Microwave Brownies

Twenty minutes from start to finish, including cooling time. These brownies use real unsweetened chocolate melted with butter in the microwave, not cocoa powder, which gives them a deeper, more intense chocolate flavor and a fudgier texture than most quick brownie recipes.

The wax paper lining is essential for microwave brownies. Without it, the batter fuses to the glass dish and you’ll never get clean squares. Butter the paper so the brownies release without tearing.

Melting the chocolate and butter together on high for three minutes combines them into a smooth, glossy base. Stir once halfway through to prevent hot spots from scorching the chocolate on the edges. The eggs and sugar get beaten separately until creamy before everything comes together with the sifted flour, salt, and baking powder.

Rotating the dish a quarter turn three times during the eight-and-a-half-minute cook evens out the microwave’s hot spots. Without rotating, you’ll get overcooked edges and a raw center. The brownies will look slightly underdone when the timer goes off. That’s correct. They continue cooking as they cool in the dish.

Kitchen Tips

• Use an 8×8 glass dish, not ceramic or plastic. Glass distributes microwave energy more evenly.
• Beat the eggs and sugar until genuinely creamy, not just mixed. This incorporates air and gives the brownies a slightly lighter texture.
• Don’t overbake. Microwave brownies go from fudgy to dry in about 30 seconds. Pull them when the surface still looks slightly moist.
• Cool completely in the dish before removing the wax paper and cutting. Warm microwave brownies crumble badly.

Variations

• Use walnuts instead of pecans for a milder, less buttery nut flavor.
• Stir in a handful of chocolate chips for pockets of melted chocolate throughout.
• Add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the chocolate-butter melt for a mocha brownie.