Looking for the ultimate chewy chocolate brownies? Well, this one's earned that title and then some!
Thick and chewy and packed with chocolate flavor, this easy Chewy Chocolate Brownie recipe will become your new go-to for when you're craving the ultimate chewy chocolatey brownie.
These are extra thick brownies with real chew. Not cakey. Not a dense fudge slab. I adapted them from Cook's Illustrated and made the method easier for home bakers. The secret is using both butter and oil, plus two extra egg yolks.
Readers love them too. Ashley found this recipe while googling for something she could make with what she had on hand, and called them "amazingly thick, fudgy, chewy."
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Better than boxed mix brownies
Okay, we all know the brownie mixes that come in a thousand varieties at the grocery store make amazingly chewy brownies.
But there's just something about homemade brownies, from scratch, that makes a world of difference. You control the quality of the ingredients, and the end result beats the box.
Why oil AND butter?
As with many of my recipes, I looked to Cook's Illustrated to help me understand the baking science behind the ultimate chewy brownie.
Turns out the biggest factor in getting that box-mix chew is the amount and type of fat in the recipe.
The secret to the chew A box mix brownie's chewy texture comes down to the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fat. Butter is mostly saturated fat. Vegetable oil is unsaturated. Use both, and you get that same satisfying chew, with way more chocolate flavor than a box.
I adapted Cook's Illustrated's recipe to keep that fat ratio, but I wanted to make it my own. So I worked in some of the lessons I've learned over the years about baking and what makes a good recipe. The result is easier and more approachable for the home baker, with all the chew and even more chocolate flavor!
How to get extra thick brownies
I'm a big fan of thick and chewy brownies. So are my family and friends, so that's how I made these to share with you.
The 8x8-inch square pan is what makes these so thick. You can use a 9x9-inch pan instead. They won't be quite as thick, so start checking for doneness with 5 to 10 minutes left in the baking time.
Or go with a 9x13-inch pan.
The 9x13 gives you a thinner brownie, but still definitely chewy. Bake it for 35 to 40 minutes. Less thickness = less baking time.
A few ingredient notes
The full list and amounts are in the recipe card if you scroll down. Here's what matters most:
- Cocoa powder: Natural or Dutch-process both work. I used natural.
- Espresso powder: Optional, but I highly recommend it! You won't taste coffee. It just makes the chocolate taste more chocolatey.
- 2 extra egg yolks: They add richness and help with that chewy texture.
- Chocolate chips, used twice: ⅓ cup melts into the batter, and 1 cup gets folded in at the end. Chopped semi-sweet chocolate works too. Ashley swapped in some dark chocolate chips when she ran short, and they still turned out great.
- Unsalted butter: So you control the salt. If you only have salted, cut the salt in the recipe by at least half.
- Flour: Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off. Even better, use a kitchen scale.
Don't skip the cooling!
For the chewiest brownies Pull them when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, not totally clean. Then let them cool completely before cutting. Warm brownies won't have that chew yet. Using a glass pan? Cool for 10 minutes, then lift them out so they don't keep baking.
If yours come out more cakey than chewy, they were probably in the oven a little too long. Take them out a bit earlier next time.
On the sweet side? One reader cut the sugar in half and said it was the perfect sweetness. I haven't tested that myself, so the texture may change a bit.
Chewy or fudgy? These vs. my Kickass Brownies
My Kickass Brownies are super rich and fudgy with very little flour (½ cup). They're best served with a tall glass of milk to wash it all down!
These Chewy Chocolate Brownies are just as thick, but they have more flour, fewer whole eggs, and added cocoa powder. The result is a chewier brownie that isn't nearly as dense and fudgy.
Both recipes have a lot to offer, believe you me! Just depends on your mood. Chewy or fudgy?
Can you make them gluten-free?
I haven't tried these gluten-free yet. I've had luck in other recipes with a one-for-one gluten-free baking flour, but I haven't tested it here. If you try it, let me know in the comments!
Like this recipe? Follow me on Pinterest for lots more recipes just like this one! And don’t forget to pin this recipe for later by clicking on one of the images below the recipe. Or, click on any of the images in this post to save to Pinterest.
