Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies (Not Too Sweet!)

Zoha Malik

by Zoha Malik

Updated:

Rated 4.90 out of 5

235 Comments
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I am going to ask you to trust me on this: these are the BEST Fudgy Brownies for real chocolate lovers. They have a rich chocolatey flavor which isn’t overpowered by sugar – unlike most brownie recipes – and a very fudgy, gooey texture. They have both dark chocolate and cocoa powder in their batter, and use my favorite little trick of grinding the sugar to achieve a shiny, crinkly crust every single time. And the best part? They take only 40 minutes start to finish!

A close-up of chocolate brownies cut into squares on a round white plate. The brownies have a shiny, crackled top with chocolate chips and a fudgy texture. Some chocolate shavings are scattered around the plate.

Definitely the best fudgy brownies, and probably the only one without heaps of sugar. It gives a perfect chocolatey taste!
– Sana, ★★★★★

This recipe is probably my biggest labor of love (and obsession) ever. I’m a childhood brownie fanatic and have spent years perfecting them. In fact, I created a whole course on brownies with 30+ science experiments. And after far too many failed batches that were too sweet, too cakey, or not shiny enough – finally, came the *perfect* brownies. This recipe has millions of views and thousands of remakes, and most people agree these are the best brownies they’ve ever made!

@bakewithzoha

The literal best brownies I’ve ever had the pleasure to eat. Recipe coming soon. #brownies #chocolate #foodtok #foodvideo #yummy #foodie

♬ BORN FOR THIS – Foxxi
A close-up of a stack of rich, fudgy chocolate brownies with melted chocolate chips, showing gooey texture and a shiny, crackly top. More brownies are visible in the background on parchment paper.

What makes them different

In a sea of countless fudgy brownie recipes, here’s what makes these different (and better, in my opinion!):

  1. Less sugar, more chocolate: Most brownie recipes use more than a cup and a half of sugar, which completely overpowers the chocolate. This recipe uses only 3/4 cup, and lets the chocolate flavor shine. The result is a dessert that tastes rich, decadent and chocolatey – exactly how it should be
  2. Ground sugar to guarantee the shiny crust: This is a simple trick I swear by and also use in my chewy cocoa powder brownies. Grinding the sugar into a powder (not the same as powdered / icing sugar!) helps it dissolve much more easily into the eggs, and you get the quintessential shiny, crinkly crust on your brownies even when they’re not as sweet
Close-up of rich, fudgy chocolate brownies cut into squares, topped with melted chocolate chips and chunks, showing a glossy, textured surface.

My tips to perfect these brownies

Here are my 5 most important tips to help you bake the perfect batch of brownies:

  1. Use high quality ingredients. The two most important ingredients are the chocolate and the cocoa powder – your brownies will taste only as good as them. I recommend a quality dark chocolate between 55-65% cocoa, such as Ghirardelli, Valrhona or Callebaut, and using chocolate bars, not chips. For cocoa powder, I highly recommend Dutch Processed. It has a much smoother taste and imparts a richer color to the brownies. However, 100% unsweetened cocoa powder works, too
  2. Measure precisely with a scale. The ratios in this recipe have been meticulously tested, and messing with them will affect the outcome. If you stuff too much flour into a measuring cup, the brownies will be cakey. If you reduce sugar more, they won’t have a shine. If you reduce butter, they will be dry – and so on
  3. Don’t skip the sugar grinding step, even if you’re using granulated or caster sugar. You can do this in a food processor or grinder. Then whip it into eggs for 3-5 minutes until pale, thick and ribbony – and you should get a shiny crust!
  4. Use a light metal pan. This disperses heat evenly without causing the brownies to burn, and results in crispy edges and a gooey interior. Glass or ceramic pans bake brownies unevenly and take much longer
  5. Don’t overbake. When it comes to brownies, the difference between fudgy and dry comes down to minutes. This is why I bake at a lower temperature of 335F, and lean towards under-baking. Use a toothpick to test for doneness around the ~22 minute mark: it should come out with moist crumbs attached to it.
A stack of four gooey chocolate brownies with melted chocolate oozing out, placed on a parchment-lined wooden board

