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The BEST Crinkle Top Brownies.
Watch the How To Video:
Because there is a lot to celebrate today, and because it’s FRIDAY…and because everyone knows that Friday’s deserve chocolate.
So if there was ever a classic brownie recipe to have in your back pocket, it’s this one. Trust me on this. They remind me of the brownies I’d eat as a kid, and I’m really not sure there’s anything better. These are light, a little fudgy, extra chocolate flavor, perfectly sweet, and they have the most flakey, crinkly top ever. Oh my gosh, SO GOOD.
Before I dive into the delicious details, let me explain the reason I am sharing them.
As most of you know by now, my younger brother Red took home his first Olympic gold medal last week in Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle in PyeongChang, South Korea. If you missed my recap post, you can read part one here and part two here. I said from the start that I wasn’t going to make any fancy Olympic themed food. One, because I am not good with decorating food in fancy ways, and two, because I just didn’t have any great ideas.
That said, after returning home from Korea last week, I felt the need to create a recipe that I knew Red would love. I mean, he did win GOLD, so a celebratory dessert is certainly in order. Right?
Yes, yes, yes. For sure.
Here’s the thing, Red’s a semi picky eater, and doesn’t like anything fancy. His favorite desserts are Special K-Bars (cookbook recipe), chocolate chip cookies, and brownies.
I have a lot of brownie recipes on HBH, but I don’t have one brownie recipe Red would actually eat. Red likes his brownies simple. Chocolate, no frosting, maybe some powdered sugar, and preferably eaten slightly warm. So basically the brownies my mom would make us when we were kids. The ones that came straight out of the Betty Crocker box.
Not going to lie, I loved them too…which is why I am SO excited about these brownies. I really cannot stress enough just how good they are.
When I set out to make these crinkle top brownies, I thought for sure that I’d make them first try and they’d be perfect. I think I felt so confident because I’ve made a hundred and one brownie recipes. But guys, I tested these brownies over and over and over. It was so important to me that they would have the perfect texture, not be dense or cakey, and have the most flakey, crinkly top.
They needed to be perfect, just like the ones I remember eating as a kid with my brothers.
It took a while, used up a lot of eggs…and even more butter.
Like two full days of testing, way over a dozen eggs, probably pounds of butter. Six batches later (possibly more, I lost count), I finally got them right. My freezer is now full of brownies. It’s awesome and very dangerous.
So what’s the secret to that perfect texture and crinkly top?
Real melted chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and a good amount of whisked eggs.
The chocolate is obvious, but the whisked eggs? You need those to create that crinkly top. Whisking the eggs prior to mixing them in the brownie batter creates air within the eggs that helps to 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.
While that and all the semi-sweet chocolate…and butter.
YUMMMMMM.
Red has yet to try these brownies, seeing as he’s still in South Korea, but I’m feeling pretty confident that he’s going to love them.
Speaking of Red, he is competing one last time tonight in Men’s Snowboard Big Air, alongside two of his USA teammates, Kyle Mack and Chris Corning. Kyle is a super close friend of the family, who’s honestly almost like another brother. Pretty excited for the both of them, but I have my fingers crossed for Kyle on this one, as Big Air is much more his event. Make sure to watch tonight at 8pm EST on NBC!
Annnddddd with that, I’m thinking these brownies are the perfect chocolate treat to eat while cheering the boys on.
Lastly, if you make these Crinkle Top 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!
Crinkle Top Brownies
Servings: 20 brownies
Calories Per Serving: 252 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
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups granulated 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
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper.2. In the microwave, melt together the butter and 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (stir at 30 second intervals) until melted and smooth. Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and instant coffee. 3. In a small bowl whisk the eggs for 1 minute until bubbly on top. Stir the eggs into the chocolate mix. Add the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Stir until just combined. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.3. Evenly spread the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until the brownies are just set. Let cool (or not) and dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Notes
*For extra thick brownies, bake them in a 9×9 inch square baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes.
The BEST, enough said.
This post was originally published on February 23, 2018
Love this recipe!! Just wondering, do you think gluten free flour would work as hoping to make for a friend? Many thanks 🙂
Hi Georgia! That is so sweet of you! I actually have not made these with GF flour, but I would recommend cup4cup flour! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks incredible! Absolutely LOVE your recipes. Thanks for sharing. If I halved the recipe – would I still need to leave the brownies in the oven for the same amount of time?
Hi Priyanka,
I would reduce the baking time by 10-15 minutes but be sure to keep an eye on them. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These are truly excellent, moist brownies.
Thank you so much Maggie! That is so great to hear! xTieghan
The best ever brownies and so easy to make! Did not have instant coffee but used a splash of brewed coffee leftover from the morning. Amazing!
Thank you so much!! I am so glad these turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I only have three eggs left in the fridge ?
Hi Kelsey! Oh what a bummer!! You could try using an egg replacer for the last one if you wanted.. like chia egg or flax egg! xTieghan
Can I make these with almond flour?
Hi Shivali! I have not tried it, so I do not feel comfortable recommending! Please let me know if you try it! xTieghan
Hi! Can I use regular white sugar instead of granulated sugar? If so, will it make any changes on texture/taste?
Hi Hannah! Yes that should work great! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Tried this today but my batter was not as thick as yours after mixing everything ?? used a mixture of Belgian dark chocolate and chocolate chips tho. And followed the rest except for less sugar!
Thank you so much Kate! I am glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
THE BEST! What do you recommend is the best way to freeze and reheat these?
Also just made your Crinkle Top Chocolate PB Skillet Blondie last weekend, both the Blondies and Brownies are fantastic on their own but even better served warm with vanilla ice cream!!
Hi Sarah,
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! I would pre slice and freeze the brownies in an airtight container and then warm in the microwave. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
i normally don’t give reviews (mainly because i forget) but i have to rave about these brownies! they are super moist inside, with just the right amount of crisp on top. i accidentally burned the top slightly, but that’s definitely not the recipe’s fault. my parents and i ate these over the course of about 2-3 days, and they stayed just as good as they were fresh out of the oven. 10/10, 100% recommend!
Thank you so much Kate! That is so amazing to hear! xTieghan
Amazing!! Tried these brownies out during this isolation, and they were so easy! I’m not an avid baker so I wasn’t sure how they would come out. That said, these brownies weren’t challenging and they were delicious! Prefect cracked top, just the right amount of gooey and rich! Yum!
Thank you so much Jordan! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
it’s almost done baking when i realized i forgot to put baking powder :/
How did they turn out for you?? Hopefully well! Let me know! xTieghan
These are THE best brownies. My official go-to! They are easy and always amazing!! Thanks for all your great recipes!
Thank you Becca! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! Love your recipes. Wondering if you could half this recipe and how cooking times may change? If not, would these freeze well? Thank you!
Hi Sonal,
Either of these would work! I would probably freeze them. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions!
Would these come out just as good in Pyrex ?
Hi Felicia,
Yes totally fine to use! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan