Best-Ever Fudgy (Shiny-Topped!) Homemade Brownies
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Made with cocoa powder, not melted chocolate, this chewy, fudgy brownie recipe truly is the best ever. The batter comes together in just about 10 minutes and the brownies emerge with a shiny, paper-thin crust extending from edge to edge.

I’ve been making this brownie recipe for over a decade for various occasions, often for birthdays studded with candles or, for extra fun, a few sparklers. From Fine Cooking Magazine, the recipe calls for cocoa powder alone — no melted chocolate — and produces the fudgiest, chewiest, most delicious brownie ever. It will ruin all other recipes for you. Sorry?
Recently I’ve been on a quest to ensure every batch of brownies emerges with that desirable shiny, paper-thin top layer. With the help of this Stella Parks article as well as a number of reader comments, I’ve finally created the brownie of my dreams. Read on for more details.
How To Achieve Shiny, Glossy-Topped Brownies
In sum, the key to achieving shiny-topped brownies is to vigorously mix the batter at its various phases and to bake the brownies in an aluminum cake pan or a metal pan. This is what has made the difference for me:
- Melt the butter and sugar sufficiently and beat the two together until they are nearly emulsified — the batter should look like wet sand. (I use my flat-bottomed whisk here.)
- Beat the eggs for about a minute (I again use my flat-bottomed whisk here) until they are foamy and slightly thick.
- Whisk the butter-sugar mixture really well into the eggs before adding the dry ingredients.
- Use an anodized aluminum pan. Stella Parks explains in this article that in an aluminum pan, “a well-whipped brownie batter will bake just fast enough, puffing beautifully along the way. The brownies will then settle as they cool, a transformation that creates their crinkly, flaky tops and fudgy middles.” One of you readers has also had success using this USA 8-inch metal pan.
She also recommends lining the pan with foil:
Bonus: While these brownies are delicious when freshly baked, they get better by the day, becoming richer and fudgier as they sit. So don’t be afraid to make them ahead of time.
The Best Cocoa for Brownies?
For years I used Hershey’s natural cocoa powder in these brownies. Recently, however, I switched to Droste Dutch Processed Cocoa, because one of you told me about the concerning levels of lead in Hershey’s cocoa powder. I’ve since learned that Droste has even higher levels of lead than Hershey’s.
All of this said, if you do the math, each brownie contains roughly 4 grams of cocoa powder. Still not ideal, and I will report back if I find a cocoa powder that works well and has lower levels of lead. Stay tuned! In the meantime, here are some recommendations from readers:
- Stella Park’s favorite: Cacao Barry Extra Brute (2 pack) | (1 pack)
- Navitas
- Viva Naturals Organic Cocoa
- Fry’s
- Rodelle
PS: My favorite soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies.
Fudgy, Chewy, Shiny-Topped Brownies: Step by Step
First, measure your dry ingredients. For best results here, use a scale to measure — it’s really hard to measure cocoa powder accurately without a scale.
Whisk together the dry ingredients, then set aside:
In another large bowl, place 3 eggs:
Then whisk vigorously for 60-90 seconds or until the eggs are foamy and slightly thick. I like to use my flat-bottomed whisk here. Set aside.
Meanwhile, place two sticks of butter in a pot.
Melt the butter then add the sugar:
Whisk the sugar and butter together very well here — this won’t take long but the mixture should look like wet sand when you’re done. Again, I like to use my flat-bottomed whisk here.
Whisk this butter-sugar mixture into the eggs very well, then add the vanilla and whisk again:
Add the dry ingredients to the wet:
Whisk until the batter is very smooth:
Pour into a foil-lined 9-inch pan (this one is great):
Bake for 37-40 minutes at 350ºF:
Let cool for 30 minutes, then remove the brownies from the pan. The shiny top layer looks like a sheet of paper you could peel away… a sight to behold!
Cut into squares:
Admire your work:
Celebrate with sparklers?
Or a tall glass of milk.
Best-Ever Fudgy (Shiny-Topped!) Homemade Brownies
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 16
Description
Source: Fine Cooking
UPDATES: 1/23/2024: In an effort to achieve that shiny, crackly crust every time, I’ve made a few changes to the recipe, mostly to the method, which is reflected in the instructions below. I also now use 3 eggs as opposed to 4, 1 tablespoon vanilla as opposed to 1/2 teaspoon, and 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt as opposed to 1/2 teaspoon table salt.
Notes:
- A digital scale is best for measuring flour and cocoa powder. This one is reasonably priced. Buy it! Baking by weight will change you forever. There’s no better time than right now.
