Small Batch Brownies
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These are the best small batch brownies ever! They’re gooey, fudgy, and have a gorgeous crinkle top. They’re made in one bowl, with no mixer, using just 8 ingredients and no melted chocolate. This recipe makes 8 perfect brownies!
Small batch recipes are so great, whether you’re running low on ingredients (we’ve all opened the fridge midway through a recipe to find just one lonely egg in there) or you just don’t want to have a ton of leftovers, this recipe makes just the right amount of brownies.
Usually when I’m craving sweets but don’t feel like making a full batch of something, I love to whip up these small batch chocolate chip cookies.
But if I’m in the mood for something super chocolatey, my go-to recipes are edible brownie batter or these small batch brownies!
Why You’ll Love These Brownies
- While I did test the brownies with melted chocolate, I ultimately preferred the version with just cocoa powder – this is part of what keep the recipe as simple as possible.
- These brownies are freezer friendly, so if you are looking for an even smaller portion, you can easily freeze any leftovers.
- On the flip side, you can easily double this recipe, as many readers do!
Featured Reader Review
“This is literally my favorite brownie recipe! It always hits the spot and fulfills my craving for brownies. Perfect fudginess and I like to add chocolate chunks on top for extra crunch. I sometimes double this recipe and put it in an 8×8 pan. It’s perfect!”
Jess
Ingredients Needed
- Cocoa Powder: For best results, use unsweetened dutch process cocoa powder. If you only have natural cocoa powder, that will work fine.
- Flour: This recipe calls for all-purpose flour. I haven’t tested the recipe gluten free so I can’t say for sure how it will turn out. Readers have reported great results when using gluten free 1-1 baking flour, so that’s what I would recommend trying if you’d like to make these gluten free.
- Butter: regular butter or dairy free/vegan butter will work in this recipe. It has been tested both ways!
- Chocolate Chips: chocolate chips are optional. I like to use semisweet (regular or vegan), but you can also use milk or dark chocolate chips. You can also chop up a chocolate bar and use chocolate chunks instead.
How To Make These Brownies
Whisk sugar and butter together.
Add in egg and vanilla.
Whisk in the dry ingredients and then…
Time to bake!
Expert Tips
- Properly measure your flour and cocoa powder – If you over-measure your flour or cocoa powder, the brownies won’t be as fudgy, and will be drier and more cakey. I recommend weighing both ingredients with a kitchen scale.
- Don’t over-mix the batter: over-mixing can change the texture of your brownies and even cause them to sink. You should whisk in the dry ingredients only until the last specks of dry ingredients have disappeared.
- Don’t over-bake the brownies! It can be tricky to know when to take brownies out of the oven. The first thing to look for is whether the brownie batter jiggles if you shake the pan. If it does, they need more time, and if it doesn’t, you can do the toothpick test. If a toothpick inserted in the middle of the brownies comes out covered in batter, they need more time. The toothpick should not be completely clean but should have just a few wet crumbs on it.
- Let the brownies cool completely before slicing: The brownies will continue to set as they cool, so resist the urge to cut into them right away to avoid a gooey mess. They will be much easier to slice once they’ve cooled as well.
More Small Batch Recipes You’ll Love
If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Small Batch Brownies
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons (79 g) butter, melted, (regular or dairy free)
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoons (75 g) light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 5 Tablespoons (40 g) all-purpose flour
- 6 Tablespoons (32 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup semisweet chocolate chips, (regular or dairy free)
Instructions
- Prepare an 8×4 or 9×5 loaf baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some over the sides to make it easy to remove the brownies from the pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave until melted (or melt butter over the stove). Add in both sugars and whisk until the mixture pulls away easily from the sides of the bowl as you mix, with a paste-like consistency.
- Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Add flour, cocoa powder, and salt, then whisk until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the parchment-lined pan, spreading it around in an even layer and bake for 26-36 minutes. The top should be crackly and a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out with just a few wet crumbs on it, but not covered in batter or completely clean. The batter should also not be jiggly in the pan.Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before slicing.
Equipment
Video
Notes
The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
These brownies are so amazing! They come out looking delicious but taste even better with a nice and chewy but chocolatey taste!
Thank you for your feedback, Sara! So glad you loved the brownies!
Can you add orange to these?
I like the other recipe but want a small batch
I haven’t tested that yet with this specific recipe but if you do, let us know how they turn out! Thanks Maria!
Hi! Thanks for the recipe. I just baked a 1x batch and the taste was perfection. However I had some problem with the thickness of the batter. I followed the recipe , but made a few changes like I powdered the sugars. Could it be the reason for change in consistency (thicker than your photos)? Also, the butter separated once I removed from the oven. Corners became more crispy, but the centre was fudgy. Where am I going wrong? Newbie baker here.
Sheba
Hi Sheba, it could be! I would try following the recipe as written and see if you have any better luck! Please let us know!
To clarify – are these metric measurements right? 5 Tablespoons (40 g) all-purpose flour and 6 Tablespoons (32 g) unsweetened cocoa powder. More grams for less tablespoons, is the flour heavier? They’re also currently in the oven but my mixture was way thicker than what your photos show and not sure what happened since I weighed everything but wanted to make sure these weights are correct!
Hi Evelina, that is correct. Flour and cocoa powder have different weights, as most ingredients do which is why metric measurements are so important for baking! How did the brownies turn out?
Got it, makes sense thank you! They flattened out and I think they could have been baked for a minute or two longer but they are still decadent and fudgy! I saved the recipe to try again because maybe it was user error, but I’m going to try again next time I crave brownies!
Hi can I freeze them?
Hi Debby! Yes, these brownies are freezer friendly!
I love this recipe. I’ve been using it for many months now. I added about 2 gr. espresso powder today and wow what an enhanced flavour!
Hi Aleksandra! Thanks so much for your comment! Glad you loved the brownies.
Sooo goey and fudgy !! Easy recipe to follow and add a scoop of icecream and it’s a hit
Thank you, Kendall! A scoop of ice cream is always a good idea! 🙂
Best brownies ever! Rich deep flavor, easy to fix, small amount perfect for a couple of people. Making again and again!
New go to brownie – unlocked! These are perfection. Thank you for such a simple and delicious recipe.
Hi Clare! So glad you enjoyed them! Thanks so much for your comment!
I’m always in search of the best brownie recipe and this is it!!!
Thanks for your comment, Mary! I’m so glad you loved them!
WOW! I’m so glad I stumbled across this recipe. Brownies are delicious. I topped them with chopped walnuts and dark chocolate chips. Small batch recipe doesn’t compromise on flavour/texture/chewiness. Thank you for posting and sharing. I ‘ll be making these again.
So happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for your review!
These are so easy to make when the brownie cravings hit – super chewy with the shiny crinkly top of my dreams! I added 1/2 tsp coffee powder and altered the mix ins to 1/4 cup choc chips and 1/4 cup walnuts. This is my new go-to brownie recipe!
Thank you for your review!
real yummy and pretty easy to make. i recommend putting extra chocolate chips in them if you would like. they are quick and little to no clean-up!!
These are by far the best brownies I’ve ever made. Will be doubling the recipe next time as they were gone in 2 days 😂
Thank you Lauren! So happy you enjoyed these!