Step by step photos

Let’s quickly go over the steps with photos to help you visualize this recipe:

A glass bowl filled with chocolate mixture sits on a wooden surface. A red silicone spatula, coated in the mixture, rests inside the bowl.
Melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave in 20 second increments.
A glass mixing bowl containing two raw eggs and a mound of white sugar, placed on a wooden surface.
Grind the sugar, then add it to a bowl with the eggs.
A glass bowl filled with pale, frothy egg and sugar batter sits on a wooden countertop. Some of the batter is splattered on the rim of the bowl.
Whisk for 3-5 minutes until the mixture becomes pale and thick, and nearly triples in volume.
A glass bowl filled with a pale yellow batter, topped with droplets of vanilla extract, sits on a wooden surface. Some batter is splattered on the sides of the bowl.
Pour in the chocolate mixture, along with coffee dissolved in water.
butter, chocolate, eggs and sugar whisked together in a glass bowl
Whisk on low speed until just combined.
A glass mixing bowl on a wooden surface contains sifted cocoa powder, sugar, and flour, with some ingredients clinging to the sides of the bowl.
Sift in the dry ingredients.
A glass bowl filled with thick brownie batter is being mixed with a red spatula, placed on a wooden surface.
Gently fold with a spatula until just combined.
A glass bowl filled with brownie batter and topped with dark and milk chocolate chips sits on a wooden surface. A red spatula is partially submerged in the mixture, ready for stirring.
Lastly, fold in chopped chocolate or chocolate chips of choice.

Spread the batter in a 9×9″ pan, and bake. Let the brownies rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing. These brownies also serve as a great based for more indulgent desserts. For example, you can turn them into Pecan Pie Brownies by adding a layer of pecan pie filling on top, or mix with cookie dough and upgrade them into thick and fudgy Brookies.

A round white plate with square-cut, best fudgy brownies topped with chocolate chips, arranged in a neat grid on a light textured background. Some crumbs are scattered around the plate.
Print
A close-up of four gooey, fudgy dark chocolate brownies stacked on top of each other, with melted chocolate visible on their surface. More brownies are blurred in the background on a wooden board.

Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies (Less Sweet!)

by Zoha Malik

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.90 stars from 69 reviews

Ultra fudgy brownies with a deep chocolatey flavor that’s not overpowered by sugar, and a simple trick to guarantee a shiny crinkly crust!

Yield:16 brownies

Prep Time:
15 mins
Cook Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
40 mins

Ingredients

  • 4 oz high quality dark chocolate, between 55-65% cocoa (113g) – I use Callebaut*
  • 10 tbsp unsalted butter (140g)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
  • 2 large eggs, ideally at room temperature
  • 1 tsp instant coffee mixed with 1 tsp hot water
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour (65g)
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder (35g) – it is best to use dutch processed
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 to 4 oz chopped chocolate or chocolate chips to fold in at the end (56g to 113g) – I use a mixture of milk and dark; you can also add additional chocolate on top of the brownies at the end*

