Fudgey Brownies
For the chocolate lovers! These brownies are an easy, decadent dessert. Made with a high-quality cocoa powder, they’re perfectly rich and chocolatey whether you’re serving them as-is or paired with a scoop of ice cream.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes plus at least 30 minutes for cooling
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 9-12 brownies
Ingredients
¾ cup unsalted butter
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I like to use Ghirardelli cocoa powder)
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ cup chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350 °F. and prep an 8x8 square baking pan by lightly coating with cooking spray and lining with parchment paper. (You can just use the cooking spray if you don’t have parchment on hand).
In a medium sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add ¼ cup of the sugar and the olive oil, whisking consistently to fully incorporate and prevent the ingredients from burning. Once the butter mixture is fully melted, set aside to cool slightly.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, salt and espresso powder if using) and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, remaining cup of sugar and vanilla extract until well combined. Then slowly add cooled butter mixture, whisking consistently until everything is combined and the batter is smooth.
Add the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined so you no longer see traces of the dry ingredients, but don’t overmix! This will cause your brownies to be cakey.
If using chocolate chips, gently fold them into the batter then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 27-30 minutes; you’ll know they’re done when the center is set, a toothpick comes out clean, and edges are slightly crisp and the top gets that crackly look. I like to start checking at 28 minutes to ensure they don’t overbake and maintain a fudge-y center. If you’re using a larger pan, say a 9×9, your batter will spread out more and require less cooking time so I’d recommend starting to check at 25 minutes for larger pans.
Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving, then enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
I actually like these brownies best after they’ve fully cooled! Feel free to enjoy them right after baking with a scoop of ice cream or cover the pan to keep them fresh and enjoy for up to 4 days.
Overmixing can result in tougher brownies; for a soft and fudge-y texture make sure you’re mixing until ingredients have just fully combined but not beyond that.
Don’t be thrown off by the olive oil! you cannot taste it, but it brings out the richness of the chocolate. Same goes for the espresso powder- this ingredient is optional, but I highly recommend it if you have any on hand. It helps bring out the flavor of the cocoa powder but doesn’t add a “coffee” taste and the result is rich, decadent brownies.
Nutrition Facts (per 1 brownie serving)
Estimates. Will vary based on ingredients and serving size
Calories: ~250 kcal
Protein: ~3.8 g
Total Fat: ~14 g
Carbohydrates: ~34 g