If you’re looking for a fudge brownie recipe, look no further! I have the perfect recipe for you right here! This recipe for fudge brownies has a deep cocoa flavor along with the perfect amount of salt and sweetness. There are a few secrets to this recipe – the first one is I brown the butter to give it a nutty flavor – this adds even more richness to the brownie. The second secret is adding coffee grounds to deepen the flavor of the cocoa. Both are totally optional, but help make for an amazing brownie!
I have several brownie recipes on the blog because hey, if you like to bake, you’re making lots of brownies, that’s for sure. Before we dive deep into this particular recipe, here are a few of my very favorite brownie recipes on my website.
Grandma’s Brownies – these are a game changer! And I bet you’ve never had a brownie quite like these before! It’s a dense cake like brownie that melts in your mouth with a fudge frosting that melts into the brownie. I mean…I can’t even with these.
Caramel Brownies – these are delightful and so indulgent. Not only are you getting a fudge brownie, but you’re getting that sticky caramel swirled throughout it. It’s wonderful!
Baking can be so much fun! There are several ways to make the “same thing” and this proves just that. Three wonderful brownie recipes that result in three different desserts. Excuse me while I Geek out. 🙂
But back to these beautiful fudge brownies! I browned the butter because I wanted to add a little extra something to this recipe. Now we all know nuts go well with brownies and when you brown butter, it gives it a nutty flavor. You see where I was going with this? I personally love the flavor. Browning butter is not complicated but it can be slightly tricky the first time you do it because it can burn in just a few seconds. But, if you’re careful and simply follow the directions, I think you will be just fine! You simply add butter to a sauce pan and place over medium-low heat and let it simmer until you smell a nutty flavor and see the butter start to literally brown – you will notice little specks on the bottom of the pan. When you see these, remove from the heat and pour into a bowl. Done! Now if you’re not interested in doing this, simply melt the butter! Browning the butter doesn’t effect anything in the recipe besides a subtle flavor change.
Moving onto the beautiful brownie batter in this recipe – it’s so thick and delicious. You will definitely be licking the spoon. I do love this recipe because everything comes together in one bowl and you don’t need a mixer, just a whisk and spatula.
To make the brownie batter you simply whisk the sugar, eggs, vanilla and melted butter really well and then you add the dry ingredients…flour, cocoa powder, salt and espresso powder. The espresso powder is also optional. Coffee brings out the flavor of chocolate…you could use instant coffee granules as well.
I love adding chocolate chips into the batter to give the brownie a bit of texture and that extra bite of chocolate!
The best way to bake anything in a pan is to line it with parchment paper. Parchment paper is safe to use in the oven and it’s non-stick. I use it all the time. It makes taking the brownies out of the pan much easier as you simply lift the corners of the parchment paper and pull the entire pan of brownies out and then you can cut them. It also helps with clean up as your pan isn’t sticky with brownie batter.
Can we take a minute and appreciate the fudgy swirl that’s happening in the picture above?
Look how gorgeous these are! I let the brownies cool completely before taking them out and cutting them. You can also place in refrigerator to speed up this process if you’re in a hurry. Again, pull them out of the pan and then cut them up – it’s much easier than cutting them in the pan.
I personally love the crackly top and then the dark thick rich brownie underneath. I think you’re really going to enjoy this recipe as much as I do. This is a simple recipe that results in a beautiful dessert.
A couple of options to make these even more fun!
1.) make a brownie sundae! Caramel or vanilla ice cream would be wonderful along with sprinkles, nuts, and of course a cherry.
2.) you can cut these up much smaller and make ” brownie bites” instead of having large brownies. I find that people enjoy eating little bites of dessert sometimes versus a typical size brownie. These would be wonderful on a dessert platter!
I would love to hear from you! Leave me a comment with any questions you may have otherwise shoot me a picture of comment when you make the recipe!
Best Fudge Brownie Recipe (with a secret ingredient!)
This easy fudge brownie recipe will knock your socks off! it's so indulgent, slightly salty and definitely sweet. Browning butter and espresso powder make this brownie recipe stand out from all the others!
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened dutch processed is preferred)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder or coffee granules (optional)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and browned (see directions)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar (light brown sugar will work as well)
- 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper; set aside. Reference picture in the post if you need a visual.
- First, measure the dry ingredients and whisk together in a small bowl; flour, cocoa powder, salt and espresso powder; set aside
- In another larger bowl, add eggs, vanilla, melted brown butter, sugar and brown sugar. Whisk vigurously until smooth.
- To make the brown butter, place butter in a small/medium sauce pan and place over medium-low heat. Bring to a slight simmer and start stiring constantly until the butter has a nutty aroma and little brown bits start to form at the bottom of the pan. Immediately remove and pour into a bowl to cool down for 5 minutes. This is optional. If you don't want to brown the butter, simply melt the butter and let cool.
- Next, add the bowl of dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix with a spatula. Lastly, add the chocolate chips and gently stir. The batter will be thick! Pour into your prepared pan and smooth out with a spatula.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. You don't want to overbake these, so error on less baking time if you're oven is a hot one. Let cool completely before removing from the pan using the egdes of the parchment paper. Cut and enjoy!
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