We’ve shared plenty of spins on this classic treat over the years, but these are the sweet, chocolaty hits our readers just can’t quit.
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Mariana Velasquez.
This one goes out to all the chocolate lovers. Fudgy, chewy, cakey or nut-studded, these brownie recipes have stood the test of time. Whether you’re baking for a crowd or craving something indulgent just for yourself, below are the favorites our readers can’t stop making.
Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui.
“This has been my go-to brownie recipe for 30 years, even after going to baking school!”
Much like its author, this easy recipe is a no-fuss classic. But don’t take our word for it, check out the more than 12,000-plus five-star ratings and 1,000 comments (including a memorable story left by one reader about these brownies and marital infidelity). The Hollywood icon’s recipe calls for just a quarter cup of flour, resulting in an incredibly rich and gooey brownie. Chopped up walnuts, pecans or really any nut you like add a bit of crunch.
Recipe: Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
“Brownies come out with that shiny, crackle top. Wonderful texture. Delicious.”
These chewy, fudgy treats from Lidey Heuck come together in under an hour. Her secret to achieving that shiny, crackly brownie top? Dissolve the sugar into the butter, then stir in the chocolate chips until melted. You can use semisweet or dark chocolate, depending on your preference. The result is delicious either way.
Recipe: Brownies
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi.
“My swirls came out beautiful. I’m already thinking of making another batch!”
Samantha Seneviratne takes cocoa brownies to another level with a layer of creamy cheesecake swirled throughout. In order to get that marbled effect, the cream cheese batter should be just soft enough to incorporate with the other ingredients but not too runny, or it will flow over the top of the brownies and create two distinct layers. For more pizazz, dollop a bit of your favorite jam on top of the cream cheese batter before whirling everything together.
Recipe: Cream Cheese Brownies
Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
“The hardest part of this recipe is getting the batter off my forehead after licking the bowl clean.”
Brownies, but in cookie form! Vaughn Vreeland’s recipe offers all the best textures a brownie has to offer while baking up in a fraction of the time. Banging the sheet pan on the counter a few minutes into the baking process results in fudgy cookies and helps create that hallmark shiny, crackly surface.
Recipe: Chewy Brownie Cookies
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Mariana Velasquez.
“These were a lovely take on your classic brownie, with more depth and complexity than usual. Highly recommend!”
Adding cardamom to coffee is a well-loved practice throughout the Middle East. Nargisse Benkabbou recommends using freshly ground green cardamom to ensure a bold flavor. Using bar chocolate or chips, not cocoa powder, gives the brownies a deep chocolaty taste that complements the coffee and cinnamon.
Recipe: Brownies With Coffee and Cardamom
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
“Finished with Maldon salt. Everyone loved it!”
Melissa Clark figured out a way to get chewy, fudgy brownies but faster and with fewer dishes: In this recipe, the brownies are mixed, baked and eaten in the same ovenproof skillet. She recommends a ceramic coated skillet, but you could also use a well-seasoned cast-iron pan. Eat them warm, straight from the pan, with a few scoops of ice cream on top.
Recipe: Easy Skillet Brownies
Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
“These brownies will have one questioning their life’s choices. As in, ‘Will doing this thing keep me from eating these brownies?’ Because if the answer is ‘yes,’ then I want no part of it.”
Dear chocoholics, this recipe is for you. Vaughn Vreeland uses both melted dark chocolate and cocoa powder in the batter, then folds in chunks of milk and white chocolate bars. About midway through the baking process, the pan gets tapped on the counter, deflating the brownie until desirably gooey but not dense.
Recipe: Triple-Chocolate Brownies
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times
“I like how rich and fudgy these are; very good use of mochiko!”
Hetty Lui McKinnon uses mochiko, or sweet rice flour, to give her brownies a tender crumb and unique chew. Delicate yet intensely rich, this recipe comes together effortlessly, requiring just one bowl and five ingredients. It’s also gluten free.
Recipe: Mochi Brownies
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
“Made the batter, tasted it, stuck a straw in the bowl and called it done.”
The earthy flavors of stout beer pair perfectly with chocolate in Erin Jeanne McDowell’s dense, fudgy brownies. Use bittersweet or semisweet bar chocolate as it melts more uniformly, but chips work in a pinch. When the timer goes off, they will look like they’re underbaked, but that’s good! These brownies continue to set as they cool.
Recipe: Guinness Brownies
Craig Lee for The New York Times
“I’ll never need another brownie recipe.”
It might be impossible to stop yourself from eating an entire pan of these extra fudgy brownies from the pastry chef Nick Malgieri, who accidentally created this recipe when he forgot to double the flour. Brown sugar makes the brownie even more moist and enhances the chocolaty flavor.
Recipe: Supernatural Brownies
Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi
“The marshmallows get almost crunchy caramel-y on top and gooey underneath. Then it’s like a lava cake brownie and the graham crackers make it easy to grab and gives a soft barely there crunch. 10/10.”
