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A stack of fudgy brownies with crackly tops and a dusting of powdered sugar.
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4.95 from 117 votes

Best-Ever 5 Ingredient Brownies

These brownies are so fudgy and gooey, with a perfect crackly top. They're made with only 5 ingredients - butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and cocoa powder! 
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time38 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Dessert
Keyword: Easy Brownie Recipe, Fudgy Brownie Recipe, Best Brownie Recipe, 5 Ingredient Brownie Recipe
Servings: 12 brownies
Author: Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

  • 2 cups granulated sugar 420 grams
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup salted butter, melted 226 grams
  • 2/3 cup cocoa powder 62 grams
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 98 grams
  • 1/4 tsp salt See note below if you're annoyed that this technically shows 7 ingredients
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract optional, but recommended if you have it on hand

Instructions

  • Make the Brownies: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line a metal* (see note below) 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper. 
    Add the sugar and eggs to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 3-4 minutes until the sugar is dissolved (rub the mixture between your fingers - if you feel granules of sugar, beat it a bit longer, until it feels almost completely smooth). Whisk in the melted butter and vanilla. Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt, and fold in until you have a thick batter.
    *Optional - Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips at the end if desired!*
  • Bake the Brownies: Pour the batter into your baking dish and bake for 33-38 minutes. The top will look set, and a toothpick inserted into the center will have thick, moist crumbs on it, but it shouldn't have thick, gooey batter. A toothpick inserted into the edge will come out mostly clean (You can also use the tip of a knife to lift up a little piece from the center to more clearly see the doneness, if you have a hard time judging when brownies are done). Don't over bake these! They will set up as they cool. I promise.
    Note: Every oven is different and your brownies may take a bit longer. Bake until they appear done by following the indicators I give above.
  • Serve + Store: Let brownies cool for at least 1 hour before slicing. They're amazing warm, but won't hold a neat shape and will appear under done if you cut into them immediately. The longer they cool, the more they will set up to the proper fudgy consistency. Store cooled brownies in an airtight container at room temp for 3-4 days.

Notes

Metal Pan: Metal is the best conductor of heat, so it's ideal for baking. Ceramic would be a good second choice, with glass being the worst choice of the three as it conducts heat very poorly and won't bake things as evenly. 
Ingredient Count: If you're annoyed that the ingredient list above actually shows 7 ingredients - 
  1. I don't count salt in the ingredient total, because typically things like salt & water aren't counted towards an ingredient total! They're always on hand.
  2. I do mention next to the vanilla that it's optional, but recommended. Vanilla enhances the flavor of chocolate but these brownies will still be delicious if you don't have it on hand at the moment. 
Brown Butter: This recipe is delicious with brown butter! Learn how to brown butter in my Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. Start with 1 cup + 2 tbsp of butter, as you'll need to start with a bit extra to account for the water content that evaporates during the browning process.
Note: If you want to serve these and have them hold their shape, as usual, you need to let them fully cool before cutting into them! If not, dig in!
Note: To help speed the cooling process, you can fill a larger baking dish with ice cubes and a little cold water. Set the baking dish with the brownies inside the ice-filled baking dish (make sure that the water won't come up over the sides into the brownie pan) and let them cool for about 45-60 minutes that way.
Note:  You can make these in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan. I've tested the recipe in both pan sizes many, many times with no issues. I do recommend metal over ceramic or glass as it conducts heat the best and gives the most even bake. Ceramic is a second choice, and I recommend ditching glass if you can - it conducts heat poorly and your brownies will take longer to bake. 

Nutrition

Calories: 333kcal