This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This easy brownie recipe makes wonderfully cakey, fudgy brownies with crisp, crackly tops and chewy centers. They are just like the ones made from a box, but even better.

After lots of testing (and plenty of taste-testing), I finally landed on a homemade brownie that gives you everything you love about the classic box mix: deep, fudgy chocolate flavor, that signature crackly top, and the perfect balance of chewy and cakey. These brownies are rich, chocolatey, and come together with just a bowl and a whisk. If you’ve been looking for a go-to brownie recipe that feels nostalgic but tastes even better, this is it.
Homemade Brownies That Check Every Box (Literally)
Boxed brownies are great. But these? These are next level. They’ve got everything you love about the classic mix (fudgy texture, rich chocolate flavor, that signature crackly top), but they’re made completely from scratch with just one bowl and zero fuss.
- The texture is unreal. Using oil instead of butter gives these brownies that chewy, fudgy bite you want in every brownie. They’re soft in the center, slightly cakey around the edges, and honestly kind of perfect.
- Big chocolate energy. These brownies are loaded with rich, deep cocoa flavor. No shortcuts, no bitterness, just full-on chocolate in every bite.
- They’re fast and foolproof. No melting chocolate, no fancy steps. Just whisk everything together, pour it in the pan, and bake. You’ll be in and out of the kitchen in 10 minutes.

What You’ll Need
Here’s a list of ingredients needed to make these moist, flavorful brownies. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for a printable list.
- All-purpose flour – Feel free to use your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour instead.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – I used to use Hershey’s special dark cocoa in these, but they changed it a few years back and now I prefer regular cocoa in these. The final texture is better.
- Baking powder – For just a bit of rise, contributing to that cakey texture.
- Salt – For flavor and always needed.
- Vegetable oil – I have tried butter in these brownies and while it works, the oil definitely produces the more intended mix of cakey/fudgy texture.
- Sugar – For sweetness and moisture.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract actually helps soften some of the bitterness of cocoa.
- Eggs – For binding things together and adding chewiness.
How to Make This Brownie Recipe
In just 10 minutes, you could be popping these amazing homemade brownies in the oven. What are you waiting for? Here’s how to do it. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×9 square baking pan.



- Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Mix together the oil, sugar, and vanilla extract. Add the eggs and mix to combine.



- Put it all together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix to combine.
- Bake. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Tips for Success
- Go easy on the mixing. Once you add the dry ingredients, mix just until you don’t see streaks of flour. Overmixing can make the brownies dense and tough instead of soft and chewy—so keep it gentle!
- Line your pan for easy cleanup. You can grease the pan if you want, but I recommend parchment paper. Let it hang over the sides a bit so you can lift the brownies right out when they’re done. Way easier (and cleaner) when it’s time to slice.
- Use oil—trust me. It’s the secret to that super fudgy, box-mix texture we’re after. Butter might add flavor, but oil gives you that soft, chewy bite and glossy crackle on top. I’ve tested it both ways. Oil wins. Every time.

