Easy one-bowl recipe for homemade fudgy brownies made with brown sugar, cocoa powder and one egg. So simple but yet so rich and decadent!
After attempting to make chewy brownies a couple weeks ago and failing, I decided that I was not going to be testing and tweaking the recipe dozens of times just to get the texture that I want. So I resorted to my trusty blondie recipe. Itās a foolproof recipe that comes out perfect every time so I thought why not make the chocolate version. I swapped out some of the flour for cocoa powder and it worked out perfectly. I also decided to add some chocolate chips to make them chocolate chip fudge brownies. The chocolate chips are obviously optional but I find that brownies with chocolate chips/chunks are better than those without.
Easy Homemade Brownies
This has become my go-to recipe for fudgy brownies with cocoa powder. Maybe Iāll create an even better recipe in the future but this one is pretty solid. I donāt see myself topping this one.
Itās a one-bowl brownie recipe with simple ingredients that can be made without a mixer and comes together in minutes.
For the way these brownies turn out youād think that youād need to be mixing for an hour or add a special ingredient, but no. This recipe is quite simple.
Many people donāt know just how easy making brownies from scratch can be. When it comes to baking, making brownies is one of the easiest things you can make (and one of the cheapest too). Once you master how to make brownies from scratch youāll never go back to buying a box mix.
Brown Sugar Brownies
Some brownie recipes call for only white sugar while others call for both white and brown. This recipe calls for just brown.
I didnāt use white sugar in this recipe because I was aiming for brownies that are super fudgy and or chewy. Either one would have worked for me and I managed to get that amazingly fudgy texture with minimal effort and I love it. Plus, I prefer brownies with brown sugar.
Using solely brown sugar made these brownies soft, moist, and rich in flavor. Theyāre also thicker and darker in color than their white-sugar counterparts. And if you didnāt know this already, baked goods with chocolate and brown sugar always turn out flavorful and moist. Always.
The amazing thing about these brownies is that even though they contain no white sugar at all, they still manage to have that crackly top that is such a popular appetizing characteristic of brownies. Iām not quite sure how they turned out with the shiny crust but Iām not complaining! See, this is why I love baking. I always learn something new and there are so many surprises.
One Egg Brownies
Almost all brownie recipes call for at least two eggs. Eggs are responsible for binding the ingredients, moisture, and lift. By only using 1 egg for this recipe it takes out some of that lift that creates a cake-like texture and produces a fudge-like texture instead.
Brownie Recipe with Cocoa Powder
Using real chocolate to make brownies is always good however, using cocoa powder is great too. Cocoa powder is actually packed with more chocolate flavor because it isnāt diluted with milk, water, or sugar which yields brownies that are rich. Making brownies without chocolate is also more convenient. I almost never have baking chocolate on hand but I always have a big tin of cocoa up in my cupboard.
Measuring Cocoa Powder
How do you measure cocoa powder? Cocoa powder is often times clumped together so to make sure that you measure it correctly, fluff it with a spoon prior to measuring (remove as many lumps as possible) then spoon it into the measuring cup and level off the excess. This will ensure that the cocoa powder is not packed into the measuring cup, preventing the possible outcome of a drier baked good. If you want to take it a step further, you can sift the cocoa powder to remove any and all lumps.
How to make Brownies Fudgy
- Use less eggs
For a fudge-like texture - Mostly or solely brown sugar
For denser, richer brownies. - Less butter
With less fat the brownies have less moisture which makes for a less gooey center and a more fudgy one. - Shorter baking time
Because the batter is thick and not as moist it doesnāt require to be baked as long. - No leavening ingredients
Another thing that contributes to the fudgy texture is the lack of leavening ingredients because those provide lift and create air bubbles which we do not want for this recipe. Brownies without baking powder or baking soda are naturally denser which is exactly what fudge brownies should be.
Youāll see just how fudgy these are before you even put them in the oven. Thatās right, I said before because the batter is so thick. When you start spooning it into the pan youāll just know that these are going to be exactly what I promise you theyāll be. And donāt forget to like the spoon!
Speaking of which, make sure to scrape the bowl. Get as much batter into the pan as possible. Weāre not letting any of that chocolate goodness go to waste.
Although this is an easy brownie recipe, there is some waiting required. After baking you have to wait for them to cool completely before slicing. This takes about 25 – 30 minutes. I know, I know, but itās a small price to pay.
How to tell when Brownies are done baking
These brownies are done when the center is set to the touch and slightly under baked (no longer completely raw). If you stick a toothpick in the middle there should be just moist crumbs sticking to it. Unlike most brownie recipes, itās not that hard to tell when these are done. But itās very important that you do not over bake the brownies.
