Hey guys! So if you follow me on Instagram, you already saw a reel earlier this week about these brownies. I’ve been trying to work out this recipe for years now, and it’s finally perfect!
I’m always looking for the right balance of texture in a brownie. I want something that kind of sits in the middle of what we consider a fudgey brownie and a cakey brownie. Plus of course like, A TON of chocolate! Let’s get to it!
How to Make Perfect Brownies
Now, I know that this isn’t the perfect brownie for everyone. I’ve got a ton of really pretty amazing brownie recipes on this blog and in my cookbook, and most of those recipes fall into the category of fudgey brownies, and I’m here for that too. I’ve made those recipes about a million times, and I love them! But for me, this is truly the perfect one!
I like to mix brownies by hand, and this is a perfect time to use a Danish Dough Whisk if you have one! Otherwise, go for a normal whisk and a rubber spatula at the end. For the batter, we’re starting by whisking together the butter, oil, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Then, whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until well combined.
Next it’s time to add in the dry ingredients, and give the whole thing a good long mixing session. You want to really mix this batter for a full five minutes by hand, which is going to seem like a lot but trust me! It really helps to create that perfect texture I’m talking about!
Finally, use a rubber spatula to stir in your chopped chocolate. I like to do a mixture of milk and dark chocolate here, but you can just use one or the other if you prefer. I think the two together give the brownies a really balanced flavor in the end!
Then it’s off to the oven! I’m using a brownie pan, which is not a standard size. However, I’ve tested this recipe in an 8×8 inch cake pan as well, and it works perfectly, so I’ve included instructions for both below!
If you want to slice them into pretty squares, you’ll want to cool the brownies completely so they hold their shape. But I won’t blame you if you want to slice right in and enjoy them hot!
Tips & Tricks for Perfect High-Altitude Brownies
I love an easy brownie recipe, and this is definitely easy. But I’ve still got some tips to help make sure you get it perfect the first time!
- Don’t skip the extra mixing step. This makes a huge difference in the texture of the final brownies, and it’s super important that you give the batter a good mix for a full five minutes, even though that seems like a long time!
- Use dark cocoa powder. I can usually find dark cocoa powder pretty easily in normal grocery stores around me. It’s often labeled as dark, but it’s actually dutch-processed cocoa powder. This will give your brownies a deeper chocolate flavor!
- Use chopped up chocolate bars instead of chocolate chips. This will give the brownies little pieces of chocolate that vary in size running all throughout! Plus, it’s normally a better quality chocolate.
- Add to the recipe: You can use this recipe as a base for any flavored brownies you like. Sprinkle flakey salt on top before baking, swirl in a little melted chunky peanut butter on top, or even swirl in some sweetened cream cheese before baking!
- I’m at 5,000 ft above sea level and I usually find that people who are between 3,000 and 7,000 feet above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes!
Enjoy this one guys! I can’t stop making it!
Perfect High Altitude Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/3 cup dutch processed cocoa
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. baking powder
- 3 oz. chopped dark chocolate
- 3 oz. chopped milk chocolate
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease your brownie pan- you can use an 11x7 inch brownie pan, or an 8x8 inch square cake pan.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, oil, sugar, and brown sugar until well combined. Add in all 3 eggs and the vanilla extract, and whisk together until well combined. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder, and then stir this mixture into your large bowl. At this point you want to whisk the batter for a full 5 minutes by hand. It's going to seem like a really long time to mix this batter, but trust me! It helps create the perfect texture.
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Once you've mixed the batter well, switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the chopped chocolate. Pour the batter into your prepared pan, and spread it evenly. Bake the brownies for 22-25 minutes if you are using an 11x7 inch pan, or 32-35 minutes if you are using an 8x8 inch pan. The brownies should have a shiny top, set edges, and toothpick inserted about 2 inches from the edge of the pan should come out with a few crumbs on it. Cool the brownies, slice, and enjoy!
Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!
I just pulled these out of the oven…and they collapsed. I’m an experienced baker and did everything exactly as you said and still they fell-I’m quite sure they’ll taste fine but they certainly don’t look like your picture. I even baked them for 15 minutes beyond the estimated baking of 22-25 minutes. We live in the mountains above Albuquerque at about 6000ft. FRUSTRATING!!
Hi there- I'm sorry to hear this didn't work out for you- it's a big fav in my house and we make it all the time. Unfortunately there's always varying factors- the way we measure flour, or the protein percentage in different brands of flour could be a culprit here. Since you're an experienced baker, I imagine you scoop and level your flour, but I typically scoop measure it, which results in more flour. I would suggest trying to add another 1-2 tbs of flour. Again, so sorry to hear it didn't work for you- I've never had this recipe collapse, but that's my suggestion! Thank you for the feedback!
