Note to self: don’t even try to set about tackling an iconic dessert recipe like One Bowl Brownies without digging in for the long haul of recipe testing. The recipe itself, couldn’t be more simple. After all you only need one bowl to make it, but perfecting the rich dense and fudgy texture with that perfect shiny top, THAT was another story.

I have been testing this recipe for six weeks. It may or may not have turned me gray overnight. That is a secret between me and my hair stylist. And I have to say that I was going to tell you all about it, and how I tested it and even chatted with my fellow food science lover Chef Becca to try to figure out how to make it uber dense and fudgy, but after testing this so many times, I barely want to look at it anymore. Much less spout off for 500 words about it. They’re great don’t get me wrong. It’s not them, its me.

So I’m just gonna give you the quick and dirty Cooks Notes instead.

Cooks Notes for One Bowl Brownies:

I ended up settling on a cooler oven temp so that they would not rise as much, yielding a richer texture. I also ended up increasing the sugar a bit to make them shinier on top (this was upon the recommendation of Chef Becca. Thanks friend! That worked!)

Err on the side of slightly under-baking them (28 minutes) if you like a fudgier result. Or let them bake the entire 32 minutes for them to set up completely for a slightly more cakey result. It is normal for the center to fall ever so slightly if you are on the short end of the scale.

I did test these with maple sugar (I just had to!!) and they browned a bit too much on the edges. If you’re okay with that, and you prefer to use a natural sweetener, then I say go for it. The chocolate does overpower the maple flavor.

These one bowl brownies are super chocolatey and dense. Way more so than the healthy ones I have shared in the past. Once they are cool, cut them into 16 brownies for portion control. See nutrition facts below.