Homemade Brownies

These Homemade Brownies are so delicious and easy to make... you will love them! They might just be the best brownie you have ever had. Give them a try and let me know!

Have you ever made homemade brownies before? I used always make them from a box recipe but then I just didn't care for the flavor of them anymore so I wanted to try making them from scratch.  I wanted to find a brownie recipe from scratch that was simple and easy to make.

Not only do I want a simple recipe when making them from scratch but also simple ingredients that go into the brownies. That is really important to me.  Some of those box brownies have such a long list of ingredients with some we can't pronounce!

This brownie recipe is what I like...simple ingredients and easy directions to making a delicious brownie. This is the go-to brownie recipe I use every time now when someone asks me to make brownies.

The recipe originates from a cookbook I use often, Sally's Baking Addiction: Irresistible Cookies, Cupcakes, and Desserts for Your Sweet-Tooth Fix. I find many great recipes in this cookbook and highly suggest it!  

Ingredient List:

• Unsalted butter
• Semi-sweet baking chocolate
• Sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Chocolate chips

You probably have most of these ingredients in your house right now.  Once you make them your house will be filled with the lovely aroma of brownies baking in the oven!

How to make Homemade Brownies:

To start, preheat your oven to 350°F and adjust your baking rack to the lower third position in your oven. You will need an 8" x 8" non-stick baking pan to make these brownies.  

I use a non-stick pan for the recipe. If you do not have a non-stick pan, then grease the sides and bottom of your pan with butter or line it with parchment paper so that the brownies come out easier.

Break the baking chocolate into smaller pieces and place them into a microwave-safe bowl with the butter.

Melt the butter and baking chocolate pieces in the microwave for 30 seconds and then stir.  Heat for an additional 30 seconds and stir.  If more time is needed to melt the chocolate and butter then do 10 second increments, stirring after each one. Do that until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth.

Pour that into a large mixing bowl, scraping the sides, and let that sit for about five minutes to cool slightly. Then add in the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each one, until they are well blended.   Whisk in the vanilla extract. 

Add in the sugar and whisk into the chocolate mixture. Slowly add in the flour and salt.  When adding in the flour, add in a little at a time, stirring with a large spoon or spatula after each addition. Gently stir in the chocolate chips until mixed into the brownie batter.  

Pour the batter into your pan and spread it out evenly.   

Want to add more chocolate to your brownies? Sprinkle some chocolate chips over the brownie batter before baking in the oven. Bake for 38-40 minutes. You can tell they are done by inserting a toothpick in the center of the brownies.  If it comes out clean, they are done! You might see a couple of crumbs, but that is okay.

Let them completely cool before you cut them into squares.  Once cooled, enjoy them with a nice tall glass of cold milk or your favorite beverge!

Brownie Recipe Tips and Tricks:

• When melting the chocolate and butter, make sure to stir after each time you heat them in the microwave.  When you stir the ingredients they will soften up and dissolve a little quicker.
• Let the brownies cool completely before cutting them. If you cut brownies when they are warm they will stick to your knife or cutting utensil. Trust me, wait until they cool for much prettier-looking brownies.
• I like to use a thin spatula to cut the brownies. Just use the edge of the spatula and slice straight down several times to make a straight line down the brownies in the pan.  The brownies will stick less this way over using a knife.

Best way to store the brownies? Store cut brownie squares in the pan covered tightly or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.  They are the best when freshest, the first 2-3 days. You can also freeze them in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.  

Want to jazz up your brownies a little?  Some yummy add-ins to the brownies would be chopped nuts, marshmallows, or even chopped peppermint candy.  Just add 1/2 to 1 cup of the ingredient you prefer to the batter when you add in the chocolate chips.

Brownie Sundae anyone?  Add a scoop of your favorite ice cream on top of the brownie and you have yourself a delicious brownie sundae!

Make the brownies festive for Halloween:

Brownies make a great dessert since they are easy to make and most people can't say no to a brownie!  To make them festive for Halloween, replace the chocolate chips with crushed up festive colored M&M's.

To crush up the M&M's:

Measure out one cup of festive colored M&M's and place them in a bowl.  

When I crush them, I use the back of my ladle to gently press down on a small amount of M&M's at a time.  Pretty fancy, right?!  This way I can control the size of the M&M pieces.  I like to keep some on the bigger side to have more color in the mix.

You can also use your blender to crush up the M&M's.  Just watch the M&M's as you crush them with the blender so that you stop before they are crushed up so small that you won't see the festive color of the candy.

Add a half cup of the crushed M&M candies to the brownie mix and then sprinkle the rest evenly over the top of the brownies.  

Want them to look more festive for Halloween?

If you want them to look even more spooky for Halloween, you can add some edible candy eyes.  If you add the eyes, add them when the brownies are just out of the oven while the brownies are soft.  Gently press them down on top of the brownies.

These brownies would make a fun treat to send in for Halloween parties at school.  You could also do this after Halloween using up some of your kids candy.  You could use M&M's, Reese's Pieces or any other candy that your family loves.  

How to use these brownies in an April Fools Day joke:

In our house, we are all like to try and get each other with the best April Fools jokes…and this one is a great one I will share with you.  It is so easy and simple to do.  It includes this recipe for delicious brownies but the joke is the brown E’s…

What will you need for to play this fun April Fool's Day joke:

• These delicious brownies
• Brown construction paper
• Scissors
• Markers (optional)

Easy Instructions:

Cut out several letter E's using the brown construction paper.  (If you want to jazz up the "brown E's, use colorful markers to add color along the edges.)

Place the brown E's on a plate and set aside until you have someone to play the joke on!  Ask them if they would like some "brown E's".  When they say yes, show them the plate of paper brown E's!

After you get them with the joke, show them the plate of the real homemade brownies ready for them!  So simple and so much fun!

Looking for more great dessert recipes? 

Here are a few great ones to try...Jumbo S'mores Cookies, No Churn Cookie Monster Ice Cream, and Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Did you make these Homemade Brownies? How did you like them?  I would love to hear from you by leaving a comment and rating below in the comment section.  Thanks and have a great day!

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Update Note: This recipe was originally posted in 2018, but was published again in 2020 to include step by step directions and new photos.