Okay, confession time: Sometimes I want a serious, intensely chocolatey, fudgy brownie, but the thought of washing three different bowls plus the mixer attachments just sends me straight to the candy aisle. Not anymore! These One Bowl Brownies are the answer to every lazy or busy baker’s dream. Seriously, you just whisk everything together in one bowl—it’s practically magic.
We’re talking peak rich, dense texture without any fuss. I’ve made these when I’m exhausted, when I’m rushing before guests arrive, or frankly, when I just need chocolate fast. The minimal cleanup is almost as good as the actual eating part. I promise you, once you try this simple method, it becomes your go-to recipe for the best homemade brownies ever.
Why This Recipe for One Bowl Brownies is Your New Favorite
I honestly can’t believe how good these turn out given how little effort goes into them. If you need a reason to ditch the boxed mix or your towering stack of mixing bowls, here are the top reasons this recipe is a keeper:
- Seriously almost zero cleanup! You really just need one sturdy bowl and a whisk.
- The texture is unbelievably fudgy and dense—just that perfect crackle top, too.
- They bake up fast. We’re talking under 30 minutes in the oven, which is dangerous for me!
- You probably have all the ingredients sitting in your pantry right now.
- It relies on simple ratios, meaning it’s nearly impossible to mess up, which is a huge confidence booster! If you love that easy, nostalgic style, you’ll adore these.
Gathering Ingredients for Perfect One Bowl Brownies
The beauty of the one bowl method is that you don’t need a million specialty items, but the core ingredients have to be right if we want that ultimate fudgy texture. You’ll be shocked when you see this list—it’s so simple! Make sure you measure your sugars correctly, especially the brown sugar, because packing it in adds moisture that keeps the centers gooey.
Essential Dry and Wet Components for One Bowl Brownies
Grab everything before you preheat the oven, alright? Here is exactly what you need to line up on the counter:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (make sure it’s packed!)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (this is crucial for the texture)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I usually use semi-sweet, but use what you love!)
Equipment Needed for Your One Bowl Brownies
Since we are aiming for minimal mess, the equipment list is blessedly short, which I really appreciate on a busy weeknight. Having these few things ready means you can go from craving to baking faster than you can decide on a movie!
- One large mixing bowl—this is the star of the show! Make sure it’s big enough to handle everything without too much splash-back once you start whisking.
- A good whisk. Yes, a whisk beats a spoon here; it helps incorporate air into the sugars and eggs quickly.
- A rubber spatula for scraping down the sides of the bowl and folding in those chocolate chips at the end.
- An 8×8 inch baking pan. If you don’t have this exact size, just stick close to it so the baking time stays accurate.
- Parchment paper or a little bit of butter and flour for greasing that pan properly.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Simple One Bowl Brownies
This is where the magic happens, and trust me, it happens fast! Before you even grab your bowl, remember to get the oven heated up. If the oven isn’t ready when the batter is, you risk your beautiful, airy mixture settling down too much.
- Get your oven preheating to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While it warms up, take a moment to grease and lightly flour that 8×8 inch pan. This simple step saves so much headache later!
- In your main bowl, start with the sugars. Whisk the granulated sugar and the brown sugar together. This helps break up any lumps in the brown sugar right away.
- Pour in that lovely melted butter and whisk it right into the sugars until everything looks unified. It should start smelling a little bit like sweet caramel already!
- Now, beat in those two eggs, one at a time. You need to mix really well after each one goes in. Don’t rush this part! Follow that up by stirring in the vanilla extract until it disappears.
- Okay, grab a separate small dish for the dry stuff. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder together in that little bowl. This ensures the leavening and salt are evenly distributed.
- Time to combine! Gradually add your dry mix into the wet stuff. Only mix until you see the last streaks of flour disappear. Seriously, stop mixing! Overmixing this batter is the number one way to get cakey brownies instead of fudgy ones.
- Gently fold in your chocolate chips with a spatula. We don’t want to beat the air out that we just worked so hard to create!
- Spread the batter evenly into your prepared 8×8 pan. It’s thick, so you might need the spatula’s help to smooth it out toward the corners.
- Bake this beauty for between 25 and 30 minutes. Honestly, watch it closely around the 25-minute mark. You can always check out my red velvet dippers for another fun chocolate fix while you wait!
- Let them cool completely. I know, I know, it’s torture, but if you cut them hot, they’ll crumble everywhere. Be patient!
Mixing the Batter: The Key to Fudgy One Bowl Brownies
You absolutely must tackle the wet ingredients first. We need that sugar to dissolve a bit into the warm melted butter for structure. Then, adding the eggs one at a time lets them truly emulsify with the fat, giving us that rich mouthfeel. When the dry ingredients go in, it’s all hands off the whisk, metaphorically speaking! Just fold until *barely* combined. If you see streaks of dry flour, congratulations, you’re doing it right! Those last few turns of the spatula create those perfectly dense, gooey centers we are dreaming of.
Baking and Cooling Your One Bowl Brownies Perfectly
Bake them at 350°F, aiming for that 25 to 30-minute window. The absolute secret is the toothpick test—you aren’t looking for it to come out perfectly clean! If it comes out gooey with wet batter clinging to it, they aren’t ready. But if it comes out holding only moist crumbs attached? Ding ding ding, pull them out immediately! They finish cooking on the hot pan while cooling. Letting them cool completely is non-negotiable if you want those clean, sturdy squares you see in the photos. Trust me on the cooling; it’s worth the wait.
Tips for Achieving the Best One Bowl Brownies Texture
Listen, brownies are forgiving, but they are also easily ruined if you aren’t paying attention to the texture goals. We are aiming for fudgy, not cakey, and that all happens right at the end of the baking cycle. A little tip from my own messy kitchen adventures: if the recipe says 30 minutes, try pulling them at 27 minutes just to check.
