The Best Quick & Easy Brownies

So, I was really just looking for a very quick brownie recipe (criteria: no butter and one bowl only!) when I stumbled across this one. I gave it a try without super high expectations, but these were amazing! They were so easy to make and came out like a true, classic brownie: soft and gooey in the middle if you take them out at the right time, chewy edges, and a glossy, crackly top!

I chose to use chocolate chunks as a mix-in (brownies just seem incomplete without them!) and served them with a drizzle of store-bought caramel sauce over the top and a few flakes of sea salt. (I swear, don't sleep on the caramel sauce + sea salt combo - this also goes AMAZINGLY on ice cream. A new personal favorite!) And because I like my brownies to be quite fudgy inside, I watched them closely and took them out once it looked like the top layer had set. As you can see, they didn't quite get to the point of full structural integrity - which is just what I was looking for :)

The Best Brownies

adapted from Food.com

Ingredients

1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄3 cup cocoa powder
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chunks or other mix-ins if desired

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Mix oil and sugar until well blended.
3. Add eggs and vanilla; stir just until blended.
4. Add all dry ingredients into the oil/sugar mixture and stir to combine.
5. Pour batter into a greased 8x8" square pan. (If you double the recipe, you can use a 9x13" pan.)
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the sides just start to pull away from the pan. Keep an eye on it if you like your brownies fudgy!
7. Let cool before cutting.

The options to dress these up are infinite, but there's also plenty to enjoy with them on their own! If you're looking for a quick and simple chocolate fix, I definitely recommend giving this recipe a shot :)