Gooey Small Batch Brownies

The best gooey small batch brownies! This simple brownie recipe mixes up in one saucepan and bakes in a loaf pan. Giving you the most chocolatey, luscious brownies you could ask for!

Disclosure | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I have a house full of brownie lovers. In fact, the last three Monday nights I have gotten a request at dinner, "can you make those brownies again"?

Brownie cookies are Mr. two sugar bugs' favorite! Big E loves brownie pie and little e and I are huge fans of ice cream with edible brownie batter. And the whole family enjoys nostalgic cosmic brownie cookies.

As a busy mama and busy baker, I have been baking brownies for a few decades now. I love that this simple recipe takes about 5 minutes of prep time and mixes up in one saucepan. #lessdishesforthewin. You are rewarded with a small batch of brownies that are perfectly moist and gooey.

Small batch recipes are great because they use less ingredients and make enough for two people {or four, if you feel like really sharing!} You are going to love that you can have fresh from scratch brownies in about 30 minutes. Perfect for a weeknight dessert!

💗 why you will love these chewy brownies

• Quick and easy!
• Mixes in one saucepan!
• Full of chocolate, made with cocoa powder and with melted chocolate.
• Great when you need a simple brownie recipe without a lot of leftovers.

can you bake brownies in a loaf pan?

Absolutely! This brownie recipe bakes in a 9x5 loaf pan, which tends to be a common size pan in home kitchens. If you have an 8.5x4.5 loaf pan, the brownies will be a little thicker and may take a few extra minutes to bake.

🍫 ingredients and substitutions

Please scroll to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the full list of ingredients and baking directions.

• Chocolate ~ Go with a semisweet or bittersweet variety {something in the 60-72% cacao range}. Scharffen Berger and Callebaut are my typical go-to chocolates for baking. Ghirardelli, Trader Joe's pound plus bars and Baker's are also good options.
• Unsalted butter ~ the butter gets melted and helps the brownies to have the rich and fudgy texture. If you only have salted butter, leave out the kosher salt.
• Granulated sugar ~ brings sweetness and structure to the small batch brownies.
• Kosher salt ~ balances all the flavors. Use half the amount if using table salt.
• Egg ~ you need 1 large egg , which adds structure to the brownies.
• Vanilla ~ adds flavor and balance, I prefer pure vanilla extract.
• All-purpose flour ~ provides structure, use your favorite brand. If you need gluten free brownies, try my brownies made with almond flour.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder ~ I use Scharffen Berger most of the time,but  Hershey's also works well.
• Chocolate chips {optional} ~ chocolate chips or a chopped chocolate bar can be added for double chocolate brownies.

Remember to pin this recipe to Pinterest! Use the button on the recipe card or the share buttons on the side or bottom of this page.

🥣 how to make this one bowl recipe

Preheat the oven to 325°F and line an 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the unsalted butter over low heat. When the butter is mostly melted, add the semisweet or bittersweet chocolate and stir until both the butter and dark chocolate are fully melted and incorporated.

Add the granulated sugar and kosher salt and stir or whisk until fully incorporated.

Then add the egg and vanilla and stir or whisk until combined. {the more vigorously you stir/whisk in the egg, the better the crinkly top you'll get on the baked brownies}.

The brownie batter will be glossy after the egg has been stirred in.

Add the flour and unsweetened cocoa powder and stir until just fully mixed.

If using the chocolate chips, add them in when just a few streaks of flour remain.

Pour the small batch brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with some moist crumbs.

Try not to over bake the brownies, especially if you prefer them on the fudgy side. Allow to cool in the pan.

Cut into desired size and enjoy! I did triangles for these photos, but often do squares or rectangles.

💬 frequently asked questions

why aren't my brownies fudgy?

You most likely over baked your homemade brownies. Or you may have added too much flour. I know I'm a broken record, but I highly recommend using a scale to measure your ingredients.

can I make a larger batch?

Of course! Just double the recipe and bake in an 8x8 baking pan.

how do you tell if your brownies are done?

I use the toothpick test to tell when brownies are done baking ~

• The brownies are not done if the toothpick still has thick batter on it.
• When the toothpick comes out clean, it means the brownies are over baked.
• If the toothpick comes out with some moist crumbs, they are done!

👩🏻‍🍳 expert tips for the best brownies

Don't over bake the brownies! No one likes a dry brownie. It's better to err on the side of less done than over done. The small batch brownies will firm up and continue to cook as they cool.

