Easy Homemade Brownies

Ever get a crazy craving for hot and fresh brownies, but you don’t have a box of prepared brownies? Getting dressed to go to the store sounds miserable. Waiting for a grocery delivery would take too long. This is the solution to ensure you’re never in that predicament again. We even included gluten-free brownies and dairy-free options.

When I say these are the easiest brownies, it’s no joke. You will have all of the ingredients mixed and in your baking dish before your oven is done preheating (to 350 degrees.) All the ingredients required will be less than $2 for the entire recipe.

Never Make Box Brownies Again

Brownies are easily one of most people’s favorite desserts. What’s not to love about the chewy and fudgy chocolate treat?

Is there a right and wrong way to cut brownies? We can save the  debate on whether edges or middle pieces are the best (I’m a middle-piece girl) for another day. Let’s all agree that “yes” is always the answer when someone asks if you want a brownie.

If you think of a box mix whenever you make brownies, your life will be forever changed after reading this! And you will never buy another box of brownie mix again.

Just The Basics

Brownies are simple. I bet you already have all the ingredients in your pantry to make these delicious, chewy, easy brownies. Flour, sugar, vanilla, eggs, salt, baking powder, cocoa powder, and oil. These items make the most delicious brownies when mixed in the right amounts.

If you’re not making this a gluten-free brownie mix, traditional all-purpose flour is the best flour to use over cake or baking flour. If you only have cake or baking flour on hand, it will work in a pinch, but expect your brownies to be a bit chewy.

I like to add chocolate chips or chunks to make these easy brownies just a little bit more chocolatey and chunky! I mean, who doesn’t love a little more chocolate?

Stir It Up A Bit

The opportunity for mixing up these brownies is endless. You can try different variations each time you make another batch because they’re so simple.

Adding peanut butter or peanut chips would add a nice burst of flavor. If you have some Andes Mints lying around, chop them up and fold them into your batter before baking. The extra hint of flavor makes for the perfect surprise when you bite into these homemade brownies.

My absolute FAVORITE variation of these brownies is sea salt and caramel. You can use caramel sauce or melt caramel squares in a microwave-safe bowl. You will need 15-20 caramel squares unwrapped melt on high in 30-second increments until melted. Once you’ve added your brownie batter to a greased pan, drizzle your melted caramel on top, sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of sea salt and swirl using a toothpick.

While brownies typically aren’t considered a healthy treat, adding 1/4 Cup Hemp or Chia Seeds adds a unique flavor and might make you feel less guilty for having a second or third.

This recipe is so versatile that whatever you have in your house for oil will always work. Canola oil, coconut oil, or even avocado oil all work well.

Avoid Over Mixing

If making traditional brownies, skip the mixer and use a whisk instead. You don’t want to activate the gluten and make the brownies too tough.

Be Prepared For The Future

To save a little time in the future, mix up several batches of dry ingredients at once, and store them in glass jars or Ziplock bags. This is essentially the same as having a box of brownie mix on hand at all times, without all the added ingredients and preservatives.

Use a permanent marker to note the measurements of wet ingredients on the bag or jar. You can also add the cooking time and temp to have all of the details at your fingertips.

Store the mix in a cool, dry place (but always within arm's reach) for up to 4 months.

Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Brownies Ideas

How do you know if brownies are gluten-free? Make them!

Is boxed brownie mix gluten-free? One thing that this Easy Brownie Recipe offers that you can’t get from a traditional boxed mix is Gluten Free.

What do gluten-free brownies taste like? Brownies! Their flavor and consistency depend on if you like them fudgy, chewy, or with a crackly top. In other words, they taste the same as regular brownies. Using gluten-free flour will not cost you the flavor of these brownies. Substituting non-gluten flour will still produce chocolatey delicious brownies.

Often times you have to experiment with the ratio of almond flour versus traditional flour. I have done that for you. This recipe is 1 to 1, and you will not lose the integrity of the final product. I like to use Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour, but any brand will work. These easy GF brownies will answer any dessert woes you may have.

If you prefer the texture and taste of Coconut Flour, that’s also an excellent substitute for this recipe. As you already know, if you have experience with coconut flour, that ratio isn’t 1:1. If you are a regular gluten-free baker, you know coconut flour has a higher absorbency rate. So you don’t need quite as much in your gluten-free flour blend. For this recipe, using 1/4 Cup of Coconut Flour should give you a delicious brownie.

Like coconut flour, using rice flour isn’t a 1:1 ratio compared to all-purpose flour. You will want to use 1/4 Cup of Rice Flour for this recipe.

Dairy Free Brownies

Not only can you make these gluten-free, they are also dairy free if you don’t add any additional mix-ins. Unsweetened Cocoa Powder is naturally dairy free. You can also choose Dutch Cocoa Powder for this recipe. The main difference between traditional cocoa powder and Dutch isn’t where it’s made but how the cocoa beans are washed. Dutch Cocoa is neutral, caused by the alkaline wash process they go through. That’s a science lesson for a different post. Because this recipe doesn’t use Baking Soda, we don’t need to get into the details. You are safe to choose either Dutch or unsweetened cocoa powder. Either choice will leave you with the perfect chocolate flavor brownies