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 335F (conventional) and line a 9×9” baking pan with parchment paper and a light coating of butter. I recommend letting the parchment paper rise to the top of the pan on the sides, so it can be used to lift the brownies out of the pan after they have cooled down
  2. Start by grinding the sugar. Measure it before grinding, then add to a food processor or grinder, and pulse for around 60 seconds, shaking in between, until the sugar looks more like a fine powder. This will be used in step 4 below
  3. Microwave the butter and 4oz dark chocolate in a heat safe bowl in 20 second increments, gently stirring in between, until fully melted and combined. Do not over-heat the mixture as that can cause the chocolate to seize 
  4. In the meanwhile, whisk the eggs and ground sugar using a stand mixer or hand mixer at medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes. You should achieve a very thick, pale and ribbony mixture that is at least triple in volume. This step is important in developing the shiny crust of the brownies 
  5. Pour the melted chocolate and butter mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Also add the instant coffee mixed in hot water. Whisk at low speed until the mixture is just combined 
  6. Sift in the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet using a rubber spatula. Be careful not to knock out the air in the batter or over-mix
  7. Lastly, fold in the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips of your choice until just combined. The brownie batter will be thick, and will get thicker as the minutes pass; that’s completely normal
  8. Transfer the batter into the lined pan and spread it evenly using a spatula. The batter might feel thick – that’s just the chocolate starting to firm up.  Optionally, press in more chocolate chunks on the top to give the brownies a pretty look 
  9. Bake immediately in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 min until the brownies look set on the edges, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs on it (it should not be clean). This usually takes 22 minutes for me. The brownies will continue to cook as they cool down 
  10. Remove from the oven and let the brownies cool to room temperature (about 20 to 30 minutes). Then remove from the pan, cut with a sharp knife, and serve! 

Video Tutorial

Notes

  • Dark chocolate in the brownie batter: This recipe originally had 1 oz semi sweet chocolate mixed with 3 oz of dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa) in the batter. I have now simplified it to 4 oz of dark chocolate (55-65% cocoa) as that achieves the same result. You can definitely tailor the cocoa percentage based on your preference, but ensure at least 55% overall for the best results
  • Chocolate mix in: There is more flexibility on the chocolate you fold into the batter. I recommend chopped chocolate or callets, but chips can also be used. You can use milk, dark, white, or a mixture based on the desire of sweetness you want, and also increase or decrease the quantity. However, I don’t recommend omitting it
  • Coffee: The small amount of added coffee helps enhance the chocolate flavor, you don’t taste it. But if you’re avoiding caffeine, you may skip it
  • Make ahead and storage: You can store these brownies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days, but they’re best eaten within 1 day

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Comments

  1. Fatima Mansoor

    Hi, can i use this recipe for 11×7 inch pan?

    1. Zoha Malik

      Hi there! That should be ok 🙂

  2. tkdkak

    can these and cookies be made egless

    1. Zoha Malik

      So sorry, you can’t skip the egg in these! But I have a new eggless banana bread recipe 🙂

  3. Shaaz

    Hi do you bake it in a fan oven .mine turned out raw and oily underneath .what did I do wrong please

    1. Zoha Malik

      Nope, it’s a conventional (gas) oven. What kind of pan did you use?

  4. Maham

    Hey, i tried this recipe and it tasted really nice. Unfortunately, i didnt get the crinkle top. I followed the recipe to the T, can you please guide me what might have went wrong which led me not to get the crinkle top?

    1. Zoha Malik

      Hi Maham! So many different factors can impact it. What chocolate did you use? cocoa powder? sugar?

  5. Misbah

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE all your cake recipes!
    I have made this on 2 occasions and my friends and acquaintances who don’t eat sweets have taken a second serving of this brownie. I had tried your Texas sheet cake recipe too and everyone who ate said that it was the best chocolate cake they had eaten in a while! I love that you have this blog that helps amateurs like me bake what I crave💕 I did try to recreate the tres leches recipe but found it to be a lil hard and it didn’t turn out the way I wanted to because of my own mistakes but I genuinely love every recipe of yours! Thanks again for sharing all of it❤️ Hope more such recipes keep coming 😀

    1. Zoha Malik

      AWWWW thank you so so much for the kind review, Misbah! I am so happy you’re trying so many recipes. I’d be happy to help trouble shoot the tres leches cake, too – feel free to email me x

  6. Noura

    I made this recipe today and it was amazing.. all my kiddos love it.. super easy, chocolatey, chewy and tasty.. I love the detailed instructions specially how to know our brownies are done which I was struggling before.. thank you Zoha you are the best.. as usual your recipes always give the best.. I have tried your cheesecake, red velvet cake and layered chocolate cake. Thank you again.. love you

    1. Zoha Malik

      You made my day, thank you so much, Noura! <3

  7. Aisha Shareef

    How to.double the recipe

    1. Zoha Malik

      You can multiply all quantities by 2 and use a 9×13″ pan, but the brownies will be thicker and need a few more minutes to fully bake.