Remember your oven is different than mine and the baking time may be slightly different. I use this oven thermometer to ensure my oven is at the temperature I think it is.

If you fear you have over baked your brownies, pop the pan in the refrigerator right away; this will help to stop the baking process more quickly as brownies do continue to bake in the pan as they cool.

For less dishes to wash, use a food scale and skip the measuring cups! This is the scale that I use and love. Using a scale also helps to make sure you have the correct quantities of ingredients.

The more vigorously you stir or whisk in the egg, the better the crinkly top you'll get on the baked brownies.

If you need to speed up the cooling process, once the small batch brownies have cooled enough that you can pick up the pan with your bare hands, place the brownies in the refrigerator to cool completely. I find doing this makes them have an even more fudgy consistency.

💡 variations

With frosting ~ go with a classic vanilla buttercream, a chocolate buttercream or cream cheese frosting. I would half any of these frosting recipes.

With flaky sea salt ~ if you love salt with chocolate, sprinkle the warm brownies with sea salt when they come out of the oven. I love this Murray River Salt.

With icing ~ use the cream cheese icing from my red velvet brownies.

With nuts ~ walnuts or pecans are popular, but use your favorite. Add up to ¼ cup.

🫙 how to store

Store small batch brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple days or in the refrigerator for up to one week. I think the refrigerator helps them stay moist and fudgy in texture.

They also freeze well for up to three months.

Remember to snap a picture and tag me on Instagram if you make these Gooey Small Batch Brownies. It warms my heart to see you bring these recipes to life! Thank you for being here and happy baking!

more small batch recipes

• Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls
• Peanut Butter Cookies {small batch}
• Small Batch Banana Muffins
• Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

If you make this recipe {or any recipe!} from two sugar bugs please come back and leave a review and a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating.  I read every comment, and I LOVE hearing from you!

📖 recipe

Gooey Small Batch Brownies

recipe created and tested by:

Tasia Harper

The best gooey small batch brownies! This simple brownie recipe mixes up in one saucepan and bakes in a loaf pan. Giving you the most chocolatey, luscious brownies you could ask for!

5 from 4 votes

I highly recommend using weight (metric) measurements when available for more accuracy and the best results.

Print Recipe rate this recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Bake Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Bars and Brownies

Cuisine American

Servings 6 -8 brownies

Calories 184 kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Please note

When using 2x or 3x ingredients, the grams DO NOT adjust, you will have to manually do that.

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ ¼ cup unsalted butter 57g
• ▢ 2 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chopped if needed (58g)
• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar 100g
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 47g
• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 10-12g
• ▢ 1 ounce chocolate chips optional (29g or approximately ¼ cup)

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 325°F and line an 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the unsalted butter (¼ cup/57g) over low heat. When the butter is mostly melted, add the semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (2 ounces/58g) and stir until both the butter and dark chocolate are fully melted and incorporated. Stir continuously as to not burn the chocolate and remove from the heat as soon as melted.
• Add the granulated sugar (½ cup/100g) and kosher salt (¼ teaspoon) and stir or whisk until fully incorporated, then add the egg (1 large) and vanilla (1 teaspoon) and stir or whisk until combined. (the more vigorously you stir/whisk in the egg, the better the crinkly top you'll get on the baked brownies). Add the flour (¼ cup + 2 tablespoons/47g) and unsweetened cocoa powder (2 tablespoons/10-12g) and stir until just fully mixed. If using the chocolate chips (1 ounce/29g/~ ¼ cup) add them in when just a few streaks of flour remain.
• Pour the small batch brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with some moist crumbs. Try not to over bake the brownies, especially if you prefer them on the fudgy side.
• Allow to cool in the pan. You can speed this process up by placing them in the refrigerator once you can pick up the pan with bare hands.
• Cut into desired size and enjoy!

Notes

If your chocolate is in thin bars, you can just break the bars into pieces when adding to the melted butter (less dishes for the win)!

Unsweetened cocoa powder can vary in weight, depending on the brand you use. Most are 5 or 6g per tablespoon. Check your container for the correct weight.

Small batch brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a couple days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.

They also freeze well for up to three months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 brownieCalories: 184kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 2gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 51mgFiber: 2gSugar: 15g

The nutrition information is based on third-party calculations, is an estimate only and may not be entirely accurate. Actual nutritional values will vary based on brands used and portion sizes.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Leave a comment and rating below! I love hearing from you!