I once accidentally left mine in for only 24 minutes—I was running late for an appointment—and wow! They were almost molten in the center, but in the best way possible. That slight under-baking really amps up the fudge factor, just make sure you let them set up before you try to serve them! If you want to see another level of chocolate intensity, you have to check out my recipe for buckeye brownie cookies—they are insane.
Also, don’t forget that using both sugars is part of the texture game. The dark brown sugar helps keep them wetter while the granulated sugar helps create that signature shiny top crust. It’s a perfect partnership!
Ingredient Substitutions for Your One Bowl Brownies
Sometimes we have to improvise if we’re running low on something, and that’s totally fine! This recipe is robust enough to handle a couple of tweaks without turning into a sad, crumbly mess. Just remember, the closer you stick to the original ingredient ratios, the truer your fudgy results will be.
The chocolate chips are the easiest thing to swap out. Honestly, I rarely use the same type twice! If you prefer a warmer, sweeter flavor, go ahead and use milk chocolate chips instead of the semi-sweet ones listed. Or, if you have dark chocolate bars lying around, chop those up finely instead of using chips—it melts a little slicker.
Now, about the butter: it absolutely needs to be melted butter here. Oil or softened butter won’t capture the necessary structure we need from the whisking process. If you’re out of butter, you might have to substitute with a neutral oil like canola, but you’ll lose some of that deep baked flavor. It will still work in a pinch, but don’t expect the exact same richness!
As for the sugars, I really caution against swapping out the brown sugar completely. That molasses flavor is what gives these brownies depth. If you absolutely must, use only granulated sugar, but I’d recommend adding about half a teaspoon of molasses separately into the wet mix to try and replicate that moisture boost. It’s an extra step, but worth it if you’re short on brown sugar!
If you’re avoiding chocolate chips altogether, you could always fold in a half-cup of chopped nuts, like pecans or walnuts, for a nice crunch. Remember, though, that nuts don’t melt, so the texture profile will change significantly compared to those gooey pockets of melted chocolate. But hey, sometimes you just need that earthy crunch!
Storing and Keeping Your One Bowl Brownies Fresh
The hardest part about baking these might be keeping your hands off them long enough for proper storage! The good news is that these keep really well, which is handy because you definitely won’t want to eat them all in one day—though I can’t blame you if you try.
You want to store the cooled squares in an airtight container. I usually just stack them inside with a small square of wax paper between the layers so they don’t stick together, especially if it’s humid. Keep them right on the counter—room temperature is perfect for up to four days. If you happen to have leftovers after that long, you can freeze them! If you want another simple make-ahead chocolate dessert, check out my snack cake recipe!
Frequently Asked Questions About Making One Bowl Brownies
It’s funny, even with super simple recipes like this one, people always have great questions about tweaking them or troubleshooting. I love hearing what you all are trying in your kitchens! These questions come up a lot, so I figured I’d just put the answers right here so everyone benefits. If you’re looking for another amazing chocolate fix, my triple chocolate cheesecake bars are an absolute showstopper, though definitely more work!
How can I make these One Bowl Brownies even fudgier?
This is my favorite question! If you want them to lean even more toward the gooey, under-baked side—which I totally support—the secret is shaving off an extra two to three minutes from the baking time. You have to check them early around the 22-minute mark. Remember, we are looking for moist crumbs on the toothpick, not clean! If you see wet batter clinging to the toothpick, they need a little more time, but if you see a tiny bit of moisture there, pull them out and let them set up completely on the counter. Fat is your friend for fudge, and this recipe has plenty!
Can I use melted butter or oil in this One Bowl Brownies recipe?
You really need the melted butter here, and I insist on it! The melted butter mixes perfectly with the sugars and starts locking in that dense structure immediately. If you try to use oil instead, you’ll end up with a brownie that is somehow both dense *and* slightly cakey, which is the worst of both worlds. Butter has milk solids that help create that signature crackly top crust we all crave, and oil just won’t achieve that same alchemy in a one bowl situation!
What about add-ins? Yes, you can definitely toss in a half-cup of chopped walnuts or pecans when you fold in the chocolate chips! They add a lovely texture contrast to all that chocolate goodness.
Estimated Nutrition for Your Delicious One Bowl Brownies
I always feel a little nervous sharing nutrition facts because baking is an art, not a science when we are talking about home recipes! These numbers are just an estimate based on the ingredients called for in the recipe. I used the standard serving size of one square, which makes about nine brownies in the 8×8 pan, but remember that if you cut them smaller or larger, these values will obviously shift. Enjoy them guilt-free!
Here is the breakdown for one square of these fudgy delights:
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 220
- Fat: 12g (Saturated Fat: 7g)
- Carbohydrates: 28g (Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 25g)
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
- Sodium: 100mg
See? Not bad for something that tastes this rich! The sugar content is a bit high, but that’s because we used both granulated and brown sugar to get that perfect chew and flavor profile. These are definitely a treat, not an everyday snack, but what a fantastic treat they are!
Print
Simple One Bowl Brownies
- Total Time: 40 min
- Yield: 9 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Make rich, fudgy brownies using just one bowl for easy cleanup.
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour an 8×8 inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Pour in the melted butter and whisk until combined.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. A toothpick inserted near the center should come out with moist crumbs attached, not wet batter.
- Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.
Notes
- For extra fudgy brownies, reduce the baking time by 2-3 minutes.
- You can substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips with milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips.
- Store cooled brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 25g
- Sodium: 100mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
Keywords: brownies, chocolate, one bowl, easy dessert, fudgy brownies