American
Fudgy Skillet Brownies
Butter, chocolate, sugar, eggs, and a small amount of flour bake in a skillet until the edges are set and the center is still a little soft. That soft center is the fudgy part. It finishes as it cools.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 28 min
- Total
- 43 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Less flour is why the center stays fudgy.
- You can see the edges set before the middle.
- One skillet, no separate pan to butter if the skillet is the pan.
- A scoop of ice cream is optional. The brownie stands alone.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
Rough grocery estimate for the full recipe: about $7–$11 at a typical US supermarket. Prices vary by store, region, and season.
Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8- to 10-inch oven-safe skillet.
- 2
Melt the butter and chocolate together over low heat, stirring, until smooth. Take the pan off the heat if you melted them in the skillet, and scrape the mixture into a bowl. Wipe the skillet and butter it.
- 3
Whisk in the sugar, then the eggs, vanilla, and salt until the batter is glossy.
- 4
Fold in the flour and cocoa just until you cannot see dry streaks.
- 5
Spread the batter in the skillet. Bake at 350°F for 24 to 30 minutes, until the edges are set and a toothpick in the center comes out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. A few wet streaks mean it needs 2 more minutes.
- 6
Cool at least 20 minutes. The center finishes setting as it cools.
Pro tips
- Pulling them when the toothpick is clean makes a cakey brownie. Stop at moist crumbs.
- A cast-iron skillet runs hot. Start checking at 24 minutes.
- Salt in the batter is what keeps them from tasting flat.
Easy substitutions
- Bittersweet chocolate
- Semisweet chocolate
- All-purpose flour
- A cup-for-cup gluten-free blend, and check the center the same way
- Cocoa powder
- An extra ounce of chopped chocolate
Storage and reheating
Storage
Cover at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 4 days. Cold brownies are denser.
Reheating
Warm a square at 300°F for 6 minutes, or microwave 12 seconds. Do not melt it back into batter.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 340
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Budget friendly · Oven · Vegetarian
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From the kitchen
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A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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