Best classic chocolate brownies
- Published: 5 Apr 17
- Updated: 26 May 25
Simple, fudgy, gooey: our best-ever classic chocolate brownies recipe is the ultimate sweet traybake treat. It’s ideal for celebrating Valentine’s Day or special occasion but is simple enough to whip up whenever a chocolate craving strikes.
- Easy, freezable and customisable: this simple recipe is extremely versatile and can be modified easily (see Tips); jazz it up by scattering chopped Maltesers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups or your favourite chocs or biscuits over the mixture before baking. Unlike with most baking recipes you can freeze the mixture and cook from frozen (see Make Ahead), too.
- Tried and tested proportions: that sink-into texture is what separates brownies from chocolate cake. For the full fudge factor you need a relatively high proportion of eggs and butter, and a low proportion of flour. We’ve tested the ratios to make sure they’re spot on.
- Timing matters: you also need to take the brownies out of the oven at the right time. We think the ideal texture is reached after 45 minutes in the oven, when the squidgy interior contrasts perfectly with the crusty edges. At 40 minutes the inside will still be wobbly but will firm up a little as it cools; by 55 minutes it will have set firmer but still have a little squidge. Cook them according to the texture you prefer, bearing in mind that ovens do vary.
Mastered brownies? Learn how to make blondies next.
-
Makes 24 -
Hands-on time 20 min, oven time 40-45 min
Before you start
Using the right ingredients makes a big difference with a simple recipe like brownies. Here’s what we recommend using for success.
- Good quality chocolate. We think brownies should be made with chocolate, not cocoa powder, for the best texture. Use a decent quality bar with 70 per cent cocoa content – any more and the flavour becomes overpowering; any less and it doesn’t give the proper chocolatey hit.
- Caster sugar. We also tested the recipe using brown sugar and light muscovado – they were good but didn’t taste like a proper brownie.
- Good quality unsalted butter. We like Président unsalted butter for baking. We added sea salt flakes to the recipe to balance the richness. It’s better to add a measured amount of salt rather than using salted butter, as the salt content can vary among butter brands.
- Ground almonds. They’re not in every recipe, but we find they give brownies the best texture.
Nutrition
- Calories
- 270kcals
- Fat
- 15.8g (8.1g saturated)
- Protein
- 4g
- Carbohydrates
- 27.8g (24.4g sugars)
- Fibre
- 0.6g
- Salt
- 0.2g
delicious. tips
How to jazz up your brownies
Chop 100g each of milk and white chocolate into rough chunks, then stir into the mixture just before pouring it into the tin (step 2). Bake as instructed in the recipe.Scatter chopped Munchies, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups or Maltesers over the mixture in the tin (step 2), then poke the bits into the surface so they’re barely visible. Bake as in the recipe.
Stir chopped sour cherries with pistachios or chopped hazelnuts into the mixture before pouring into the tin (step 2). Broken-up pretzels also make a good addition (remove the salt from the recipe if using pretzels).
Pour half the mixture into the tin (step 2), freeze for 15 minutes, then spread a thick layer of dulce de leche over and freeze again for 15 minutes. Top with the second half of the mixture, then bake for 55 minutes.
Watch our handy to video to see how to melt chocolate – and save it if it seizes:
The finished brownies will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in a cool place. If you’re planning to make ahead, we recommend cooking them for no longer than 45 minutes, otherwise they might dry out. To freeze, wrap well and keep for up to 1 month.
You can even freeze the unbaked mixture in the tin (step 2), wrapped well, for up to 1 month – unwrap and cook from frozen, adding 5-10 minutes to the cooking time.