Last Updated on March 10, 2021 by Bianka
Make a small batch of extra chocolatey & fudgy brownies with this one-bowl Small Batch Brownies recipe for one… or two! With perfectly crackly tops & chunks of melted chocolate, these babies are ready in just 30 minutes!
Small Batch Brownies For Two
Hey loves. Today I’m feeling chocolate.
I mean, blondies are fun too but look at that stack of brownies: dark & chocolatey with crackly tops, chunks of melted chocolate & flaky salt on top.
Tall dark & handsome.
And all you need is one bowl and a whisk or a mixer if you’re feelin’ fancy. They’re ready in 30 minutes & are the perfect amount for one or two people.
No leftovers.
You can take them out of the oven, cut them (with a hot knife so they’ll slice perfectly) and just dig in and eat them while they’re hot & steamy with that gooey center & melted chunks of chocolate. May I recommend Lindt, bby.
Ugh. So good.
Btw, are you a center piece or corner piece type girl?
Hit me up if you’re team center piece, xo.
Let’s get started! 🥂
Ingredients for Small Batch Brownies
You’ll find the full recipe + ingredients in the recipe card down below but this is what you’ll need:
- Sunflower oil.
- High-quality chocolate bar. Semi-sweet or bittersweet, your choice. I recommend Lindt but Ghirardelli or any high-quality chocolate brand that you like and trust will work. No chocolate chips. Why? These brownies are only as good as the chocolate you use and chocolate chips aren’t good enough for brownies (most chocolate chips contain stabilizers that keep them from melting perfectly *and* tasting good). For this recipe, you need baking chocolate from the baking aisle!
- Unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Eggs. Extra-large is always best but I’ve successfully made these brownies with large and medium too. The temperature is important though, so if the eggs are chillin’ in the fridge just take one out, place it into a bowl of lukewarm water and let it sit in there for 10 minutes or until it’s not cold anymore.
- White granulated sugar.
- Vanilla extract.
- All-purpose flour. Scoop & leveled, if you own a scale, use it! Too much flour can cause your brownies to turn out cakey & we want fudgy and soft.
- Baking powder. To help them rise!
- Salt. I like to use kosher in the batter & then flaky salt on top!
How to make Brownies for Two
You’ll find the full recipe + ingredients in the recipe card down below but this is what you’ll do:
- Grease a 6-inch pan with butter and dust with cocoa powder. I have a 6-inch pan like this one that I like to use for all my small-batch recipes & it works great. You can skip the greasing and dusting if you prefer parchment paper for easy lifting but that lil’ bit of butter & cocoa powder really makes the bottom & sides of your brownies taste richer so I recommend greasing & dusting!
- Melt together the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, and oil until smooth. You can do this in the microwave or in a small saucepan over low heat, same thing. Allow the mixture to cool slightly or it will cook the egg!
- Combine the sugar, vanilla and egg into a medium bowl and beat until just foamy. You can use a hand mixer, stand mixer, or a simple whisk for this recipe. I like to use my hand mixer for brownies!
- Add the chocolate mixture into the butter mixture and mix until *just* combined. Do not overmix!
- Add in the flour, baking powder, salt, and chocolate chunks. Mix until *just* combined. Again, no overmixing or the brownies will turn out cakey. Adding the chocolate chunks now is hella smart because you won’t need to mix the batter again!
- Bake until crackly on top. Brownies are good when the center is underbaked, that’s the ugly truth. You’ll know they’re ready when a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. It shouldn’t be wet or dry (wet means they’re basically raw & dry means they dried out and turned into a chocolate snack cake).
Baking brownies: which oven rack?
Try the top rack & I’ll make you a believer.
Seriously, I like baking my brownies on the top rack because they immediately get that crispy, crackly top while the center & the bottom stay moist & wet.
My most sincere apologies for the way I’m wording things in this post but bby they’re brownies and I’m hungry.
How to tell when brownies are done
Like I said, in order to get that nice fudgy center you have to underbake your brownies.
Also, some people like their brownies *very* underbaked while others prefer the center to be a bit more set so you’ll eventually get better at knowing when to pull them out of the oven to make them just like *you* like ’em but if you’re unsure, here’s how to test for doneness:
The toothpick test: insert a toothpick in the center of your brownies, it should come out with moist crumbs. If the toothpick is completely wet… try again, they’re raw! If the toothpick comes out clean clean… UHH ⏤ take them out, they’re chocolate cake bby!
So ya, if you overbake a batch of brownie, you’ll get that cakey texture, you know. Still good to eat, absolutely, but not fudgy.
Oh, if that happens & you don’t like cakey brownies, grind them up into crumbs & make these Russian Chocolate Cake Truffles. Delicious ⏤ they’re no-bake!
You’re welcome.
How to store brownies
Store your brownies covered or in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3-4 days unless your kitchen is very hot, in that case, pop them in the refrigerator and store them for up to a week.
Remember, the center is underbaked & contains eggs so you don’t want it to turn rancid which is why you shouldn’t let these sit on the counter for hours during hot summer days.
HAPPY BAKING LOVES!! I hope you’ll love these Easy Small Batch Brownies as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘
MORE SMALL BATCH DESSERTS YOU’LL LOVE:
- 5 Ingredient Chocolate Lava Cakes For Two
- Russian Chocolate Cake Truffles
- 6-inch Pumpkin Pie
- Homemade French Hot Chocolate For Two
Small Batch Brownies
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup sunflower oil
- 2 oz high-quality chocolate bar chopped (no chocolate chips - I recommend Lindt but Ghirardelli or your favorite high-quality chocolate brand)
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 extra-large egg room temperature (large or medium will work too but extra-large is best)
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
- 1.5 oz high-quality chocolate bar chopped (again, no chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 6-inch pan with butter and flour with unsweetened cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the oil, chopped chocolate and unsweetened cocoa powder. Melt in two 30-second intervals, stirring well after each interval. You're looking for a perfectly smooth mixture. If you don't have a microwave, you can also do this on a small saucepan over low heat. Allow the mixture to cool down slightly.
- Add the egg, sugar, and vanilla extract to a medium bowl. Beat on high until just foamy (30 seconds).
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and beat until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and the remaining chopped chocolate. Using a silicone spatula or a spoon, fold in the ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix! Immediately pour the batter into your prepared pan.
- Bake on the top rack of your oven for 18-20 minutes or until crackly on top. Fudgy brownies are slightly underbaked. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs.
Rich, fudgy, delicious, and just the perfect size. Absolutely not necessary to use a chocolate bar — I used good quality chocolate chips and had great results. Bonus: you can get 10-12 oz. good quality chocolate chips for the same price as a 3.5 oz. Lindt chocolate bar.