22 Great Brownie Recipes for Desserts by the Panful (2024)

Whether you like your brownies fudgy, cake-like, or covered in toppings, this collection of our best recipes has it all. Try a classic buttermilk brownie or opt for the ultimate chewy version. If you want a recipe with a twist, try a fruit topping that adds a bit of tartness, or a splash of bourbon to pump up the richness. It's time to get baking.

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Dulce de Leche Fluff Brownies

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Jars of purchased dulce de leche and marshmallow fluff make a decadent—and easy—addition to this otherwise homemade brownie recipe. The sweet toppings swirl together for a marbled effect, making this recipe chewy, gooey, and sweet. For a little crunch, top the brownies with toasted chopped pecans.

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Malted Brownies

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It's not just the malted milk balls topping that gives this frosted brownie recipe its signature flavor. Vanilla malted milk powder and a homemade malted milk frosting add to the toasty and buttery flavors of these chocolatey brownies. The mini malted milk balls are optional, but if you can find the candy-coated versions, they add a colorful finishing touch.

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Gluten-Free Fudgy Brownies

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Make your own gluten-free flour mix, or buy it prepared for an easy brownie recipe that everyone can enjoy. These gluten-free brownies are delicious on their own, but the chocolate-cream cheese frosting makes them extra fudgy. Try them with a sprinkle of peanut-butter baking chips for a nutty twist that totally works.

Buy It: King Arthur Gluten-Free Flour ($9, Target)

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Inside-Out S'mores Brownies

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Bring the flavors of your favorite dessert indoors with this fudgy s'mores brownie recipe. Real graham crackers and marshmallows are baked into the batter to create a mess-free version of this campfire classic. Make these for a summer picnic or cozy up with a batch on a winter evening—they're delicious year-round.

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Bourbon Brownies

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These southern-inspired brownies add the bold flavor of bourbon with the nutty and sweet flavors of freshly toasted pecans. Although it's just a splash of bourbon in the batter, the flavor makes these simple brownies stand apart. Top them with a bourbon frosting and a drizzle of chocolate for an extra boost of sweetness.

Orange-Kissed Chocolate Brownies

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This recipe with a twist marries the flavors of chocolate and orange with the chewiness of a classic brownie. A teaspoon of shredded orange peel and a few tablespoons of orange juice add tangy citrus flavor to the frosting, which sits between two layers of chocolate. Best of all, this recipe makes 32 brownies, so there'll be plenty to go around.

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Red Velvet Buttermilk Brownies

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These vibrant red velvet brownies are topped with a buttercream frosting. The buttermilk in the recipe creates a cake-like texture, while rich cocoa flavors are packed into each bite. You can freeze these brownies up to three months. so you'll always have a treat on hand.

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Marbled Chocolate-Pumpkin Brownies

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You don't have to wait for fall to enjoy the taste of pumpkin. Canned pumpkin puree gives a sweet-tart boost to this gooey brownie recipe, adding a gorgeous layer. For a nice crunch, top them with crushed walnuts.

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Sweet Potato Brownies

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No one has to know there's a vitamin-rich tuber in this healthy brownie recipe. The mashed sweet potato gives the brownies a dense interior texture, with a flaky, crispy crust, and the vitamins and minerals loaded within may even warrant these lightly sweet brownies a spot on the dinner table. OK, maybe only after dinner is over.

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Fudge Ripple Turtle Brownies

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Adding a thick layer of melted caramel is only the first step to loading this fudge brownie recipe with delicious decadence. Drizzled chocolate and crunchy toasted pecans top the dense brownies. The end result is something that tastes almost exactly like a homemade candy turtle.

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Buttermilk Brownies

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If you're from the South, you probably know this cake-like brownie recipe better as Texas Sheet Cake. A creamy chocolate-buttermilk frosting makes these cake-like brownies even better. Serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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Dark Chocolate Brownies

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This brownie recipe is for lovers of fudgy dark chocolate. The batter is thick, but it spreads easily into the pan. For the finale, top each bar with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge.

