Okay so I admit it, I’m normally a box brownie mix girl. There’s just something magical about brownies from a box. But you know what – homemade brownies are way easier to make than you’d imagine. And they’re delicious too! These brownies are especially good for cutting into shapes, something I sometimes struggle with when it comes to boxed brownies. Cutting things into shapes works really well for things like ice cream sundaes, Mickey brownies, and more! And I’m a totally sucker for ice cream brownie sundaes. If it’s on the menu at a restaurant, it’s always my dessert of choice. I figure if that’s what you’re offering up for dessert on an actual restaurant menu, it’s bound to be delicious. I’m normally right.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Deep chocolate flavor – the cocoa in these really gives them that nice chocolately flavor you’re looking for with brownies! You could even add a handful of chocolate chips to the batter if you want something more on par with the Ghirardelli boxed brownie mix! Soft and chewy – one of the issues I’ve found with homemade brownies is they tend to be a little drier than boxed brownies. This recipe fixes that, just make sure you don’t cook them too long so you still get that soft and gooey flavor! Perfect dessert base – these brownies go well with pretty much anything you want to make for dessert. Homemade ice cream? Brownie fruit pizza? Brownies topped with homemade raspberry sauce? The possibilities are unlimited.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Melted butter – you want the butter to be melted but cooled, not still super hot. Also, you want to make sure and use unsalted butter in this recipe. If you do only have salted, I’d recommend cutting down the added salt to 1/2 tsp instead of 3/4. Eggs – take your eggs out of the refrigerator so they are at room temperature if at all possible. If not, don’t sweat it, it just helps the mixture come together better. Cocoa powder – I always recommend high quality cocoa powder, especially when you want really chocolately brownies. My favorites are Hershey and Ghirardelli.
How to Make Brownies from Scratch
This recipe really is almost as easy as making boxed brownies, you’re just mixing a bunch of separate dry ingredients together with egg and oil instead! Start by preheating the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking pan with oil or baking spray. I used almond oil but something like coconut oil would work as well. Just don’t use olive oil as the flavor may disrupt the flavor of the brownies. Making sure your melted butter is cooled, add it to the oil and sugars in a medium bowl. Whisk or beat until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat again, making sure it’s completely mixed before moving on. You want the mixture to be a shade lighter in color before moving on. After the wet ingredients are mixed, add your flour, cocoa powder, and salt. If you’re feeling fancy, you can sift them into the mixture. If you’re not (like me most days), you can just dump them in. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, making sure not to over beat. So don’t put this under a stand mixer and walk away for ten minutes – you just want them combined together. Pour the homemade brownie batter into your greased pan, smoothing them out with a silicone spatula. I mean how good does that look, can you just smell the brownies now!?! Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes if you like your brownies to have a fudgier texture or if you want them a bit more done, leave them in for 30-35 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when you put a toothpick in the center of the brownies and it comes out clean. Let the brownies cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes. Then remove brownies from the pan and allow to cool to room temperature. I mean that’s just a goal. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t almost immediately eat a brownie straight from the pan while it’s still warm. And if you’re going for brownies and ice cream, you really want to eat them warm topped with the cold ice cream. Regardless, once they’re baked, they’re ready to eat and delicious whether you eat them warm, at room temperature or cold!
Expert Tips
Let the brownies come to room temperature if you plan to cut the brownies instead shapes like you would do for these Christmas tree brownies or these ghost brownies. Store in an airtight container for up to five days before getting rid of the brownies. But let’s be honest – who actually has brownies sitting around in their house for five days!?!? Try these homemade brownies topped with blueberry whipped cream, this copycat grey stuff recipe, or as part of a dessert board! Use leftover brownies before they go bad by turning them into these delicious brownie balls! YUM!
More Easy Chocolate Desserts
If you like these homemade brownies, you will absolutely love these other chocolate desserts! I know I do!
Chocolate pudding cookies – these double chocolate chip cookies are soft, chocolately, and always a big hit with chocolate lovers!Hot chocolate cupcakes – these darling cupcakes look just like you would imagine hot chocolate in cupcake form! Plus, they’re super yummy! Easy Oreo truffles – just like with the brownie bites, these delicious little bites are full of chocolate cookies and cream flavor! Chocolate brownie cake – this old-fashioned recipe combines brownie cake with a delicious chocolate icing in everyone’s favorite dessert!Snickers cake – chocolate, nuts, and caramel all make this a big hit for anyone who enjoys Snickers candy bars!
