Fudgy Dark Chocolate Brownies (Not Too Sweet!)

Zoha Malik

by Zoha Malik

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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. Bhavs

    hi Zoha
    i tried the brownies and it was the most delicious lot I have ever had. only thing i realized later was, i made the brownies in a 7″pan instead of a 9″ suggested in your recipe. By how much should I reduce the ingredients for a 7″pan?

    1. Zoha

      Hi Bhavs! If they worked fine, why bother changing the quantities? You’ll just have thicker brownies and can increase the baking time 🙂

  2. Amena

    Perfect!!!
    Made 2 batches on the first go, have also tried your Nashville chicken sliders and they were bomb too

  3. Kimberly

    Hi Zoha! I’m thinking of baking brownie for my class party of 22 person this friday, and saw upon your recipe. I would like to know how much is your serving for this recipe and if i can multiply the ingredients😊

  4. Salwa

    Probably the best brownies recipe I’ve tried yet- perfect sweetness and very fudgy!:))

  5. Mysha

    hi,
    i follow grams as im from the uk. have you tested this recipe using the grams provided in your recipe? i checked one or two of the measurements and some of them are inaccurate 🙁
    thank you!

  6. Shifa Shaikh

    Tastiest brownie ever and it’s even easy to make 🫶🏻😋

  7. Anonymous

    I made the brownies and did not enjoy them unfortunately.

    At first I was quite skeptical about the 3/4 teaspoon of salt, but I trusted the recipe, and turns out the brownies were way too salty!!

    Additionally, I used a 9inch square pan as said by the recipe, but there wasn’t even enough batter to fill up the pan, so the brownies were thin.

    Overall the brownies had a cakey texture which I did not like and were not fudgy.

    I had high hopes for this recipe with all the good reviews, and was left disappointed unfortunately.

  8. Elena Burloi

    Hi.

    These were delicious! It was my first time baking fudgy brownies and I am really happy that I used your recipe.
    I cut it in 20 squares (pretty small, about a big bite each). Can you estimate the number of calories that 1 piece might have?

    Thank you

  9. Marzia

    Hii Zoha, can you please tell me that should we bake on both rods or only bottom??
    thank you

  10. Irene

    Link for both chocolate

  11. Irene

    semi sweet chocolate 28 gram …which brand Link pls

  12. Dee

    Waiting for my batch to cool. I used walnuts instead of choc chips/pieces. Next time I’d use a smaller baking pan, because I like chunky brownies, and these are thinnish. Maybe I screwed somewhere. I trust your recipes since the bomb Easy Chocolate Cake.

  13. Ileri

    Hi, so (we listen we don’t judge), I’ve never made brownies before, but I wanted to make a batch on Christmas (for some reason) so I followed this recipe to the tea and when I saw how thick the batter was I was about to cry, but I just trusted the process and baked it nevertheless. When I tell you those were the best brownies ever…I’m not even lying. My sixth form is having a bake sale for charity, I’m definitely bringing a batch of these (that’s if my siblings don’t finish them the night before)

    1. Zoha Malik

      HAHAHA HUGS you made my day!!

  14. Jessica

    Hi Zoha
    My batter was really good(I tasted /licked it 🤭🤫). I put it in the oven for 180°C cause 335°F – 180°C and for 22 minutes. I went back to check on the brownies and smoke came out of the oven and when I took it out ,my pan and the brownies burnt . I don’t know what has gone wrong . I followed the same temperature and timing and all the measurements of the brownies were right. So if you know what could possibly have gone wrong could you PLEASE help me .

  15. Sabrina

    Hi Zoha, I can’t wait to try this recipe just shopping for all the ingredients. Can you please confirm what semi sweet chocolate it? Any particular brands you recommend? I am based in the U.K. and I can’t really find semi sweet.
    Also, is there any alternative to Valrohna that you will recommend for cocoa powder?

    Thank you in advance!

  16. aizel

    Hello. is it ok to store it in the fridge? or the texture will change?

  17. Sadaf Idris

    can I make this in air fryer

    1. Aneeqa Arshad

      Hey zoha
      Can you tell me if I can add add half white and half brown sugar for the total sugar ratio?

      1. Zoha Malik

        Yes, that’s fine, but try to blend them both!

  18. Faiza Malick

    Heyy ! The brownies turned out amazing, I loved the taste, also I achieved a great shiny crust but the edges and the bottom layer of the brownie was too soft. It didn’t turn out to be crispyyy. So will you please let me know what mistake I might have made. Was the butter too much or the eggs ? Waiting for your response 🙂

  19. Shezray Sohaib

    BEST (& easiest) brownie recipe I have ever made. So SOO delicious!!

  20. Hania Faisal

    Tasted heaven!

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