Old fashioned brownies are rich, dark chocolate brownies with a soft chewy center, firm edges and a crackly top. Easy and simple to make using just one bowl. A family favorite!
UPDATED: I originally posted this recipe in January, 2015 and it has been one of the most popular recipes on my site – especially around Valentine’s Day. So I have updated the recipe with step by step photos and added some tips to show how easy it is to make these old fashioned brownies. Hope you enjoy it!
Since Valentine’s Day is coming up I thought I’d share with you a recipe for old fashioned brownies.
These brownies have a soft chewy center, firm crisp edges and a sugary, crackly top. They are rich, chewy, fudgy, dark chocolate brownies.
They are super simple to make – using just one bowl. So make yourself or someone you love some of these old fashioned brownies.
Steps for making Old Fashioned Brownies:
- Prep and measure out all your ingredients so they are ready to go.
- Add cocoa and baking soda to a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Add half the melted butter to the cocoa mixture and stir – it will form a thick paste.
- Add boiling water to the cocoa mixture.
- Stir to combine water and cocoa mixture – it will be very liquidy and it won’t be completely smooth – which is okay.
- Add sugar, eggs and the rest of the melted butter to the mixture.
- Stir completely to combine all ingredients.
- Sift flour over chocolate mixture and add vanilla and salt.
- Stir to incorporate flour completely – scrape down sides occasionally as you stir.
- Add chocolate chips to the brownie mixture.
- Stir in the chocolate chips to combine with the brownie mixture.
- Pour brownie mixture in to a greased baking pan and smooth the top with a wooden spoon.
- Once the brownie is baked, let cool completely before cutting into squares.
I make these brownies all the time and they come out consistently every time – chewy, rich and with an intense dark chocolate flavor.
I like these old fashioned kind of brownies. They are the chewy, fudgy kind with firm edges and a softer center. My friend told me we could be brownie buddies since I like the softer center brownies and she likes the firmer outer edge brownies – especially the corner pieces.
A lot of readers have made these with their kids or grandchildren – so if you’re looking for a fun recipe to make with your family then this recipe is for you.
A couple of notes:
- It’s important to let the cooked brownie cool before remove it from the pan. If you try and remove it too soon the whole brownie could break up into a bunch of pieces – so wait about 30 minutes before flipping the whole brownie out of the pan. Once the brownie has cooled in the pan, gently loosen around the edge of the pan and the brownie with a thin metal spatula, you should then be able to easily flip the brownie out of the pan. Also, you’ll get a cleaner cut on the individual brownies if you wait for the whole (uncut) brownie to cool and slice it up once it’s out of the pan.
- I used dark chocolate chips which gives these brownies a rich, dark chocolate, slightly bittersweet flavor but if you wanted to lighten the brownies up a bit you could use regular chocolate chips.
- Did you know that brownies will cook more quickly in a metal pan versus a Pyrex pan? I cooked mine in a metal 9 x 13 non-stick pan. If you are using Pryex you may need to cook your brownies a little bit longer than stated in the recipe below.
- This recipe is from Hershey’s kitchens. They have a lot of great recipes – so go check out their site if you’re looking for a great chocolate baking recipe.
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If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please come back and leave a comment and rating. I’d love to hear from you!
PrintOld Fashioned Brownies
A rich, dark chocolate brownie with a soft chewy center, firm edges and a crackly top. These old fashioned brownies are easy and simple to make using just one bowl.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 24 brownies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Hershey’s cocoa – unsweetened
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2/3 cup butter – melted
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease a 9 by 13 baking pan.
- Add cocoa and baking soda to a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Melt 2/3 of a cup of butter over low heat on the stove (or melt butter in the microwave). With a wooden spoon, stir 1/2 of the melted butter into the cocoa and baking soda. Stir until combined.
- Add 1/2 cup of boiling water to bowl with cocoa and butter. Stir until combined.
- Add sugar, eggs and the rest of the melted butter to the cocoa mixture. Stir until combined.
- Sift in 1 1/3 cup of flour. Add vanilla and salt. Stir until combined and batter is smooth.
- Add dark chocolate chips to batter and stir until combined.
- Pour into prepared baking pan and smooth the top out with a wooden spoon. Bake for between 35 and 40 minutes. Mine took 35 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness.
- Cool for 30 minutes in pan. When cool, remove from pan and cut into 24 brownies.
Notes
It’s important to let the cooked brownie cool before remove it from the pan. If you try and remove it too soon the whole brownie could break up into a bunch of pieces – so wait about 30 minutes before flipping the whole brownie out of the pan. Once the brownie has cooled in the pan, gently loosen around the edge of the pan and the brownie with a thin metal spatula, you should then be able to easily flip the brownie out of the pan. You will also get a cleaner cut on the individual brownies if you wait for the whole (uncut) brownie to cool before cutting it up into squares.
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, come back and let me know by leaving a comment and a rating. I’d love to hear from you.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 of 24
- Calories: 172
- Sugar: 19.4g
- Fat: 7.1g
- Saturated Fat: 4.2g
- Carbohydrates: 26.9g
- Protein: 2.1g
Jade
Making these for Christmas. Turned out really well and they taste amazing! I used a milk chocolate slab instead of dark choc chips. Thanks for the great recipe, will definitely make these again! 🙂
Geraldine
Thanks so much for letting me know and so glad you enjoyed them, Jade! Happy new year to you!
Patti
I just made the brownies with my 4 year old. Very simple to make. I lined my pan with parchment for easy clean up. They look just like they do in the picture and delicious!
