Best Ever One Bowl Fudge Brownies

If you’re looking for an easy, stick-to-your-fork fudge brownie recipe, this is it! Supremely fudgy Best Ever Fudge Brownies are made in ONE bowl for easy cleanup and prep! You probably have all of the ingredients on hand, too!

I am such a brownie person, but I oddly never make them for myself.

I like to judge places based on two things: brownies, and chocolate chip cookies. I feel like if bakeries can’t master those, the rest of their stuff is probably crap. And lemme tell you, there’s a lot of crappy brownies and cookies floating around out there. RIP.

When I was developing a recipe for one-bowl fudge brownies, I wanted something that tasted and reminded me of boxed brownie mix. You know that quintessential fudge brownie that sticks to your teeth and is so supremely fudgy and chocolaty that it doesn’t need any accessories like nuts or ice cream: it stands on its own as being this ultra decadent, moist, gooey treat with those signature crackly tops. Because let’s be honest, those crackly tops are LIFE.

I wanted a brownie recipe that could be made in one bowl for ease of preparation and cleanup. I have a fudge brownie recipe but it requires a LOT of ingredients and makes essentially brownie fudge because it is so thick and dense. That recipe is great, but I don’t always have time to chop up 5 (!!!) chocolate bars and to dirty up several bowls and pots. I wanted something that could be whipped up in a jiffy so I can quickly bake and serve within an hour tops. (Although when you cut into these while still warm, they won’t get as neat of a border as mine do in this picture!).

This is that brownie recipe and more!

Here are some tips and tricks I learned along the way in achieving a perfectly fudgy brownie recipe:

• Butter: We’re using real butter here for the best flavor!
• Melted chocolate AND cocoa powder: Cocoa powder has a more complex, true chocolate flavor since it doesn’t have sugar or milk in it. But I also love the moisture and richness that melted chocolate adds to the brownies. My recipe has both for maximum chocolate flavor and the perfect fudgy texture.
• No leavening agents! That’s right, there is NO baking powder or baking soda in this recipe. Why? Because when those two leaveners (or one or the other) is added to a brownie recipe, it creates a rise in the batter, resulting in a airier, cake-y texture. We do NOT want cakey brownies, so the leaveners are omitted from the recipe.
• Sugar: I use white granulated sugar in this recipe because as it bakes, the sugar liquefies, giving the brownies a lovely texture and flavor of course! White granulated sugar also aids in creating that addictive crackly top we all love (also known as a meringue!)
• Eggs: There are only 2 eggs used in this recipe to help tenderize and bind all the ingredients together. Here’s a tip: after adding in the eggs, beat the mixture really well with a wooden spoon to create pockets of air. This helps create that meringue-like crackly top.
• Flour: Only a little bit of all-purpose flour is added to this recipe because we want a chewy fudge brownie, not a cakey one.

That’s all there is to it! Just add in some vanilla extract for flavor and you’ve got an amazing, One-Bowl Fudge Brownie you’ll be craving over and over!

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Best Ever One Bowl Fudge Brownies

These One-Bowl Fudge Brownies are to die for and the BEST I've tried! Supremely fudgy and rich, they have a chewy texture and addictive crackly meringue-like tops that everyone falls in love with! Best of all, they're made in one bowl, so less prep time and cleanup!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Bars, Dessert

Cuisine: American, Dessert

Servings: 9 -12

Author: Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate bar roughly chopped
• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder I recommend Dutch process
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Liberally grease an 8x8" or 9x9" square baking pan with cooking spray or butter. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add in the butter and chocolate bar and stir constantly until melted and smooth; set aside to cool for about 5 minutes, then add in the sugar and beat well. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating very well after each addition, followed by the vanilla extract. Lastly, add in the flour, cocoa powder and salt and beat until combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist, not wet, crumbs. Cool completely before cutting into squares (for neat squares) or cool until warm to the touch for warm brownies (with less-neat edges).

I know you’re going to use this brownie recipe time after time; it is so perfect!

Have a super sweet day!

xo, Hayley