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The BEST Crinkle Top Brownies.
Watch the How To Video:
Because there is a lot to celebrate today, and because it’s FRIDAY…and because everyone knows that Friday’s deserve chocolate.
So if there was ever a classic brownie recipe to have in your back pocket, it’s this one. Trust me on this. They remind me of the brownies I’d eat as a kid, and I’m really not sure there’s anything better. These are light, a little fudgy, extra chocolatey, perfectly sweet, and they have the most flakey, crinkly top ever. Oh my gosh, SO GOOD.
Before I dive into the delicious details, let me explain the reason I am sharing them.
As most of you know by now, my younger brother Red took home his first Olympic gold medal last week in Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle in PyeongChang, South Korea. If you missed my recap post, you can read part one here and part two here. I said from the start that I wasn’t going to make any fancy Olympic themed food. One, because I am not good with decorating food in fancy ways, and two, because I just didn’t have any great ideas.
That said, after returning home from Korea last week, I felt the need to create a recipe that I knew Red would love. I mean, he did win GOLD, so a celebratory dessert is certainly in order. Right?
Yes, yes, yes. For sure.
Here’s the thing, Red’s a semi picky eater, and doesn’t like anything fancy. His favorite desserts are Special K-Bars (cookbook recipe), chocolate chip cookies, and brownies.
I have a lot of brownie recipes on HBH, but I don’t have one brownie recipe Red would actually eat. Red likes his brownies simple. Chocolate, no frosting, maybe some powdered sugar, and preferably eaten slightly warm. So basically the brownies my mom would make us when we were kids. The ones that came straight out of the Betty Crocker box.
Not going to lie, I loved them too…which is why I am SO excited about these brownies. I really cannot stress enough just how good they are.
When I set out to make these crinkle top brownies, I thought for sure that I’d make them first try and they’d be perfect. I think I felt so confident because I’ve made a hundred and one brownie recipes. But guys, I tested these brownies over and over and over. It was so important to me that they would have the perfect texture, not be dense or cakey, and have the most flakey, crinkly top.
They needed to be perfect, just like the ones I remember eating as a kid with my brothers.
It took a while, used up a lot of eggs…and even more butter.
Like two full days of testing, way over a dozen eggs, probably pounds of butter. Six batches later (possibly more, I lost count), I finally got them right. My freezer is now full of brownies. It’s awesome and very dangerous.
So what’s the secret to that perfect texture and crinkly top?
Real melted chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and a good amount of whisked eggs.
The chocolate is obvious, but the whisked eggs? You need those to create that crinkly top. Whisking the eggs prior to mixing them in the batter creates air within the eggs that helps to create that crinkly top. It might seem like an unnecessary step, and a waste of a clean bowl, but just trust me on this, it’s what makes these brownies great.
While that and all the semi-sweet chocolate…and butter.
YUMMMMMM.
Red has yet to try these brownies, seeing as he’s still in South Korea, but I’m feeling pretty confident that he’s going to love them.
Speaking of Red, he is competing one last time tonight in Men’s Snowboard Big Air, alongside two of his USA teammates, Kyle Mack and Chris Corning. Kyle is a super close friend of the family, who’s honestly almost like another brother. Pretty excited for the both of them, but I have my fingers crossed for Kyle on this one, as Big Air is much more his event. Make sure to watch tonight at 8pm EST on NBC!
Annnddddd with that, I’m thinking these brownies are the perfect chocolate treat to eat while cheering the boys on.
Lastly, if you make these Crinkle Top Brownies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Crinkle Top Brownies
Servings: 20 brownies
Calories Per Serving: 252 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper.2. In the microwave, melt together the butter and 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (stir at 30 second intervals) until melted and smooth. Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and instant coffee. 3. In a small bowl whisk the eggs for 1 minute until bubbly on top. Stir the eggs into the chocolate mix. Add the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Stir until just combined. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.3. Evenly spread the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until the brownies are just set. Let cool (or not) and dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Notes
*For extra thick brownies, bake them in a 9x9 inch square baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes.
The BEST, enough said.
This recipe never lets me down. The BEST brownies ever.
