The Best Brownie Recipes, According to Eater Editors

Holiday baking season is in full swing, but brownies have been on our minds for a while now. Maybe that’s because of the inexplicable inability of the most recent crop of Great British Baking Show contestants to make one correctly. (Seriously, Britain, what’s going on?) We’ve also been, um, chewing over this Epicurious opus on brownie chewiness. Whatever the reason, Eater editors are all about brownies and these are the recipes we turn to satisfy that specific craving.

The Baked Brownie: This is the One True Brownie recipe. I had them at a party and begged for the recipe, which now happens to me every time I bring them to a party. They’re super rich and fudgey so cut them into small pieces but oh, man — there’s just nothing better than that chocolate overload. — Erin Russell

Olive Oil Brownies with Sea Salt: My ideal brownie is extremely fudgy, toeing that raw batter line with abandon. For that type of consistency, there is nothing better than Melissa Clark’s olive oil brownies with sea salt. I appreciate the multiple forms of chocolate that are all required to pull this off (cocoa powder! melted baking chocolate! chocolate chips!) and the dark brown sugar and tablespoons of olive oil make for a rich and luxurious finished product. The flaky Maldon salt sprinkle at the end helps cut through the chocolate in each bite. It’s a perfect brownie. — Erika Adams

Outrageous Brownies: There is a reason why multiple Eater editors fought over who got to write about the Outrageous Brownies when we chose our favorite Ina recipes: They are magic. There’s more than two pounds of chocolate in these beauties, plus a hit of instant coffee that really emphasizes the sharpness of the chocolate. While it’s slightly labor intensive to melt down all that cocoa goodness, it’s worth it. The brownies come out dense and gooey, with that classic crispy top. I like to make a big batch, stick them in the freezer, and keep them around as a treat. — Brenna Houck

Glossy Fudge Brownies: On the journey to brownie supremacy, Stella Parks’s Glossy Fudge Brownies over at Serious Eats are the final stop. After baking them many, many times in the last few years, I can’t imagine reaching for any other method. The final product is chewy, deeply chocolatey, and bakes up with a crinkly, papery top (the hallmark of a great brownie, according to Parks). This recipe alone is a big reason I’ve evangelized Stella’s extraordinary book to everyone I know. — Adam Moussa

Milk Chocolate and Raspberry Blondies: These are not brownies. But if you are craving some sweet, chewy, chocolatey, salty, and satisfying that’s also a cinch to make, I would like to introduce you to Melissa Weller’s milk chocolate and raspberry blondies. They look and taste far more impressive and complex than they should given how straightforward they are to put together. — Amanda Kludt

Crazy Brownies: Let’s be frank: Most food writers not going to look kindly on this recipe, and I’ve lent it side-eye myself on more than one occasion. Packaged brownie mix is listed as an ingredient, and the concept is basically, “Sure, brownies would be great, if only they were stuffed with candy.” But my husband has made this wild Pioneer Woman recipe for cookouts, holiday gatherings, family reunions, and more, and the reaction from friends and family is always the same: sheer delight. The people have spoken, and the people are all about Rolos in their brownies, apparently. — Missy Frederick

Pick a Box, Any Box: Never forget that boxed brownie mixes are a triumph of convenience foods, and there’s no shame in the box-baking game. — Hillary Dixler Canavan