The Easy Brownie Recipe That Satisfies Chocolate Cravings

Food and Entertaining
Written By Melissa Barnes

My family brownie recipe we attribute to Katherine Hepburn can be whipped up in under 30 min

I can’t tell you exactly where this recipe comes from, but it was passed down to me from my mom. The handwritten recipe card says Katherine Hepburn brownies, and for the longest time I thought she had personally shared it (not entirely impossible since she bought my great grandmother’s house). However, as an adult, I see that a Katherine Hepburn brownie recipe is out there. This is not that. But it does share similarities: they’re both on the thinner, fudgier side and can be made very easily.

From my childhood to today, this brownie recipe has been a constant. It’s my go-to when I’m craving chocolate and want something homemade or simply don’t have anything else available. That’s because this recipe can be whipped up in under 30 minutes (5 minutes to make it, 20 to bake it) and requires only panty staples and basic ingredients I always have on hand expressly for this purpose. It also doesn’t make a ton so in my mind, it makes it less of a guilty pleasure. Just the right amount for my husband and I to nibble on for a day or two (if we’re lucky) or for me to serve as a last minute dessert to dinner party guests with ice cream. 

A curated guide to creating a one-of-a-kind home: interior inspiration, styling tips, & unique objects

FOLLOW ALONG
RELATED ARTICLES

Mama’s Down Under Apple Pie Recipe

Homemade Granola Recipe That’s So Good You’ll Make It Every Week

The 8 Fast & ​​Festive Hors D'oeuvres Recipes for Your Next Party

sense of spen• cer 

noun [sɛns, əv, ˈspɛnsər]

  1. Reflecting one’s identity through their interiors

  2. A home with character and soul

  3. When a house becomes a home

A Few Recipe Notes 

  • I used to use Baker chocolate but stopped when they updated their packaging and skimped out. I switched to Guittard and haven’t looked back. The box comes with three bars, and I restock as soon as I only have one left. 

  • Likewise I always stock sticks of unsalted butter in my freezer. So many recipes call for soft butter, so I love that I can take a stick out of the freezer and immediately start making these brownies. 

  • It might seem wild to mix all the ingredients in one pan, but I’ve made this recipe probably close to a hundred times and trust me, it works. 

  • Make sure you thoroughly butter the pan. They’ll be hard to get out and fall apart a bit if not (but they’re still be delicious I promise). 

  • All ovens run a little different. The key thing with this recipe is not to overbake it. So especially for the first batch keep an eye on it and take it out and test if its looking done even if the timer hasn’t gone off.

 

30-minute Fudgy Brownie Recipe

Ingredients

2 oz unsweetened chocolate (I use Guittard)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (plus extra for greasing pan)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 9” square pan.

  2. Melt butter and chocolate in a pan on low heat.

  3. Remove from heat, cool slightly, then mix in sugar, followed by eggs and vanilla, and then flour and salt.

  4. Put batter in pan. Bake for 20 min until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 5 min before cutting.

 
Melissa Barnes
Next

How I Transformed A $79 IKEA Pine Table Into A One-of-a-kind Piece