North American

Serving

Brownies

Name: Brownies
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: North American
Ingredients: 1 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted); 2 large eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 3/4 cup cocoa powder; 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Fudgy cocoa brownies made with melted butter and studded with chocolate chips for extra richness.

45 minutes

Serves 8

Dessert

16 min prep

25 min cook

Contains common allergens

Egg Dairy Wheat

In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.

Instructions

6 steps

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
2
In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the hot melted butter and granulated sugar for 1-2 minutes until slightly lightened in color.
3
Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract, whisking until the mixture is completely smooth and glossy.
4
Sift the cocoa powder, flour, and salt into the wet ingredients. Gently fold with a rubber spatula just until no streaks of dry flour remain—do not overmix.
5
If using, fold in the chocolate chips. Pour the thick batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top evenly.
6
Bake for 20-25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. Let cool completely in the pan before lifting out and slicing into squares.

Brownies — plated and served — Serving moment. How Brownies looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

76/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 70

Kid-friendly 85

Weeknight-easy 64

Budget-friendly 86

Great leftovers 93

Pantry-friendly 66

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

315

Calories

5 g

Protein

43 g

Carbs

17 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

The brownie as a distinct American baked good appeared in cookbooks in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, emerging from the space between cake and candy. Early versions varied widely in texture, and the fudgy-versus-cakey debate that defines brownie culture today reflects that original uncertainty about what a brownie actually is. The fudgy version won broader commercial popularity, and the ratios in most modern recipes are built around maximizing that dense, slightly underbaked center.

Listahan note

This version uses cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate, which produces a denser, more intensely chocolatey crumb with sharper edges and a more reliable bake. The optional chocolate chips add a pocket of melted texture without changing the overall structure.

Technique cues

Whisking hot melted butter with sugar vigorously before adding eggs dissolves the sugar crystals and creates a slight emulsion that produces the glossy, crinkled top crust that signals a well-made brownie.
Do not overbake. Brownies are done when the center is set but still looks slightly underdone through the oven door. Carryover heat in the pan continues cooking them after removal.
Cool fully before cutting. Cutting warm brownies is the single most common mistake; the interior has not set yet and the slices look raw even if they are properly baked.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Line the pan and preheat the oven before you start mixing; the batter comes together in under 10 minutes.
Make-ahead: Brownies improve after resting overnight at room temperature; the texture firms and the flavor deepens.
Leftover move: Crumble day-old brownies over vanilla ice cream or layer with whipped cream in a glass for a quick trifle.
Cleanup rhythm: The parchment overhang lifts the whole slab out of the pan; soak the bowl while the brownies cool.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

unsalted butter (melted)

Fat and structure

Purpose: Melted butter, rather than creamed butter, is the reason brownies have a dense, fudgy crumb instead of a cakey one.

Handling: Melt completely and let it cool briefly before adding eggs so it does not scramble them.

Adaptation: Brown the butter before melting into the batter for a deeper, nuttier flavor that pairs well with cocoa.

granulated sugar

Sweetness and crust formation

Purpose: A high sugar ratio relative to flour is what keeps the interior moist and produces the characteristic shiny top as the sugar dissolves and rises during baking.

Handling: Whisk with hot melted butter for a full 1 to 2 minutes until slightly lightened; this is the step that builds the crust.

Adaptation: Light brown sugar can replace half the granulated sugar for a molasses undertone and a slightly chewier texture.

cocoa powder

Chocolate flavor

Purpose: Cocoa provides concentrated chocolate flavor without adding the extra fat and sugar of chocolate bars, keeping the recipe simple and the chocolate notes clean.

Handling: Sift if it is lumpy; cocoa clumps resist fully incorporating and leave dark spots in the finished brownie.

Adaptation: Dutch-process cocoa produces a smoother, darker brownie; natural cocoa provides a sharper, more acidic chocolate note.

large eggs

Binder and moisture

Purpose: Eggs bind the fat and sugar together and contribute to the dense, fudgy texture rather than a cakey rise.

Handling: Beat in one at a time and whisk smooth before adding the next, so the batter stays homogeneous.

Adaptation: For an eggless version, substitute 3 tablespoons aquafaba per egg; the texture will be slightly less dense.

Technique notes

Use the parchment overhang to lift the entire baked slab onto a cutting board, then cut with a sharp chef's knife. A dull knife drags the fudgy interior.
A toothpick test is misleading for fudgy brownies; moist crumbs on the pick are correct. A clean pick means you have gone too far.
For cleaner slices, chill the baked slab for 30 minutes before cutting. The cold firms the interior so cuts are more defined.

Ingredient swaps

Gluten-free direction: Replace the all-purpose flour with an equal weight of almond flour; the result is denser and richer, almost truffle-like.
Dairy-free direction: Use refined coconut oil in place of butter; the flavor is slightly less rich but the fudgy texture holds because the fat ratio is unchanged.

Serve alongside

Vanilla ice cream
Fresh raspberries or strawberries
Whipped cream with a pinch of salt
Cold whole milk
Coffee or espresso
Stout beer for an adult pairing

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days; refrigeration dries them out.
To restore fudginess, microwave a refrigerated brownie for 8 to 10 seconds before eating.
Freeze individually wrapped brownie squares for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Equipment

8x8-inch metal baking pan
Parchment paper with overhang for lifting
Medium mixing bowl and whisk
Rubber spatula for folding

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