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White Chocolate Brownies

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White chocolate and crunchy macadamia nuts give classic brownies the best kind of makeover. This recipe includes light frosting in a layer of melted white chocolate. Bonus: These brownies take just 15 minutes of hands-on time.

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Crème de Menthe Brownies

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The flavors of an after-dinner mint come together in this decadent, fudgy brownie. We recommend using a fork to cut through the layers, where fresh mint filling is spread between a dark chocolate brownie and a creamy dark chocolate ganache. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to create a brownie sundae twist on mint chocolate chip ice cream.

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Cream Cheese-Marbled Brownies

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This cream cheese brownie recipe is marbled for a showstopping finish. A swirl of cream cheese makes pecan-topped chocolate brownies beautiful and tasty. Toasting the pecans brings out their rich flavor.

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Coffee and Cookie Brownies

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This buzzy brownie recipe definitely deserves a seat at your brunch table. A fudgy brownie layer is sandwiched between a crisp sugar cookie crust and melted chocolate pieces. These taste fancy, but they're a cinch to pull together.

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Caramel-Swirl Brownies

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These bake-and-slice brownies are a crowd-pleasing treat. Swirls of caramel add a buttery sweetness to the rich cocoa in the recipe. Make a batch for your next bake sale, or serve them as an after-dinner treat the whole family will love.

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Chocolate-Chipotle Brownies

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These brownies give off some heat even after they've cooled. Warm chipotle spice kicks up chocolate's smoothness in this recipe, for a match that will delight. Sprinkle extra cinnamon over some vanilla ice cream to help cool things down.

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Espresso Brownies

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Coffee enhances the flavor of the chocolate in this chewy brownie recipe. A splash of coffee liquor and a sprinkle of espresso powder give these brownies just the right jolt of flavor. Go over the top with a finishing sprinkle of chopped chocolate-covered coffee beans.

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Shortbread Brownies

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This from-scratch recipe is a brownie and cookie combo (a brookie) that totally works. Make and bake these two-layer treats in about an hour. Classic shortbread provides a sweet and simple base; a buttery chocolate layer caps it off.

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Cake Brownies

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If fudgy and gooey aren't the way you'd like to describe your brownies, this cake brownie recipe is for you. These are soft and airy and are best when topped with a no-cook chocolate frosting and a scoop of vanilla ice cream (nuts are optional). Bake them in a sheet pan for an easy-to-tote dessert.

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Ultimate Brownies

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Your search for the best brownie recipe can stop here. Two kinds of chocolate and a fudge drizzle take this recipe over the top. Add the optional chopped nuts for extra texture, or play around with the stir-in suggestions listed below the recipe to add your own spin.

22 Great Brownie Recipes for Desserts by the Panful (2024)

FAQs

How much butter instead of oil in brownies? ›

It couldn't be easier to substitute butter for oil using a 1:1 ratio. This should work with olive, canola, vegetable, and coconut oils. Simply melt and cool the butter to room temperature, then continue with your recipe. (If the recipe calls for ½ cup oil, use ½ cup melted and cooled butter.)

What can I add to brownie mix to make them better? ›

Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract adds rich flavor to brownies. Eggs – Most brownie mixes call for one whole egg. Adding one large egg plus an extra egg yolk gives brownies an ultra fudgy texture.

Can I use milk instead of water in brownie mix? ›

One change is to use milk or heavy cream instead of water. This change will make brownies more moist and gooey since milk is more fatty and flavorful than water. A second change is to use butter instead of oil. For similar reasons to using milk, butter adds a rich and more decadent quality to the batter.

What is the best dish to cook brownies in? ›

The brownies baked in a metal pan were perfectly cooked through after 30 minutes. They were also taller, thicker, and had a perfectly chewy, slightly fudgy texture. The brownies baked in a glass pan were very underdone in the center after 30 minutes.

