Is there anything better than homemade brownies? I don’t think so, except for maybe these homemade small-batch brownies for two! If you’ve got a loaf pan and 27 minutes, you’ve got homemade small-batch thick and fudgy brownies!
First things first, let me give you fair warning here – this is going to be a very image-heavy post. I’m sorry, I can’t help it. There were literally so many beautiful photos of these brownies, I couldn’t decide, so I had to post them all. I hope your eyes are hungry!
Anyway, I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately, but over the past few weeks, I’ve baked about six pans of brownies! And if you know me at all, you know this is pure craziness because I’m 100% on team vanilla!
I have to admit though, prior to lately, the only brownies I made came from a box and while there’s nothing wrong with that, I really wanted to try to make a decent brownie from scratch. So I set aside my love of all things vanilla and went to the other side. I starting baking pan after pan of chocolate brownies.
Of course, I had a few fails…more like three, but then I struck gold! I baked THE BEST BROWNIES I’VE EVER EATEN! So what did I do next, you ask? I assumed it was some sort of fluke, I baked them again, and again, and then again one more time.
Nope, not a fluke, you guys. They’re the real deal; actual brownies with only 9 ingredients and in under 30 minutes!
As with every recipe of mine, these small-batch brownies for two are super simple to make, but there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind before you get started.
Tips for baking perfect small-batch brownies for two:
- The way you mix up these brownies matters, greatly. Just trust me, I learned this the hard way – always follow the directions.
- Lining the pan is also super important and will save your life when you try to remove the brownies out of the pan. Take the 3 minutes and line your loaf pan. Again, trust me here.
- The brownies will tell you when they’e done. I’m serious! They puff up slightly at the very end of the baking time, but the top will fall right around that 20 minute mark. If the top is flat, you can be assured they are probably done.
- Have the oven preheated and ready to go while you’re mixing everything up. You’ll want to get these brownies into the oven right away.
- Let the brownies cool, almost completely, before you lift them out and slice them up. These are a very fudgy brownie and if they’re too warm, they’ll be a huge mess when you try to cut them. Again, trust me. #eagerbeaver
Now let’s talk about these how good these brownies are. And, they are! They’re thick and super chocolatey; I think the melted chocolate is key. They have the perfect chewy, fudgy consistency on the inside with a slightly crunchy, crispy edge (my favorite). And guess what, brownie edge lovers? Because you bake these in a loaf pan, every single brownie is either an edge or a corner! Can I get a HECK YES!? …sorry middle brownie lovers.
As stated below, I cut these brownies into 8 (somewhat small slices), but you could very easily just cut them in half or into fourths. In fact, Jay said, “why are they so tiny?” to which I answered, “babe, they’re small-batch”, to which he responded “well, that’s dumb, you should double the recipe.” Oh boy. Haha!
So, of course, if small-batch isn’t your thing (Jay), you can double the recipe and bake it in an 8 x 8 pan, but I personally love the smaller size. Less guilt for me!
Now here’s the goods…
Small-batch Brownies For Two
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and set aside
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 TBS + 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips, melted smooth
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a loaf pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Melt butter in a small dish in the microwave and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, sea salt, and baking powder.
- Add egg and vanilla and stir.
- Add melted butter and mix until smooth.
- Fold in melted chocolate and stir until just combined.
- Pour batter into a prepared loaf pan and bake for 20-22 minutes, rotating halfway through. Brownies will puff up slightly as they bake, but the top will fall when they are done.
- Allow brownies to cool in the pan for 15-30 minutes. Lift out of the pan, slice, and serve.
- Store brownies in an airtight container for 3-4 days or freeze.
Nutrition
Chocolate lovers, you’ll definitely want to grab these other famous chocolate recipes too! Homestyle chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal dark chocolate chunk cookies!
I love baking small batch dessert recipes, so I couldn’t wait to try these brownies. They were delicious! I did end up eating them all, luckily they weren’t a huge batch. LOL!
Bwahahaha! Same! I ate them all too, they were so good I couldn’t help it. Glad you enjoyed them too!
First of all, these photos are gorgeous! And the brownies, well they’re not bad either. Great recipe. Easy to make and everyone devoured them. Thanks!
Oh gosh, thanks so much Jill! I do love the food photography. And I’m thrilled you loved the brownies too!
I saw these brownies on Pinterest and I was drooling! They tasted just as good as they look, if not a tiny bit better! So delicious, thanks!
Boom! I’m so glad they didn’t disappoint Jacqueline! They’re a favorite of mine too. xo
I love small-batch dessert recipes, so when I came across these brownies, I had to make them right away. Less than half an hour is the best and the brownies are wonderful! The perfect size.
I couldn’t agree with you more Julia! Small-batch sweets are near and dear to my heart. So glad you enjoyed them, thank you!
These brownies are the perfect, as I’m only baking for two people! Small sized recipes for the win!! These are delicious too, by the way!
Ah yes, I agree completely, they’re the perfect size! Thanks so much Noelle, glad you enjoyed them!
Those are the perfect fudgy brownies, but poor you having to test them so many times!! Haha!! They are so, so good, can’t wait to make these again!
Haha, yeah poor, poor me. I was really upset about it! Thank you so much, I’m glad you loved them!
Is it bad that these ended up being “brownies for one??” They were too good to resist!
Absolutely not! I fully support brownies for one, haha! Thank you so much, Jessica! xo
I just made these, and they are the absolute BEST brownies I’ve ever tasted in my life – very rich and so easy to make.
Thanks so much Mary! I totally agree with you, they are the best! xo
We love making brownies in our house, but I really loved the idea of small batch brownies! These were perfect for for a little nibble each and so yummy!
Thank you so much Marlynn! We do too and this way, there’s a lot less guilt. Haha! Glad you enjoyed them.
Love this recipe! The brownies taste wonderful and it’s perfect for when my husband and I just want a brownie, but not a million brownies!LOL
Yes, exactly Jennifer! I’m so glad you both enjoyed them and that size was just right! Winning at brownies!
I can’t wait to have a day off so I can try these. Love love brownies and these look amazing…. I so want to rate them already even before I make them…but I will definitely do the rating after making them and of course probably eating all of them 🙂
Hey Kari! Me too, I love me a good brownie, but I sure do love that these are only a few! Let me know what you think and as always, happy baking! xoxo
Can you sub bakers chocolate squares for cocoa and if so how much?
I have made these brownies twice in the last month! Perfect for two people 🙂
Love your photos by the way
Hi! These brownies look so good! I wanna try your recipe, but I don’t have sea salt. Will iodized salt work as well? Thanks!
Thank you for this fab recipe. These brownies are probably the fudgiest I’ve made and eaten. I also added some instant coffee powder and chopped in some pecan nuts. And love how this yields a small option. Will definitely make these again and again and again.