Delicious and rich with a soft center and crispy top, these Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies will be your new favorite! This simple recipe combines rich cocoa powder with dark chocolate pieces to create a fudgy brownie.
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Everyone likes the good old chocolate walnut brownie. Some like it fudgy, some like it cakey. Some like it with chocolate chips, and some like it with nuts. There is not a single rulebook for the perfect recipe, everyone has their own idea of "perfect chocolate brownies".
I like mine with walnuts, slightly fudgy in the center with a little crispiness on top. And of course, I like them VERY chocolatey.
Walnuts and chocolates are great together, my Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Pastry Rolls, Lazy Cake (Chocolate Biscuit Cake), and Banana Bread With Chocolate Chips are the perfect example!
Check out my delicious Cranberry Cheesecake Brownies for more fudgy chocolate brownies ideas.
Why This Recipe Works?
- They are fudgy as all brownies should be.
- The addition of walnuts adds extra flavor and texture to these Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies.
- It is a very easy-to-follow recipe with step-by-step pictures, tips, and cooking instructions.
- You can make these delicious fudgy brownies with a few basic ingredients only.
- This Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies batter is the perfect base for my festive dessert Cranberry Cheesecake Brownies.
How To Get Fudgy Brownies?
Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones. If you like your dark chocolate brownies to be fudgier, adding more butter and chocolate will do the work.
The amount of sugar and eggs will not change whether you're going fudgy or cakey.
I like mine not cakey, but also not too fudgy. It should be slightly fudgy in the center while still being crispy on top!
Ingredients & Substitutes
- Unsalted butter - Use good quality unsalted butter. Cut them into small cubes the same size as the chocolates.
- Dark chocolate - A good quality, tasty dark chocolate with %60-70 cacao will make your brownies taste as good! Cut them into small cubes to make the melting process quick and even.
- Eggs - Use large eggs that weigh between 63-73 grams (for the UK). Make sure they are fresh and at room temperature.
- Cacao powder - It adds bitterness and depth of flavor to brownies. Use good quality without sugar cacao powder.
- Walnuts - They are the favorite nuts that I like to include in a chocolate brownie. But you can use any other type of nuts depending on your preferences! Hazelnuts are also commonly used in chocolate brownies. Lightly toast them for a more intense flavor before adding them to your baked goods.
Cooking Instructions
It is very easy to make this walnut brownie and to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:
Start with preheating the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Grease or line a 21 cm×21 cm (8” x 8”) pan with parchment paper and then set it aside.
Melt the butter and chocolate in a glass heat-resistance bowl with the bain-marie method (place the bowl in a saucepan ⅓ filled with simmering water, without touching the bowl to the water).
Once melted, take the bowl from the saucepan and then whisk the mixture until combined well.
Add the sugar to the mixture, whisk until combined. Add the eggs along with the vanilla, and whisk together for 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and walnuts.
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Do not over-mix at this stage. The dry mixture does not have to mix completely (read above the tips and tricks for making the perfect brownies).
Spread the batter into the pan. The batter will be very thick.
Bake the brownies for 22-23 minutes. It is key to not overcook the brownies. To understand if the brownies are ready, insert a toothpick into the center of the pan. If it's covered with wet batter, the brownies are not cooked.
If there are only a few moist crumbs, the brownies are ready. Make sure you keep checking the brownies every 2 minutes until you have moist crumbs.
Remove the brownies from the oven and then let them cool down for at least an hour before slicing them into squares.
After the brownies are completely cooled down, slice them into squares. Store them covered to avoid them getting dry.
Brownies can be stored for up to 1 week if stored in a well-covered container at room temperature.
Top Tips From The Chef
Baking the perfect chocolate walnut brownie can be tricky if you simply just mix the ingredients as if you are baking a cake. However, there are some crucial simple tips and tricks that you need to be watching out for to achieve the best results.
Use Good Quality Chocolate and Cacao Powder
The quality of your ingredients will define how good the recipe will turn out. This applies to every recipe without exception including my scrumptious Mousse Au Chocolat - French Chocolate Mousse and Chocolate Strawberry Tartlets recipes.
Make sure you use good quality chocolate and cacao powder as these will give the chocolatey flavor to a brownie. If you use bad-quality chocolate, don't expect your brownies to have an amazing chocolatey flavor.
Adding 1 teaspoon of salt helps to enhance the chocolate flavor of the brownies.
Make Sure Your Eggs Are at Room Temperature
This tip applies to the majority of baking (especially cakes), and brownies are no exception.