Taking the brownies out of the oven while they are still under baked will ensure that the end product is not dry and hard. You want to keep as much moisture as you can so that when the residual heat from the pan continues to ābakeā the brownies theyāll still be soft and moist on the inside.
How to store Brownies
Store sliced brownies at room temperature in an airtight container or cover tightly with foil. I find that they start to get stale after two days so itās best to eat them while theyāre fresh.
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Fudgy Brown Sugar Brownies (one egg)
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (half a stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350Ā°F. Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil and set aside. *Note that if using foil the edges may crisp quicker.
- In a large bowl combine butter, brown sugar, and salt.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Add flour and cocoa powder and stir until combined (batter will be thick). Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spoon batter into the baking pan in an even layer.
- Bake for 15 ā 16 minutes until the very center is set to the touch and no longer completely raw. Do not over bake.
- Cool in pan completely before slicing (about 30 minutes).
68 comments
For me this ended up like a giant chocolate cookie. They tasted really good and were very soft, but nothing about this was brownie-like.
Brownies come in all different textures; soft, chewy, fudgy, cake-y, gooey. It’s all about preference. These brownies are fudgy (hence the name of the recipe). They have the same texture as blondies which are very similar to gooey cookie bars.
is there supposed to be any leavening agent like baking soda or powder? we made them this evening and everyone loved them. they were very good!! will definitely make them again
I’m so happy that everyone loved them, Jen! Glad you’ll be making them again. And no, there are no leavening ingredients in this recipe. Adding baking soda or baking powder would make them cake-y instead of dense and fudgy.
The recipe turned out fantastic for me. In fact it’s turned out fantastically four times now! Very fudgey, very chocolaty, and smooth with such a lovely chew when you fridge it. Totally decadent to begin with but I have topped them with chocolate ganache and holy wow! The only recipe I’ll use for brownies and I knew it from first bite.
That’s good to hear! Thank you so much. Can’t go wrong with chocolate ganache.
Could I use two eggs to make the brownie bigger?
I’m not sure what you mean by “bigger”. Do you mean thicker/taller or just fluffier? Adding an extra egg would change the texture of the brownies by making them softer, lighter, and more cake-like instead of dense and fudgy but it would not make them bigger in size. If you want them to be larger (taller) you can try doubling the recipe, baking it in the 9×9 inch pan, and baking them for a little longer since there would be twice the amount of batter. Whatever you do try, let me know how it turns out!
Yum. Making them for a second time today, sheltering at home because of Coronavirus. The recipe seems a bit dry with 3/4 c flour but I will carry on as they were so good last time. I melted butter in a saucepan and added the other ingredients into the same pan, less dishes. I donāt use white sugar so this is a good recipe for me. Using non-organic cocoa powder this batch, Hersheyās, & will compare to my Saco Conscientious Kitchen Organic cocoa which I donāt want to run out of. I may be making these a lot in the coming months, thanks a lot Crystal!
Hmm, well since it came out great the first time you probably packed the flour or cocoa powder into the measuring cup the second time resulting in a drier batter. That’s the only thing I can think of. I’ve never used Hershey’s cocoa powder before but it does have good reviews. I’m glad you’ll be making these brownies again! Thank you for the 5-star rating. Stay safe.
Itās on the oven as I write but batter tasted good. Brownies are my super speciality but I am out of white sugar and I didnāt think it was right for my husband to run out for 5-6 things (most needful is sugar) in the current caronavirus crisis. I think they will work. I did add walnuts because my husband insists upon nuts in his brownies and chocolate chip cookies. Easy peasy receive.
You’re right. Best to stay inside. Those are great additions. Thank you for trying my recipe, Diane! Let me know how it turns out.
Oh, forgot: I live at high altitude, 8000 ft. I cooked the brownies for about 5 minutes longer. Is there anything else I should do? Thx
I don’t really know much about high altitude baking but I did a little research and it seems that the only thing you need to do for brownies is bake them a little longer, about 5 – 10 minutes (which you already did) and add extra liquid (milk, water, use extra large eggs, add an extra egg yolk, etc.) if the batter is too dry. I hope this helps! By the way, because you live at high altitude, this could be the very reason why the batter was drier the second time around.
These brownies sound delicious. I’m stuck inside due to coronavirus & have run out of butter. Can I substitute coconut oil? Thank you!
Yes, you can. Replace the butter with 3 tablespoons of melted coconut oil. You may need to bake for 1 – 2 minutes longer since oil is moister than butter.
