Easy Crinkle Top Brownies
These crinkle top brownies are dense, fudgy, and deeply chocolatey, with the kind of shiny, papery, crackled top everyone wants from a really good brownie. They’re made in one bowl, no mixer required, in a standard 8×8 pan.
I just made these today! Have tried gazillions of recipes….but this is remarkable! It will be a house favorite
Taalia
About this recipe
This is the brownie recipe I rely on as my go-to base. It’s the foundation for my triple chocolate brownies, Biscoff brownies, orange chocolate brownies, brown butter brownies, M&M brownies, and brownie pie, so it gets a real workout in my kitchen.
The brownies bake up dense, chewy, and fudgy with a glossy crackled top. There’s no leavening agent, which is what keeps them properly fudge-like rather than cakey. Both melted chocolate and cocoa powder go into the batter, doubling up on chocolate flavor.
The method is lovely and simple. You just melt the butter and chocolate together, stir in the sugars while the mixture is still hot, then whisk in the eggs, cocoa, and flour. One bowl and no mixer needed!
I usually get the crinkle top from doing it this way, but some readers have told me they haven’t. If it’s crucial that you get that crinkle top, you can increase your chances by whisking the eggs and sugars separately first until thick before adding them to the melted chocolate mixture.
Key ingredients and why
- Unsalted butter: Melted butter brings fat and richness without aerating the batter the way creamed butter would, which is exactly what you want for a dense, fudgy texture. The hot butter is also where the sugar starts to dissolve, which contributes to the shiny crackled top.
- Semi-sweet chocolate: Choose a good quality chocolate with real cocoa butter, not compound chocolate made with vegetable oil. The chocolate is one of two sources of chocolate flavor in the batter, so the quality really shows in the finished brownie.
- Granulated and brown sugar: Using both does two things. Granulated sugar contributes to the shiny crackle on top and the chewy texture, and brown sugar adds moisture, chew, and a rounded caramel note that complements the chocolate.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: This adds an extra hit of chocolate flavor beyond what the melted chocolate alone can bring. It’s what makes these taste deeply chocolatey rather than just sweet.
- Eggs: Use large eggs at room temperature. Cold eggs from the fridge don’t whisk in as smoothly and don’t build the same air structure that supports a shiny top.
- All-purpose flour: Only a small amount, enough to hold the brownies together without making them cakey.
- Chocolate chips: Folded in at the end, these melt slightly during baking and create little pockets of extra chocolate throughout. You can use chips or chop up a bar of milk or dark chocolate instead.
Method
- Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C) and line an 8×8 inch pan or with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter and chopped chocolate together.
- Whisk in both sugars while the mixture is still hot.
- Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
- Fold in the flour and salt.
- Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is set and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs (no wet batter).
Tips
- Don’t pull them too early. I know some people pull brownies early to avoid a cakey center, but this recipe uses so little flour and no leavening, so they’re very hard to overbake into something cakey.
- Use room temperature eggs. Cold eggs cool the chocolate-sugar mixture too quickly and don’t incorporate as smoothly. If you forgot to take them out, sit them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.
- Cool completely before slicing. Warm brownies tear and look messy. Cold brownies cut clean. For very neat slices, chill in the fridge for an hour after cooling, then slice with a sharp knife wiped clean between cuts.
- To top them: a dusting of powdered sugar works beautifully, or you can frost them with a simple brownie icing.
Storing
Store leftover brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or in the fridge for slightly longer. They freeze beautifully. Wrap the whole slab tightly or portion into squares first and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, then warm in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds if you want them slightly soft.
Crinkle Top Brownies
Ingredients
- 113 g unsalted butter
- 85 g semi-sweet chocolate chopped
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 50 g soft brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- 28 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 62 g all-purpose flour
- 80 chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8×8 inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easy lifting.
- Combine the butter and chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each, until fully melted and smooth.
- Whisk both sugars into the hot butter and chocolate mixture until fully combined, for around 1 minute.
- Add the eggs one at a time, and vanilla, and whisk for about 3 minutes, until smooth and glossy.
- Sift the cocoa powder and salt over the batter and fold to combine. Add the flour and fold until just combined. Don’t overmix. Fold in chocolate chips if using.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, until the top is set and shiny, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs (no wet batter). Don’t overbake.
- Cool the brownies completely in the pan on a wire rack before lifting out and slicing. For very clean cuts, chill in the fridge for an hour, then slice with a sharp knife, wiping it clean between cuts.
Notes
Notes
- Both US customary and metric measurements are provided. Use the toggle to switch between the two.
- Use a good quality semi-sweet chocolate with real cocoa butter, not compound chocolate.
- Use room temperature eggs. If yours are cold, sit them in warm water for 5 minutes.
- These brownies don’t have leavening, so they’re very forgiving and hard to overbake into a cakey texture.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze the whole slab for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- For an extra crinkley top: whisk the eggs and sugars separately first until thick and pale, then add the (cooled) melted chocolate mixture and continue with the recipe.
Hi, I was just curious, should I use light brown sugar, or dark brown sugar?
I use light brown sugar 🙂
I just made these today!
Have tried gazillions of recipes….but this is remarkable! It will be a house favorite!
Yay so happy to read this Taalia! Thank you!
Super easy, super fudgy, amazing brownies
Excellent recipe, will definitely make it a favorite. I was curious why no baking powder or soda? Thanks Ted
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Ted! I love the dense and fudginess of a brownie without raising agents
Should I make any adjustments for baking these at a high altitude?
Hey Emily i’m not sure sorry! I’ve not baked at high altitude
These were absolutely perfect! Just curious about the nutrition facts… serving size says 1gm, is that correct? When I added up the ingredients and divided by 12 brownies, I get around 50g each. Which based on the 1g svg size equals 12,350 calories per square (1/12). I feel like that can’t be correct, right?
Hey! So pleased you loved them! No that’s not correct, it should be 1 serving not 1 gram
But my nutrition calculator isnt showing that for some reason! I’ll have a look into it
Hi there, just curious how can I switch the recipe above to a 7×7 inches square tin?
I can’t switch it to US Cups, your website isn’t working. Please advise, thank you!
Sorry there seems to be an issue with my recipe plugin! Here at the US conversions : 1/2 cup butter, salted or unsalted
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup soft brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
2 large eggs
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
0.25 tsp salt
I followed the instructions exactly and got the crinkly top! I’m super happy. This recipe’s a keeper! Thank you!
Thank you for making them!!
Easy with all ingredients in the pantry. I added 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder as well and sometimes toasted walnuts. The top is shiny but not as crinkly as I expected.. still 5 stars!
So happu you loved them!!
THE best brownie recipe ever??? i’m new to baking and this was the best recipe ever, can’t even describe in words how good it turned out as other recipes turned out bad. this is amazing thank you.
Wonderful I am amazed for once I didn’t burn it 😅
I have made twice, both came out perfectly , but not much crinkle.. wht did I do wrong?
Hi Zab! So glad to hear they came out perfectly otherwise! The crinkle top can be a little finicky and depends on a few things like making sure the butter and chocolate mixture is really hot when you stir the sugars in, using room temperature eggs, and giving the batter a good vigorous whisk once the eggs go in.
If you’d like to increase your chances of getting that thin papery crinkle next time, you can whisk the eggs and sugars together separately first until they’re thick and pale, then stir in the melted (cooled) chocolate mixture and continue with the rest of the recipe. That extra whisking step builds more air into the batter, which helps the crinkle form on top during baking.