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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
Hi! I’m hoping to make these brownies but just wanted to ask about how to check the “done-ness”. I have little luck with sighting when brownies are done so i wanted to check if it’s done when it’s shiny / cracked (as in your pictures)? 🙂 Thanks in advance! They look so good I can barely wait to try it!
Hey JM,
I would recommend sticking a knife in the center of the brownies, if it comes out clean they are done! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hello, I made this recipe and my brownie loving mind was blow. Not only was it super easy to make, but the end results are fudgy with the most amazing crinkle top. Thank you for sharing. This will def be my go to from now on.
Xoxo
Wow that is seriously so amazing to hear! Thank you so much for trying this one! xTieghan
I made these the other day, but omitted vanilla and the instant coffee since I didn’t have either. I thought 2 sticks of butter was a bit much at first, but these taste so good! They basically taste like fudge to me, sweet for sure. I might reduce the sugar a little bit next time around.I subbed cacao powder for the cocoa and it worked perfectly! Thanks!
I’ve made this recipe for my family at least 5 times.
It is the only homemade brownie recipe that every loves!
Thank you Marty! xTieghan
Can you use gluten free flour and coconut sugar by chance?!
Hi Alexandra,
Gluten free flour with work but I haven’t tested this with coconut sugar. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Best brownies I have made to day! Thanks T!
That is so amazing to hear! Thank you so much Meghan! xTieghan
This has been my go to dessert during quarantine. I’ve definitely had to step up my gym time because of these but it is SO WORTH IT!!
Thank you so much Rebecca!! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
What could I substitute for the instant coffee granules? These look delicious by the way – cant wait to try
Hi Linda,
You can omit them. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Will whisking the eggs till it forms peaks help create the crinkly top or just loads of bubbles and it becomes airy?
Hi Rachel,
You don’t want to whisk until the point of peaks, just until it has lots of bubbles. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Dis this recipe today, absolutely love the flavor, but I didn’t get the crackly top.. I beat the eggs for more than a minute on high speed, got every other step right . What do you think could have gone wrong?
Hi Edna,
So sorry you didn’t get the crinkle top. I would recommend whisking and mixing these brownies by hand. If you over beat the batter you won’t get the same results. I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi! Two question here. What is the weight of the chocolate in grams and can I use Dutch Process CP? Thanks!
Hi Shelby,
It is about 350 grams of chocolate chips and yes dutch process cocoa powder is okay to use. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hummmm!!! ,
?
I have tried making this recipe twice and both times it has come out like a dryish cake instead of brownie – the only change I made is cutting down on the sugar by half. Any thoughts on what I am doing wrong? I use a glass pan if that matters. I would love some gooey brownies during quarantine!
Hi Rane,
So sorry you are having issues with this recipe. Unfortunately by cutting down the sugar, you are adjusting the recipe so it will yield a different result. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These are the best brownies I have ever had. Followed the recipe exactly, except the instant coffee. Wow.
Thank you Stacy! xTieghan
Is it 1 cup of butter before melted or after melted?
Hi Susan,
It is melted. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan