Dense fudgy chocolate squares (Printable)

Rich and fudgy chocolate squares with crackly top and melt-in-mouth texture. Perfect shareable delight.

# Ingredient List:

→ 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 packed light brown sugar

→ 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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
03 - Stir granulated sugar and brown sugar into the chocolate mixture until fully combined.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt together. Gently fold into wet ingredients until just combined; avoid overmixing.
06 - Incorporate nuts or chocolate chips if desired, folding gently to combine.
07 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly.
08 - Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
09 - Allow to cool completely in the pan. Lift out using parchment overhang and cut into 16 squares.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They come together in under 40 minutes and taste like you spent all day in the kitchen.
  • That crispy-crackly exterior with the fudgy center is genuinely addictive and impossible to stop at just one.
  • They're foolproof enough for beginners but sophisticated enough to impress anyone who tastes them.
02 -
  • Underbaking by a minute or two is not a mistake—it's the difference between fudgy and cakey, and once you nail it, you'll never go back.
  • Room temperature eggs truly matter here because they incorporate smoothly and create a silkier batter than cold eggs.
03 -
  • Parchment paper is not optional—it transforms the cleanup from tedious to effortless and lets you show off your brownies by lifting them out intact.
  • A toothpick inserted 1 inch from the center should have moist crumbs; pulling from dead center often catches the wettest part and makes you overbake.
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