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    Home » Recipes » Dessert Recipes » Dark Chocolate Brownies

    Dark Chocolate Brownies

    Published: Apr 9, 2018 · Modified: Dec 30, 2022 · by Debra with Leave a Comment · 1097 words. About 6 minutes to read this article. · This post contains affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These dark chocolate brownies turn out so much better than anything you could ever get from a box, and they're incredibly easy to make. Adding melted chocolate chips to the batter gives them a shiny, crackly top.

    Three brownies displayed on a white plate.

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here. 

    A brownie is one of the easiest homemade treats you can bake, and there are endless variations. Start with these dark chocolate brownies as a base for your adventures.

    This is my adaptation of Fat Witch Bakery's recipe. If you happen to be strolling past their storefront in Chelsea Market in NYC you'd better get your butt in there and try something.

    Of course I love their version, but I wanted something a little more fudgy with a gooey center. So I added more butter—because isn't that always better? These dark chocolate brownies get their shiny, crackled top from melting chocolate chips and butter together. It's a science that I don't quite understand, but it works.

    You don't need any special tools to make these. Just the usual suspects hanging around your kitchen and some love. The only hard part is waiting long enough for them to cool so you can get them out of the pan.

    Jump to:
    • Dark chocolate brownies are fudgy, gooey, and easy to make!
    • Ingredients you'll need
    • How to make dark chocolate brownies
    • Tips for dark chocolate brownies
    • Storage and freezing instructions
    • FAQ
    • More chocolate recipes
    • Recipe

    Dark chocolate brownies are fudgy, gooey, and easy to make!

    • Butter + dark chocolate = a silky ganache for the ultimate dark chocolate brownie!
    • Made in one bowl for easy cleanup.
    • Only 15 minutes of prep and they are ready to go in the oven.
    • No special equipment needed.
    • Extra butter means ooey gooey centers and a shiny, crackly top.
    Chocolate chips, flour, cocoa powder, sugar, an egg, and a stick of butter displayed on a wooden cutting board.

    Ingredients you'll need

    • Dark chocolate chips: These are the secret! You must use bittersweet chocolate, and you must use chocolate chips, not baking chocolate. All of the chocolate flavor in these brownies comes from the chocolate chips, there is no cocoa powder. And you must use chocolate chips because something about their fat content ensures you'll get that shiny, crackly top when they're finished.
    • Butter: We are using two whole sticks of butter! This is where the fudgy, gooeyness of it all comes in.
    • Flour: Only ½ cup of flour in these. Another reason they are so chocolaty and gooey.
    • Sugar: It might seem like a lot of sugar, but remember we are using bittersweet dark chocolate, so you need more sugar to balance that out.
    • Eggs, vanilla, and salt: That's all you need to round out the batter.

    How to make dark chocolate brownies

    Adapted from Fat Witch Brownies.

    Step 1: Preheat the oven and prep your baking pan

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

    A square, 9 inch by 9 inch pan that has been greased with butter and coated with cocoa powder.

    Grease a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with butter. Dust with cocoa powder to coat and tap out the excess.

    A whisk in a small sauce pan containing melted chocolate.

    Step 2: Make the ganache

    Melt butter and chocolate chips in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.

    A clear glass bowl with sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
    A whisk in a glass bowl containing eggs, sugar and vanilla that have been whisked together into a frothy mixture.

    Step 3: Combine eggs and wet ingredients

    Cream sugar, eggs and vanilla together.

    Chocolate is poured from a small sauce pan into a glass bowl with a whisk in it containing an egg and sugar mixture.

    Add cooled chocolate mixture and combine until well blended.

    A whisk in a glass bowl containing a chocolate mixture, with sifted flour on top.

    Step 4: Add dry ingredients and bake!

    Measure the flour and salt and sift together into the chocolate mixture. Mix gently until combined and no bits of flour remain.

    A square 9 inch by 9 inch baking pan full of brownie batter.

    Pour batter into pan and spread evenly. Bake 30-33 minutes on the center rack until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only crumbs, not wet batter.

    Cool in the pan on a rack for 1 hour. Cut just before serving.

    Baked brownies cooling in a square baking pan on a wire rack.

    Tips for dark chocolate brownies

    • You must use chocolate chips for this recipe! NOT baking chocolate. The fat/sugar content in chocolate chips forms some kind of magical chemistry when the brownies are baking, and this is what gives you that shine.
    • You need at least 60% cocoa chocolate chips. The cocoa in the chips gives additional structure to our brownies.

    Storage and freezing instructions

    • Store these dark chocolate brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days.
    • To freeze, wrap individually in plastic. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    FAQ

    Should you let this dark chocolate brownie batter rest?

    You do not need to let this brownie batter rest. Since there is so little flour, the flavors come together quickly.

    Can you substitute oil for the butter?

    No. You must use butter in this recipe. The melted butter combines with the melted chocolate to form the ganache that is the key to the fudgy center and shiny top.

    Which oven rack is best for baking these brownies?

    Bake on the center rack to ensure even cooking. You'll get crispy edges and a gooey center.

    More chocolate recipes

    • Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies also have shiny tops and a meringue-like texture.
    • Chocolate Mousse seems really fancy, but it is really easy to make at home.

    Recipe

    Dark chocolate brownies stacked up on a white plate.

    Dark Chocolate Brownies

    This dark chocolate brownie recipe turns out so much better than anything you could ever get from a box, and they're incredibly easy to make. Adding melted chocolate chips to the batter gives them a shiny, crackly top.
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: dark chocolate brownies
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 9 medium-sized brownies
    Calories: 396kcal

    Equipment

    • 9 x 9 baking pan
    • small sauce pan
    • mixing bowls
    • fine mesh sieve
    • silicone spatula

    Ingredients

    • 16 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 sticks
    • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoon bittersweet chocolate chips 60% cocoa or more
    • 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
    • 4 large eggs
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoon unbleached flour sifted
    • pinch salt
    US Customary - Metric
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    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Grease a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with butter, dust with cocoa powder to coat and tap out the excess.
    • Melt butter and chocolate chips together in a pan over low heat, stirring frequently. Set aside to cool.
    • Cream eggs, sugar and vanilla together. Then add chocolate mixture and combine until well blended.
    • Measure the flour and salt and sift together into the chocolate mixture. Mix gently until combined and no bits of flour remain.
    • Pour batter into pan and spread evenly. Bake 30-33 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only crumbs, not wet batter.
    • Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack for one hour. Cut just before serving.

    Notes

    • You must use chocolate chips for this recipe! NOT baking chocolate. The fat/sugar content in chocolate chips forms some kind of magical chemistry when the brownies are baking, and this is what gives you that shine.
    • Store these dark chocolate brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
     
    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my full disclosure policy here.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 396kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 127mg | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 735IU | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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    Hi, I'm Debra! I love to cook and eat and travel, and cook the things I eat when I travel! I'm a detail-oriented Virgo, so it's my jam to simplify recipes and break them down into easy to follow steps. I help you bring the world to your table!

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    Hi, I'm Debra! I love to cook and eat and travel, and cook the things I eat when I travel! I'm a detail-oriented Virgo, so it's my jam to simplify recipes and break them down into easy to follow steps. I help you bring the world to your table!

    More about me →

    Subscribe To My Enewsletter

    Get my new, and tried and true, recipes delivered to your inbox! Subscribe now!

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