This is the second time I’ve made these and I doubled the recipe. I’m Celiac so used gluten free flour (Cup4Cup). Turned out great. Really good when they’ve been chilled in frig!
Stay well!
Wow, thanks for letting me know that! I never thought of chilling them before. And it’s also good to know that this recipe works well with gluten free flour. You too, Mary! Thanks for popping back to leave a comment. I appreciate it.
YUMMY! I cut the sugar a bit and the emphasis was on chocolate! I used a combo of butter, coconut oil & olive oil. Easy and quick chocolate hit!
Yum! Thanks for leaving a comment, Sara.
Was going to skip past this recipe because I’m in the UK and use metric measurements but glad I didn’t! Best recipe I’ve found for brownies, texture is spot on. I’m also coeliac and turned out great with a standard gluten free plain flour. Will make double next time as they disappeared too quickly!
Oh wow! So glad they turned out great for you, Katie. I agree, definitely double it. I’m working on the unit conversions for all of my recipes but it’s a lot harder than I thought. When it comes to baking, I am completely unfamiliar with weight measurements. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Delicious recipe with a slightly gooey, perfectly fudgy center! I used a small amount of espresso powder in it too and I loved it!
Hi Crystal! This is a great recipe and Iāve made it twice already ā love it! Thank you so much for sharing it. I would like to make a bigger batch, though, so would you happen to know if this recipe doubles easily? Iām planning to make it in a 12×8 pan, if that helps.
You’re welcome! I’m happy you like it. I’ve never doubled it myself but I don’t see why you can’t; it’s simple enough. I know this is obvious but all you’d have to do is bake it a little longer. Maybe 20 – 22 minutes.
Do you think I can substitute almond flour for the regular flour?
Sorry for the late reply. I honestly don’t know. I’m not sure how it will turn out. I recommend looking for a recipe that specifically calls for almond flour.
This is the brownie recipe I was looking for! My daughter is allergic to eggs but can eat baked egg, so I have been searching for a recipe that has 1/2-1c flour per 1 egg. This was the only one I could find as most have 2+ eggs and only a small amount of flour. I did add a tiny bit of milk since the batter seemed so dry, and they turned out great! Iām so excited to have a brownie recipe that she can eat!
Aw! It makes me so happy to hear that. It’s true, most do have multiple eggs. I’ve never added milk before, I think I’ll try that some day. Thank you for taking the time to tell me how it turned out. I hope your daughter loves them. Have a great day, Rob!
I am saving this recipe! I googled brownie recipes with only 1 egg because that is all I had. These were fantastic! Very eye opening to use brown sugar. Made for a dense, carmel-y, fudge-y brownie that my family and I looooove! After cooling I went to slice and they were very gooey, looking under-baked. So, I chilled in the fridge for 30 mins as another reader suggested, and then they were perfect. I might make another batch today. Thanks again for the perfect recipe!
Very true; the brown sugar makes them so rich and fudgy! Good thinking. Did you try reheating them afterwards? You’re very welcome! Thanks so much for the 5-star rating, Paula.
I made them last night. I followed the recipe almost to the T, just added some toasted pecans and used an 8×8 pan instead of the 9×9. Came out fudgy, but we found it to be too sweet and came out too thin (around half an inch tall). But they tasted great. Now, I’m wondering where I made a mistake. Like, how thick or thin was it supposed to be?
They’re only as thick as what you see in the pictures. You probably didn’t make a mistake. This is one of my older recipes and most likely needs revising! When recipe testing, I will work on making them thicker and pay close attention to the sweetness. I also think an 8-inch pan would work better. Thanks for your honesty and feedback, Bea.
I have tried other brownie recipes with up to 3 eggs and cooked them for 30 to 40 mins. They came out greasey seemed undercooked. Ended up tossing them out. This recipe was simple, turned out fudgey and cooked throughout. They don’t rise much which is to be expected as there is no baking powder or soda in the recipe. If someone wanted to tweak it they could do half brown sugar, half white and maybe add a half teaspoon of baking soda or powder. But I was satisfied with this recipe. š Thanks
Wow! I made these brownies last night. I doubled the recipe and baked in a 9×13 pan for about 23 min. They are so chewy and moist. Seriously the best brownies I have ever had! I would give it 10 stars if I could!! Thanks for sharing this recipe!!!
Really?!! That’s so great to hear! Thanks so much for the feedback, Karen.
Perfection! I love the simplicity of it and will make it again. Oh, and itās done, so that means tomorrow! Thank you!!