EXCEPT the baking time in the recipe doesn’t work for me, I often cook them for double the time but that might be because of my ceramic tray, but be aware
Hey there,
Awesome! Thank you so much for making this recipe so often, love to hear that it is always enjoyed! x
Love this brownie recipe. I added some pecans and baked them in the 9 inch pan as suggested for thicker brownies. Turned out perfectly.
Hey Debra,
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Happy Labor Day! xT
I won first place in a brownie competition at my work! Seriously! These brownies are SO good. They’re definitely very gooey so I cooked mine about 40-45 minutes in a 9×9 dish. When I make them again I’ll try the 13×9 so they can cook a little more evenly. The texture was more like a dense molten chocolate cake so it would be perfect with ice cream. I didn’t have instant coffee so I just added a splash of fresh espresso (which probably added to the gooeyness).
Hey Sarah,
Happy Friday!! Wow! That is amazing:) Thrilled to hear this recipe was such a hit, thanks for making it and sharing your comment! Xx
Love this recipe in 13″ X 9″ pan, but need to make brownie bites. What is the cook time if I make in muffin tins instead?
Hey Janis,
Oh fun! I’ve never actually made these in a muffin tin before. Are using using mini muffins? I would do 12-15 minutes and see how that works! xT
Loved Brownies & peanut butter skillet blonde!! 🥰😋 Thankyou so much for sharing your yummo recipes, definitely a family hit!! 🤩💯🫶👌
Thanks so much, Angelita! Glad to hear these recipes turned out well for you! Have a great day:) Xx
These are my go to brownies!! Only question is, can I make them with gluten free flour too?
Hey Kelsie,
Awesome! Thanks so much for making this recipe so often and your comment! Love to hear they are always enjoyed! Sure, gluten free flour should work nicely for you! Xx
I have finally found the holy grail of homemade brownies!! These are amazing, just the right crunch on top and oh so fudgy down below. I followed the recipe exactly, whisking the eggs is definitely worth the extra minute 🙂
Hi Michele,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thank you so much for making it! xT
I made two batches tonight, the first one came out amazingly. Second batch, wouldn’t bake.
I melt the chocolate and butter over the stove (on top of a pot of water) and poured in the sugar+vanilla. It melted together. Then I mixed the dry ingredients with the egg, and poured in the chocolate mixture. It looked more grainy this time but I thought it was going to work better. When I looked in the oven it came out overly oily and clumpy, not baking. Was a total miss on my end, but I know where I went wrong. The first batched sunk in the center and I was trying to fix that with the second one.
Hey Angela,
Thanks so much for trying these brownies and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear the second batch didn’t work for you, totally normal for them to sink:) I hope this helps! xT
These taste sooo amazing, and I love the crinkly top. My one “complaint” is that they’re sooo fudgey that they don’t really hold their shape that well. They either fall apart when picking them up or get stuck to my knife when I’m cutting them. Do I just need to leave them in longer? I’m worried about burning the edges…
Hey Lynley,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe! I would either let them bake a touch longer or allow them to fully cool in the baking pan before removing. I hope this helps! xT
This is by far the BEST brownie recipe EVER!! <3
Hey Khadija,
Amazing!! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad it was enjoyed! xT
I dont know what happened with mine. Used the right amount of butter but these are so oily and and so overly greasy and moist that they look wet 🙁
Hi there,
So sorry to hear this! Did you mix by hand or use an electric mixer? What kind of baking pan did you use? Let me know how I can help! xT
I made this recipe last night! (Craving it late last night with a scoop of vanilla ice cream). Oh my word! The crinkly top is absolutely perfect! Whisked the eggs for a little bit but so worth it! I didn’t let it cool lol cause I was too hungry but this morning…I also had it for breakfast! It was fudgy and crinkly, an absolute new favourite of my family! Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Naomi,
Thanks so much! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! xx
I just pulled them out of the oven but there’s no crinkly top? I don’t know why but I followed all the instructions
Hey Madelyn,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for trying these brownies! The key to the crinkle top is to really quick the eggs, like to the point that they are foamy. I hope this helps for next time! xT
This is my go to brownie recipe! It takes no more time than a box mix, and it’s much richer and easier to cut than the box mixes. Plus, most box mixes make an 8 x 8 pan, and this recipe makes a 9 x 13 pan. Love it so much!
Hey Kris,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you making this recipe so often and your comment, so glad to hear it always turns out nicely for you! xT