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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.
What can I replace the cocoa powder with?
Hi Anna,
So sorry, you definitely need the cocoa powder for this recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi Tieghan! Every time I make these brownies they are a huuuge hit and gone within a couple hours! I just have one question. I cook them in a 9×13, and they come out verrrrry gooey and almost like a lava cake type of consistency, even if I let them sit until they cool. The next day they solidify, but are they supposed to be that gooey when I cook them for a full 30 minutes?
Hey Lily,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for trying it out! Yes, these are typically gooey for me as well:) xT🍂
I’ve never been able to make brownies taste better than the box variety, but this recipe is the best. I used half milk chocolate and half dark. The taste was perfect. The whole family loved them. Delicious! I can’t wait to make them again.
Hey Louise,
Happy Monday!🎃 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks a bunch for making it! xx
Delicious! Extremely fudgey. I would like to try making these with half milk chocolate chips and semi sweet chips next time to make these more milk chocolate rather than dark chocolate. Just a personal preference.
Hi Megan,
Happy Wednesday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for making it! xT
I made these exactly as directed. The night of I tasted them while they were still warm and I thought they were okay. But just okay. I left them on the counter overnight and in the morning they were perfect! Dense, chewy, gooey just like I expected them to be and exactly ss promised. Exactly as described, this recipe is a keeper for when you want a simple classic homemade brownie.
Hey Kelly,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks for making it! Hope you’re off to a great weekend! xx
Huge hit!! Kids and adults all loved this.
Hey Bridget,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am thrilled to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
Never make another kind of brownie again. We love them hot but even more cold. My favorite is a cold one with a slice of cheddar cheese on top. I know. Sounds weird. Terrible maybe? Nope. It’s amazing! Chocolate/fudge like brownies yes mam!
Hey Courtney,
So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, it’s a family fave! Lol I can’t say I’ve ever heard of eating brownies with cheese! xx
Can you add walnuts to this recipe? And also would it be posssible instead of coffee powder to use instead a shot of espresso? Thanks!
Hi Lola,
Sure, both of those should work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
I’ve made these twice – the first time, I followed the recipe, except for adding the extra chocolate chips to the batter because I ran out. They turned out perfectly. The second time, I followed the recipe exactly, except I forgot to leave the eggs out to get to room temperature, so they were cold from the fridge when I whisked them. They crumbled to pieces when I tried to cut them (even though they had cooled). Do you think the eggs were the reason for this?
They tasted delicious, regardless 🙂
Hey Kelsey,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you taking the time to make this recipe, I am so glad it was a hit! Yes, you definitely want to have the eggs at room temp. Happy Wednesday:)
What can you use instead of powder? I’m in Canada and we don’t have such things here
Hi Andrea,
Sorry what do you mean? Baking powder? Cocoa powder? Powdered sugar? Let me know how I can help! xx
Hi, just wondering, I don’t normally have salted butter, how much salt should I add?
Hi Ida,
I would add 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
It turned out super yummy but for some reason mine tasted really strongly of coffee. It might’ve been the brand of instant coffee I used but next time I’d add a tad less!
Hi Ivy,
Thanks for making this recipe, so sorry to hear about the coffee, it really should just enhance the chocolate flavor! Like you said, I would try a different brand next time:) xx
Could I leave the instant coffee out? I don’t have any and my husband hates coffee flavor. Thanks!
Hey Liz,
Yes, that would be okay for you to do! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks delicious and I’m going to try it, but I don’t have any instant coffee other than instant expresso powder. Would that work?
Hi there,
Yes, that will work well for you! I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Ok, YES! These brownies are so good. I added a little less sugar than called for and they turned out perfectly. I tried a random recipe last week for brownies and they were so weird. Never using another recipe again.
Hey there,
Thanks so much for your feedback and trying this recipe out! I love to hear that it was a hit:) Have the best weekend?
My favorite brownie recipe and a staple treat in our family. I make a batch, cut them into squares -wrap and bag them to keep fresh- and freeze. Let them sit out bit to thaw, or eat frozen – delicious either way!
Hi Jacqueline,
Happy Monday!! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was a hit, thanks for trying it out and sharing your review:)