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I don’t know about you, but homemade brownies always intimidated me. Especially since the brownies my mom made out of a box were SOOO good (thank you Duncan Hines and Ghirardelli)!. Then I figured out I could make from scratch brownies, in one bowl in about the same amount of time and I was hooked! With only one bowl to clean up, this simple recipe is going to quickly become a weekly staple.
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Why you should make this one bowl brownie recipe now!
Making brownies can seem daunting because of the double boiling, the shaving chocolate, the chewy vs. cakey debate. But it doesn’t need to be so complicated.
First things first, chewy brownies always win over cakey brownies around here. Full stop.
These brownies are chewy and a little fudgy and all about the chocolate flavor. Using chocolate chips as a base, and adding cocoa powder and a little bit of espresso powder, the depth of chocolate flavor is the real stand out here.
These one bowl brownies don't require a double boiler and you don’t need an electric mixer either. Just grab a medium size microwave safe bowl (I like to use a glass one), a whisk and a spatula. Simple, right. And I bet you have all the ingredients you need in your pantry and fridge right now.
Ingredients
A few notes on the ingredients:
- Chocolate Chips: You don’t have to use fancy chocolate. I like to use dark chocolate chips (60% cacao), but any chocolate chip will work. You can also use bar chocolate, chopped, in the same amount if that is what you have.
- Instant Espresso Powder: Coffee helps bring out the chocolate flavor, but if you don’t have any in your pantry, leave it out or substitute with instant coffee.
How to make one bowl brownies
First, preheat your oven and prep your baking dish. This recipe is made for an 8x8 square baking pan. Line it with overlapping pieces of parchment paper (to form a little sling), making it easier to remove the brownies from the pan with no sticking.
Then, put the butter, chocolate chips and cocoa powder into a large microwave safe bowl and heat at 30 second intervals, whisking as the chocolate and butter begin to melt.
Once melted together, add in the sugar and whisk the mixture sugar is fully incorporated.
Now’s it’s time to whisk in the vanilla and espresso powder until they are well incorporated.
Next up are the eggs. Whisk the eggs in one at a time and whisk until the batter is glossy and thick.
Now, switch to the spatula and fold in the flour gently until it has just disappeared into the batter.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the edges are fully cooked and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Coffee enhances the chocolate flavor
Using coffee in chocolate baked goods really enhances the chocolatey-ness of the dessert. You’ll find the same thing in my chocolate chunk cookies and its why my iced mocha recipe is so good.
Coffee is the secret ingredient in some of the best chocolate cakes and other chocolate desserts. You don't know it's there, but everything tastes just a little bit "chocolatier".
Frequently Asked Questions
I like to freeze them as an 8x8 square wrapped well in plastic wrap and then foil. It helps keep the individual brownies from drying out in the freezer. When you are ready to use them, simply defrost on the counter. Once defrosted completely, you can cut them and serve them as needed!
Yes, because there is not a lot of flour in this recipe, you can easily substitute a one-for-one gluten free flour mix in this recipe. I like using either the Trader Joe’s all purpose gluten free baking mix or the King Arthur Gluten Free Flour.
One more simple tip
- The batter will seem thick. That’s okay. Just do your best to coax it into the corners of the baking dish so that it bakes up evenly. If your spatula won’t work, then wet the tips of your fingers and use your hands to get the brownie batter where it needs to go.
Looking for more simple dessert recipes? Try these:
When you try this recipe and love it 😍 let me know by leaving a comment below or 5 ⭐ rating!
📖 Recipe
Simply the Best One Bowl Brownies
Ingredients
- 8 TB unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup flour
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, then prepare 8x8 baking pan by cutting two pieces of parchment paper and crisscrossing them in the bottom and up the sides of the pan to form a sling.
- Put butter, cocoa powder, chocolate chips and salt into a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave at 30 second intervals, whisking after each 30 seconds until mixture comes together.
- Once everything has melted together, add the sugar and whisk well until the mixture gets glossy. Whisk in the vanilla and espresso powder, making sure everything is well incorporated.
- Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well between additions and then until it is super glossy. This could take 2-3 minutes.
- Mix the baking powder into the flour, then using the spatula, fold the flour in just until you can’t see it anymore.
- Pour into the parchment lined pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes (depending on your oven).
- Let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then lift out using the parchment paper sling. Let cool another 20 minutes, then place on cutting board, cut into squares and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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Barb Rosenfeld
I can't wait to try this recipe!
Allison Lally
It's nice to know old school ways are coming back. this is pretty close to my great grandmothers recipe. Yes espresso makes several recipes taste better. Thanks for posting a memory.