Fat Witch Brownies
These brownies are the kind I make when I want a dependable, perfect square of chocolate rather than a showpiece. They’re dense, deeply chocolatey, and a little bittersweet — the kind that pairs nicely with coffee or a cold glass of milk. No tricks. No fussy techniques.
I tested and retested the steps until the timing and textures were consistent. The method is simple: melt, mix, fold, bake, and then wait. That hour of cooling is essential. I’ll explain why and how to avoid the little mistakes that can turn a good brownie into a dry one.
Follow this straightforward recipe and you’ll get sixteen even squares of brownie that hold together while still feeling indulgent. I’ll cover equipment, troubleshooting, sensible variations, and storage notes so you can make these routinely, not just once.
What We’re Using
Ingredients
- 14 Tbsp unsalted butter — melts with the chocolate to create a glossy, rich base; use unsalted to control seasoning.
- 10 Tbsp bittersweet chocolate chips (Ghiradelli) — adds concentrated chocolate flavor; bittersweet keeps sweetness balanced.
- 1¼ cups sugar — for sweetness and structure; helps with the crust on top.
- 4 large eggs — provide structure and richness; room temperature eggs incorporate more evenly.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract — rounds and lifts the chocolate flavor.
- 10 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour — gives body without making the brownies cakey when measured accurately.
- pinch of salt — enhances chocolate and balances sweetness.
Make Fat Witch Brownies: A Simple Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and bittersweet chocolate chips together, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool until just lukewarm.
- In a bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract together until well combined and slightly thickened.
- Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and stir until evenly blended.
- Sift the unbleached all-purpose flour and the pinch of salt directly over the chocolate-egg mixture. Gently fold the dry ingredients in just until no dry streaks remain.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared 9-inch pan.
- Bake for 33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only crumbs (no wet batter).
- Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for 1 hour. Cut into 16 squares.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
It’s unfussy. The technique is approachable even if you don’t bake often. Melting the butter and chocolate together gives a glossy batter and a shiny top crust. Whisking the eggs and sugar first creates a slight lift so the brownies are dense but not flat.
The ingredients list reads like a pantry you likely already have. No exotic flours or obscure chocolate types are required. These brownies deliver a reliable texture — moist center, crisp top, clean edges — every time.
No-Store Runs Needed
Most of the components are staples: sugar, flour, eggs, butter, vanilla, salt, and chocolate chips. If you keep chocolate chips on hand, you won’t have to make a special grocery trip. The recipe calls for bittersweet chips, but semi-sweet can work in a pinch; just be aware it will be sweeter.
If you’re missing unsalted butter, you can use salted and omit the pinch of salt, but I prefer the control unsalted butter gives. The rest of the list is intentionally minimal so the brownies are easy to make on short notice.
Before You Start: Equipment
Here’s what I use and recommend. None of it’s fancy, but it helps to have the right tools.
- 9-inch square pan — for uniform depth and consistent bake time.
- Small saucepan — melts butter and chocolate gently over low heat.
- Mixing bowls — one for the egg-sugar mixture, one for folding if you prefer.
- Sifter or fine-mesh sieve — to sift flour and avoid lumps.
- Spatula — for gentle folding and for spreading batter evenly.
- Toothpick or cake tester — to check doneness at the center.
Problems & Prevention
Troubleshooting the most common issues
Brownies come out dry: Overbaking is the usual culprit. Start checking at 30 minutes. The recipe calls for 33 minutes; ovens vary. Remove the pan when a toothpick comes out with only crumbs, not wet batter. Also, don’t skip the cooling hour — cutting brownies too warm can make them fall apart.
Brownies didn’t set: If the center is still wet after the full bake time, your oven may run cool or the pan depth might be deeper than 9 inches. Increase bake time in 2–3 minute increments and test again. Make sure the chocolate-butter mixture was lukewarm but not hot before mixing with eggs; hot chocolate can scramble the eggs.
