Baked in a loaf pan, this small batch brownie recipe makes exactly 6 brownies! The perfect recipe for days you’re craving a brownie… but don’t want a ton of leftovers. Jump to the recipe, bake, and serve with ice cream!

Small Batch Brownie Recipe

Everyone loves brownies! But not everyone loves having a ton of leftovers sitting around on their counter, tempting them to have “just one more bite”. I know this for a fact, because small batch recipes is one of the most popular requests I receive!

So today we’re kicking off our “small batch recipe series” with BROWNIES! And these aren’t just any brownies. They’re THE BEST BROWNIES. This recipe yields 6 perfectly sized brownies… or 4 jumbo ones!

What’s So Great About These Brownies?

• Insane Texture: These are thick, chewy, and super fudgy, without being too wet or gooey. Need I say more?
• Shiny Crackly Top: Who doesn’t love a brownies with that classic crinkle top? The answer: no one! Everyone loves a good crackly brownie top, and these deliver!
• Loaded with chocolate: What do you call a brownie without enough chocolate flavor? A blondie! And that’s not what we’re talking about today! So you can bet your bottom dollar these brownies are loaded with tons of rich chocolate. They get their deep chocolate flavor from cocoa powder and chocolate chips!
• Quick Bake Time: These brownies only take 30 minutes to bake! So no need to sit by the oven all day long waiting around for them! that being said, they do take about an hour to cool, so plan ahead for that part.

Ingredients to Make Small Batch Brownies

• All-Purpose Flour: Do not sub almond flour or coconut flour here! A GF cup-for-cup flour should work fine.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all of the other flavors in the recipe. I suggest using fine sea salt if you have it on hand.
• Baking Powder: Gives a little lift so the brownies don’t bake up too flat and dense. Baking soda should not be used a substitute.
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: I used regular unsweetened cocoa powder, but dutch process cocoa powder will also work.
• Butter: I suggest using unsalted butter so that you can control the amount of sodium added to the recipe. In a pinch, you may use salted butter and simply omit the salt called for.
• Oil: A small amount of oil guarantees your brownies will bake up moist and fudgy, and that they’ll stay that way for days to come! Olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, and coconut oil all work. It really just depends if you want a neutral oil (aka no added flavor) or a flavored oil like coconut or olive. Either way, it’s such a small amount it won’t overwhelm the flavor of the brownies.
• Granulated Sugar: Do not reduce the amount of sugar called for! It’s essential for the taste and structure of the brownies. I also do not recommend using a different variety of sugar, such as coconut or brown.
• Eggs: An egg plus an egg yolk give the brownies structure without making them taste too eggy. For this recipe don’t worry about the eggs being at room temperature.
• Chocolate Chips: Because more chocolate is always a good idea! I love using mini chocolate chips, but regular chocolate chips or even chocolate chunks will work just fine.

How to Bake the BEST Brownies in the World!

• Brownie Baking Prep: Preheat the oven to 350! Then line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. To ensure the brownies don’t stick, spray lightly with non-stick baking spray!
• Combine dry Ingredients: Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.
• Melt the Butter: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, along with the oil, and 1/4 cup of the sugar. You could also do this in a microwave safe bowl.
• Whisk the Eggs: Combine the eggs, vanilla, and remaining sugar and whisk the heck out of the mixture. About 30 seconds or so should get you to where you need to be.
• Combine: This is probably the most important – and scary – step! But I’m going to walk you through it so I hope that helps! You’re going to combine the hot butter mixture into the egg mixture. The secret to not getting scrambled eggs when you do this? Adding it VERY gradually and never stop whisking! Whisking constantly will avoid the mixture from over heating and help the ingredients evenly combined.
• Add the Dry Ingredients: Toss in the flour mixture and chocolate chips and stir until just combined. Do not over mix that brownie batter! Over mixing will give you cakey brownies.
• Scrape and Bake: Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 26 minutes, or until the edges are firm and the top is shiny and slightly cracked. I don’t suggest using the toothpick inserted method because you might poke a chocolate chip which could make you think they’re undercooked.
• Cool: Keep the brownies in the pan while they cool. Place the pan on top of a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing. Then chop into 8 small brownies, 6 regular sized brownies, or 4 jumbo brownies.

Common Brownie Baking Pitfalls:

• Using the wrong pan: The best pan for baking brownies is going to be a metal of aluminized steel baking pan. Why not glass or ceramic, you ask? Well, those materials are much thicker, meaning heat will conduct slower when used. So you might need to add up to 15 minutes onto the bake time using those materials. I also find using a metal pan gives the brownies a more even bake and a shinier crackly top.
• Over mixing the batter: The key to fudgy brownies? Once you’ve added the dry ingredients, mix JUST until combined. In fact, I suggest you stop mixing when you can still see the slightest trace of the dry ingredients.
• Baking for too long: It can be scary to see a wobble in the middle of your brownies, right? But slightly under baking your brownies and letting them fully cool is the key to rich and fudgy brownies.
• Cutting right away: The secret to perfectly sliced brownies? Letting them cool completely in the baking pan! This allows the brownies to completely firm up, which reduces the chances of them falling apart when sliced. If you only allow the brownies to cool slightly, they’ll be too gooey and make a huge mess.

More Brownie Recipes:

• The Best Cocoa Fudge Brownies
• Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
• Baked Brownies
• German Chocolate Brownies
• Easy Skillet Brownies