Alton Brown Brownies Recipe

Alton Brown Brownies are a dense, fudge-like dessert popular for their intense chocolate flavor and lack of chemical leaveners. Ideally, the eggs should be beaten until fluffy before adding the cocoa to ensure a glossy, crackly crust.

Alton Brown Brownies Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar, sifted
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed and sifted
• 8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 ¼ cups natural cocoa powder, sifted
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• Butter and flour (for greasing the pan)

How To Make Alton Brown Brownies

1. Prep the oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Note that this is lower than standard baking temperatures to keep the brownies fudgy. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan with soft butter and dust it with flour, tapping out the excess.
2. Whip the eggs: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the 4 large eggs at medium speed. Whip them until they are fluffy and have turned a pale light yellow color. This creates the structure for the brownie.
3. Add the sugars: With the mixer running, gradually add the sifted granulated sugar and brown sugar to the fluffy eggs. Continue to mix until combined.
4. Combine the batter: Add the melted butter, sifted cocoa powder, vanilla extract, sifted flour, and kosher salt. Mix on low speed just until the ingredients are combined and no dry streaks of flour or cocoa remain. Do not overmix.
5. Bake the brownies: Pour the thick batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading it to the corners. Bake for 45 minutes.
6. Check for doneness: Test the brownies using the toothpick method: insert a toothpick into the center of the pan. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs (but not wet batter).
7. Cool: Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Resist the temptation to cut into them immediately; let them cool almost completely to allow the texture to set.

Recipe Tips

• Sifting is mandatory: You must sift the cocoa powder, flour, and sugars. Cocoa powder is notorious for having hard lumps that will not break down in the batter, leading to bitter bites in the finished brownie.
• The “low and slow” bake: Baking at 300°F is critical. Because there is so much sugar and fat and very little flour, a higher temperature would burn the edges before the center sets.
• Why whip the eggs? Unlike many dense brownie recipes that just stir ingredients, Alton Brown whips the eggs to creating a mechanical leavening (air) since there is no baking soda or powder. This also creates that desirable paper-thin meringue crust on top.
• Cocoa choice: Use natural unsweetened cocoa powder (like Hershey’s or Ghirardelli) rather than Dutch-processed for the specific flavor profile Alton intends, though Dutch process will make them even darker.

What To Serve With Alton Brown Brownies

These rich, dark squares need something creamy to cut the intensity.

• Cold Milk: The classic palate cleanser for fudge brownies.
• Vanilla Bean Ice Cream: Turns a brownie into a sundae.
• Raspberry Coulis: The tart fruit balances the dark cocoa.
• Whipped Cream: A light dollop adds texture.

How To Store Alton Brown Brownies

• Store: Keep the cooled brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3–4 days.
• Freeze: Wrap individual squares in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
• Reheat: These are delicious cold, but you can warm them in the microwave for 10 seconds to make them gooey again.

Alton Brown Brownies Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 320kcal
• Protein: 4g
• Carbohydrates: 42g
• Fat: 18g
• Saturates: 10g
• Sugar: 32g
• Salt: 0.2g

Nutrition information is estimated per brownie (based on 9 large squares).

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