Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies [Without Oil]

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If there is one recipe you use from my site, it should be these dark chocolate brownies. I am picky about my brownies, and this one is so perfectly balanced- from the chocolate to the sugar to the salt. And my personal must-haves: this recipe has a beautiful crackly crust and a crisp edge that gives way to a fudgy, soft center. It does not get any better than this.

My go-to comfort dessert is brownies. For years I used the Baked brownie recipe, but although it was good, it wasn't best-ever material. So I started testing, and eventually came out with this brownie beauty- it's definitely my new favorite brownie recipe.

These brownies can be made a la mode with this vanilla ice cream recipe, and are just as crowd-pleasing as my lazy brown butter chocolate chip cookie bars.

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Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Description
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• FAQ
• Notes
• Recipe
• 💬 Community

Ingredients

• All Purpose Flour
• Salt
• Dark Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• Chopped Semisweet Chocolate or Chocolate Chips
• Unsalted butter
• Espresso powder (optional)
• Sugar
• Brown Sugar
• Eggs
• Vanilla

See recipe card for quantities.

I like that this recipe is made without oil- personally, I feel like butter adds a nicer texture and flavor to brownies, so no oil is a good thing in my book!

Description

Here are a few words I'd use to describe this dark chocolate brownie recipe:

• The perfect balance of sweet and bitter between dark and semisweet chocolate
• Fudgy, rich, and dense
• Soft and slightly chewy
• Reminiscent of Ghiradelli flavors but with a darker chocolate vibe and a much better texture

Instructions

These fudgy brownies are easy-peasy, and come together so quickly. Start by preheating your oven to 350, and greasing a 9x13 baking dish.

I rarely use parchment paper, but if you're worried about the brownies sticking to the side of the pan, you can be extra sure they won't by adding parchment paper to the sides and bottom of your baking dish.

Put the batter into your 9x13 baking pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, then allow to cool before eating.

Hint: You know these fudgy brownies are done baking when you can wiggle the pan in the oven and the center of the brownies does NOT jiggle at all. They should look shiny on the top.

Substitutions

• Cocoa Powder: You can definitely use either dark or regular cocoa powder for this brownies recipe. I prefer dark cocoa powder because I like the very slight bitterness it brings to these brownies. However, if you're not a dark chocolate fan, feel free to use regular cocoa powder!
• Chopped chocolate: My favorite chocolate for this is semisweet, because it brings a nice balance to the dark chocolate cocoa powder. However, you can experiment with different kinds of chocolate. If you LOVE dark chocolate, use dark chocolate here for a DEEP dark chocolate brownie! Same if you like milk chocolate- or make it a few times and try different ones to see what you like!

Variations

My favorite way to add some extra punch to these brownies is to add M&Ms, Oreos, peanut butter cups, or your other favorite candy or cookie to the brownie batter. YUM.

I also love adding powdered sugar and caramel on top if we're having company over. Instantly elevated!!

You can also add flaky sea salt to the top for an extra crunch and really nice flavor balance.

Equipment

Here's some equipment I love and use all the time for these dark chocolate brownies.

• Large bowl: any large bowl will do! I have these nesting bowls from Amazon that I loooove.
• Spatula: I am obsessed with the Williams Sonoma "No Kid Hungry" spatulas. This isn't an affiliate link, I literally just love them. They work so well, they hold up nicely, and they're so cute!
• 9x13 pan: Wilton pans are always a great choice. I always choose lighter colored metal pans because the edges of the baked goods brown less.
  • You can use stoneware as well, just make sure to keep an eye on the sides of the cookie bars towards the end of the baking time. If they're getting a little too brown (they may or may not, depending on what stoneware you use), turn down the heat to 325 until the center of the bars are done.
• Hand Mixer: This Cuisinart hand mixer will just make your life easier, and there are some situations where a name brand is just better. I'd argue this is one!
• OPTIONAL- KitchenAid Stand Mixer: This is certainly not a must, but you can use a stand mixer to put all of this together super easily! Just be careful to not overmix once you put the flour in.

Storage

Store the brownies covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also freeze brownies for 2 months.

FAQ

Notes

• I donate 10% of all proceeds from my blog to a nonprofit Christian organization or church.
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Recipe

Did you make these dark chocolate brownies? I want to know! Post it on social media, tag @battersandblessings, and add #battersandblessings so I can see your creation 🙂