You don’t need a campfire to satisfy that s’mores craving. Eric Kim captures their essence, no outdoor flames necessary. These brownies have three distinct layers: crispy graham cracker bottoms, chewy brownie centers and toasted marshmallow tops. The bars taste best chilled, straight out of the refrigerator, but they’re also great microwaved for 10 seconds until the centers turn gooey.
Recipe: S’mores Brownies
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
“These are the best brownies I have ever had. And I’m not a vegan.”
These flavorful and fudgy brownies also happen to be vegan. The recipe, adapted by Charlotte Druckman and based on a recipe from the vegetarian chef Amy Chaplin uses olive oil and dates to achieve that fudgy texture. Tahini disappears into the batter, making the brownies incredibly moist, while the halvah adds an additional nutty note. Before baking, sesame seeds and almonds are sprinkled on top for texture.
Recipe: Vegan Brownies With Tahini and Halvah
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
“These brownies are indescribably fantastic! I don’t often rave, but these are ridiculously good.”
Melissa Clark swaps butter for olive oil in these super moist coconut brownies. So moist, in fact, that they don’t cut into nice straight-edged squares until they’ve cooled completely. If you dig in while they are still warm, you might end up with something close to pudding in the center, so a little patience goes a long way here. We can assure you, these treats are worth the wait.
Recipe: Olive Oil and Coconut Brownies
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
“This recipe turned my husband into a mint chocolate fan.”
You’ll be the most popular person at the party when you show up with Erin Jeanne McDowell’s beautiful brownies. These crowd-pleasing treats start with a dense, chewy brownie that’s topped with a layer of creamy peppermint filling made of confectioners’ sugar, sweetened condensed milk, peppermint extract and vanilla extract. The minty layer is then topped with a dark chocolate glaze and a sprinkle of crushed peppermints.
Recipe: Peppermint Brownies
Jessica Emily Marx for The New York Times
“There is always a battle as to who gets to take home leftovers. My favorite is to freeze some of the leftover brownies and eat them when they are super cold. The brownies have the consistency of fudge, and the salt balances the sweetness nicely.”
Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, the owners of Baked bakeries in New York, were not the first to clock the harmony between caramel and chocolate, but by emphasizing the bitter, sweet and salty notes in both, they’ve made a rare thing — a perfectly balanced bite. Adapted by Julia Moskin, she suggests drizzling any remaining caramel over the top. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Recipe: Salted Caramel Brownies
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
“These are excellent — moist, fudgy, decadent.”
Olive oil and a touch of sea salt make this recipe from Melissa Clark gooey and slightly savory. Moist in the center and crisp at the edges, these fudgy brownies are nice and smooth with the occasional crunch of a chocolate chip. She recommends using a mild olive oil here: Anything too grassy or sharp might overpower the chocolate.
Recipe: Olive Oil Brownies With Sea Salt
Craig Lee for The New York Times
“No matter how many I make for my Holiday Open House buffet there are never any left at the end for me!”
This recipe from Yossy Arefi is like a classic grasshopper cocktail in dessert form. A super fudgy brownie is covered with a crème de menthe-infused buttercream, then topped with a shell of rich chocolate ganache. If you’d like to make these more family friendly, add a bit more peppermint extract and skip the crème de menthe.
Recipe: Grasshopper Brownies
Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susan Spungen.
“Just won best in show at my neighborhood cookie swap with these delights!”
Melissa Clark’s chewy bar cookies combine two all-time favorite desserts: crumbly, buttery shortbread and chewy, bittersweet brownies. Mix almonds, pecans or walnuts into the brownie batter if that’s your thing, but those who prefer smooth, gooey centers can leave them out. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top and enjoy.
Recipe: Bittersweet Brownie Shortbread
Yossy Arefi for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)
“These were sublime! We loved the interplay of chocolate and pecan layers.”
Melissa Clark married brownies with pecan pie for this clever recipe. The brownie base is a rich and chocolaty replacement for the pie’s buttery, flaky crust. The brownie batter is topped with a honey-spiked pecan pie filling for gooey sweetness and crunch. You can substitute any other nut for the pecans, all work perfectly.
Recipe: Pecan Pie Brownies
John Kernick for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
“The ganache is to die for.”
Erin Jeanne McDowell’s skillet brownie has it all: The base is chewy at the edges, and gooey in the center with a glossy ganache topping and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt. Ready in under an hour, it’s a chocolate lover’s dream.
Recipe: Skillet Brownie With Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
“These are excellent and have replaced the brownies I made regularly for over 40 years.”
These brownies from Alice Medrich are almost as dark and rich as a chocolate truffle. The technique: Immediately after taking them out of the oven, the hot pan is placed in an ice water bath until the brownies have cooled completely. This method helps concentrate the batter, achieving a deliciously dense dessert.
Recipe: New Classic Brownies
Yossy Arefi for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)
“Ever since the pandemic, these have been in my baking library — good for parties, great to make ahead, always a crowd pleaser.”
Peanut butter and chocolate are a match made in heaven, and this layered treat from Joanna Gaines celebrates the pairing. Fudgy brownies serve as the base for creamy peanut butter (or crunchy, if that’s your preference) and a fluffy chocolate frosting.
Recipe: Peanut Butter Brownies
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