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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
SO good.
Thanks Lindsey!! xTieghan
Hi, I love your recipes and beautiful cookbook. If you only have unsalted butter, how much salt would you add?
Hey Beth,
I would add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. I hope you enjoy the recipe. Let me know how they turn out! xTieghan
I was super excited about these, but they didn’t work for me. I’m not sure where I went wrong. The butter was bubbling up through them while the baked—like oozing. And I used a glass pan—maybe that didn’t help. I also melted the entire two cups of chocolate chips, which was my mistake! I didn’t realize the two cups were “divided” until it was too late.
I appreciate the melted chocolate and the resulting taste!! Not just cocoa is always a plus!! But personally, they were too sweet for me. Maybe less sugar next time for me? They did make the house smell divine though! I will keep trying!
Hey Mandy,
Sorry you had issues with the recipe. I think your issue might have been with all of the melted chocolate. xTieghan
The flavor is delicious, but mine didn’t turn fudgy nor crinkled as the pictures, I don’t know where I made a mistake, this is the first time a recipe did not work for me, did everything by the book but they turned out a bit oily, crunchy in the outside and flaky (soupy) during the baking time.
Hey Vivi,
So sorry you had issues with the recipe. Was there anything you adjusted? What size baking pan did you use? The key for the crinkle top is to really whisk the eggs. A little more information would help me to better answer your question. xTieghan
What would be the best dairy free substitute for the butter? Coconut oil or earth balance marg. ?
Thanks!
Hey Christa,
You can use coconut oil, just know that you might not get the crinkly top. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Best brownies that I’ve ever had! They are perfect.
Hey Andrea,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Amazing! I made them in the smaller pan so they were nice and thick. These are my new go to brownies!!
Hey Joan,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Hi there! These are amazing in flavor, but mine did not turn out fudgey like the picture. When I was baking my brownies in an 8×8 pan, they were pretty soupy during the baking process. I baked them for 35 minutes and in the end they turned out a little oily, crunchy on the outside but also a little flakey/dry on the inside. Any tips?
Hey Caroline,
So sorry you had issues with the recipe, you really need to use a 9×13 pan for the full recipe. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
I’ve made lots of brownie recipes over the years and always thought none were worth the effort over Ghirardelli brownie mix… but these are my new favorite! So happy I couldn’t resist following Tieghan’s Instagram story. They’re gooey but not straight fudge. I’m going to try these with some butterscotch chips for Valentine’s Day 🙂
Hey Jenna,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Oh my gosh, these are so chocolatey and gooey. You really have to love chocolate. I would say they are too rich to eat on their own. You must have a tall glass of cold milk or in our case we topped with some ice cream. Wicked fudgy!
Hey Meg,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Lord have mercy these are amazing. Such intesnse chocolate flavor and PERFECT texture. I love a fudhy brownie, but have had issues with other recipes with the brownies always seeming to be underdone. These were spot on perfectly cooked. Served with some vanilla ice cream. Will be my go to brownie recipe from now on!
Hey Ann,
I am thrilled this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
great recipes, all of tieghan’s. awful website tho. have tried several major browsers. no difference. repeatedly has to reload then crashes. please fix this issue!!! it makes it too hard to cook from your site.
Hey Marsha,
So sorry you are having issues, everything is working on our end! Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Thank you for this Crinkle Top Brownies recipe. I made them yesterday, the are SO GOOD, my husband said: never make boxed brownies again! lol. Enjoy following you on Instagram, thank you for the recipes & videos. I have made several of your recipes: short rib pasta, cheesy baked chipotle chicken tacos, Parker house rolls to name a few! I want to buy your cookbooks!
Hey Karen,
LOL I am so glad your family enjoyed this recipe, it is a favorite over here as well! xTieghan
Perfect and so, so simple. Not really much else to it! This is the 6th Half Baked Harvest recipe I’ve made in the past two weeks. I’m totally hooked!
Hey Tara,
Thanks so much for making the recipe, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Just made these and wow they are delicious! I accidently did 2 tablespoons of instant coffee instead of 2 teaspoons but still really tasty!
Hey Sydney,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a go, I am so delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan