Small Batch Brownies in a Loaf Pan
These small batch brownies are baked in a loaf pan, yielding just 8 super chocolatey, fudgy brownies. It's a one bowl, no mixer recipe that takes just half an hour to make!
Servings 8 brownies
Ingredients
- 2 oz (56g) dark chocolate chopped (about 1/3 cup when chopped)*
- 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) brown sugar packed
- 2 Tbsp (10g) cocoa powder (natural or Dutch process both work)
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon (2g) pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon (1.5g) salt
- 1/4 teaspoon (.5g) espresso powder (optional)
- 1/3 cup (40g) all-purpose flour
- 1.5 oz (42.5g) chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (+ extra for sprinkling on top, optional)
- Coarse sea salt for sprinkling on top, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 inch (1.25 lb) or 8.5x4.5 inch (1 lb) loaf pan, and/or line it with parchment paper for easy removal. Set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the dark chocolate and butter in 30 second increments, stirring occasionally, until melted, smooth, and glossy. You could also do this in a double boiler if you prefer not to microwave.
- Whisk in granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cocoa powder. Whisk vigorously for 1-2 minutes - your goal is to dissolve the sugar as much as possible to encourage a crinkle top.
- Whisk in the egg until fully combined, followed by the vanilla, salt, and optional espresso powder. Again, whisk very well. The mixture should be rather viscous and shiny at this point.
- Add the flour to the wet ingredients and stir together with a rubber spatula until a smooth but thick brownie batter forms. Don't overmix - just stir until combined and no dry ingredients are visible. Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips or chopped chocolate evenly over top if desired.
- Bake brownies for 18-20 minutes in a 9x5 inch pan, or 24-26 minutes in an 8.5x4.5 inch pan, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
- Let brownies cool for a few minutes, then if you want them really fudgy, transfer to the fridge on top of a tea towel to cool completely in the pan. Alternately, these are lovely cooled and stored at room temperature.
- Sprinkle with a bit of coarse sea salt before serving if desired (although be restrained, as there is already a decent amount of salt in the batter!). Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Storage: Brownies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Or, store them in the fridge for utmost fudginess for up to a week.
*you can use semisweet chocolate chips here if you don't have a bar of chocolate, but for best results, use a high quality dark chocolate bar between 60-70% cocoa solids. It will melt better and produce better-tasting results than chocolate chips.