Well, I didnāt have a 9×9 inch pan so I used a muffin tin to make brownie bites/muffins. Would love any recommendations or alternative suggestions for switching up the baking tin? Hopefully they turn out just as good! Love that I didnāt need any white sugar as I donāt really keep any in the house. Also measured the chocolate chips by feeling because I LOVE chocolate. Excited to see how they turn out! I will update when eating them.
Soooo yummy! I used a muffin tin to make brownie bites out of this batter recipe and they turned out delicious! Only changes I would make is spraying the tin with non-stick and taking them out a few minutes sooner (took between 15-20 minutes max). Crispy edges with a chewy, fudge-like center. Would recommend and will definitely be making these again! Thanks for the recipe. (:
Thanks for the update, Sarah. I’ll have to try this some day.
brownies did not rise at all. very difficult to come off the pan. they tasted mediocre
This recipe was certainly tasty, but I found that my brownies were very gooey. It does say they are fudgy, so it fits the name. Cooking for longer would be a solution for this if you enjoy brownies with a bit of crunch.
Thanks for the recipe!
Isnāt it supposed to be in an 8×8 pan? There was only a small amount of batter. It does taste good. I only added 1/2 c of brown sugar because we like things a little less sweet. Thank you for the recipe.
WAYYYYY too salty NOT good!
WAYYYYY too sugary NOT good! (last comment accident)
Hi, could I sub oil for these? The recipe looks great!
Yes, absolutely. However, they will be less flavorful.
It made no brownies I had enough for 3 normal brownies in a 6-6 if it was a 9-9 I wouldāve had 1
best brownie ever so making it to share at camp
Aww, thank you
Haha, I know the batter spreads really thin but it does work.
Super delicious brownie I loved it so much. I would probably add a little less sugar because it is quite sweet (for my liking). But overall really delicious
Thx BEAT BAKE EAT
Thank you! We all have our preferences. You can certainly decrease the sugar.
I made brownies for the first time using this recipe and they turned out amaazing! The sugar I used had large granules so I did have to grind it. And I did have to leave the brownies in my oven for longer, but I guess that depends on the type of oven used. Other than that I followed this exact recipe, and ended up with soft, fudgy brownies with the perfect sweetness. Next time I will double this recipe to share with more people. Thank you!
You’re welcome! That was very smart grinding the sugar because that would have affected the texture in the end.
Amazing and gooey with just 1 egg! Batter is thicker and harder to spread but they turned out great. Thank you!
Yes, the batter is quite thick. I’m glad it turned out great for you. š
It’s really good
Thank you
[…] Discover more delightful one-egg recipes like the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies and Coconut Oat Cookies at The Improving Cook. Or if you’re in the mood for a savory twist, check out the Masala Skillet Scramble and the Cheesy Potato Egg Bake. For the ultimate dessert, don’t forget to try the Fudgy Brown Sugar Brownies. […]
Thank you for this! I just tasted it, and it’s perfect! I’d like to share some notes that might be useful for others. First off, I substituted brown sugar with sugar beet molasses, added 3/4 cup but I’ll probably reduce it to 2/4 cup next time because it’s quite sweet for me, maybe because molasses is denser. And I might even try with carob molasses next time. Second, 15-16 minutes was not enough for mine, so I baked it for another 10 minutes. As a result, it’s not as fudgy as yours but not too dry either. I’m sure it will go great with coffee. Also, I divided the batter in two 18cm baking molds, for a thinner version, as I didn’t want to end up with a half-baked brownie at my first attempt, because that’s always the case. :=) But thank goodness it was a success this time. Cheers!
Wow, you created an entirely new recipe! I’m glad your changes worked out and thanks for the feedback.
Yes! And Iām back with new comments. Seriously, I feel grateful to you whenever Iām making this recipe, and itās quite frequent I must say :=) So glad I had only āone eggā that night! Haha. You gave me a great adaptable recipe to play with. It even worked with whole wheat flour and einkorn flour. And Iāve been making it with EVOO by the way, and Iām guessing itād be even better with butter. So, as stated in my first comment, Iāve made it as two giant cookies (18cm) so far, but today I baked half of the dough in a silicone mini muffin pan and added some orange zest and 1/4 tsp baking soda this time. And I got 11 mini muffins, like brownie bites. And they rose pretty well. Wish I could share a picture of them. Thanks again!
I’ve never heard of Einkorn flour before! I’m glad you are enjoying experimenting with this recipe. Thanks for all of the feedback.
If I double the recipe do I let them bake longer?
Yes, bake them for longer!
But I am unsure for how long.
Maybe 19 – 20 minutes.