Warning: This is the most excited I've been to post on this blog... Thick Crinkle Top Brownies may be my very favorite brownie recipe ever. You will love and hate this recipe. It's so good, but won't be able to stop eating. I'm sorry, and you're welcome.

Brownie Problems
I have tried SO many brownie recipes in the past few years- I ended up with crumbly, sticky, bitter, uncooked, overcooked, or tasteless brownies. I have tried oil, cocoa powder, chocolate chips AND cocoa powder, melted butter, and softened butter... I've tried it all. I had found some worthy contenders, but I hadn't found something that could be staple piece in my recipe book.
What was Iooking for? I wanted thick, fudgy, chewy, STABLE, and sweet brownie. I wanted something that wouldn't take hours to prepare, and a brownie that would be worth skipping the box for. That's a lot to ask, I'll admit. I try my best to stay away from store-bought sweets as best as I can because I've grown to like homemade so much more... but brownies? Brownies are easier AND usually better from a box.
I now bring you these masterpieces- thick crinkle top brownies. You will thank me later for these. They are seriously addictive. I don't know where they have been all of my life, but I'm glad they are here now! Scroll down to get to the recipe!!!

Ingredient Overview
- Chocolate Chips: You'll want to use better quality chocolate chips when melting the chips with the butter. This does not mean that you should use the most expensive chocolate you can find! It just means that you should use a chocolate chip that you could happily eat on its own! The flavor of the chocolate that you melt is the main flavor of the brownies. I like to use Ghirardelli!
- Unsalted Butter: Unsalted butter gives moisture and flavor in these brownies! I almost always recommend using unsalted butter, as doing so allows you to control the salt in your batter!
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder deepens the chocolate flavor! You'll mix it into the melted butter and chocolate chips!
- Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar adds to the sweetness in these brownies. They are very rich and decadent, but the sweetness helps to balance the kick of the brownies! If you prefer a richer brownie, add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and reduce the sugar to 1 ¼ cup.
- Eggs: Eggs add moisture, stability, and structure to these brownies! They are key to a fudgy chewy brownie!
- Vanilla Extract: Even though these have such incredible chocolate flavor, vanilla extract rounds the flavor!
- Salt: Salt intensifies the sweetness!
- Flour: Flour is stabilizing and contributes to the texture overall!

Tips and Tricks for Crinkle Top Brownies
Homemade Double Boiler: If you don't have a double boiler, save time, money, and space by making your own. Take a small saucepan, fill it with some water, and place it over medium heat. Place a heatproof bowl on top of the saucepan, making sure the water DOES NOT hit the bowl. If it does, pour out some of the water. BOOM, double boiler. I recommend using one for this recipe when you melt the chocolate chips and butter. I've found this method of melting the butter and chocolate to work best, but you can also heat the butter and chips in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring between each round.
Parchment Paper and Plastic Knife: These are two of my essentials when baking brownies. I highly recommend using parchment paper to line your brownie pan. I also spray the paper with cooking spray. You want to be able to have enough parchment paper over the sides so that when it's time to remove the brownies from the pan, you can grab the paper to pull the brownies out! So easy! No mess!
I learned the plastic knife trick from my auntie who is an INCREDIBLE baker! Cutting brownies with a plastic knife gives you such a clean cut! I wipe my plastic knife off with a paper towel after each cut.
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Thick Crinkle Top Brownies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 inch pan 1x
- Category: Brownies, Fudgy Brownies, Thick Brownies, Chocolate
- Cuisine: American
Description
These fudgy brownies are thick, rich, and decadent as ever. With flavor from melted butter, chocolate chips, and cocoa powder, these are the most incredible brownies you'll get your hands on!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (175g) semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup (110g) unsalted butter, chopped
- 2 tablespoons (12g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cup (336g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs (150g), room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (5g) vanilla extract
- ½ tsp (4g) salt
- 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ¼ cups (220g) chocolate chips (to mix in)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper and/or spray with cooking spray.
- In a double boiler (see notes above on how to make a homemade one) add your chopped butter. Heat and stir butter over medium high heat on its own for about 2 minutes before adding 1 cup of chocolate chips. Stir constantly until the mixture is fully melted. Make sure you don’t overheat, as you don’t want the chocolate to burn. You could also do this in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring between each round until fully melted and smooth.
- After pulling your bowl of melted butter and chocolate off of the heat or out of the microwave, whisk in your cocoa powder.
- In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to combine sugar and room temperature eggs. Stir aggressively to ensure the two are combined.
- Add in your vanilla extract followed by your warm (not hot) chocolate, butter, and cocoa powder mixture. Stir to fully combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Sprinkle the salt into the mixture and then add the flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until JUST combined. Do not overmix, as the brownies will lose their soft, chewy texture if overmixed.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the pan will come out with moist crumbs. The top will be cracked. Do not overbake, as the brownies will continue to cook in the pan.
- Let the brownies cool for at least an hour. I know they will be so tempting, but wait to cut until they are fully cool if you are looking for them to cut cleanly. Mine took a few hours to reach this point. If you aren’t worried about clean brownies, dive right in!
Keywords: Brownies, Fudge Brownies, Chocolate
Ginny garretson says
I am so happy to read your blog.The brownies look relish
sweetsbyelise says
I'm so glad you think so! Thank you for your support!
Ginny Garretson says
I'll love to follow your blog
sweetsbyelise says
So sweet!
Uncle Claude says
Elise--Uncles and Grandpas like cookies too!! 🙂 Just saw your great creations and wish we were closer to gobble down a couple dozen of them. Congratulations and good luck on your venture. Closer to football season, am sure that we will see some Orange Tiger Paws.
Uncle Claude
sweetsbyelise says
You are hilarious! Poppoe mentioned something similar about grandpas liking baked goods 🙂 Thank you so much for checking out the blog! You are so sweet, and I seriously can't wait to bake for you! Sending my best!
Kate says
I never knew homemade brownies could be THIS GOOD! Genuinely the best brownies I have ever had and the recipe was so easy to follow!
★★★★★
Elise says
Yay yay yay! This is the best review! Thank you so much, Kate!
Christian says
Omg! Best brownies I have had in a long time! Very easy to make and delicious! I loved every bite! Keep up the amazing recipes!
★★★★★
Elise says
So glad you liked these brownies, Christian! This is one of my favorite recipes!