Delicious Dense Fudgy Chocolate (Printable)

Rich, dense chocolate squares with crackly top and melt-in-mouth texture, ideal for sharing or solo indulgence.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Chocolate & Fats

01 - 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter

→ Sugars

03 - 1 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 2 large eggs
06 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

07 - 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
08 - 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
09 - 1/4 tsp salt

→ Optional Add-ins

10 - 2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
11 - 2/3 cup chocolate chips

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chopped semi-sweet chocolate together, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
03 - Mix granulated sugar and light brown sugar into the melted chocolate mixture until fully incorporated.
04 - Beat in eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully mixed before adding the next. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Sift together flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Fold the dry mixture gently into the wet ingredients until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
06 - If desired, fold in chopped nuts or chocolate chips evenly throughout the batter.
07 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
08 - Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.
09 - Allow brownies to cool completely in the pan. Use the parchment overhang to lift out and cut into 16 squares.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They're dense and fudgy without being heavy, striking that impossible balance that makes you want another square immediately.
  • The whole thing comes together in under an hour, so you can go from craving brownies to actually eating them without too much patience required.
  • They travel well, taste even better the next day, and somehow make ordinary moments feel a little more intentional.
02 -
  • The difference between fudgy and underbaked is just a minute or two, so start checking at 22 minutes and trust your toothpick over the clock.
  • Melting chocolate and butter together creates a better emulsion than adding melted chocolate to softened butter, and it shows in the texture of the final brownies.
  • Not sifting the cocoa powder is the most common mistake I see—lumps of cocoa powder scattered through the brownies taste bitter and gritty, which ruins the whole thing.
03 -
  • Bringing all your ingredients to room temperature before mixing creates a smoother batter with better texture in the final brownies.
  • If your kitchen is warm, chill the batter for 15 minutes before baking—it helps prevent excessive spreading and keeps the edges from baking too fast.
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