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    Home » Recipes » Baking Tips

    How to Make Fudgy Brownies With Crackly tops

    Published: Nov 5, 2015 · Modified: Dec 11, 2023 by Abeer Rizvi · This post may contain affiliate links · 167 Comments

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    Learn the tips and tricks for making the best fudgy brownies with crackly tops. These rich & dense brownies have a shiny crispy top that's worth the effort!

    *Thank you OXO for sponsoring today's post so I can share this fudgy brownies with crackly tops recipe with all of you.*

    My favorite comfort food is fudgy brownies with crackly tops.

    Those CRISPY, CRACKLY, SHINY TOPS are to die for!

    So, what type of brownies do YOU like?

    Fudgy ooey gooey brownies? OR crackly brownies?

    Stack of Easy Fudgy Brownies With Crackly Tops on White Dish.

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    Sometimes, I like to make these brownies just so I can eat the tops and nothing else...hahaha.

    These brownies are DENSE, RICH, FUDGY and insanely CHOCO-LICIOUS, just the way brownies were intended.

    Seriously, look at this perfection...

    how to make fudgy brownies with crackly tops 1

    I am NOT sure about the science behind getting crackly tops on top of the brownies.

    But after a lot of trial and error, here are two very IMPORTANT things I have figured out about making perfect fudgy brownies with crackly tops:

    1. When I made brownies with just cocoa powder, the brownies were more cake-like and didn't have the shiny crispy top. So, you definitely NEED to use baking chocolate or chocolate chips in your brownie recipe to get that crispy top.
    2.  You also need to CREAM the butter and sugar first until the mixture is pale and fluffy (takes about 5-6 minutes of beating). Most importantly, you need to MIX the heck out of your batter after adding the eggs (about 5 minutes). This adds a lot of air into the mixture and allows a crispy meringue layer to form on top of the brownies.

    how to make fudgy brownies with crackly tops 5

    To make these fudgy brownies with crackly tops, you will need the following ingredients:

    ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
    1 cup granulated sugar
    ½ cup + 2 tablespoon unsalted butter (at room temperature)
    7 ounces melted dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate
    1 tablespoon cocoa powder
    ½ tablespoon espresso powder
    2 tablespoon warm water
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    2 large eggs

    Notes:

    - Don't over-mix after adding the dry ingredients or else the texture of the brownies will change!
    - Don't over-bake or else the inside of the brownies will become more cake-like rather than staying fudgy.
    - The butter needs to be at room temperature. I tried making these brownies with slightly cold butter and the results were not as great.

    And here are the steps:

    Step 1:
    In a deep mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy.

    Step 2:
    Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix again for another 5 minutes.

    Step 3:
    In a small bowl, mix together the espresso powder with water.

    Step 4:
    Add this espresso mixture into your batter and mix until just combined.

    Step 5:
    Add the melted chocolate and mix until just combined.

    Step 6:
    In a separate bowl, whisk the flour and cocoa powder.

    Step 7:
    Add this dry mixture into the brownie batter and mix everything until just combined.
    Do NOT over-mix!

    Step 8:
    Pour this batter into a square pan (Dimensions: 8in x 8in x 8in) that's lined with foil paper and sprayed with oil.
    Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly over the entire pan.

    Step 9:
    Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out covered in some sticky crumbs.

    Let the brownie cool down. Then, cut it into square pieces.

    And you are done!

    how to make fudgy brownies with crackly tops 6

    By the way, these brownies are a small way in which I am trying to support a wonderful organization called Cookies for Kids'

    Every year, OXO supports this organization through their #OXOGoodCookies program, where they encourage everyone to bake a difference with OXO.

    For each blog post dedicated to this campaign, OXO will be donating $100 to Cookies for Kids' Cancer.

    I used OXO's cake pan and brownie spatula to make my brownies today.

    oxo brownie pan set 5

    If you liked this recipe, you may also like some of these other brownie recipes...

    Mocha brownies

    Black bean brownies

    Gooey brownies (Chocolate Cherry Brownies)

    Recipe

    Stack of Easy Fudgy Brownies With Crackly Tops on White Dish.

    How to make fudgy brownies with crackly tops

    Abeer Rizvi
    Learn the tips and tricks for making the best fudgy brownies with crackly tops. These rich & dense brownies have a shiny crispy top that's worth the effort!
    5 from 57 ratings
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 35 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Brownie, Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 9 Slices
    Calories 359 kcal

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    Ingredients
      

    • ⅔ cups All-purpose flour
    • 1 cup Sugar Granulated
    • ½ cup + 2 tablespoon Butter Room temperature, Unsalted
    • 7 ounces Dark chocolate Melted, Or semisweet chocolate
    • 1 tablespoon Cocoa powder
    • ½ tablespoon Espresso powder
    • 2 tablespoon Water Warm
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
    • 2 Eggs Large

    Instructions
     

    • In a deep mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
    • Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix again for another 5 minutes.
    • In a small bowl, mix together the espresso powder with water.
    • Add this espresso mixture into your batter and mix until just combined.
    • Add the melted chocolate and mix until just combined.
    • In a separate bowl, whisk the flour and cocoa powder.
    • Add this dry mixture into the brownie batter and mix everything until just combined. Do NOT over-mix!
    • Pour this batter into a square pan (Dimensions: 8in x 8in x 2in) that’s lined with foil paper and sprayed with oil. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly over the entire pan.
    • Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out covered in some sticky crumbs.
    •  Let the brownies cool down. Then, cut it into square pieces. Enjoy!