How to Store
Let the brownies cool completely before slicing. Store them in a single layer in an airtight container, or stack them with parchment paper between layers to keep them from sticking. You can also wrap individual brownies in plastic wrap for grab-and-go treats. They’ll stay fresh for up to 1 week at room temperature or 2 weeks in the fridge.
Want to freeze them? Wrap them in plastic wrap, then in an airtight, freezer-safe container. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, just thaw them in the fridge or on the counter.
More Brownie Recipes
I love brownies so, naturally, I have spent some time playing with recipes and developing new takes on the classic. Here are some of my favorite brownie recipes for you to try.
Watch The Video
Print
Easy Brownies Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12-16 Brownies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy homemade brownies recipe makes cakey brownies that taste like box mix brownies! With perfect crisp crackly tops and chewy centers, these brownies hit all the right notes.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (98g) all-purpose flour (measured properly)
- 1/2 cup (57g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (180ml) vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups (310g) sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×9 square baking pan, or line it with parchment paper, leaving some over hanging on the sides for easy removal from the pan later.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt to a medium sized bowl and set aside.
- Add the oil, sugar and vanilla extract to large mixing bowl and mix together until well combined.
- Add the eggs and mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until well combined, but don’t over mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
- Allow brownies to cool completely, then use the overhanging parchment paper to remove the brownie from the pan. Cut into bars.
- Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature. Best if eaten within 5-7 days.
Notes
Recipe modified from AllRecipes.com
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Brownie
- Calories: 203
- Sugar: 18.9 g
- Sodium: 50.8 mg
- Fat: 11.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Protein: 2.3 g
- Cholesterol: 34.9 mg
Would it change if I tried using normal cocoa powder?
No, that should work fine.
Love love love this recipe – thank you! This is now my go-to brownie recipe. I used a mix of melted butter and oil (about 1/4 cup butter) and I also added a shot of espresso to up the choc flavorur. When they came out of the oven, I broke up a small block of each dark and milk chocolate, which melted from the heat of the brownies and then got spread to form a ‘death by chocolate’ topping.
Wonderful share.. i love this recipe!! great work…
They turned out pretty well but I’d use less oil. There was an over powering taste of oil when it was on batter form. I haven’t tried the actual brownies yet, they’re in the oven. They seem like they’ll be good though!
I’m a personal chef but admittedly a terrible baker. I have a 96 year old client that I cook for once a month and I always make a batch of brownies to take to her. And, don’t shoot me, but I usually make them from a mix… BUT, today I got home and was ready to make them and realized that I didn’t have a mix on hand. Thankfully, I had all the necessary ingredients and, after some Googling, settled on your recipe because it seemed to be fairly fool proof. The only change I made was to add some semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter. OMG, Best. Brownies. Ever! I will never go back to Duncan Hines again. Thanks for showing me the light!
Awesome! 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
my brownies did not look like the picture they were a light brown colour with little and medium sized HOLES in the top and all of the sugar sunk to the bottom of the brownie if anyone knows what i have done wrong could you please help me
I never write reviews, but these brownies turned out amazing. I wanted to make brownies but didn’t have a box mix. However I had all ingredients for this on hand. The taste was delicious and they were super moist. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
This is EXACTLY what I was looking for when I had the urge to make brownies. They turned out exactly like the boxed kind! I think I may have left mine in for 35 minutes accidentally, but I don’t fully remember. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly!
Worst brownies I’ve ever made, can’t believe how they turned out. Raw and burnt at the same time? What’s up with that?
These are just as lovely as advertised. We are living in Thailand, so boxed brownie mixes are pricey. It’s awesome to have an easy homade option. I did accidentally use maple syrup extract instead of vanilla as they are in similar bottles next to each other in my pantry. The rich maple syrup flavor went really well with the dark cocoa, so it turned out to be a winning error.
I’ve made these twice so far, and both times they’ve turned out bland and dry. I did everything as the recipe said… But they just tasted terrible.
I had to throw them away the second time! Sad.
I love this brownie recipe, but I added a bit more cocoa to it. I also made them with coconut today. Thank you for this recipe.
I have just discovered you and based on what I see (recipes), I will be hanging around for awhile. I plan to make the brownie recipe first because I have been on a long time quest to find the perfect brownie recipe. Although I’m not an expert, I have been baking for many years so would like to comment on a couple of issues mentioned in previous posts. First, the person who reported her brownies tasted terrible might have inadvertently used rancid oil. Or, something else was omitted. Sugar and oil would have a slushy texture before the addition of other ingredients especially flour. In response to all the questions about a substitution for the oil, I have almost always used butter as a substitution merely because I prefer the taste. I have never had a negative result so I consider oil and butter interchangeable. Finally, I should say I never make any other substitutions or changes to a new recipe until after, if at all, I have made the original one. Thanks for the opportunity to comment. I will be back to report on my brownie baking experience.
I just made these because the reviews were amazing. I haven’t tasted them yet as they are cooling, but so far I had to bake them for 35 minutes. The toothpick still did not come out clean, but I removed it from the oven anyway as I could smell the edges getting over done. I did add chocolate chips to the batter as my family love them some chocolate. That may have effected the baking process. I will update later after we have tasted them.
I have been following your blog for about a year now and I have to say I have absolutely LOVED everything I have made from your site! I am the “cook” of the family, my sister is the “baker”. Thanks to your recipes I am quickly becoming the queen of both out of all 4 of us (I have 3 sisters), These were amazing. My husband loves brownies and I always make them from scratch but this recipe is hands down the best one we have eaten yet! Thank you for another great recipe!!!
Ha! How fun! 🙂 I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the blog and following along! Thank you! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the recipes!
Thank you so much – awesome recipe! My store had run out of brownie mix, and I am so glad,otherwise I’d never have looked for a box mix-style recipe and found this! I made a few changes – used 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/2 cup oil, added a shot of espresso and choc chips to the batter. For a extra chocolatey hit, when they came out of the oven, I broke up a bar of chocolate and scattered the pieces over the brownies, waited for them to melt and then spread it over the top like icing.