the brownies to cool completely – ideally for several hours, or even chill them – before attempting to cut them. This ensures sharp, clean edges and the ultimate fudgy, dense consistency.

These amazing chocolate fudge brownies are more than just a dessert; they are a regular source of joy in our home, often disappearing within hours! With their deep chocolate flavor and incredibly fudgy texture, I am confident that you and your loved ones will adore them just as much as we do. Enjoy baking and sharing these delightful treats!

More Fudgy Chocolate Dessert Ideas:

If you’ve fallen in love with the rich, fudgy goodness of these brownies, you might want to explore other chocolate-infused delights. Here are some more decadent dessert ideas to satisfy your cravings:

• Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (like brownies in delightful cookie form!)
• Slutty Brownies (a layered dessert for the adventurous baker)
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies (a classic flavor combination)
• Cosmic Brownies (a nostalgic, frosted treat)
• Buckeye Brownie Cookies (chocolate and peanut butter bliss)
• Peanut Butter Frosted Fudge Brownies (the ultimate indulgence)

This post originally appeared here on Mar 18, 2014.