I made these last night and mine collapsed too. I made the recipe exactly as written and used the 8 inch square pan. I may have needed to cook it a few minutes longer. They still tasted wonderful and my family devoured them. I may try adding an extra Tbs of flour or cooking longer next time.
Hi there! So sorry to hear these collapsed on you- I've never had that happen with this recipe but we may be at slightly different altitudes or we may be measuring our flour differently. I'm glad they were still yummy though!
I just found you on IG, so haven't tried this recipe. I live in Red Feather, CO at 8200 ft. Do I need to make extra adjustments to your recipes?
Thank you!
Hi there- I am at about 5,000 ft above sea level, and I find that most people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes, so since you're a bit higher, you may need to make some slight adjustments here. I would recommend 1 tbs. more flour for the brownies and otherwise it should work well. For recipes like cakes, you may need to decrease your baking soda or powder slightly from my recipes as well. I hope that helps!
Made these for the second time – delicious – no problems. Used the 8×8 for a bit more thickness. Do you have a favorite frosting recipe that would pair well with these.
Thanks.
So glad to hear it! I think the icing recipe on my small batch chocolate cake would be great here- https://www.dougheyed.com/small-batch-chocolate-cake/
That should make a small amount that would work well on these brownies!
Best brownie recipe I've ever tried! Amazing texture, and flavor. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Wooo! So glad to hear it!
These are amazing. I just made them using one and a half recipe in 9” square pan – just for a thicker brownie – perfect!
Glad to hear it!
This is my new favorite brownie recipe! Thank you! I read your comment that said you "scoop measure" flour, so that's what I did, and they turned out chewy and perfect. I live at 5,000 feet here in Colorado. (I'm wondering if you'd ever consider including the weight of flour as well as the cup measure, since it can make such a big difference with baked goods.)
So glad to hear you love them, it's a family fav in my house!!
I bought your book Sugar High the other day and saw a brownie recipe in there too. They both seemed to be for a classic kind of brownie. I was a bit surprised the recipes were so different. Just wondering if you can comment on that to let me know what you feel the differences are between the two, if one was developed later or perfected after various tries at it, etc.
Hey there! I develop all kinds of brownie recipes, and there are several on this website. Between this recipe and the one in Sugar High, this one is a bit more cakey and chewy, and the Sugar High one is a bit more fudgey. Both are great, and in my regular baking rotation!
I have made these twice now. Both times I used an 8×8 pan. They turned out perfectly! I used only semisweet chocolate chunks because I'm not a milk chocolate person. I love the texture, which is both chewy and fudgy. This is my go to recipe. I like it better than the one in the cookbook, but both are good. I think next time I will try a mix in like peanut butter or dulce de leche. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
So glad to hear it! I like this one better than the book recipe as well, tough call though!
This recipe is awesome!! I live in Monument, CO at 7400 ft and have tried many different brownie recipes. This is my favorite! I love the recommendations you have to add peanut butter, etc. to keep it exciting. Thanks so much!
I made these at 7k, they sunk just slightly in the middle, but the taste and texture is excellent! I think these will be my go-to recipe from now on. I think I need to cook them just a few minutes more (I cooked for the max time listed in an 8×8 square pan). Thanks- I have tried various recipes up here, and I'm not a fan of the super-fudgy brownies. The top of these comes out so nice and shiny!
Glad to hear you liked it! You may just want to add a touch more flour to help with the sinking.
SO GOOD!! I don’t leave comments but these were so good I had to. I’m in Colorado at 5280ft and these came out perfect and were so easy! The box brownies from the store never come out right or taste nearly as good. This is how they should be. Bye bye boxed mix!
So glad to hear it- it's one of my favs!
Hello! Just made these at 6840 ft in Colorado Springs. I subbed butterscotch chips for the dark chocolate and added a bit more flour. Baked about 30 min and let cool. Sides were crisp without being "crunchy" and the center was perfectly fudgy. (Consistent issue we've had here is the center never quite sets and turns gelatinous.) Delicious! Kids all loved, which is the real test.
Excited to try them with the chopped dark chocolate, but these are already going to the top of our brownie list. Thanks!
So glad you liked them! Love the addition of butterscotch chips- yum!
Made these for the first time and they’re delicious – an instant hit! No adjustments needed for 7k ft in Colorado Springs. We did swap out the chocolate chips for chopped walnuts, and it was amazing. We will be making these again soon!