BAKING: Smitten Kitchen’s One Bowl Brownies (a.k.a. the best brownies ever)

Jan 22

Written By Sara

This is part of a longer, larger recipe from Smitten Kitchen for cheesecake (brownie mosaic cheesecake, to be exact) and while the whole cheesecake is INCREDIBLE and I recommend you make it, these brownies are the true stand out for me, and have been since I first made this recipe 13 years ago.

Super easy, super fudgy (my favorite type of brownie — get out of here with that cakey brownie bullshit), and uses simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.

I don’t buy box brownies anymore because of this recipe. True story.

The only thing I change from the original recipe is that I do 3/4 teaspoon of salt instead of 1/2 because I think you need a little more salt when you’re eating these on their own.

Also, do the thing that Deb recommends where you cut them with a pizza cutter after they’ve come out of the fridge and cut them small and keep them in the fridge — I swear it makes them EVEN BETTER.

One Bowl Brownies by Smitten Kitchen

(with one tiny tweak by me)

INGREDIENTS

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup butter
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Grease foil.

Microwave chocolate and butter in a heat-safe bowl on high for 2 minutes, or until butter is melted. (I do 30 second bursts so the mixture doesn’t get too hot.) Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

Stir in sugar. Blend in eggs and vanilla. I like to slightly whisk the eggs before adding them to the chocolate and butter mixture so I don’t over-mix.

Add flour and salt; mix well.

Spread into prepared pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minute or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool in pan on wire rack. Once cool, put in the fridge to get even colder.

Remove brownies from pan, using foil handles.

Set brownies onto a large cutting board and cut them into 3/4- to 1-inch squares with a pizza cutter or sharp knife.

You don’t have to remove the foil before you cut the brownies. Just cut them on the foil and as you cut them, the foil will fall away. Don’t be a hero and risk dropping the whole block of baked brownie on the floor, okay?

BTW: Cutting them small is optional if you’re not putting them into the cheesecake, but trust me: just cut them into little squares. These brownies are very rich and you don’t need a huge block of them — a few little squares will take you a long way.