- Cocoa Powder: For years I used Hershey’s natural cocoa powder. Recently, however, I switched to Droste Dutch Processed Cocoa, mostly because one of you told me there are concerning levels of lead in Hershey’s cocoa powder. But now I’ve learned that Droste has even higher levels of lead than Hershey’s. All of this said, if you do the math, each brownie likely contains roughly 4 grams of cocoa powder. Still not ideal, and I will report back if I find a cocoa powder that works well and has lower levels of lead. Stay tuned! In the meantime, here are some recommendations from readers:
- Stella Park’s recommendation: Cacao Barry Extra Brute (2 pack) | (1 pack)
- Navitas
- Viva Naturals Organic Cocoa
- Fry’s
- Rodelle
- The pan. For optimal results, Stella Parks recommends using an anodized aluminum pan, explaining that in an aluminum pan, “a well-whipped brownie batter will bake just fast enough, puffing beautifully along the way. The brownies will then settle as they cool, a transformation that creates their crinkly, flaky tops and fudgy middles.” She also recommends lining the pan with foil. One of you readers has also had success using this USA 8-inch metal pan.
Ingredients
- 72 g (¾ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder, see notes above
- 84 g (2/3 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon table salt or 1/2 teaspoon Morton kosher salt)
- 3 large eggs
- 227 g (1 cup or 2 sticks) salted or unsalted butter; plus more for the pan (I use Cabot salted)
- 432 g (a heaping 2 cups) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center of the oven. Line a 9-inch square baking pan, preferably aluminum or metal, with aluminum foil (see notes above).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In another large bowl, beat the eggs very well until foamy and thick — about 1 minute of vigorous whisking.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat — it should be hot and bubbling lightly. Add the sugar and whisk until well very combined — I like to use my flat-bottomed whisk here. The mixture should be nearly emulsified and should look like wet sand.
- Pour the melted butter-sugar mix into the eggs and whisk constantly until very well combined. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to extract any lingering sugar/butter. Add the vanilla to the egg-sugar mix, and whisk to incorporate.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and whisk until smooth.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 37-40 minutes. Insert a toothpick straight into the center. If it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, the brownies are done.
- Let cool completely in pan on rack (at least 30 minutes) before cutting. Brownies can be made two to three days in advance.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
282 Comments on “Best-Ever Fudgy (Shiny-Topped!) Homemade Brownies”
I doubled the recipe. Would using a 9×13 pan be okay if I wanted to bake them using only one pan? Can’t wait to try these!
Yes!
The best brownies ever!! Thanks for sharing ❤️
Great to hear, Heather! Thanks for writing 🙂
The only aluminum pan I have is mini muffin pans :-). Do you think it would work to bake in those? Ridiculous I know, and I have the pan you suggested ordered but want to make these today. I’ve made them in a nonstick metal pan and they were great but they really sunk.
Sorry just seeing this! Yes, go for it in the mini muffin pans 🙂
They were so amazing! So fudgy, I thought was a lot of sugar but it’s so worth it!
Great to hear, Sophie! Thanks so much for writing 🙂 🙂 🙂
If I double the recipe to cook in a 9×13 pan, do I increase the cooking time?
Probably just by a few minutes. Test with a toothpick however at 40 minutes because they might be done.
Yummy and fudgy, these didn’t last long 🙂
Would like to say a huge thanks for giving me back my brownie making confidence.
Just last month I made a batch (different recipe) and wow were they horrific. My husband laughed and said I shouldn’t be allowed in the kitchen again. I decided to share the rest with the birds in our garden birdfeeder. Not a single piece was touched over a week 🙁
absolutely delicious…i have to admit when they came out of the oven once cooled i didn’t find them great and was dissapointed BUT…the day after keeping them in the fridge and eating them cold, the flavour and aroma of the cocoa powder came through (i used extra-brute). So so good. Only change i made was reducing the sugar to 300g and it was sweet enough – just right i would say. Will definitely make them again.
Great to hear, Jasmine! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes 🙂
Hi Ali!
I’ve made your shiny brownies a few times before & they are scrumptious! They’re calling to me again but I’m wondering if you’ve tried making these with sourdough discard? Or how about your Orange Ricotta Cake? Maybe you have recipes to recommend from other amazing bakers using sourdough discard for brownies or any loaf cakes/muffins.
My goal is to keep my sourdough discard container to less than1 quart! ;D
Many thanks & happy spring … !
Anthea
Hi Anthea! I’m not sure as I’ve never done this… what’s tricky with subbing in discard for brownies and cakes (as opposed to pancakes or other bread recipes) is that there isn’t any water in the batter. So even if you subtract some of the flour in this recipe proportionally to how much discard you use, you’re still adding water to the equation, which will throw off the formula. Wish I could offer more guidance!
I have been looking for this recipe for years! Clear concise directions that answer questions that I have wondered about. I’ve been checking Ali’s sight out on Tik Tok and am absolutely delighted. This recipe turned out exactly as predicted, absolutely delicious.
Great to hear Billianna! Thanks so much for writing and following along on tiktok, too 🙂