Potato Chip Brownies

Yes, potato chips in brownies. It sounds like a dare, but the salty crunch of crushed chips against rich, fudgy chocolate is one of those combinations that just clicks. Think of it like a chocolate-covered pretzel, but baked right into the brownie itself.

The base here is a classic from-scratch brownie. Melted unsweetened chocolate and butter give it that dense, fudgy texture, and well-beaten eggs with sugar create the signature crackly top. The chips get folded in last, so they stay in larger pieces that you can actually taste and feel in every bite.

Crush the chips, but not to dust. You want irregular pieces, some the size of a fingernail, some smaller. That variation in texture is what makes each bite interesting. Powder-fine chips just dissolve into the batter and you lose the whole point.

Kitchen Tips

• Use plain salted chips. Flavored chips (barbecue, sour cream) compete with the chocolate instead of complementing it. Kettle-cooked chips hold their crunch better than thin, standard chips.
• Cut while still warm. These brownies firm up as they cool, and warm brownies cut cleaner with less cracking along the edges.
• Don’t overbake. Pull them when a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs, not clean. The chips add salt that intensifies if the brownies dry out.

Variations

• Ridged chips add even more crunch and create little pockets that hold melted chocolate.
• Top with flaky sea salt right out of the oven to double down on the sweet-salty contrast.