If you love Ghirardelli Brownies, you will love this from-scratch copycat recipe for homemade fudge brownies. Incredibly rich, fudgy, and easy to make, you will permanently ditch the boxed brownie mix after making these Copycat Ghirardelli Brownies.
If you have ever had boxed Ghiradelli Brownies, you know that it is the BEST boxed brownie mix you can buy. Made with simple ingredients, quality cocoa, and real chocolate chips, it produces the richest, fudgiest brownies.
Good news! You can EASILY replicate the taste and texture of Ghirardelli Brownies at home with this easy recipe for Homemade Fudgy Brownies.
These Homemade Brownies are everything you crave in a brownie. Rich, moist, gooey, fudgy--a true chocolate lover's dream come true. And they are ALMOST as easy to make as using a box of Ghirardelli Brownie Mix.
So Why Make Homemade Brownies?
If the Ghiradelli Brownie Mix is so good, why do you need a recipe for a homemade version?
- Always Accessible. Ghirardelli Brownie Mix can be hard to find at times and frankly is on the pricier end. Just like my recipe for Hot Milk Cake, this brownie recipe is made with staples you likely always have on hand, saving you money and a trip to the store.
- Adaptable. Ghiradelli Brownie Mix is not safe for anyone with an egg, nut, wheat, or dairy allergy. However, using this brownie recipe, you can create allergy-friendly versions of rich and fudgy brownies.
- Superior Taste. While I will never turn down a brownie made with Ghiradelli Brownie Mix, these homemade brownies are better. With added espresso powder and vanilla extract, the flavor of the chocolate is enhanced for the best homemade brownie.
Notes on Ingredients & Equipment
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour for best results.
- Butter: Be sure to use unsalted butter.
- Cocoa Powder: Be sure you are using good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder just as Ghiradelli cocoa powder, not hot cocoa powder.
- Chocolate Chips: Using both cocoa powder and chocolate chips gives these brownies the most outrageous, deep chocolate flavor. Use sweet, dark, or milk chocolate chips. I personally love using a combination of dark chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips.
- Espresso Powder: For the best-flavored brownies, espresso powder is key. The espresso powder does not add a flavor of coffee but instead helps to enhance the rich chocolatey taste in these brownies. Trust me, it is a secret to really good brownies.
- Baking Dish: A glass square 8x8 baking dish is best for baking brownies. Metal pans heat up faster, which can cause the edges and bottom of the brownie to crisp up more than desired.
- Parchment Paper: While parchment paper makes it much easier to remove the brownies from the baking dish and cut them evenly, you can simply grease the baking dish with butter or nonstick baking spray, if you don't have parchment paper.
Recipe Modifications
- Dairy-Free Brownies: To make dairy-free brownies, use your favorite non-dairy stick butter, omit the added salt, and use dairy-free chocolate chips. While not quite as fudgy, they still turn out delicious.
- Gluten-Free Brownies: Use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour in place of the all-purpose flour.
- Eggless Brownies: For the best fudgy texture, use 1 tablespoon of aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas) in place of each large egg, rather than applesauce or flax eggs
- Add Nuts. If you like nuts in your brownies, fold in up to ½ cup of chopped walnuts or pecans when adding chocolate chips.
Secrets to the Best Homemade Brownies
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- For the best-flavored brownies, use both espresso powder and vanilla extract. Both vanilla and espresso powder work to boost the rich chocolaty taste of the brownies. You don't taste the espresso, you simply taste rich fudgy chocolate.
- Sift the dry ingredients. I know it is an extra step, but NO one wants to bite into a clump of flour or baking powder.
- Do not overbake the brownies. Be sure to only bake the brownies until JUST set. After all, gooey, fudgy brownies are the BEST!
- Don't slice the brownies immediately. While warm, gooey brownies are hard to resist, if you want your brownies to stay intact, it is best to allow them to cool slightly before slicing.
Serving Suggestions
Anyway you serve them, you just can't go wrong with a rich homemade fudgy brownie. Enjoy these brownies alone or paired with a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of homemade chocolate syrup for a decadent brownie sundae.
More Chocolate Dessert Recipes
- Instant Pot Chocolate Cheesecake
- Easy Chocolate Bark Recipe
- Dark Chocolate Panna Cotta
- Instant Pot Lava Cakes
- Crockpot Candy
If you tried these homemade brownies, I would love for you to leave a review below and I hope they satisfied your chocolate craving.
Easy Homemade Fudgy Brownies - Ghirardelli Copycat
Incredibly rich, fudgy, and easy to make, you will permanently ditch the boxed brownie mix after making these Copycat Ghirardelli Brownies.
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Servings: 16
Calories: 174kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick of butter)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ¾ cup Dutch cocoa powder
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉. Line an 8x8 square glass baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add in espresso powder and sugar and whisk to combine. Cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes until the sugar begins to melt into butter, whisking often. Remove from stove and cool while sifting dry ingredients.
- Sift flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add in chocolate chips and toss to coat.
- Add butter mixture, vanilla, and eggs to dry ingredients. Mix together with a wooden spoon or spatula until JUST combined. Do NOT overmix or brownies will become tough.
- Pour brownie batter into the prepared pan and spread gently for brownie batter to be evenly distributed in the pan.
- Bake brownies for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is set, but still soft. A toothpick should come out clean with a few crumbs still attached.
- Cool the brownies in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and let the brownies cool for an additional 10 minutes before slicing.
Equipment Needed
Notes
Cocoa Powder: Be sure to use a cocoa powder that is JUST plain cocoa powder and check the date for expiration.
Espresso Powder: The added instant espresso powder helps to really make the chocolate flavor stand out. Feel free to omit or use decaffeinated espresso powder as well.
Parchment Paper: It is NOT necessary to use parchment paper to bake these brownies. You can simply grease the pan instead.
Baking Dish: A glass baking dish works best to bake brownies, but in a pinch use a stainless steel pan.
Storage: Store cooled brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or freeze brownies individually wrapped in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.
Chocolate Chips: Use semi-sweet, dark, or milk chocolate chips in the brownie batter. You can also use a good-quality bar of chocolate you enjoy eating plain instead of the chocolate chips, chop the bar up into small morsels before adding it to the batter.
Nuts: If desired, add ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts to the batter when adding the chocolate chips to the flour mixture.
Dairy-Free Brownies: To make dairy-free brownies, use your favorite non-dairy stick butter, omit the added salt, and use dairy-free chocolate chips. While not quite as fudgy, they still turn out delicious.
Gluten-Free Brownies: Use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour in place of the all-purpose flour.
Eggless Brownies: For the best fudgy texture, use 1 tablespoon of aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas) in place of each large egg, rather than applesauce or flax eggs.
Nutrition
Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 103mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 230IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 0.8mg
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This post was originally published in 2019 but has been updated with a video and tips in 2023.
Jessica
Oh, my, gosh. This turned out to be my favorite recipe! I think it's the espresso in it that did it for me. So good!
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing this, Jessica! Thanks for sharing!
Ashley T
My first homemade brownies and I am shocked how easy they were!! My kids loved them so much they want me to bake more this weekend lol