Love a thick brownie? Try my gooey salted caramel brownies next, or browse all my made from scratch dessert bars and brownies.
FOR ALL MY FAVORITE BAKING TOOLS INCLUDING THOSE USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE, CHECK OUT MY BAKING RESOURCES PAGE!
Watch How to Make them
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Ingredients
Chocolate brownie base
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons espresso powder optional
- ⅔ cup boiling water
- ⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Wet ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups granulated sugar
Dry ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
Mix-in
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing excess to overhang pan edges. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, espresso powder (if using), and boiling water until smooth.⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ½ teaspoons espresso powder, ⅔ cup boiling water
- Add ⅓ cup chocolate chips and whisk until chocolate is melted.⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Whisk in melted butter and oil. (Mixture may look curdled.)4 tablespoons unsalted butter, ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- Add eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth.2 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated.2 cups granulated sugar
- Add flour and salt and mix with rubber spatula until combined.1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon salt
- Fold in remaining 1 cup chocolate chips.1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Scrape batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 50-60 minutes.
- Using parchment overhang, lift brownies from the pan. Return brownies to the wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Once cool, cut into 16 squares and serve.
Video
Notes
- For the chewiest texture, it is important to let the brownies cool thoroughly before cutting. If your baking dish is glass, cool the brownies 10 minutes, then remove them promptly from the pan (otherwise, the heat retention of the glass can lead to overbaked brownies).
- Store cooled brownies at room temperature wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or covered tightly with foil for up to 5 days.
- Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost by leaving brownies at room temperature and/or warming gently in a 350ºF oven for 10 minutes.
- Recipe adapted from Cook’s Illustrated.
Nutrition
Comments
Raphael says
These brownies came out super well. I ended up putting half the sugar and they came out to the perfect sweetness level. The espresso flavor really stands out and so does the vanilla. Highly recommend!!!
Kimberlee Ho says
So glad to hear that!!
Jaclyn Boyd says
I am looking for chewy/cakey brownies that I can swirl a cheesecake batter and jam into. Would these be able to handle this? I'd like a 9x9 pan how would you recommend I adjust the ratios to fit that size pan but still give a thicker brownie? Would it also be okay to test other changes such as brown butter milk solids (I have a brown butter milk powder I make from non fat milk powder) and raspberry extract. Thank you for your time
Emma says
Hello! I’m on the hunt for a recipe that produces a ton of thick brownies - do you think I could double your recipe in my aluminum half sheet (12x17”) baking pan with 2” sides? I figure the thinner pan would help the brownies cook all the way through with the same temp and time listed here. Any knowledge/tips on the subject are greatly appreciated, thank you! These look positively drool worthy 🙂
Kimberlee Ho says
These brownies are pretty thick already. You can certainly try to bake them in a bigger pan - keep an eye on them during baking to make sure the edges don't overcook before the middle sets.
Ashley says
I had a random craving for brownies and started googling recipes based on the ingredients I had on hand and found this page. I'm so glad I did. These were amazingly thick, fudgy, chewy....just amazing. I didn't have enough semi-sweet chocolate chips so I made up the difference with some dark chocolate chips but otherwise made it exactly as written. I will definitely make these again.
Kimberlee Ho says
So happy to hear these hit the spot when that chocolate craving hit!
Robyn says
Made these again today for my son’s school bake sale. They came out so so good! I kept two for myself!
(This comment was made by a family member of Kickass Baker's owner.)
Kimberlee Ho says
That'a great to hear! So glad you enjoyed them 😊.
Lin says
Mine turned out more cake than chewy and away too sweet😅
Kimberlee Ho says
I'm sorry to hear this. Next time try removing them from the oven a little earlier and they'll be chewier. You can always reduce the sugar if they're too sweet for your taste as well.
Basima says
I made the Ultimate Chewy Chocolate Brownies to take to family we were visiting. Everyone went crazy for them! They were halfway gone even before dinner started - a big hit! I will definitely make these again. Thanks Kim!
Kim says
Woo hoo! So happy to hear this Basima!