Next Post
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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
These were DELISH!! I halved the recipe for my 8×8 pan AND substituted whole grain oat flour bc that’s all I had. They turned out almost like flourless chocolate cake… addicting.
Thank you so much Eleanor! xTieghan
What would you recommend for making these gluten free? 🙂
Hi Anna! I have not tried it, but I would recommend cup4cup flour! I hope you love these! xTieghan
Absolutely LOVED this recipe! I had a ton of fun baking these, my family and I loved them and they are definitely simple enough for someone like me who hadn’t made brownies from scratch before. This is definitely my new go to recipe when it comes to brownies!
Thank you so much Maddie! xTieghan
Hi there! These were Amazing made them tonight but I’d prefer a firmer middle not so gooey a taste and everything else was perfect – any idea how to make firmer? Less egg perhaps? Thx xo
Hi Julie,
Next time I would recommend using a larger baking dish! Thanks for giving the recipe a try! xTieghan
Hi I’m from the uk! Your recipes looks amazing. Just wondering when you use the measure ‘cup’ do you literally mean just one average sized mug?
Thanks!
Hi Lauren! No, it is just a measuring cup. It will be about 300 grams of granulated sugar and the flour would be about 62.58 grams! I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please let me know if there are any other questions I could answer! xTieghan
Hi! I have an egg allergy. Would bobs red mill egg replacer or flax egg work instead? What do you suggest? Thanks!
Hi Carolyn! I have not tried an egg replacement, but I am sure either will work great! Please let me know how it turns out and if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I used to always make boxed brownies (I love to bake but usually only do it when I have a craving, and I’m lazy) – but I think I’ve found my new go to recipe. These are so easy and the consistency is amazing! I love that I can whip them up quickly, no electric mixer needed, after the baby is in bed, and I can enjoy with some red wine 🙂 Thank you!
I am so glad these turned out so well for you Katrina! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I’m excited to try! But wondering if I could use gluten free flour instead of regular?
Hi Kim! I have not tried GF flour, but if you do I would recommend cup4cup! I hope you love this! xTieghan
Can I use regular coffee instead of instant?! These look amazing!!!
Hey Melissa! I would recommend just omitting the coffee. Regular will not mix well into the brownies. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe and happy Easter! Thank you!! xTieghan
Can I make these without the coffee?! I don’t have any!!! They look soooo good!
Hi Jean,
Yes you can leave the instant coffee out! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made exactly as the recipe except I used bittersweet chocolate which created a darker gooey brownie with a crispy top my family loved. But for me maybe next time I’ll add a little more flour (3/4c) so it’s not too fudge. Thank you
Thank you so much Rose! That is so great to hear! xTieghan
Hello, looks amazing but can we have the equivalent of the quantities in grams for the European visitors pleaaase?! Thanks
Hi Claire! There are metric measurements on the site! It is at the bottom of the recipe to change! xTieghan
Gooey and fudgy and moist and amaaazing!! I don’t even like sweets, but ai made these for my boyfriend and I tried one… OH BOY!!! Sooo good! Coffee gives them an extra kick! Love these!! Left them in the oven for about 40 min after they didnt seem totally ready at 30 min. But turned out great! Especially nice and warm with a scoop of ice cream!
Woo!! I am so glad you both loved these brownies Ana! Thank you so much for trying them! Stay well! xTieghan
Do you have to use salted butter or unsalted work with the addition of salt separately?
Hi Laura,
You can use unsalted butter, I would recommend adding a 1/4 teaspoon of salt. I hope you love the recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Instead of chocolate chips, can I use regular chocolate? If so, which type- regular milk? And how much?
Hi Nayana,
You can use a chocolate bar but you will need to chunk into smaller pieces. I would recommend semi-sweet chocolate. I hope you love the recipe! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan