• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
Celebrating Sweets
  • All Recipes
  • Dessert
    • Brownies & Bars
    • Cake & Cupcakes
    • Cookies
    • Ice Cream/Frozen Desserts
    • Pies & Tarts
  • Drinks & Cocktails
  • Main Dishes
  • Breakfast
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Fall Favorites
  • Holiday Recipes
  • Drinks & Cocktails
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
×

Home » Brownies & Bars » Small Batch Brownies

Small Batch Brownies

Published: Jan 17, 2023 by Allison · 30 Comments

  • Share
  • Email
Jump to Recipe

This small batch brownie recipe is perfect for when a chocolate craving hits. The brownies are assembled in one bowl and baked in a loaf pan or muffin pan. This easy recipe produces six fudgy and moist brownies in about 30 minutes.

Small batch baking is great when you don’t want leftovers sitting around and you are short on ingredients. These brownies join our Small Batch Vanilla Cupcakes and Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies as some of our favorite small batch recipes.

Squares of brownies next to a towel tea towel and a glass of milk.
Jump to:
  • Why you’ll love this recipe
  • Recipe overview
  • Recipe tips
  • Pan sizes and bake times
  • Serving and storage
  • More brownie recipes
  • Recipe

Why you’ll love this recipe

Flavor and texture: These brownies bake up moist, soft, fudgy, and chewy.

Small ingredient list: You only need eight ingredients, which are all pantry staples.

One bowl: No need to dirty a bunch of dishes, this batter comes together in one mixing bowl.

Two pan sizes: Choose from a 9×5 loaf pan or a muffin pan.

Closeup of a fudgy brownie with a glass of milk in the background.

Recipe overview

*Full recipe is below in the recipe card.*

  1. Add butter, chocolate chips, and sugar to a microwave safe bowl and microwave until the butter and chocolate is melted.
  2. Whisk in egg, water, and vanilla.
  3. Whisk in cocoa powder, flour, powdered sugar, and salt.
  4. Stir in chocolate chips.
  5. Pour batter into a greased 9×5 loaf pan or 6 standard muffin-cups. Bake!
Collage of how to make small batch brownies (batter in a bowl and in a loaf pan and muffin pan).

Recipe tips

  • Do not overbake. These brownies should be removed from the oven when they are dry on top and as soon as a toothpick inserted into the center comes out without thin raw batter on it (moist/fudgy/melted chocolate is ok).
  • Don’t skip the chocolate chips! The chocolate chips help to make these brownies super chocolaty. Use semisweet, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate chips. Note that the sweetness of the brownies will vary based on how sweet your chocolate chips are.
  • These brownies are best served slightly warm. Allow them to cool down before slicing and removing from the pan.
Closeup of half a brownie with melted chocolate inside.

Pan sizes and bake times

9×5 Loaf pan: If using a loaf pan be sure it is 9×5. A larger loaf pan will produce brownies that are quite thin. If your loaf pan is a bit smaller you will likely need to add a few minutes to the bake time. My 9×5 pan is glass, if yours is metal you will likely need to add a few minutes to the bake time.

Standard muffin pan: This batter is enough to fill six standard sized muffin cups. Be sure to grease them well.

Bake time for the loaf pan will be longer than the muffin pan. Don’t have either of those pans? Ty our Homemade Brownies (in an 8×8) or our Brownie in a Mug.

Stack of two brownies topped with vanilla ice cream.

Serving and storage

Serve brownies warm alongside a glass of milk or with ice cream.

Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

More brownie recipes

  • Coffee Brownies
  • M&M Brownies
  • Brownie Pie
  • Cookie Dough Brownies

Recipe

Closeup of a brownie next to a knife

Small Batch Brownies

This small batch brownie recipe is perfect for when a chocolate craving hits. The brownies are assembled in one bowl and baked in a loaf pan or muffin pan. This easy recipe produces six fudgy and moist brownies in about 30 minutes.
4.80 from 10 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved!
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 26 minutes
Total Time: 36 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 285kcal
Author: Allison – Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons chocolate chips*, divided
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • generous ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ cup all purpose flour**
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • couple pinches salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with foil or parchment paper leaving a couple inches overhang, grease the foil/parchment. OR grease the cavities of a 6-count standard sized muffin pan.
  • Place the butter, 2-tablespoons chocolate chips, and sugar in a medium-sized microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 seconds increments, stirring well in between, until the butter and chocolate are melted. Allow the mixture to cool down for a couple minutes.
  • Add the egg, water, and vanilla and whisk for one whole minute. Add the cocoa, flour, powdered sugar, and salt and whisk until combined. Tap all of the excess batter off the whisk and remove it from the bowl. Stir in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
  • Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan or divide between 6 muffin cups. Bake the loaf pan for 25-30 minutes and the muffin pan for 15-20, until a toothpick inserted just outside the center comes out with moist fudgy crumbs but no thin raw batter (see note on bake time***).
  • Place the pan on a wire rack to cool. We like these best served warm. They will firm up as they cool.

