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Incredibly rich, fudgy, and easy to make, you will love this easy recipe for Homemade Brownies. Made with pantry staples and minimal effort, this brownie recipe delivers a copycat version of Ghirardelli brownies--minus the boxed mix!
Copycat Ghirardelli Brownies
To be honest, I never set out to make a copycat version of Ghirardelli's brownie mix. But every time I served my homemade brownies to guests, someone would say, you must have used a box of Ghirardelli brownie mix--these are SO good!
The truth is that my brownie recipe is from my Great Aunt Katherine and the recipe has been in my family for decades. It delivers a homemade brownie that is chewy, rich, gooey, and studded with pools of melted chocolate. The results are very similar to using Ghirardelli brownie mix--minus the need to use oil or preservatives. 😉
Even better? This brownie recipe is incredibly easy to make and is guaranteed to satisfy the biggest brownie snobs!
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
- Cocoa Powder: Be sure you are using a good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder, not hot cocoa powder.
- Chocolate Chips: Adding chocolate chips gives these homemade brownies the most outrageous, deep chocolate flavor. Use sweet, dark, or milk chocolate chips.
- Espresso Powder: For the best-flavored brownies, espresso powder is key. The espresso powder does not add a flavor of coffee but instead helps to enhance the rich chocolatey taste in these brownies. Trust me, it is a secret to really good brownies.
How to Make Homemade Brownies
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Melt butter with sugar. Over low heat, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Once melted, add in the espresso powder and sugar, whisking and simmering until the sugar melts into the butter. and whisk to combine. Cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes until the sugar begins to melt into butter, whisking often. Remove from stove and cool while sifting dry ingredients.
- Sift the dry ingredients. Over a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa salt, and baking powder together. This keeps the batter uniform and light.
- Combine batter. Gently combine the chocolate chips, flour, and butter mixture together. Just mix until there are no more pockets of flour to prevent overworking the batter.
- Bake brownies. Transfer the mixture into a parchment lined baking pan and bake until JUST set.
- Cool before slicing. While warm, gooey brownies are hard to resist, if you want your brownies to stay intact, it is best to allow them to cool slightly before slicing.
- Serve. Anyway you serve them, you just can't go wrong with a rich homemade fudgy brownie--plain or paired with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of hot fudge for a decadent brownie sundae.
Kristen's Key Tips
- Measure Accurately. Weigh or spoon flour and cocoa powder into measuring cups to avoid using too much of either, which results in dense brownies.
- Use a Glass Baking Dish. A glass square 8x8 baking dish is best for baking brownies. Metal pans heat up faster, which can cause the edges and bottom of the brownie to crisp up more than desired.
- Avoid Overbaking. Bake only until just set for gooey, fudgy brownies.
Recipe Modifications
- Dairy-Free: To make dairy-free brownies, use your favorite non-dairy stick butter, omit the added salt, and use dairy-free chocolate chips. While not quite as fudgy, they are still pretty tasty.
- Gluten-Free: Use an 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour in place of the all-purpose flour.
- Egg-Free: For the best fudgy texture, use 1 tablespoon of aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas) in place of each large egg, rather than applesauce or flax eggs
- Add Nuts. If you like nuts in your brownies, fold in up to ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans when adding chocolate chips.
Serving tip
How to Make the Best Brownie Sundae
While these brownies stand alone as a rich and decadent dessert, they also make the BEST brownie sundaes ever! Top a warm brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzle of hot fudge, and whipped cream--my personal favorite dessert!
More Chocolate Desserts
Did you make this recipe?
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Homemade Fudgy Brownies
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, (1 stick of butter)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ¾ cup Dutch cocoa powder
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉ (165℃). Line an 8x8 square glass baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan, melt ½ cup unsalted butter over low heat. Once melted add in 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon espresso powder and whisk to combine. Cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes until the sugar begins to melt into butter, whisking often. Remove from stove and cool while sifting dry ingredients.
- Sift ¾ cup Dutch cocoa powder, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon table salt over a large mixing bowl. Add 1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips and toss to coat.
- Add butter mixture, 2 large eggs (whisked) and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to dry ingredients. Mix together with a wooden spoon or spatula until JUST combined. Do NOT overmix or brownies will become tough.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread gently to evenly distribute.
- Bake brownies for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is set, but still soft. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with a few crumbs still attached, but not gooey.
- Cool the brownies in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and let the brownies cool for an additional 10 minutes before slicing.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in 2019 and updated in 2025.
Can the recipe be adjusted for a 9 x 13 pan? I have many 9x13 glass baking pans but no 8x8 pans.
Hi Michelle! To make these brownies in a 9x13" pan, double the ingredients. You may need to bake closer to 35-40 minutes, but begin checking after 30.