Making sure your eggs are at room temperature will allow the brownies to naturally rise. Whereas, using cold eggs may result in a denser texture.
This is because eggs mix more evenly at room temperature as egg yolks break easier, allowing them to mix more evenly with the egg whites and other ingredients.
If you are interested in the science behind it, you may find this post quite interesting.
Do Not Over Mix the Dry Ingredients
This is one of the most common mistakes one makes when baking brownies.
Often when baking cakes, we would like to make sure that all ingredients are completely combined. But this is not necessarily the case when it comes to brownies.
Rather than whisking, gently fold the flour into the wet mixture until there are some streaks of flour left in the brownie batter.
Folding in the flour completely will overdevelop the gluten. Too much gluten will cause your brownies to be dense.
Use Baking Paper
This is important to make sure that your brownies do not stick to the pan. It will also make it easier to remove the brownies from the pan. Not to mention the benefit of having a clean(er) pan after baking!
Do Not Overcook the Brownies
This is the fatal mistake many people make when baking brownies. Overcooking your brownies will result in a cakey brownie rather than a fudgy one.
Make sure you use a kitchen timer, or the timer on your phone as soon as the brownies are in the oven.
Check your brownies after 18-20 minutes they are in the oven. Because even just 1-2 minutes in the oven can be the difference between perfect and okay brownies.
Also, keep in mind that if you're baking your brownies in a metal tin, they will cook faster.
Do Not be Impatient!
I know that it's tempting to devour a hot slice of chocolate brownie right away. But for your brownies to become their best selves, they need to completely cool down.
Make sure you wait for at least an hour before slicing them up.
Recipe FAQs
The difference between a brownie and a blondie is the use of chocolate. A blondie is a dense, fudgy, caramel & butterscotch-flavored bar made without chocolate. Also, blondies are made with brown sugar and brown butter for a nutty flavor. Brownies are made with melted butter and granulated sugar.
Eggs provide moisture as well as flavor to cakes. They also act as leavening agents, providing air to help the cakes or brownies rise.
This recipe requires a 24 cm (8") square metal pan. If you want to use a larger pan, you should double the recipe up.
I don't suggest using glass or ceramic pans for baking brownies as it will result in brownies being uncooked in the center.
Related Recipes
For more delicious cake recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making these rich and fudgy dark chocolate brownies as much as you enjoy eating them! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies
Equipment
- 1 sifter
Ingredients
- 175 g unsalted butter
- 120 g dark chocolate (60-70% cacao)
- 400 g granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- 80 g cacao powder
- 125 g all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 100 g crushed walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F and grease or line a 21 cm×21 cm (8” x 8” ) pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Melt the butter and chocolate in a glass heat resistance bowl with the bain-marie method (place the bowl in a saucepan ⅓ filled with simmering water, without touching the bowl to the water). Once melted, take the bowl from the saucepan and whisk the mixture until combined well.
- Add the sugar to the mixture and whisk the mixture until combined well. Then whisk in the eggs and vanilla for 5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, mix the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and walnuts.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Do not over-mix at this stage. The dry mixture does not have to mix completely (read above the tips and tricks for making the perfect brownies).
- Spread the batter into the pan. The batter will be very thick.
- Bake the brownies for 22-23 minutes. It is key to not overcook the brownies. To understand if the brownies are ready, insert a toothpick into the center of the pan. If it's covered with wet batter, the brownies are not cooked. If there are only a few moist crumbs, the brownies are ready. Make sure you keep checking the brownies every 2 minutes until you have moist crumbs.
- Remove the brownies from the oven and let them cool down for at least an hour before slicing them into squares.
- After the brownies are completely cooled down, slice them into squares. Store them covered to avoid them getting dry. Brownies can be stored for up to 1 week if stored in a well-covered container at room temperature.
Notes
- Make sure you use good quality chocolate and cacao powder as these will give the chocolatey flavor to a brownie.
- Adding 1 teaspoon of salt helps to enhance the chocolate flavor of the brownies.
- Making sure your eggs are at room temperature will allow the brownies to naturally rise. Whereas, using cold eggs may result in a denser texture.
- Lightly toast the walnuts for a more intense flavor before adding them to your baked goods.
- Rather than whisking, gently fold the flour into the wet mixture until there are some streaks of flour left in the brownie batter.
- It is a good idea to use a kitchen timer, or the timer on your phone as soon as the brownies are in the oven.
- Make sure you wait for at least an hour before slicing them up.
- Brownies can be stored for up to 1 week if stored in a well-covered container at room temperature.
Nutrition
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Ayla
This was amazing! Big hit with the whole family!