  8. Haleema Zahra

    These brownies were too good..

    1. Zoha Malik

      I’m so glad you like them!

  9. Azfia bilal

    i bake ur recipes in a pressure cooker so 48 – 50 mins when the flame slightly touches the bottom of the pan . moreover it does not create crinkel top because the whipping of eggs and sugar create air bubbles which release while baking and create bubbles on top of final baked brownies.
    another q u are USA based so how do u find halal butter and cheese . which brands do u use plz suggest

    1. Zoha Malik

      Butter and cheese are dairy products that don’t have meat in them, so they’re halal.

  10. Dooda

    I appreciate that you have updated the recipe, but could you please link to your previous one? I do not have a food processor and that recipe was more accessible.

    Thank you in advance!

    1. Zoha Malik

      Hi Dooda! It was the same recipe, just 3 oz of dark chocolate and 1 oz of semi-sweet chocolate, instead of 4oz of dark chocolate. You can follow the recipe as it is without blending if you’ve done that before.

  11. Priya

    Hi,I tried this recipe.It was very tasty.but it was very soft and not holding shape..What might be the mistake?Do I have to bake for more time?

    1. Zoha Malik

      Hi Priya! If they’re not holding shape even after cooling down then yes, might be underbaked. Did you use a glass or ceramic pan?

  12. Sofie

    Best brownies I ever made. Dry not chewy texture and a real heaven in mouth. Definitely recommend.

    1. Zoha Malik

      YAYYY thank you Sofie!

  13. Nashri

    zoha, this turned out sooooooo good. I have been looking for a recipe for ages and this has ended my search, stay blessed

    1. Zoha Malik

      AWW thank you!!

  14. Fatima

    Hey Zoha
    Just wanted to say thank you for this recipe!! It is perfect and I have already made it 3 times in 2 weeks! It’s not too sweet which is perfect!!!

    1. Zoha Malik

      YAYYY I am so happy you like it!

  15. Heba

    best brownies ever , go on

    1. Zoha Malik

      YAY

  16. Sara Khalid

    at which temp should we bake?

    1. Zoha Malik

      Hi Sara! Temp is provided in the recipe

  17. Ifra Fatima

    why did you edit the recipe?????
    I have been following this recipe since past 3 years????? please please please please please please please post the original recipe too or send me the original recipe. PLEAASSSSEEEEEEE

    1. Zoha Malik

      Hi Ifra! Not much has changed from the original recipe haha. There are 2 small updates:
      1) instead of 1 oz semi sweet chocolate + 3 oz dark chocolate (70%), you can use 4 oz dark chocolate (55-65%). This gives the same result with one less ingredient.
      2) I recommend taking the extra time to grind the sugar for the best shiny top. However, if the recipe has worked for you without this step, you can just skip it

      Nothing else has changed!

  18. eshaal

    Hi, I wanted to ask: if I use oil instead of butter, would it make any difference?
    As I have used oil in my previous brownie recipe as well, they always turn out good.

    1. Zoha Malik

      Yes, you cannot swap the butter with oil! completely different ingredient and this recipe is developed for butter:)

  19. Laleena

    Best recipe ever i love love love all ur recipes my go to especially these brownies the tiramisu and cinnamon rolls recipe always a hit and my most trusted recipes ever i could hug you!!

    1. Zoha Malik

      I wanna hug you right back! Thank you so much!

  20. Bayan

    This is by far the best brownie recipe I’ve tried, they turned out soft with a flaky top and were absolutely DELECTABLE, can’t wait to make them again soon

    1. Zoha Malik

      YAY thank you so much, Bayan!

      1. Rizpah

        This was SOOOO delicious Zoha, cant wait to try all your other recipes!!

        1. Zoha Malik

          WOOP WOOP – thank you Rizpah!

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