These easy homemade bakery style brownies are the ultimate comfort food. Decadent, delicious brownies from scratch that are so easy to make!
Making thick, bakery style brownies at home is so easy!
These classic brownies are moist, rich, and chewy with a beautiful crust! These are by far the best bakery style brownies from scratch!
Love easy chocolate desserts? Try my Easy Chocolate Cake Donuts, Homemade Chocolate Pie, or these incredible Chocolate Muffins!
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Why you'll love this chocolate brownie recipe
- Better than store-bought. This is the best recipe for chocolate brownies. Boxed brownie mixes may be convenient, but making homemade brownies is so easy. You'll never want to buy store-bought brownies again.
- Flavor-packed. To me, nothing beats the taste of classic, cocoa brownies from scratch. These brownies have a wonderful, chewy texture, just like ones from a bakery!
- Simple. This is a really easy brownie recipe, even for novice bakers.
- Uses 2 baking methods for enhanced flavor. I discovered 2 amazing techniques that take these brownies to a whole new level: the "ribbon stage" and "blooming" the cocoa powder! Both methods make these brownies ultra chocolatey, thick and chewy!
What makes this recipe stand out
- I use two techniques to enhance the flavor of the brownies: beating the eggs and sugar to the ribbon stage and blooming the cocoa.
- The ribbon stage involves beating the eggs and sugar until a thick mixture resembles a cake batter. I learned about this technique in this amazing article on Epicurious. When you lift your whisk or beaters, the egg mixture falls off into beautiful thick ribbons that hold their shape for a few seconds. This technique incorporates air, enhancing texture and thickness.
- I also use Dutch processed cocoa powder for a richer chocolate flavor and I also "bloom" the cocoa in melted butter for a richer and more intense chocolate flavor. Blooming the cocoa powder enhances its rich, chocolatey taste.
Top Tip
Check out this post if you want to learn about “blooming” as well as the difference between Dutch processed cocoa powder and natural cocoa powder.
The result of using these methods?
PHENOMENAL!
The brownies are soooo chewy, chocolatey, and thick! They are incredible with vanilla ice cream, too!
What you’ll need to make this recipe
Ingredients for easy bakery style brownies
- Flour - I use all purpose flour.
- Butter - I like using unsalted butter.
- Cocoa Powder - I use unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder because it gives the brownies the richest chocolate flavor.
- Baking powder - It helps make the brownies rise.
- Sugar - I use granulated sugar, but you could also use light brown sugar.
- Salt - It enhances all the flavors.
- Eggs - You'll need 2 medium eggs.
- Vanilla - I use pure vanilla extract.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities.
Equipment you'll need
- mixing bowls
- 8x8 inch (20cm) square baking pan
- silicone spatula
- whisk
- parchment paper
How to make easy bakery style brownies from scratch
Step-by-step Instructions
1. In a microwave safe bowl, add the butter and cocoa powder. Melt in 10 second increments, stirring between each increment until everything is well combined. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, add the eggs, sugar , and salt and beat on high speed until it's thick, about 5-8 minutes. It's ready when you can see ribbons fall off the beaters.
4. Add the melted chocolate mixture and mix until well combined.
5. Add the flour and use a silicone spatula to fold everything together.
6. Keep folding until there are no more streaks or pockets of flour.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake.
Recipe notes
Storage Tips & Freezing Instructions
Store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4 days. You can also store them for up to about 10 days in the refrigerator. Just wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and then place in an airtight container and put them in the refrigerator.
These brownies freeze really well, too. Just wrap individual squares in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer-safe container or freezer bags. They can be frozen for up to about 3 months. To thaw, just put them in the refrigerator overnight.
Variations
- Feel free to mix in your favorite add-ins, like chocolate chips (½ a cup) or chopped walnuts!
- Drizzle with this amazing salted caramel sauce or use the frosting from my Chocolate Walnut Cake recipe.
