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Easy Chocolate Chunk Brownies

By Alli Berkey

Published on December 14, 2017

Time

1 hour, plus 2½ hours cooling

Yield

Makes 24 brownies

Easy Chocolate Chunk Brownies

Ingredients

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water 2 ounces (57 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine⅓ cup (1 ounce/28 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder 2 ½ cups (17 ½ ounces/496 grams) sugar ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 large eggs plus 2 large yolks4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 ¾ cups (8 ¾ ounces/248 grams) all-purpose flour ¾ teaspoon salt 6 ounces (170 grams) bittersweet chocolate, cut into ½-inch pieces

Before You Begin

For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle to a boil and then measure out the desired amount.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Spray foil with vegetable oil spray.
  2. Whisk boiling water, unsweetened chocolate, and cocoa in large bowl until chocolate is melted. Whisk in sugar, oil, eggs and yolks, melted butter, and vanilla until combined. Gently whisk in flour and salt until just incorporated. Stir in bittersweet chocolate.
  3. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool for 1½ hours.
  4. Using foil overhang, lift brownies out of pan. Return brownies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.
Easy Chocolate Chunk Brownies

Easy Chocolate Chunk Brownies

Save

Time

1 hour, plus 2½ hours cooling

Yield

Makes 24 brownies

Ingredients

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces (57 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
⅓ cup (1 ounce/28 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 ½ cups (17 ½ ounces/496 grams) sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups (8 ¾ ounces/248 grams) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
6 ounces (170 grams) bittersweet chocolate, cut into ½-inch pieces

Ingredients

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces (57 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
⅓ cup (1 ounce/28 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 ½ cups (17 ½ ounces/496 grams) sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups (8 ¾ ounces/248 grams) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
6 ounces (170 grams) bittersweet chocolate, cut into ½-inch pieces

Ingredients

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces (57 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
⅓ cup (1 ounce/28 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 ½ cups (17 ½ ounces/496 grams) sugar
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups (8 ¾ ounces/248 grams) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
6 ounces (170 grams) bittersweet chocolate, cut into ½-inch pieces

Why This Recipe Works

Box mixes seem to produce the perfect combination of chewy and moist in brownies. We wanted results at least as good as a mix without all the processing and questionable ingredients, and we wanted all this without dirtying too many dishes. For one-bowl brownies with the proper level of chewiness, we used both butter and oil. Using both cocoa and unsweetened chocolate added to the intense chocolaty richness and created a platform of flavor for any add-ins. By being strategic with the addition of ingredients, we saved dishes and combined the batter all in one large bowl. Baked on the lowest rack in the oven, the brownies cooked nicely on the bottom and edges without overcooking and drying out. Folding bittersweet chocolate chunks into the batter gave our chewy brownies gooey pockets of melted chocolate and rounded out their complex flavor.

Before You Begin

For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle to a boil and then measure out the desired amount.

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Spray foil with vegetable oil spray.
  2. Whisk boiling water, unsweetened chocolate, and cocoa in large bowl until chocolate is melted. Whisk in sugar, oil, eggs and yolks, melted butter, and vanilla until combined. Gently whisk in flour and salt until just incorporated. Stir in bittersweet chocolate.
  3. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Transfer pan to wire rack and let cool for 1½ hours.
  4. Using foil overhang, lift brownies out of pan. Return brownies to wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

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