Notes

*Use semisweet, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate chips. Note that the sweetness of the brownies will vary based on how sweet your chocolate chips are.
**To properly measure flour: whisk the flour to lighten it, lightly scoop a heaping portion and level it off with the back of a knife. 
***Be sure not to overbake. They will continue cooking as they cool. Do your toothpick test just outside of the center of the brownies. If using a loaf pan be sure it is 9×5. A larger loaf pan will produce brownies that are quite thin. If your loaf pan is a bit smaller you will likely need to add a few minutes to the bake time. My 9×5 pan is glass, if yours is metal you will likely need to add a few minutes to the bake time. 

Nutrition

Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 123mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 278IU | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!

Recipe updated January 2023 to make the brownies a bit thicker.

« Blueberry Buttermilk Pancake Casserole
Peanut Butter Bars »

Never Miss a Recipe

Get NEW POSTS delivered to your inbox!

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Breanna Fryman

    September 16, 2020 at 7:08 am

    4 stars
    I can eat two whole batches to myself oven is already preheating they sound so good can’t wait …

    Reply
  2. Lindsey

    October 22, 2020 at 8:58 pm

    5 stars
    I made this recipe with maple syrup instead of vanilla (I had already mixed everything until that point before realizing we were out!) and used dark baking chocolate chips and they were DELICIOUS. I was skeptical bc they seemed thin. I only baked for about 15 minutes. Next time I’ll use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but it was amazing for what I had in the pantry!

    Reply
    • Allison

      October 23, 2020 at 1:38 pm

      I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Natalie George

    November 24, 2020 at 7:20 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely amazing!!!!

    Reply
    • Allison

      November 25, 2020 at 6:09 am

      I’m glad you enjoyed them. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  4. SK

    January 23, 2021 at 3:45 pm

    5 stars
    Best recipe for bonding with kiddo! My 7 yo and I make these weekly as our fun, joyful activity. Love the ease and taste of the recipe, including the checklist of ingredients! My kiddo can do almost everything herself with how well written it is. I love fudge brownies and she loves soft ones with edges, so this loaf pan satisfies us both incredibly well. The small batch ensures we don’t overindulge beyond a day or two — and then we can make more for connection and chatting about our weeks!

    Reply
    • Allison

      January 25, 2021 at 11:03 am

      What a great idea! I love getting my kids into the kitchen, too. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy baking!

      Reply
  5. Sof

    February 13, 2021 at 3:14 pm

    Heyy! I’ve never made brownies before but I’m excited to make these for valentines tomorrow X
    Just wondering how much 4 tablespoons of butter would be in grams??

    Reply
    • Allison

      February 16, 2021 at 10:59 am

      I believe it is about 56 grams.

      Reply
  6. Connie D

    February 17, 2021 at 10:58 am

    5 stars
    I made these this morning. We are in the middle of an ice storm and the power can go off any minute so I started baking and cooking up some things just in case. These brownies were delicious and quick to mix up!

    Reply
    • Allison

      February 19, 2021 at 11:46 am

      I’m glad you enjoyed them. Stay safe!

      Reply
  7. Kristin

    October 18, 2021 at 8:05 pm

    My 11 year old daughter baked up a batch of these all by herself. They were VERY good and moist. She even melted all of the chocolate chips with the butter by accident and they still turned out very well. 🙂 They did take a little longer in the oven though, a full 25 min. But she might not have started the timer right on time either. 😉

    Reply
    • Allison

      October 19, 2021 at 10:27 am

      Yay! I love that she is in the kitchen baking. I’m glad you enjoyed them. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
« Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

About

aboutHi, I'm Allison! I'm a busy wife and mom with a passion for cooking and baking. This is where you'll find my favorite homemade recipes, designed to help you make every day delicious! Read more....

Dessert Recipes

Chocolate cookies covered in red and pink sprinkles topped with chocolate hearts.

Valentine Cookies

Three chocolate cookies stacked on a white plate.

Chocolate Cookies

Berries topped with cake and a scoop of ice cream on a white plate.

Warm Berry Cake

Stack of slices of cranberry cake on a grey plate.

Almond Cranberry Cake

Two sugar cookie bars topped with pink frosting and sprinkles stacked on top of each other.

Sugar Cookie Bars

Closeup of blueberry cobbler topped with ice cream.

Blueberry Cobbler

More Dessert Recipes...

Popular Recipes:

Baked french toast on a plate

Cinnamon Vanilla Baked French Toast

Stack of banana bread slices on a white plate.

Easy Banana Bread Recipe

Closeup of an M&M cookie topped with chocolate chips and M&M's.

Soft and Chewy M&M Cookies

Stack of three peanut butter bars.

Peanut Butter Bars

Stack of almond croissants on a white plate.

Almond Croissants (shortcut recipe)

Closeup of a pumpkin muffin on a wire rack topped with icing.

Pumpkin Muffins

More Popular Recipes...

Never Miss a Recipe

Get NEW POSTS delivered to your inbox!

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.
Logo for country living, food network, buzzfeed, msn, delish, good housekeeping

Footer

Connect With Me

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Copyright 2013-2022 Celebrating Sweets

All images and content are copyright protected. Please contact me for permission to use my original images. If you want to republish a recipe, please re-write it in your own words, or link back to my post for the recipe.