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Fudgy, Crinkly, Brown Butter Brownies. Back to the classics with these DELICIOUS fudge brownies with the most perfect crinkled top. Made using salted butter, chocolate chips, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, flour, cocoa, and one large cup of chopped chocolate chunks. These brownies are rich, sweet, thick, and fudgy, and take very little effort to make. Enjoy them topped with flaked sea salt. These are your go-to, never-fail, better-than-the-box brownies!
Oftentimes – no, most of the time- when I’m cooking and baking for family and friends, I reach for the classic recipes I know everyone loves. I’m sure that sounds shocking, but with the number of recipes I share, I don’t have many opportunities to make the classics!
And the truth of the matter is, they really are my favorite. So when I’m able to improve a classic recipe like, say, my beer bread or my dad’s tacos. I’m always the most excited to share!
Finally, after years of secretly trying to figure out the secret to always getting that perfect fudge brownie with a crinkly top and the yummiest flavor, I think I’ve landed on THE recipe.
And I am so happy to share it today! My hope is that this is the brownie recipe you always come back to!
The Details
Ingredients
- Salted butter
- 1 bag of mini chocolate chips
- Instant coffee or espresso powder
- Pure vanilla extract
- Eggs – Make sure they are at room temperature and not at all chilled
- All-purpose flour
- Cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Sea salt
- Chocolate chunks – I love to use dark chocolate
Special Tools
You’ll need a skillet, a couple of mixing bowls, and a square brownie pan.
Steps
Step 1: brown the butter
To do this, add the cold, salted butter to a skillet. I like to use a cast-iron skillet.
Let the butter sizzle and brown over medium heat. This will take around 5 minutes.
Step 2: add the chocolate
Remove the pan with the butter from the stove and mix in the chocolate until melted. Then, add the instant coffee and vanilla.
Step 3: the eggs
The key to adding the eggs is to really whisk them first. You can’t skip this step.
Whisking the eggs before mixing them into the brownie batter creates air within the eggs that helps create that crinkly top. It might seem like an unnecessary step and a waste of a clean bowl, but just trust me on this: it’s what makes these brownies great.
Step 4: finish the batter
Mix the eggs into the chocolate. Add the powdered sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk until the batter is very smooth and shiny.
Mix in a big handful of chocolate chunks. I like to use dark chocolate.
Step 5: bake
Use a 9×9-inch square brownie pan for these. I baked mine for exactly 30 minutes.
I like to finish my brownies off with a sprinkle of flaked sea salt. Definitely optional, but extra yummy – and pretty too!
These are perfect every time and absolutely delectable. My little sister Asher and my dad agreed that these are their favorite!
Looking for easy chocolate desserts? Here are a few ideas:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Blondies
Giant Salted Espresso Hot Fudge Cookies
Lunchroom Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Retro-Style Chocolate Sheet Cake
Lastly, if you make these Fudgy, Crinkly, Brown Butter Brownies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Brown Butter Crinkle Top Brownies
Servings: 16 brownies
Calories Per Serving: 149 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) salted butter
- 1 bag (10 ounce) mini chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup semi sweet or dark chocolate chunks
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9×9 inch square pan with parchment paper.2. Add the butter to a pot set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown lightly until it smells toasted, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Mix in the mini chocolate chips until all are melted. Stir in the vanilla and instant coffee. 3. In a bowl, whisk the eggs for 1 minute until bubbly on top. Add the melted chocolate and powdered sugar, whisking until smooth, 1-2 minutes. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chunks. 4. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until the brownies are just set and crinkly on top. Sprinkle with flaked sea salt if desired. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on March 7, 2025
These taste delicious! I’ve made them twice so far. The first time exactly as is. The second time I did semi sweet chocolate for the chocolate chips as I felt it was slightly too sweet. Perfect! Also, it takes 40 min in my oven for some reason.
Hi Haley,
Wonderful! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it!
Delicious! I just made this recipe. They taste great, but they weren’t fudgy. I baked them at 350F top and bottom for 28 minutes. What do I need to change to make them fudgy?
