I Tried the Most Popular Brownie Recipe on the Internet — And It’s as Good as Promised
I’ll admit it: Brownies are not typically at the top of my baking list. While I whip up countless cakes and batches of cinnamon rolls and cookies at home, brownies are just not a go-to for me. And that all has to do with my love for scratch baking. Despite my best efforts, I’ve never found a from-scratch brownie recipe that produces a batch of chewy brownies as good as a boxed mix. That is, until now.
The most popular homemade brownie recipe on Google has thousands of rave reviews, and the recipe calls for just 10 simple ingredients. With the method being incredibly easy, using just two mixing bowls and a spatula, I knew I had to put it to the test.
Get the recipe: Best Homemade Brownies at Love & Lemons
How to Make the Best Homemade Brownies
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Spray an 8X8 square baking pan lightly with cooking spray, line it with parchment paper, and lightly spray the parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, chocolate chips, and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together two eggs, canola oil, water, and vanilla extract. Sprinkle the dry mixture over the wet mixture and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until the mixture is just combined.
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Spread the top with a spatula. Bake the brownies for 45 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center to check for doneness. The brownies are done when the toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs.
Once the brownies are baked, allow them to cool in the pan fully, at least two hours.
My Honest Review of the Most Popular Brownie Recipe on Google
If I could bottle the scent that wafted through my house while I patiently waited for these brownies to bake, I would. They smelled incredible while baking, but they tasted even better. The texture of the brownies is perfectly chewy and gooey. The top and bottom had a slight crispy crunch to it, almost like a very subtle crust, yet the centers were soft. The flavor was wonderfully rich with notes of bold chocolate, yet they weren’t overpowering or overly sweet. Really, they made me fall in love with brownies all over again.
This recipe calls for adding dark chocolate chips to the mixture for additional pops of flavor. I ended up using semi-sweet chocolate chips, which is what I had on hand. Either way, I think this recipe could do without them. Certainly, if you’re a die-hard chocolate-lover, then by all means, throw them in. But they didn’t add anything to the experience for me — the texture and flavor of the brownies would be just as good without them.
It’s also important to note that while these may be the most delicious batch of brownies you’ll make, they might not be the prettiest. Given that the only liquid in the mixture is two eggs, oil, and two tablespoons of water, it’s a very thick batter. It can be spread into the baking pan with a spatula, but that process is made that much trickier with parchment paper lining the dish. The tops of my brownies didn’t have that classic smooth, yet crinkly, top to them, but that didn’t bother me.
3 Tips for Making Homemade Brownies
Swap the oil if needed: This recipe calls for canola oil or olive oil. If you don’t have either on hand, you can easily swap it out for vegetable oil as well.
Use other chocolate options: This recipe uses dark chocolate chips, but because I didn’t have any on hand, I used semi-sweet chocolate chips. This is a great swap to be able to customize these brownies even further. Consider using chopped chunks of chocolate, or even adding different flavors of baking chips, such as peppermint chips or peanut butter chips, to mix things up.
Chill your brownies: If you’re someone who loves an incredibly chewy brownie with a touch of crispness around the edges and a tender center, chilling your brownies is helpful. Brownies continue to set and get even gooier after they’re baked. Cooling the brownies at room temperature and transferring them to the fridge to chill before serving will ensure that beautiful texture. You could even store them in an airtight container in the fridge and grab one for the ultimate chewy treat whenever you need a sweet snack!
Get the recipe: Best Homemade Brownies from Love & Lemons
This article originally published on The Kitchn. See it there: I Tried the Most Popular Brownie Recipe on the Internet — And It’s as Good as Promised
