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Chewy Brownies with Salted Ganache Glaze

5 from 9 community reviews

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This recipe makes a batch of intensely moist, melt-in-your-mouth brownies, glazed with a layer of creamy chocolate ganache and crunchy sea salt flakes — they remind me of a decadent chocolate truffle. If you’re in the fudgy, chewy brownie camp rather than the cakey one, these are for you!

Slices of moist, iced brownies on a cutting board, with a knife, bowl of salt, and metal mixing bowl in the background.
Cut these rich and gooey brownies into small squares.

I originally posted this recipe in 2017, but I recently re-tested it, and can confirm that these lush brownies are the stuff of your chocolate dreams: Moist, rich and deeply chocolatey. Whenever I crave a dense, fudge-like brownie, these are the ones I make.

To fancy them up, I glaze the brownies with a creamy chocolate ganache, and a sprinkle of sparkling flaky sea salt as a finishing touch. However, they’re more than satisfying just sliced and served plain.

Key ingredients for chewy brownies

Ingredients for baking a batch of brownies, including bowls of brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, flour, vanilla extract, and a stick of butter.
  • Chocolate: You won’t need cocoa powder for these brownies. The key to their velvety texture is simply using good dark chocolate, which has a higher percentage of fat than cocoa. You can chop a block of chocolate by hand, but I like the convenience of buying chocolate in discs or chunks (and cuts down on prep time).
  • Flour: Like so many other brownie lovers, I am inspired by the classic gooey brownie recipe that’s credited to Katherine Hepburn — the story goes that she would bake them with a minimal amount of flour, or skip it altogether. I like brownies with a small amount of all-purpose flour as a binder so they’re not too wet after baking.
  • Sugar: I use an equal mixture of granulated white and light brown sugar. Replacing some of the total sugar in a brownie recipe with brown sugar makes brownies that have more of a soft, tender crumb, because the molasses in the brown sugar adds moisture, as well as a deeper flavor.
  • Eggs: You’ll need three large eggs.
  • Butter: Use one stick of unsalted butter cut into chunks — it will melt more evenly.
  • Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract balances the flavor of chocolate, especially dark chocolate, which is naturally bitter.
  • Flaky salt: Flaky salt adds an amazing spark to anything you sprinkle it on, but it’s absolutely wonderful in desserts. A small amount of salt counterpoints the sugar in the best way. I’m a fan of Maldon salt, which is readily available in grocery stores.

Steps for making the brownie batter:

Ganache frosting:

I use an equal ratio of chocolate to cream so that’s spreadable when warm, and a small amount of corn syrup for extra shine. I chill the brownies before glazing so it sets quickly.

Sliced brownie squares on a slate board, topped with chocolate ganache frosting and flaked sea salt.

Chewy Brownies with Salted Ganache Glaze

Karen Tedesco
This recipe makes a batch of intensely moist, melt-in-your-mouth brownies, glazed with a layer of creamy chocolate ganache and crunchy sea salt flakes — they remind me of a decadent chocolate truffle. If you're in the moist and chewy brownie camp rather than the cakey one, these are for you!
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5 from 9 community reviews
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Cooling time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours
Course Desserts
Cuisine American
Servings 16 brownie bars

Ingredients

Brownie batter

  • 8 tablespoons (120 g) unsalted butter, sliced into 6-8 pieces
  • 8 ounces (225 g) dark chocolate baking discs, or an equal amount of chocolate bars, chopped
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ½ cup (110 g) brown sugar
  • ½ cup (120 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (70 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Ganache glaze:

  • ½ cup (125 ml) heavy cream
  • ½ cup (80 g) dark chocolate, chopped (3 ounces)
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) corn syrup
  • Flaked salt, such as Maldon

Instructions 

Make the brownie batter

  • Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with 2 sheets of overhanging parchment paper.
  • Put the chocolate and butter slices in a small saucepan and place over medium-low heat. When the chocolate begins to melt, turn the heat down to low, and stir until the mixture is smooth. Cool 10 minutes.
  • In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and both sugars until thickened and creamy, about 5 minutes at medium-high speed.  Add the vanilla and chocolate mixture and stir until blended. Add the flour and the salt and stir just to incorporate the flour.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes, or until the brownie edges are firm and the center is still slightly soft. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Carefully remove the brownie in one slab using the parchment as a handle, and wrap in plastic wrap. (If it's seems fragile, keep it in the pan, or invert over a flat plate or cutting board to avoid cracking the brownie). Refrigerate until cold, at least an hour.

Make the ganache glaze

  • Put the ½ cup of chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Place the cream in a small saucepan over low heat. As soon as the cream starts to simmer and bubble, pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit 30 seconds. Add the corn syrup and stir until completely smooth.
  • Set the brownie slab on a rack over a large piece of parchment or waxed paper. Pour ganache over the center of the slab and gently spread to the sides.  
  • Let set about 1 hour. Lightly sprinkle the flaky salt over the brownie, then cut into bars. To make clean cuts, see my tip below.
  • Store the brownies at room temperature. If room temperature in your home is warmer than 70 degrees (21C), it's better to store them in the refrigerator. They'll keep about 5 days.

Karen’s Notes and Tips

  • Tip: To make clean cuts when dividing into bars, use a sharp knife heated under hot running water. Wipe the blade with a towel after each cut.
  • Use a semisweet chocolate if you prefer a sweeter brownie.
  • The brownies are very chocolatey and satisfying without the ganache, so feel free to skip that step.
  • Brownies can be frozen up to 3 months.  

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 22mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 334IU | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

Recipe developer Karen Tedesco of the popular website Familystyle Food in her kitchen making a kale salad.

Hey, I’m Karen

Creator of Familystyle Food

I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.

5 from 9 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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23 Comments

  1. Hey, I’m not sure what I did wrong, but the brownies are not baking. They’ve been in the oven for about 40 minutes and still nothing. Only a hard shell on the top.

    1. Sorry you’re having trouble with the brownies.
      They should be a bit gooey in the middle, and will firm up after you take them out of the oven and let them cool.
      Also, do you have an oven thermometer? You can check to see if your oven runs a bit cooler.
      Hope that helps – let me know!

  2. 5 stars
    oh I remember how good these were — I guess it’s time to make them again! XO