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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.
Still my go-to brownies recipe! This IS the best I’ve tasted, better-than-bakery!
Thanks so much Maria!! Love to hear that you enjoy these brownies so much:) Have a great week! xT
Hi Tieghan! Love this recipe, best brownies I have ever made!
I wanted to try baking these again but in a muffin/cupcake pan. Do you have a recommendation on how much time I would need to bake them for w/ this adjustment?
Thank you for such a delicious recipe!
Love to hear this Ellice!! Thanks so much for trying these brownies and your feedback! So sorry, I have never tested these in a muffin tin. Have a great weekend! Xx
This is the first homemade brownie recipe that I’ve loved! Everything I’ve tried by you has been delish!
Hi Martha,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your feedback! Love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
Absolutely amazing! My husband and I were fighting about when to take them out of the oven. 😅 We ended up baking them for 40 minutes. I think I will try less time next time we make them. It’s definitely a preference on how gooey you want them to be.
Hey Melissa,
Lol thanks so much for trying these brownies:) Love to hear that they were a hit! Have a great week! xT
Hello, Tieghan!
I literally made these brownies at 8:00 and they were soooo good. Quite possibly the best brownie recipe ever. I’m planning on remaking them for Valentine’s Day, and I wanted to swirl in a raspberry/strawberry compote. Do you have any suggestions to prevent the brownies from being too soggy?
I can’t wait to make them again!
-Allie
Wow, thank you SO much Allie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! I haven’t ever tried that before, but let me know if you give it a try! xT
My SIL makes these and they turn out so yummy!
I made them last night and used unsalted butter, milk chocolate chips, and chilled eggs. And mine were flaky on top and moist but only about .5” thick. Would using these different ingredients make that much of a difference? My SIL come out perfect and thick. Send help!
Thank you sooo much Brianna! Love to hear that! xT
Do you think I can omit the coffee?
Yes, you definitely can! xT
Hi Tieghan!
I tried this recipe tonight with such high hopes! The batter looked perfect, they smelled delicious but they turned out wayyyyy too oily. I used the 1/2 cup of flour and thought that might be why but I’m not sure. Any suggestions on what to tweak next time?
Oh no I’m so sorry about that! Hmm I would maybe add a little bit more flour, and maybe mix the batter for a bit longer to make sure everything gets incorporated? xT
I will! Thx!
Hello, can this be made using Dutch Process Cocoa Powder?
Thanks,
Hi Gabriela! I haven’t ever tried that before but that should work fine! xT
These are the best! Once cooled, can they be frozen and defrosted later or would that mess with the texture too much? Thanks!
Hi Katie,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, it’s a family fave:) Sure, you could totally freeze these! xT
These really are the world’s best brownies. I’ve tried about 20 different recipes but I keep coming back to this one. The edges come out perfectly crunchy yet the middle stays soft; the addition of the coffee makes the chocolate taste so intense; having actual melted chocolate in the batter makes all the difference; and the crinkle top (perfect every time) really takes it to the next level. Even when it’s wrong, it comes out right: I only had 3 eggs in the fridge today and it still came out better than any other brownie I’ve ever had.
Thank you so much! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Have a great fall season! 🙂 xT
Easy to make and tastes so good!!! My 13yo made them. What’s the best way to store them?
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! You can store the brownies in an air tight container on the counter! Have a great week! xT
Hi Tieghan!
Silly question, do you have a specific pan you recommend for baking these brownies in? (Or even the link to the pan). I can’t wait to try them! 🙂
Thank you!
-Macy
Hi there! I love the USA Pans baking pans! 🙂 xT
I have no idea what I’m doing wrong. Every time I bake this recipe it requires 60 mins not 28-30. Help!
Oh I’m so sorry about that! Is there anything you’ve switched up in this recipe? Let me know how I can help! xT
Same! I just made this and it took 65 mins to be finished. Maybe the type of oven? Not sure
So easy to make and they taste delicious. I like to add chopped walnuts.
Thank you Patty!!