Budget friendly chocolate brownies
Perfectly fudgey, soft and chocolately but with a much lower price tag than regular brownies. I have made many different types of chocolate brownies over the years. But I always seem to come back to these. Be warned! This recipe is really easy to make, uses ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and is one of the cheapest, most delicious brownie recipes that you can find online!
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These chocolate brownies have become a staple in our house.
They make the perfect quick dessert, served with ice cream and hot fudge sauce. They are perfect as a little treat tucked into lunch boxes. Chocolate brownies are perfect for sharing with friends or family whenever you get together. Honestly these chocolate brownies are always a winner. If you want perfectly fudgey brownies that are not only delicious but also are affordable to make then this recipe is for you.
Ingredients
Oil – any flavourless vegetable oil works well here. I usually use canola or sunflower oil as that’s what I have on hand. You can trade out the oil for melted butter if you prefer but you will need to add in an extra tablespoon of milk or cream to ensure your brownies gooey-ness.
Cocoa powder – Whatever cocoa powder you have on hand will will work for these brownies. A dark rich dutch cocoa will make your brownies more dark and bitter while a lighter cocoa have less of a cocoa hit and will highlight more of the sweetness of the brownie. Make sure to sift your cocoa to avoid any lumps.
Sugar – plain white granulated sugar works best here. Do not be tempted to reduce the sugar here, its key to achieving the fudgy texture of the brownies. You could swap it out for brown sugar if you like ( brown sugar brownies go great with the addition of nuts or a caramel chocolate chunk)
Eggs – Two large eggs to bind the ingredients. 2 large eggs give the brownies just enough structure to hold itself together without becoming cakey.
Flour – there is a lot less flour in brownies compared to other baked goods. I like my brownies to have an equal sugar to flour ratio. Swapping out the flour for the same amount for your favourite 1:1 gluten free alternative works super well in these brownies. If you are making a gluten free version of these then double check that your other ingredients are gluten free also.
Baking powder – a small amount of baking powder gives these brownies a little bit of lift in the baking process. Make sure you measure out only 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder. Any extra baking powder will make the brownies rise too much and they will be more dry and cakey than these ones are supposed to be.
Milk / cream – really just a splash of liquid to balance out the liquid levels of the other ingredients. Use whatever you have on hand, I mostly use cream but a dairy free milk or even water will have a similar effect.
Chocolate buttons – Use what ever chocolate buttons you like best! Load up on a mixture of odds and ends or use all dark chocolate chips. Use dairy free if you are dairy free. The bonus here is that they’re cheap and do the job. While a nice, diced up block of chocolate is amazing in brownies. I like to use whatever chocolate I have on hand. The point of this recipe is to keep the costs as low as possible while having a delicious result. So don’t feel like you have to buy an expensive fancy block of chocolate to achieve that.
Chocolate Brownie Variations
Mint slice – my mums favourite version of these brownies was made using mint slice biscuits. To make this version leave out all of the chocolate buttons and replace them with 3/4 of a packet of roughly diced mint slice biscuits. When they are cooled top the brownies with a thin layer of melted chocolate and an extra piece of mint slice biscuit.
Nutty brownies – Trade out the chocolate buttons for your nut of choice. 1/2 cup milk chocolate and 1/2 cup diced peanuts is a great starting point.
MnM brownies – Use your favourite MnMs in place of the chocolate buttons and you will have the best brownies any kid could imagine.
Alergy friendly – This recipe is a great base for a dairy free or gluten free brownie. I have added some tips to making these changes in the ingredients section of this post.
Serving
- These can be served fresh and warm as a dessert or cooled completely like a slice or bar.
- Do you want a chocolate brownie overload? Pair your freshly baked brownies with chocolate ice cream and drown the lot in hot fudge sauce! Delicious
- I definitely prefer center brownies over of the edge/corner pieces. To optomize this, when I slice my brownies for serving I like to just cut the edges off before I divide them into 9 even pieces. The kids, or any other edge lover, will quickly claim these and then you are left with 9 non edge pieces instead only 1.
- To store your brownies, place them into an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 170 Degrees Fan (or 190 regular)
- Line a baking tray approx 22cm x 22cm with baking paper
- In a medium sized bowl mix together oil, sugar and cocoa
- Add eggs and beat well. The mixture will be thick and slimy
- Add in the remaining ingredients and gently fold in. Make sure to stop as soon the flour is combined.
- Dump into your lined tray and gently spread using a flat spatula or back of a spoon.
- Put into oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- Cool slightly and then cut into 9 even sized pieces.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read through my chocolate brownies recipe. I hope you enjoy trying this out for yourself. Please feel free to add any questions or comments below. I am happy to help out wherever possible and I would love to hear how this recipe worked out for you.
Crystal Rose
