Easy Chewy Brownies
By America's Test Kitchen KidsPublished on January 4, 2023
Time
1 hour, plus 1½ hours cooling time
Yield
Makes 16 brownies
WHAT KIDS ARE SAYING
“It was so chocolaty and delicious!” —Katya, recipe tester, age 10
Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray 1 ounce (28 grams) unsweetened chocolate 3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder ⅓ cup (2⅔ ounces/76 grams) water 5 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled1¼ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) sugar 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (4⅜ ounces/124 grams) all-purpose flour ½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) bittersweet chocolate chips ½ teaspoon table salt
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make aluminum foil sling for 8-inch square metal baking pan following photos, “Step-by-Step: How to Make an Aluminum Foil Sling,” below. Spray foil with vegetable oil spray.
- Place chocolate in large zipper-lock plastic bag and seal, removing as much air as possible from bag. Use rolling pin to gently pound chocolate into small pieces.
- In large bowl, combine cocoa and pounded chocolate.
- Heat water in liquid measuring cup in microwave until hot, 1 to 1½ minutes. Use oven mitts to remove measuring cup from microwave. Pour hot water over cocoa mixture and carefully whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Whisk in oil and melted butter (mixture will look lumpy and separated). Whisk in sugar, egg and egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour, chocolate chips, and salt and use rubber spatula to stir until combined and no dry flour is visible.
- Use rubber spatula to scrape batter into foil-lined baking pan and smooth top.
- Place baking pan in oven. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 25 to 28 minutes.
- Use oven mitts to remove baking pan from oven and place on cooling rack (ask an adult for help). Let brownies cool completely in pan, about 1½ hours.
- Use foil to carefully lift brownies out of baking pan and place on cutting board. Cut into squares and serve.
Time
1 hour, plus 1½ hours cooling timeYield
Makes 16 browniesWHAT KIDS ARE SAYING
“It was so chocolaty and delicious!” —Katya, recipe tester, age 10Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray
1 ounce (28 grams) unsweetened chocolate
3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
⅓ cup (2⅔ ounces/76 grams) water
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1¼ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (4⅜ ounces/124 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) bittersweet chocolate chips
½ teaspoon table salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray
1 ounce (28 grams) unsweetened chocolate
3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
⅓ cup (2⅔ ounces/76 grams) water
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1¼ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (4⅜ ounces/124 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) bittersweet chocolate chips
½ teaspoon table salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Vegetable oil spray
1 ounce (28 grams) unsweetened chocolate
3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
⅓ cup (2⅔ ounces/76 grams) water
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1¼ cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons (4⅜ ounces/124 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup (3 ounces/85 grams) bittersweet chocolate chips
½ teaspoon table salt
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
The right ratio of saturated fat to unsaturated fat gives these brownies the same chewy texture as the ones from the box—but with even better chocolate flavor! Saturated fats tend to be solid at room temperature, while unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. To see this in action, have kids melt a little extra butter and leave it on the counter next to a bit of vegetable oil. Have kids check on both fats every few minutes. They’ll observe the butter become solid as it cools while the oil stays liquid. Butter is a saturated fat, while vegetable oil is an unsaturated fat. For the ideal chewy brownies, we use roughly three times as much oil as we do butter.
Want more? Read the whole storyInstructions
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make aluminum foil sling for 8-inch square metal baking pan following photos, “Step-by-Step: How to Make an Aluminum Foil Sling,” below. Spray foil with vegetable oil spray.
- Place chocolate in large zipper-lock plastic bag and seal, removing as much air as possible from bag. Use rolling pin to gently pound chocolate into small pieces.
- In large bowl, combine cocoa and pounded chocolate.
- Heat water in liquid measuring cup in microwave until hot, 1 to 1½ minutes. Use oven mitts to remove measuring cup from microwave. Pour hot water over cocoa mixture and carefully whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Whisk in oil and melted butter (mixture will look lumpy and separated). Whisk in sugar, egg and egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour, chocolate chips, and salt and use rubber spatula to stir until combined and no dry flour is visible.
- Use rubber spatula to scrape batter into foil-lined baking pan and smooth top.
- Place baking pan in oven. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out with few moist crumbs attached, 25 to 28 minutes.
- Use oven mitts to remove baking pan from oven and place on cooling rack (ask an adult for help). Let brownies cool completely in pan, about 1½ hours.
- Use foil to carefully lift brownies out of baking pan and place on cutting board. Cut into squares and serve.
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