Hey Liliana,
Happy Sunday!! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it and your comment! Sorry what do you mean top and bottom? XxT
Made these yesterday – SO GOOD. If you’re wondering, make them and check it out for yourself, totally worth it.
Hey Mirely,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thank you so much for making it and your comment! xx
Umm, SO GOOD!! I thought they were going to be too rich but they were just right. This one is a winner, for sure. Also, dangerous to have these hanging out on the counter…lol
Hey Meghan,
Amazing:) Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have a great week!!
First, and primarily, I just want to state that these brownies taste INCREDIBLE! Amazing crinkle-top, and the dark chocolate chips and espresso powder (I used Trader Joe’s Cold Brew) were game changers. (Wish I could post a pic.)
My only question: I think mine may have come out a little drier than yours and how I would have liked. My eggs were “close” to room temperature – could that have been it?
Baked them for 29 minutes.
Again, no real complaints. (And they were a huge hit with my daughters, who came home late last night – one coming from Spring Break in Mexico, and one coming from New York – warm brownies at 11:00pm? Definitely hit the spot!)
Hey David,
Wonderful! Thank you so much for making this recipe, love to hear it was a hit! Any chance they may have needed to be baked for a little less time? Have the best weekend:)
I noticed you call for salted butter in the recipe, but in your flat lay pic on IG you have unsalted butter. I only have unsalted butter, would it be ok to use that?
Hey Jen,
Yes, that would be just fine for you to use! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Ha! I came to the comments to see about the same thing. I heard mention of the wafers in the story just now too. But it appears the chocolate wafers are actually chocolate chips. Makes sense;) Thanks for clarifying Tieghan. Can’t wait to make these!
Hi Lucylu,
Ohh gosh, sorry, I guess I don’t know what I was saying:) No wafers in this recipe, just the chocolate chips and chocolate chunks. Let me know if you try these brownies!! xxT
Hello I just watched your story for this recipe and you mention chocolate wafers but I don’t see them anywhere in the video or in this recipe? what exactly are those, is it a wafer cookie? should I be using them for this recipe? How much?
Hi Doreen,
I’m not sure when I said that, but there are no wafer cookies in this recipe, sorry for any confusion:) You can follow the recipe exactly as written. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
These look Duh-lish! Just curious, the site suggested the other crinkle top brownie posted in 2018 and in that recipe you said it was the whisking of the eggs that gave it the desired crinkle top that you said was perfect. Is this recipe going to replace that one? If you dissolve the granulated sugar, would that get the same effect since you used that in the old recipe? Maybe I’ll try both and serve them to my boyfriend with the Mary me chicken and see if that seals the deal! You have sooooo many recipes, it’s exciting!
Hi Mary,
Thanks so much! They are really just different recipes:) This recipe is super fudgy and thick as opposed to the recipe from 2018. Let me know if you give them a try! xT
Absolutely fabulous brownies! This is my new go to recipe.
They baked up beautifully, with a fudgy texture and rich chocolate flavor. I used whole wheat pastry flour, and left out the coffee granules.
Thanks so much, Hope:) So glad to hear you enjoyed these brownies, I appreciate you making them! xx
Best homemade brownie I’ve made. I had given up making them from scratch but thought I’d give this one more go. SO good and easy. I may not use the G box anymore… just another great recipe from HBH!!
Hey Dawn,
Love to hear you enjoyed this brownie recipe! Thank you so much for making it and your feedback! xx
I am excited to try these as brownies are one of my favorites! Could I use granulated sugar instead of the powdered sugar or is that a key ingredient I shouldn’t mess with?
Hey Sarah,
I would stick with the powdered sugar for this recipe:) I hope they turn out well for you! Have a great week! xx
Very good.
Thanks so much, Sarah!!
Hi! The link to the “print” option for the recipe is broken. Is there a way to fix it? Can’t wait to try these out!
Hi Shalene,
I just tested the print button and did not have any issues:) Can you give it another try and let me know if you are able to print! I hope you love this recipe! xx
These are delicious and so easy to make—no stand mixer, no food processor, no hand held mixer. Just a bowl, a small saucepan to brown the butter, a whisk, and a little bit of upper body workout. Great recipe.
Hey Michele,
Yay! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it! Have the best week:)