I Finally Found the Secret Ingredient to the Fudgiest Brownies Ever

4.8
(8)

Our test kitchen "fell in love" with this brownie recipe.

rich, fudgey, brownies made with sweented condensed milk, sprinkled with flaky salt and cut into 9 squares.
3
3
Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
45 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs
Servings:
9

If you are a fudgy brownie lover, look no further. This recipe uses a can of sweetened condensed milk to create the fudgiest brownie center that isn't too chewy or dry.

Tips For Making the Best Sweetened Condensed Brownies

  • Sweetened condensed milk: This can of sweet goo is essentially milk with added sugar that's been cooked down until it's thick and caramelized. It's this texture that contributes to, well, the gooiness of these brownies.
  • Melt the sugar and butter together: Dissolving the sugar completely into the butter before mixing in the other ingredients is the key to getting that shiny, crackly crust on top of the brownies. We do this on the stovetop, but you can also do it in a microwave whisking between 30-second intervals.
  • Dark chocolate chips: Slightly bitter dark chocolate helps balance out the sweetness in these brownies. Most of it gets melted into the batter for supreme richness, but stirring in some whole chips adds melty bursts of chocolate to each bite.
  • Flaky sea salt: This is an optional garnish, but sprinkling some flaky sea salt on top helps bring out the flavor of the chocolate and it looks nice, too. To get the salt to stick to the brownies, sprinkle it on when batter is still a little wet, about 10 minutes before baking is done.

Editorial contributions by Devon O'Brien

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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 9 servings

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

  • 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips, divided 

  • Cooking spray

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 2/3 cup all purpose flour

  • 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

  • 1 tsp kosher salt

  • Flaky sea salt, for garnish

Directions

  1. Gather ingredients. Position a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 350°F.

    all ingredients to make brownies with condensed milk gathered in small bowls on a marble countertop

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted and started to bubble, add sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has melted, about 45 seconds. 

    butter being melted over medium-low heat in a small sauce pan.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  3. Remove from the pan from the heat and add sweetened condensed milk and 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Stir until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour into a large heat-proof bowl and set aside to cool slightly, about 2 minutes.

    sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips added to butter mixture and stirred until smooth

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  4. Meanwhile, spray an 8- x 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper leaving a slight overhang over the edges. Lightly spray the parchment with cooking spray. 

    an 8x8 baking pan has been sprayed with non-stick spray and lined with parchment paper

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  5. Add 1 of the eggs to the warm melted chocolate mixture, and whisk vigorously to ensure the egg tempers and doesn’t scramble. Whisk for about 20 seconds until fully incorporated before adding the remaining 1 egg, whisking until fully incorporated. Whisk in vanilla extract.

    eggs and vanilla whisked vigorously into chocolate mixture.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  6. Add flour, cocoa powder, and kosher salt to the batter and stir to combine using a rubber spatula. Fold in the remaining 1/3 cup chocolate chips. 

    additional chocolate chips stirred into brownie batter

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  7. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and place on the upper third rack of the preheated oven.

    brownie batter poured into prepare baking pan.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  8.  Bake until the brownies appear to be just set, the top appears slightly shiny but not wet to the touch, and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out mostly clean, 40 to 45 minutes, sprinkling with flaky sea salt, if desired, after 30 minutes. 

    baked brownies, sprinkled with flaky salt, cooling in the baking pan.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  9. Remove from the oven, and place the pan on a wire rack to cool for 1 hour. 

    brownies, still in baking pan, cooling on a wire rack.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  10. Use the overhanging parchment paper to lift the brownies out of pan, and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 8 pieces. Serve warm or at room temperature.

    cooled brownies cut into 9 squares on a wooden cutting board.

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

574 Calories
30g Fat
69g Carbs
9g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 9
Calories 574
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 30g 38%
Saturated Fat 18g 89%
Cholesterol 104mg 35%
Sodium 304mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 69g 25%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 55g
Protein 9g 19%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 195mg 15%
Iron 4mg 24%
Potassium 390mg 8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.