Top cracked badly or too thin a crust: That delicate shiny crust comes from properly whisking the eggs and sugar and melting chocolate carefully. Don’t over-whisk the dry ingredients once added; overworking the batter can change the texture.
Variations for Dietary Needs
Want to adapt these? Here are practical ideas that preserve the character of the brownies.
- Less sugar — use a slightly lower amount of sugar by eye, but remember this recipe relies on the sugar for texture and crust. A modest reduction (10–15%) can work, but expect a denser crumb.
- Chocolate swap — if you only have semi-sweet chips, they’ll make the brownies sweeter and slightly less bitter. Darker chocolate chips will deepen the flavor.
- Gluten-free — use a trusted 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour blend in place of the AP flour. Results vary by blend; do a single-test batch first.
- Dairy-free — replace butter with a solid baking-style dairy-free spread or coconut oil in the same amount, though the flavor and texture will shift. Be mindful that melted cocoa and dairy-free fats behave a bit differently.
Notes on Ingredients
Every element plays a role. Butter and chocolate form the fat and flavor base. Sugar helps with structure and forms that attractive, crinkled crust on top. Eggs add structure and richness; if they’re cold, they won’t mix as smoothly, so bring them to room temperature for better emulsion.
The recipe specifies unbleached all-purpose flour. Bleached flour behaves a little differently; unbleached tends to yield better flavor and crumb here. The pinch of salt is small but necessary: it brings out the chocolate and rounds the profile.
Store, Freeze & Reheat
Store cut brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If your kitchen is warm, refrigerate and let sit at room temperature before serving to restore softness. To freeze, wrap individual squares tightly in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature.
Reheat gently in a low oven (300°F) for 5–8 minutes to warm through, or zap a single piece in the microwave for 10–15 seconds. Don’t overheat; you want warm, not dried-out.
Reader Questions
Q: Can I use chocolate bars instead of chips?
A: Yes. Chop good-quality bittersweet chocolate into small pieces and melt it with the butter. Chocolate bars usually melt more smoothly but may require a little more stirring to fully combine.
Q: Why do I need to cool the brownies for an hour?
A: Cooling allows the interior to finish setting and the crumb to stabilize. Cutting too soon makes them crumbly and messy. Patience here pays off.
Q: Why measure flour by tablespoons in the recipe?
A: This recipe lists 10 tablespoons to yield the precise amount needed for the intended density. If you prefer weighing, 10 tablespoons of flour is roughly 78–80 grams, but follow whatever measurement method you normally use and keep flour light when measuring.
Q: My top is shiny but the center is underdone — what did I do wrong?
A: The top can set before the center, especially in very hot ovens. Check at 30 minutes and then every 2 minutes. If the top is browning too fast, cover loosely with foil and continue baking until the center tests right.
Save & Share
If you try these, save the page or print the recipe so you can come back to it. They’re great for potlucks, lunchboxes, and last-minute dessert needs. If you post a photo, tag your shot with the recipe name and let me know what changes you made — I love hearing how people personalize simple classics.
Simple ingredients, reliable method, and a result that makes people smile. That’s what I aim for with this Fat Witch Brownies recipe. Happy baking.
Fat Witch Brownies
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 14 Tbspunsalted butter
- 10 Tbspbittersweet chocolate chips (Ghiradelli)
- 1 1/4 cupssugar
- 4 largeeggs
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 10 Tbspunbleached all-purpose flour
- pinchof salt
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and bittersweet chocolate chips together, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool until just lukewarm.
- In a bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract together until well combined and slightly thickened.
- Pour the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and stir until evenly blended.
- Sift the unbleached all-purpose flour and the pinch of salt directly over the chocolate-egg mixture. Gently fold the dry ingredients in just until no dry streaks remain.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared 9-inch pan.
- Bake for 33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only crumbs (no wet batter).
- Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for 1 hour. Cut into 16 squares.
Equipment
- 9-inch Square Baking Dish
- Mixing Bowls
