ChefSteps is a team of chefs, writers, and food lovers who develop recipes, techniques, and guides to help people cook better at home.

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What makes a brownie, a brownie? The combination of chocolate, flour, sugar, eggs, and some kind of fat seems so simple, but is actually incredibly complex. From fluffy and cake-like to dense and fudgy, the brownie universe is nearly boundless. To uncover the mysteries of scratch-made brownies, we scoured the internet and cookbooks, and baked batch after batch of the most popular recipes from these ten trusted sources. We wanted to explore the diversity of brownies in-depth and not simply test the same version ten times. So, we thoughtfully chose recipes that showcase various mixing methods, textures, and flavor profiles, and utilize a variety of chocolate types and quantities. Some recipes involve a creaming method while others use an egg foam technique. Matthew Woolen’s brownie has a ganache icing, while Bo Friberg’s includes nuts and raisins. Stella Park’s BraveTart brownie is rich with brown butter and espresso powder, while Alton Brown’s is actually baked twice! Like our <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/guides-tools/the-ultimate-guide-to-chocolate-chip-cookies-behold-the-cookie-calculator">journey to create</a> the ultimate average chocolate chip cookie, we created a parametric chart for brownies that compares the foundational ingredients and inclusions in each of these recipes.We also calculated (and baked) the average, but discovered that—unlike the <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/recipes/the-ultimate-guide-to-chocolate-chip-cookies-when-average-equals-amazing">ultimate average cookie</a>—an average brownie was just that ... average. So, we took what we learned here and leveled up to develop the <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/recipes/ultimate-chocolate-caramel-brownie">Ultimate Rich as F*¢K Brownie</a> recipe. So, whether you like your brownies cakey or fudgy, swirled with peanut butter or <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/recipes/ultimate-chocolate-caramel-brownie">caramel sauce</a>, studded with extra chocolate chips or chopped walnuts, you’ll find some great brownie-baking inspiration below. You can also check out the <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/the-ultimate-guide-to-brownies-understanding-the-ingrediets-and-process">building blocks of a great brownie</a> to learn how to swap ingredients or try new techniques to create your own ultimate recipe.