With the cool weather upon us, I want to take a moment to talk about chocolate, or more specifically brownies, or more specifically, the very best brownie recipes. So I’ve rounded up 8 of the most outrageously delicious and sinfully decadent brownie recipes, for no other reason than we deserve it.
So, yeah, we’re all about making brownies just because. You don’t even need a bake sale or an upcoming potluck for an an excuse.
Making the best brownies is super easy. Requiring nothing more than two bowls and spoon, no treat gives you more bang for your baking buck.
Top: Extra Nutty Dark Chocolate Brownies via Joy the Baker
If you like cocoa brownies…
I’d usually start with a classic brownie recipe, but it’s hard to pin down just what makes a classic brownie. To some, it’s a recipe that includes melted chocolate, to others, a recipe that uses only cocoa powder. And with a million other variables too, I’m going to stay out of the debate and instead do as Olga from Sassy Radish does, and turn to baking expert Alice Medrich.
This is her recipe for The Best Cocoa Brownies and I must insist that you make them at some point in your life. Sooner than later.
If you like thick and fudgy brownies…
If you didn’t believe me when I said that there are a million variables that go into developing the “best” brownie recipe, you might when you look at the Ultimate Brownie Guide at Handle the Heat. Tessa has spent an impressive amount of time working on the best brownies and has a recipe for whatever kind you like, from moist to cakey and everything in between.
I’m thinking that her Thick and Fudgy Toffee Brownies are a great way to go. What do you think?
If you like brownie with nuts…
Some folks believe that the best brownies must be made with nuts. If you’re one of these people you have to check out the Extra Nutty Dark Chocolate Fudge Brownies at Joy the Baker. There’s no way to say this without sounding a little dirty, so here goes: there’s just something irresistible about ooey, gooey chocolatey brownies topped with salty nuts, and this recipe has both.
If you like red velvet brownies…
I’m mostly sticking to chocolate brownies here, but I couldn’t resist giving these Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies from Just a Taste a spot in the lineup. After all, red velvet is cocoa flavored, so that counts as a chocolate brownie to me. Plus, kids go nuts for the fun color, which you can also achieve using natural food color.
Technicalities aside, there was no way to leave these sweets off of a list of the best brownie recipes..
Related: 5 easy red velvet desserts you can enjoy well beyond Valentine’s Day
If you like brownies with the works…
The food blogosphere blew up when these Slutty Brownies first popped up on What’s Gaby Cooking, and for good reason. Inspired by a similar brownie recipe on The Londoner, Gaby layers brownie dough over Oreos, set atop a chocolate chip cookie dough base.
Her version is entirely homemade, but you can always use store-bought cookie dough (we love the all-natural cookie dough from Immaculate Bakery) to get the same impact — and what an impact it is. You can close your mouth now.
Another way to go if you believe that too much is not enough, is this recipe for S’mores Brownies at The Beach House Kitchen. We’re big fans of s’mores — who isn’t, right — which is why these are not to be missed.
First of all, take a look at how intensely gooey this brownie looks. Though near perfection on it’s own, Mary Ann takes it a step further by adding a graham cracker crust and toasted marshmallows on top. It’s evil genius, in the best possible way.
If you like brownies with fruit…
We know that not everyone likes fruit with their chocolate (ahem, Liz) but if you enjoy the combo of chocolate and fruit, these Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies at Bakers Royale will hit the spot. Tart raspberries mixed with creamy cheesecake batter are perfectly suited for rich, decadent chocolate. And they’re so pretty in pink, too, making them festive for the holidays, for Valentine’s Day, or for….you know, Thursday.
If you like chocolate and salted caramel and Nutella and OMG…
Thank goodness the salted caramel trend shows no signs of going out of style! Tieghan at Half Baked Harvest has blessed the world with this recipe for Salted Caramel Mocha and Nutella Brownies, and starts her post about them by saying, you have never met a brownie like this before. Mic drop. I’m in. She got me.
These look like total brownie perfection, and so I’m happy to know them. Especially as someone who loves both salted caramel and everything Nutella. So hey, I thought that you might want to get to know them, too. You’re welcome.