    Video

    Notes

    • Don’t over-mix after adding the dry ingredients or else the texture of the brownies will change!
    • Don’t over-bake or else the inside of the brownies will become more cake-like rather than staying fudgy.
    • The butter needs to be at room temperature. I tried making these brownies with slightly cold butter and the results were not as great.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 359kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 4gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 109mgPotassium: 200mgFiber: 2gSugar: 27gVitamin A: 375IUCalcium: 26mgIron: 3.3mg

    An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.

    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or rate and tag @cakewhiz on social
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. zee

      September 15, 2021 at 5:15 pm

      Best ever5 stars

      Reply
    2. KK

      February 17, 2022 at 3:48 pm

      AMAZING BROWNIES!!!5 stars

      Reply
    3. Nicole

      February 18, 2022 at 10:57 pm

      Is there intentionally no salt???

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        February 20, 2022 at 2:26 pm

        You can add some, if you like, but honestly, I didn't notice any difference with it or without it.

        Reply
    4. JLH

      February 19, 2022 at 4:14 pm

      Would love ingredients in metric. I have no idea what half a cup and two tablespoons of butter is and flour measured by volume is variable. You get too much flour or not enough depending on the author's method vs your own. I can figure out how much you mean by "half a cup and two tablespoons of butter" (half a cup of butter is 4 ounces or 114 grams. Then I'd have to calculate the two tablespoons) but when I encounter a recipe like this one I generally won't take the time and instead will look for a recipe with ingredient amounts given by weight - preferably metric (I'm in the US and most bakers have a scale) or even imperial.

      I apologize if this seems critical, I want to try the recipe and give it a try anyway on the strength of all these wonderful positive reviews but it's generally helpful to provide ingredient amounts by weight.

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        February 20, 2022 at 2:26 pm

        I appreciate your comment and understand what you are saying and agree that measurements done with a measuring scale are absolutely more accurate. I am in the US too and there are actually a lot of people (including many members of my family as well as friends) who don't own a measuring scale but always have measuring cups in their kitchens.

        I am in the process of converting some of the popular recipes on the site to metric measurements but it will still include the cup measurements on the side as well. Please understand that it will be a slow process because there are 100s of recipes on the site.

        Reply
        • Robyn

          March 05, 2024 at 10:43 pm

          Can we substitute butter with butter alternative? my daughter is dairy-free. Thank you!

          Reply
          • Abeer Rizvi

            March 07, 2024 at 5:36 am

            No, I am so sorry but that just won't work well.

            Reply
    5. Anna

      March 07, 2022 at 2:53 am

      If you just add the eggs like that, won't the mixture just split?

      Why does every other recipe say add eggs one by one, scraping down the side of the bowl between each addition?

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        March 09, 2022 at 2:41 pm

        Nothing splits. Recipes typically say to do that to evenly combine all the ingredients.

        Reply
    6. Sofie

      April 18, 2022 at 12:51 pm

      Chewy and cracked top. Fool-proof recipe. Been looking for a recipe like this forever. Perfect5 stars

      Reply
    7. eyll

      May 03, 2022 at 5:03 pm

      I just tried the recipe, it was DELICIOUS!! Best brownies ever.5 stars

      Reply
    8. Tia

      May 29, 2022 at 4:06 am

      this recipe is INCREDIBLE!! i’ve been looking for the perfect chewy fudgy brownie with a crackly top and this is it!!!! i’m never eating anything other than these brownies ever again. wow!5 stars

      Reply
    9. Angee

      June 11, 2022 at 1:10 pm

      These came out great! Wow. They were definitely worth the extra work. I can't stop eating them. The crackly top was perfect. Next time I might add chocolate chips or nuts but they are wonderful as is.5 stars

      Reply
    10. Camille-Charlotte

      October 25, 2022 at 7:26 pm

      These brownies are just insanely good. Great recipe. Already did it four times in a few months. We can’t get enough. 5 stars

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        October 27, 2022 at 12:13 pm

        YAYYYY! That makes me so happy.

        Reply
    11. Lia

      May 05, 2023 at 6:49 pm

      Hi! Tried these today and they tasted phenomenal! I followed the recipe exactly, but added 3oz of melted chocolate and 4oz of chopped raspberry dark chocolate. Gave it an awesome kick. And while the tops of the brownies were crispy, they didn't crackle at all, despite my mixer beating at the egg/butter/sugar mixture for over ten minutes. Wondering what I didn't do right since I was really looking forward to that crackly top. But they tasted great and I'll definitely be making these again!! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.5 stars

      Reply
    12. WOW

      August 27, 2023 at 4:49 pm

      wowzers5 stars

      Reply
    13. Anon

      December 09, 2023 at 3:10 am

      fantastic recipe! I got a tremendous cracked top. However, I recommend baking it for 20 minutes because otherwise it gets a bit dry.5 stars

      Reply
    14. Tori

      August 08, 2024 at 6:12 am

      Best brownie recipe! Perfect results every single time. Thank you very much for sharing!

      Reply
    15. E

      December 04, 2024 at 3:17 pm

      Hello, can I take out the espresso from the recipe?

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        December 07, 2024 at 7:11 pm

        Yes you can omit it but I feel like it really enhances the chocolate flavor.

        Reply
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    5 from 57 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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    Hello, I'm Abeer Rizvi, the author and founder of CakeWhiz.com—a cherished dessert blog dedicated to baking, cake decorating, doctored cake mix recipes, and all things sweet. As a skilled food writer, baker, recipe developer, and cake decorator, I take pride in wearing multiple hats.

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