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The BEST Crinkle Top Brownies.
Half Baked Harvest At Home
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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 chocolate flavor, 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 brownie 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
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 9×13 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
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
The BEST, enough said.
Hey there! I made these last night and I followed the directions and they taste great but they were so crumbly and wouldn’t stay together. Any suggestions?
Hey Erin,
So sorry to hear this, they are definitely a crumbly brownie, but were they dry? If so, sounds like they may have been baked for too long. Please let me know if this helps for next time! xTieghan
We use to make these often as they were our favourite brownie recipe. I recently went gluten-free so we tried these with sweet brown rice flour. I also only had coconut sugar in the house so that is what we used for sugar. They turned out great! Definitely a different brownie – a little more cake-y than fudge-y but still quite good! The coconut sugar definitely took away some sweetness, but that was ok with me as I don’t like things too sweet anyways. Next time I may try reducing the amount of rice flour to see if they come out more fudgey. Someone also mentioned they added xanthan gum so I may try adding that or some tapioca flour next time.
Hey Chloe,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, it makes me so happy that it was enjoyed. Happy Friday! xTieghan
If I make these in a 9×13 glass pan, should I change the temperature or baking time?
Hey there,
You might have to increase your baking time by 5 minutes or so. I hope you love the recipe, let me know how they turn out! xTieghan
WOW… wow wow wow. Currently devouring a brownie as we speak and it is incredible! Best brownie ever, hands down!
Hey Mackenzie,
Thanks a bunch for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Sooooo delicious!!! So moist and decadent and the crinkle top adds a good crunch. These are my new go to brownies for sure!
Hey Catherine,
Thanks a bunch for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Made them on Friday. Needless to say, they didn’t last the weekend!
Hey Emily,
Thanks a bunch for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
These are so good and easy! It was a crown pleaser, thank you!!
Hey Brenda,
Thanks a bunch for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Made these tonight. These were finger licking good.
Hey there,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have great week:) xTieghan
So delicious, so easy…so happy I decided to make these today. I passed on the ice cream and had a second piece of the brownie instead. That good!!
Hey Colleen,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a try, I am delighted that the recipe was enjoyed! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
Shoot! I don’t have cocoa powder, any way to use with regular chocolate chips? melted or something? or just not the same…
Hey Rebeca,
So sorry, the cocoa powder is key:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Didn’t work for me. Wouldn’t hold together. A whole cup of butter and 1/2 cup of flour?
Hey Judy,
So sorry to hear this, all of the measurements are correct. What do you mean they wouldn’t hold together for you? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
I just made these and the flavor is great. I followed the recipe but I melted the chocolate and butter in a double boiler. They crinkled on top but the inside did not cook. It was like warm batter. I’m not sure what went wrong. I guess I need to keep them in the oven longer?
Hey Molly,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try. Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? What size baking pan did you use? I am thinking you just needed to bake a little longer. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Just made these, perfect brownie! Fudgy as can be. Thanks!!!
Hey Taryn,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that the recipe was enjoyed! Have a fantastic weekend! xTieghan
What can I substitute for the coffee? I cannot stand the smell or taste of coffee! (Yes I realize I am in the minority here)
Hey Dawn,
You can simply omit the instant coffee. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know how they turn out! xTieghan
Recs on subbing espresso powder for instant coffee?
Hey Sarah,
I would use an equal amount of espresso powder. I hope you enjoy the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan