The BEST Brownies EVER!

Kelley Simmons
December 19, 2023
5 from 4 votes
15 comments

These Brownies strike the perfect balance between chewy edges and a gooey, melt-in-your-mouth center. Made with browned butter for an extra layer of nutty depth, a touch of instant coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor, and melty chocolate chunks in every bite—these brownies are pure indulgence.

Looking for more Brownie Recipes? Try my Copycat Cosmic Brownies and my Chocolate Zucchini Brownies!

A white plate with a brownie piece on it. A fork is holding a bite of the brownie.

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Before You Get Started / Kelley’s Tips

Use a light-colored pan to brown the butter. This helps you see when the butter turns golden brown before it starts to burn.
Use high-quality chocolate. Opt for good-quality cocoa powder and chocolate chunks or chips for the best flavor.
Cool completely before slicing. I know it’s tempting to dig in right after the brownies get out of the oven, but they’ll cut more cleanly if you wait for them to cool first!

Ingredients Needed

Unsalted Butter: You can substitute salted butter. Just make sure to reduce the amount of salt in the recipe.
Sugar: Light brown sugar and granulated sugar are added!
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: I always recommend using a high-quality cocoa powder. Dutch process cocoa will work in this recipe as well.
Instant Coffee Granules: Help to bring out the chocolate flavor in the brownies. You can use espresso powder as well if you have that on hand.
Baking Powder: Used to give the brownies a little height.
Eggs: I prefer to use cold eggs in the brownie batter. I find it helps keep the brownie mixture together versus room-temperature eggs.
All-Purpose Flour: I tried to use as little flour as possible in this recipe for a fudgier brownie.
Chocolate Chips: I have also used chocolate chunks in this recipe. For a twist, substitute butterscotch or peanut butter chocolate chips!

How to make the Best Brownies

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 9 or 8 x 8 pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Lightly spray with cooking spray or grease with butter. Set aside.

A top down view of melting butter in a white saucepan.

Brown the Butter: Add butter to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until light brown / caramel in color. 5-10 minutes. Make sure to keep and eye on it so butter does not burn. It also helps to use a light colored saucepan for this.

Pouring browned butter into a mixing bowl.

Combine the Batter: Pour browned butter into a large bowl along with both sugars, cocoa powder, salt, instant coffee granules and baking powder. Stir until combined and allow to rest for 5 minutes or until the mixture has cooled down. Stir in the eggs and vanilla and mix until batter has a nice sheen to it.

A spoon mixing brownie batter in a mixing bowll.

Fold in the Flour and chocolate chunks and stir until combined. (Do not over mix)

Brownie batter and chocolate chunks in a mixing bowl.

Bake the Brownies: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is set and a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool the Brownies completely and lift out the aluminum foil or parchment paper.

A knife cutting brownies on a cutting board.

Serve the Brownies: Cut into 9 brownies and serve with ice cream on top!

Recipe Variations

Nuts: Stir in chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds for added crunch and flavor.
Salted Caramel: Drizzle caramel sauce over the batter before baking and sprinkle with flaky sea salt for a sweet-salty twist.
Peanut Butter: Drop spoonfuls of peanut butter on top of the batter and swirl it in with a knife before baking.
Espresso: Increase the instant coffee granules to 1 tablespoon for an extra coffee kick.
Oreo: Break Oreos into chunks and fold them into the batter for a cookies-and-cream version.
S’mores: Add crushed graham crackers to the batter and top with mini marshmallows in the last 5 minutes of baking.
Triple Chocolate: Use a mix of dark, milk, and white chocolate chunks for extra chocolaty goodness.

A rubber spatula smoothing brownie batter in a pan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use instant coffee granules?

No, but they enhance the chocolate flavor without making the brownies taste like coffee. You can leave them out if preferred.

Why did my brownies turn out dry?

They may have been baked too long. Try reducing the bake time by a few minutes next time. Also, check that you’re measuring flour correctly by spooning and leveling it instead of scooping directly from the bag.

How should I store the brownies?

Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months.