Is it better to make brownies with butter or oil? ›

Oil Brownies: These were chewier with crunchier edges and a crunchier topping. They were more matte on top with a far less crinkly shiny brownie 'skin. ' They tasted more like box mix brownies. Butter Brownies: These were much fudgier, softer, and had a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

What happens when you use butter instead of oil in brownies? ›

the butter brownies actually had a fudgier texture. they were softer, and they really just melted in your mouth. they also had that shiny crust and just better flavor, whereas the oil brownies were actually chewier.

What does adding an extra egg to brownie mix do? ›

If you opt to add more eggs, say double the amount, something interesting happens. Even though you are adding more moisture, the air bubbles that you catch in the extra eggs add volume, which decreases the density of your final product. This makes your brownies rise and gives them a much more cake-like texture.

Does letting brownie batter sit make it better? ›

Alice Medrich, author of Seriously Bitter Sweet: The Ultimate Dessert Maker's Guide to Chocolate, writes that “refrigerating the brownie batter in the pan for several hours, or as long as two days before baking, wreaks enormous transformations: it improves the top gloss and crustiness, and it also blends the flavors so ...

How do you doctor up box brownie mix? ›

The first and easiest upgrade you can give to your boxed brownie mix is to add a tablespoon of instant coffee to the batter. Adding coffee to your brownies boosts their flavor because its bitter quality balances out sweetness, making it less overpowering. It allows that delicious chocolate flavor to really shine.

Which oil is best for brownies? ›

Most brownie recipes call for some kind of oil — usually vegetable oil or canola oil. This oil acts as the primary fat in brownie batter, giving it that delicious, fudgy texture we all know and love.

Do you have to put eggs in brownie mix? ›

Is it okay to make brownies without eggs? Without eggs, baked goods will become a little thinner and not rise as much in the oven. As long as you replace the moisture from the egg with milk, banana or applesauce, you can make brownies without eggs. And yes, this recipe makes thinner brownies than normal.

Can you use butter instead of water in brownie mix? ›

With coffee instead of water, the brownies will taste even more chocolatey as the coffee enhances the flavors of chocolate, while the butter will make the brownies much richer and fudgier than the oil will.

Do brownies bake better in glass or metal pans? ›

If you make brownies or bake often, consider using or purchasing a metal pan to use in place of your Pyrex dish. Metal pans, specifically aluminum, absorb and transfer heat more consistently than glass, making them perfect for delicious, evenly-cooked, moist brownies every time.

What size pan makes the best brownies? ›

Pans for making brownies are usually square (8 x 8 inches or 9 x 9 inches) or rectangular (9 x 13 inches), so most recipes are written for use in those sizes. Round cake pans can also be used, and pans for individual mini brownies are available too.

What are the three types of brownies? ›

Brownie textures fall into three general camps… Cakey, fudgy and chewy. Cakey brownies, like the name implies, are light, moist and airy, with a slightly fluffy, cake-like interior. Fudgy brownies are moist, dense and gooey, with almost the texture of fudge, but not quite as compact.

How much butter do I substitute for 1 cup of oil? ›

This method of swapping oil for butter works with most oils, including olive, vegetable and canola oil. Make sure the butter is cool or at room temperature before mixing it into your recipe. Example: If a recipe calls for 1 cup of oil, use 1 cup of cool or melted butter instead.

How do you measure butter for brownies? ›

You can also use the water method. In a large glass measuring cup put one to two cups of water. add butter until the water rises to the desired increment. Example: one cup of water, add butter until the water comes up to 1–1/3 cups and you have 1/3 cup butter.

How do you substitute 1 2 cup of oil for butter? ›

1/2 cup of liquid cooking oil equals approximately 2/3 cup of butter. How to calculate that? The oil-to-butter ratio is 3:4. That means for every three parts of oil, we need four equal parts of butter.

How much butter is equivalent to 1 2 cup of oil? ›

When substituting vegetable oil with butter in a recipe, the conversion ratio is not always one-to-one. However, as a rough estimate, you can use the following guideline: 1/2 cup vegetable oil is approximately equivalent to 1/2 cup (1 stick or 8 tablespoons) of butter.

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