Geraldine
Thanks so much for letting me know, Patti. What a fun way to spend time with your 4 year old!
Joy
Hi! This recipe looks fantastic, definitely will be trying soon. Can the melted butter be replaced with oil?
Thanks.
Joy
Geraldine
Hi Joy – I haven’t tried switch out the butter for oil. Let me know if it works out!
Molly
Darn, I was hoping in the comments would be someone saying they made this successfully with a gluten free all-purpose flour substitute. My daughter has Celiac and is missing good old fashioned brownies. When you search for gf brownies on Pinterest you get a lot of super-wet looking black bean or eggless brownie recipes. If I get brave and try this I’ll let you know how it works.
Geraldine
Hi Molly – sorry, I haven’t tried a gluten free version. Hope it works out for you!
Anita T.
I am baking a batch right now. I split the recipe when it was time to put in the pan. On one side, I left them according to the recipe, and on the other side, I mixed chopped pecans to the batter.Sometimes I like my brownies without nuts, and then there are times I like a little bit of nuts in them. I can hardly wait for them to come out of the oven. ?
Geraldine
What a great idea, Anita! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment – let me know how they worked out!
Nupur
If I wish to grate and use a dark chocolate slab instead of chocolate chips, can that be done? And if yes, how much in weight?
Geraldine
Hi Nupur – one cup of chocolate equals 6 oz of chocolate. I would roughly chop the chocolate versus grate it – so it’s more chocolate chip size.
Janelle
I’ve made these brownies twice so far exactly how the recipe is. I love them and so does everyone else!! Best brownie recipe so far!! Thanks for sharing!
Geraldine
Yay – Janelle – I love these brownies too. So glad you’re enjoying them and thanks for letting me know!
Kira
Yum! These look like my kind of brownies 😀 Quick question, will semi-sweet chocolate chips work? Thanks!
Geraldine
Hi Kira – yes, semi-sweet chocolate chips should work well. I always get confused by chocolate chip labeling – but according to google “semi-sweet is dark chocolate” so they should work fine. Please let me know how it goes!
Purpleswift
Hey,i was just wondering if these will work with applesauce instead of eggs..?
Anyways this looks like an AWESOME recipe
Thanks
Geraldine
Hi – sorry, I’ve haven’t tried this with applesauce instead of eggs. If you do try it, let me know how it works out. Thanks!
anna @ annamayeveryday
Those look perfect – there are so many variations of brownies but my favourite is a classic like this without any bits and bobs added.
Geraldine
Hi Anna – I’m with you on classic brownies – they don’t need a whole lot of fancy ingredients since there’s so good by themselves!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom
oh my goodness, these look so good! Totally going to try this recipe!
Geraldine
Thanks so much, Alice – you’ll love them if you try them!
Sheila
And they freeze really well too!
Geraldine
That’s a good point, Mom. This way you can make a big batch and not be tempted to eat them all – just stick a bunch in the freezer for later.
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron
These look like the absolute PERFECT brownies…I love those crinkly tops. And they look so fudgy, I am definitely a fudgy brownie person, not a cakey brownie person 🙂
Geraldine
Thanks, Denise – I’m definitely in the fudgey brownie camp as well. Have a good one.
Isadora @ she likes food
I’ve been craving brownies likes crazy for the past few weeks and I still haven’t gotten my hands on any but now I want them more than ever! These look like the perfect brownies, soft on the inside but still have that nice crust on the top 🙂
Geraldine
Go make yourself some of these brownies, Izzy – they’ll make your day. Have a good one.
Julia | Orchard Street Kitchen
Ooh, these look perfect! It’s really hard to beat a classic brownie. You and I have the same brownie tastes – I always go for the chewy ones in the center too! And beautiful photography, Geraldine 🙂
Geraldine
Thanks, Julia – definitely the center ones! But I’ll eat a corner one too if need be 🙂
Medha @ Whisk & Shout
Yum, I’m all about the crackly topping 🙂 Pinning!
Geraldine
Hi Medha – I love the crackly top too. Thanks for the pin!
Annie @ ciaochowbambina
These remind me of the brownies my mom used to make! Soft in the center and crispy on the edges. Also my favorite kind! I especially love the addition of the dark chocolate chips! Thanks, Geraldine!
Geraldine
Hi Annie – The dark chocolate chips really gives them a rich flavor. Have a great weekend!!
Jess @ whatjessicabakednext
OK these look ah-mazing! Love good ol’ brownies, so delicious! Love that these are chewy and fudgey – so good. Have a great weekend, Geraldine!
Geraldine
Thanks, Jess – hope your weekend is great also!
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
These look like my kind of brownies…the kind that you can’t just eat one!
Geraldine
Hi Kathy – they are kind of addictive – I kept nibbling on them all day and I didn’t feel guilty at all about it :). Have a good one.
Traci | Vanilla And Bean
Yes, Please!! There are so many varieties of brownies! How can it be? I’ll take the dark chocolate and the chewy center piece too… but I also love the crunchy edges. Rob would love these for Valentien’s day (and so would I) with a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate drizzle… Mmmmmmm!! These will not last long! Thank you, Geraldine! 😀
Geraldine
Thanks, Traci! There are so many different kinds of brownies – it’s kind of amazing all the different ways you can make them. I’m definitely a fan of the old fashioned kind. I love the idea of ice cream and chocolate drizzle to jazz them up though! Have a good one.