So I decided to take my favorite brownie recipe (which happens to be gluten-free) and make classic, gluten-full, fudgy brownies! For the folks looking for a simple brownie with ordinary ingredients, these brownies are for you. Made with regular cane sugars, eggs, all-purpose flour, and good ole chocolate chips, these brownies are as classic as they come. I, of course, used vegan butter for my brownies, but regular butter would work wonderfully, too!

For these brownies, you’ll melt the chocolate and fats together, whip up the eggs and sugars so they’re nice and thick, and then combine ingredients to form a batter. I only recommend using chocolate chips for this recipe as I could not achieve the same crackly top results with chopped chocolate – still unsure of the science behind this, but chocolate chips yield a crackly top every time! It’s also important to whisk your eggs and sugars until the mixture becomes thick, fluffy, and light in color – this is the traditional way to add “lift” to brownies without using any leavening agents (like baking soda, etc). The end result is a perfectly sweetened, fudgy brownie with a lovely crackly top.

Yield: 24 Brownies

Classic Weeknight Brownies

Name: Classic Weeknight Brownies
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 24
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups dairy-free chocolate chips; 1/2 cup plant-based butter (or solid coconut oil); 1/4 cup olive oil; 1 heaping tsp instant coffee granules (optional); 4 large eggs, room temp; 1 cup white granulated sugar (or coconut sugar); 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 3/4 tsp salt; 3 Tbsp cocoa powder (natural or Dutch process); 2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Classic, crackly-top fudgy brownies made with familiar ingredients from your pantry! The perfect brownies to bake for friends and family!

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 3 hours

Ingredients

2 cups dairy-free chocolate chips
1/2 cup plant-based butter (or solid coconut oil)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 heaping tsp instant coffee granules (optional)
4 large eggs, room temp
1 cup white granulated sugar (or coconut sugar)
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp cocoa powder (natural or Dutch process)
2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9x13" baking dish with non-stick spray and parchment paper. I like to cut my parchment paper into two pieces that will criss-cross along the bottom of the dish and then go up the sides. Trim parchment paper at the top edge of the dish.
Using a microwave, or the double boiler method, melt together the chocolate chips, vegan butter, olive oil, and instant coffee. If microwaving, cook the ingredients in 30 second intervals, stirring well between each one. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the room temperature eggs and sugars. Whisk on medium-high speed until mixture becomes thick, light in color, and somewhat fluffy, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla extract.
Add the melted chocolate mixture to your eggs and sugars, gently folding in the chocolate until totally combined - this takes a bit of patience.
Finally, sift the salt, cocoa powder, and flour into the bowl of batter. Use a large spatula or spoon to mix until no flour/cocoa pockets remain. Pour batter into your prepared baking dish. If your batter has a lot of air in it, there may be lots of bubbles coming to the surface. Feel free to tap your baking dish on the counter and/or use a toothpick to pop some of the bubbles before baking.
Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the brownies comes out with a few crumbs. I like to test my brownies using a toothpick toward the outer edge; that way, I can ensure I don't over-bake the brownies and the middle, along with the outer pieces, will still be fudgy.
Allow brownies to totally cool in the baking dish - for quicker cooling, placing the dish on top of a cooling rack. Run a butter knife along the corners of the brownies, and then use the parchment paper tabs to life the whole brownie up and out of the dish. Carefully slice into 24 pieces, wiping your knife clean between each slice to ensure clean cuts.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature, in a single layer or with parchment paper between layers (to keep the delicate, crackly top in tact).

Notes

Chocolate chips are necessary for the delicate, crackly top in this recipe