Fudgy Homemade Brownies Recipe

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease an 8×12-inch baking dish, line with parchment paper, and set aside.
Mix wet ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. Whisk until the mixture looks slightly lighter in color.
Combine dry ingredients: Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gently fold until just combined—do not overmix.
Add chocolate: Fold in about ¾ of the chopped chocolate (reserve the rest for topping).
Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate over the batter.
Bake for 35–45 minutes, depending on your preferred texture. For fudgier brownies, start checking around 30 minutes. For a more set, sliceable texture (like mine), you may need closer to 45 minutes. The center should look set and no longer jiggle, and a toothpick inserted should come out with a few moist crumbs—not wet batter. Every oven is a little different, so start checking early and adjust as needed.
Cool: Let brownies cool in the pan for 15–20 minutes, then lift out using the parchment paper and cool completely before slicing into 16 pieces. The brownies will continue to firm up as they cool.