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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
Can I skip the parchment and leave the brownies in the pan directly??
Hi Ana,
Yes that is fine just be sure to grease the pan well! I hope you love the recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made these brownies the other day and they were the best brownies ever as promised!!!
Thank you so much Valdine! xTieghan
Moist, chocolaty, delicious! Pretty simple but so good. thank you!
Thank you so much Teresa! I am so glad you enjoyed these brownies! xTieghan
Top 5 brownie recipe I’ve ever made! I did a half batch and now thinking I should have done a full amount.
haha I am so glad these turned out so well for you, Jules! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Hello!
I just made these in an 8×8 and boy are they thick! Haha. Also, did you mean to say Baking soda instead of baking powder? My brownies actually rose like a cake and wasn’t flat like yours in the picture.
Thanks!
Hi Cynthia,
Yes, in the notes I state for a thicker brownie to use a 9×9 pan, so using an 8×8 will definitely make them super thick. The recipe is correct with the baking powder. Next time I would recommend using a 9×13 pan for a thinner brownie. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Have you ever made with 1/2 chocolate and 1/2 p.b. chips?
Hi Hilary! I have not, but I am sure it would be amazing! Please let me know if you do try it! xTieghan
I was super excited to try this but the recipe did not work at all. I bake ALL the time, and I found myself wondering how is this going to work with only 1/2 cup of flour, the batter was incredibly runny … I followed the recipe exactly and they literally just stayed a giant pile of goop in the oven and came out an undesirable consistency. I’m not going to rate because I would like to know your opinion on what went wrong..
Hi Molly,
So sorry this recipe did not workout for you. There is only 1/2 cup of flour because you are adding 1/2 cup of cocoa powder. Are you able to tell me if you adjusted the recipe at all? It definitely should not have been running. Please let me know how I can help. Thanks! xTieghan
Made these brownies yesterday. The very best brownies ever!!!
Thank you so much Beverly!! xTieghan
Just made these after seeing them posted in Instagram. If you could only smell my house from them baking! Turned out exactly like the picture and description. Best fudge brownie recipe I’ve used and will definitely be my go to from now on!
I am so glad you tried these! Thank you so much Krista! xTieghan
I’ve never made brownies by scratch always thinking it’s hard but this was so easy! Pure chocolate, gooey, fudgey and crinkly! All you could want in a brownie! I used the instant coffee and personally it made the brownies so much better! It really enhanced the chocolate flavor. This will be my go to brownie recipe.
Thank you so much Katie! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
If I wanted to make these in a 8×8 or 9×9 pan, could i halve the recipe? And how long should i cook them?
Hi Eleanor,
You can bake these in a 9×9 pan for 35 minutes, no need to half the recipe! I hope you love them, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
EASY AND DELICIOUS! I’ve made these brownies multiple times. They are deliciously fudgey in the middle and have that great crackle crust on top. The texture of the two together is really wonderful. In addition to the yum factor, these are super easy to make! I never add the instant coffee (I never have it) and it’s still my favorite brownie recipe. I highly recommend this recipe (as well as many other Half-Baked recipes).
I am so glad you loved this!! Thank you so much for trying it Jess! xTieghan
i just made this brownie. taste so so good, but the top was not crinkle nor shiny..
is it becos of the sugar i reduced ?
btw, i made half recipe, with 75gr sugar.
Hi Pauline,
So sorry the top was not crinkly. It is super important to make sure the eggs are nice and foaming to get the crinkle top. I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
(I know I am late to the party here, but I just discovered HBH two days ago; hope this review is still helpful!)
Just made these and easily one of the most accurate and easiest brownie recipes I ever found.
I followed each step to the letter and the brownies came out picture perfect. The flavor was rich, sweet without being too cloying, and had a wonderful consistent inside — smooth, gooey but with structural integrity so it did not fall apart. 350 degrees at 30 minutes worked perfectly for my oven; usually I have to adjust the temperature or time, but not here! I never knew to whisk my eggs before adding them to the mixture but it was a game changer as it made the batter smoother. Super accessible ingredients yielded perfect results.
These brownies will be a new staple for me. My first HBH recipe and it was a success! Thank you, Tieghan! 🙂
Welcome!! I am so glad you found my blog and hope you love every recipe you try! Also, so glad you enjoyed this brownies, Rachel! Thank you for trying! xTieghan
Would coconut oil work as a replacement for bigger? No dairy over here. Otherwise I could try using the earth balance (+ a pinch of salt?). Let me know if you could!! Can’t wait to try these!
Hi Sarah,
Yes you can use coconut oil, just know that you might not get a super crinkley top. I hope you love the recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan