This small batch brownie recipe is rich, fudgy and super chocolaty. It's baked in a standard loaf pan. The perfect dessert for curbing a chocolate craving.
Brownies are awesome at any time of year. This is a delicious small-batch dessert to make when you don't want an entire pan of brownies. It's made in an 8x4 inch loaf pan, just like these small-batch cookie bars.
This recipe is a smaller version of my crinkle top brownies recipe (which I also use in these triple chocolate brownies, brownie pie and in Biscoff brownies.) It makes dense, rich and fudgy brownies with slightly chewy edges and crackly tops. The best part is, this easy recipe is all made in one bowl!
Ingredients
Find the ingredient amounts for this small batch of brownies in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. It uses pantry staples. Here is a rundown of what you will need.
- Unsalted butter or salted butter- Melted butter adds fat, chewiness and so much taste to these brownies. The hot butter melts the sugar and helps create the shiny crinkle tops.
- Semi-sweet chocolate - Choose good quality chocolate, one with cocoa butter (don't use compound chocolate which uses vegetable oils.)
- Sugar - Both granulated white sugar and soft brown sugar is used - There's a large amount of sugar in brownies because this helps to create the fudgy texture and helps create a crinkle top. Soft brown sugar brings moisture, while granulated sugar makes a chewier brownie.
- A large egg
- Salt - Salt enhances the flavor.
- Vanilla - Chocolate's best friend. Choose a good quality vanilla extract or vanilla paste.
- Unsweetened Cocoa - provides extra chocolate flavor!
- All-purpose flour - Only a small amount of all-purpose flour is used for some stability but not too much, so the brownie stays moist.
- Chocolate chips or chocolate chunks - Use chocolate chips or chop a bar of milk chocolate or a dark chocolate bar into chunks.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat an oven to 350°F (176°C) and line an 8x4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a microwave-safe bowl, add butter and chocolate. Place it in the microwave and melt it together in 20-second increments, stirring each time.
Once it's all melted, stir through the sugars while the melted chocolate mixture is still hot. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Then mix in the cocoa powder until well combined.
Stir through the flour, salt and chocolate chips.
Stir it all together to create a thick and glossy mixture.
Scoop the brownie batter into the prepared loaf pan and place it on the middle rack in the oven.
Bake the brownie for around 20-22 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out reasonably clean but with a few moist crumbs.
The baking time will depend on your oven. Take care not to overcook them or the texture of the brownies won't be fudgy. Leave the brownies in the pan to cool down completely on a wire rack before lifting them from the pan and slicing them.
Hint: For extra clean cuts when slicing brownies, chill them in the fridge for about an hour until firm and cold. Clean your knife in between each slice.
Variations
Brownies are a great base to add yummy additions to!
- Spices- add in a little ground cinnamon, cardamom and orange zest for spiced chocolate brownies.
- Nuts - Chopped walnuts or pecans bring texture.
- Peanut butter or biscoff- can be swirled on the top to bring something extra.
- Espresso powder - Adding a ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder will increase the chocolate flavor.
Are there raising agents in brownies?
There is no raising agent added to these chocolate brownies. Some brownie recipes, especially recipes outside of the US do use baking powder or self-rising flour, however, this recipe does not.
Removing rising agents the batter keeps them chewy and fudgy and stops them from becoming cakey brownies.
Equipment
These brownies are baked in a standard 8x 4-inch loaf pan.
Storage
Store any leftover brownies, at room temperature or in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
Brownies freeze very well too. Wrap them up tightly and freeze them for up to 3 months.
More small batch recipes
- Small-batch peanut butter cookies
- Small batch sticky buns
- Small chocolate cake
- Small batch vanilla cupcakes
Full Recipe
Small-Batch Chocolate Brownies
This small-batch brownie recipe is rich, fudgy and super chocolaty. It's baked in a standard loaf pan.
Ingredients
- 57g (¼ cup) unsalted butter
- 42g (¼ cup) semi-sweet dark chocolate
- 75g (¼ cup + 2 Tbsp) granulated sugar
- 50g (¼ cup, packed) soft brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 1 large egg
- 15g (2 Tbsp) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 32g (¼ cup) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 85g (½ cup) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350°F (176°C) and line an 8x4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, add butter and chocolate. Place it in the microwave and melt it together in 30-second increments, stirring each time.
- Once it's all melted and hot, stir through the sugars while the mixture is still hot.
- Then mix in the egg and vanilla. Mix in the cocoa powder until well combined.
- Stir through the flour, salt and chocolate chips to create a thick and glossy mixture.
- Scoop the brownie batter into the prepared loaf pan. Use an offset spatula or spoon to spread it out in the pan.
- Bake for approximately 20-22 minutes until a knife or skewer inserted into the pan comes out with a few moist crumbs still sticking to it. There should be no wet brownie batter left but the brownie should still be very moist
- Leave the brownies in the pan to cool down completely on a wire rack before lifting them from the pan and slicing them.
Notes
If you want to top the brownies, you can frost them with brownie icing, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 219Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 80mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 2gSugar: 21gProtein: 2g
This is an informational estimate only. I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist
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