- Or swirl some peanut butter on top before baking.
- Double the recipe and make these brownies in a 9x13 inch (23X33) pan!
Tips for Success
- Measure all the ingredients properly. A digital scale will result in CONSISTENT results every time.
- When adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, don’t overmix the batter. You need to GENTLY fold it in until it’s just combined, otherwise you will deflate all the air that you created in the egg mixture.
- Pan sizes. For this recipe, I used an 8x8 inch (20X20cm) pan. You could use a 9 X 9 inch (23.5 X 23.5 cm) pan, but keep in mind that the brownies will be a bit thinner. Also, the pan size will also affect the baking time.
- Double the ingredients for a 9x13 inch (23x33cm) pan.
- Using parchment paper. When you line your pan with parchment paper, make sure you leave about 2 – 2 ½ inches hanging over so you can just lift the whole pan of brownies out at once without breaking it.
- Don’t overbake! The longer you bake these brownies, the drier and cakier they'll be.
- Cool before slicing. Let the brownies cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before lifting them out. Then place the brownies on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing so they don't fall apart.
Frequently asked questions
I use a toothpick inserted in the middle to test when the brownies are done. For fudgy brownies, there will be some moist crumbs on the toothpick. For cakey brownies, you'll want to have a few crumbs on the toothpick. If the toothpick is clean, then the brownies are probably over-baked.
First, let the brownies cool completely. Then use a sharp, straight-edged knife - you could dip it in some hot water and then wipe it dry before slicing. Make sure to wipe the knife clean between each cut.
I think metal pans are ideal because the brownies bake evenly. Glass pans are ok, but they will usually need a few more minutes baking time because glass takes longer to heat up.
Enjoy!
~Voula
More brownie recipes to try!
Did you make this recipe? If so, please let me know how it turned out and leave a rating and review below! I'd love to hear from you! ❤️
Recipe
Easy Bakery Style Brownies
Equipment
- 8X8 inch (20 X 20cm) square baking pan
- mixing bowls
- whisk
- microwave-safe bowl
- parchment paper
- silicone spatula
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (170g)
- ½ cup (60g / 2oz) unsweetened dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup all purpose flour (125g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ cups sugar (300g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 medium eggs
Instructions
- Grease and line a pan with parchment paper with about 2-3 inches overhanging on the sides to use as handles. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add the butter, cocoa powder and vanilla. Heat in 10 second increments in the microwave, stirring well between each increment, until everything has melted. Alternatively, melt in a saucepan over simmering water, over medium heat, whisking continuously. Set it aside to cool.¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (170g), ½ cup (60g / 2oz) unsweetened dutch-processed cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder together. Set aside.1 cup all purpose flour (125g), 1 teaspoon baking powder
- In another large bowl, add the eggs, the sugar and salt all at once and beat on high speed with an electric mixer for about 5-8 minutes. The mixture should be thick like cake batter (see picture in post).1 ½ cups sugar (300g), 3 medium eggs, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add the cooled melted cocoa mixture to the egg mixture and beat until well combined.
- Gently fold in the dry ingredients until you don’t see any more white streaks. Don’t overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly on top.
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Don't overbake. The longer you bake them, the drier and cakier they'll be.
- Allow to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before using the overhanging parchment paper to lift the brownies out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Cut into squares and enjoy!
Notes
- Measure ingredients accurately with a digital scale for consistent results.
- Fold gently when mixing dry and wet ingredients to avoid deflating the batter.
- Use an 8x8-inch pan (20x20cm) for thicker brownies or a 9x9-inch pan (23x23cm) for thinner ones; pan size affects baking time.
- Double the ingredients and bake in a 9x13 inch pan (23x33cm) and increase the baking time to about 5-10 minutes.
- Line the pan with parchment paper and leave a 2–2 ½ inch overhang for easy removal.
- Don’t overbake to keep brownies fudgy; longer baking makes them dry and cakey.
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