- 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (divided (45g))
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter ((57g))
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar ((100g))
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour ((40g))
- 1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder ((25g))
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
6-inch round cake pan
Microwave-safe bowl
Silicone spatula
Prep the panYou butter the bottom and sides of the six-inch round cake pan generously, then cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the bottom. The butter holds the parchment in place and the parchment ensures the brownies release cleanly after cooling. Skipping the parchment and relying on butter alone produces brownies that sometimes stick and break apart when you lift them from the pan. Melt the chocolate and butterYou place half the chocolate chips and all of the butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave in thirty-second increments, stirring after each interval, until the mixture melts into a smooth, glossy liquid. You stop microwaving as soon as the chocolate and butter combine smoothly, because an extra thirty seconds pushes chocolate past its melting point into a seized, grainy texture that no stirring corrects. Mix the batterYou whisk the granulated sugar, egg, and vanilla extract into the melted chocolate mixture until the batter looks uniform and slightly glossy. You add the all-purpose flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, and salt and stir with the spatula until no dry streaks remain. You fold in the remaining chocolate chips if you want pockets of melted chocolate in every bite. You transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top flat with the spatula. A few minor surface imperfections disappear during baking. A note on the brownie mix in air fryer methodFor nights when mixing a batter from scratch feels like too many steps, a standard boxed brownie mix in air fryer works with the same pan size and temperature. You prepare the mix according to package directions, pour the batter into the six-inch pan, and follow the same timing and temperature guidelines in this recipe. The from-scratch version in this article produces a richer, more complex flavor, but the brownie mix in air fryer shortcut delivers a genuinely good result in even less time. Preheat and bakeYou preheat the air fryer to 330°F by running it empty for three minutes if it has no dedicated preheat function. You place the filled pan in the basket using tongs so the hot metal sides of the basket do not burn your knuckles. You cook the brownies for fifteen minutes, checking at the twelve-minute mark. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with fudgy batter, not dry crumbs. Fudgy batter on the toothpick means the brownies are done and will firm up as they cool. A completely clean toothpick means you have overbaked them slightly. The edges look set and the top shows a matte, slightly crackled surface when the timing is right. Cool before cuttingYou let the brownies cool in the pan for at least thirty minutes before running a knife around the edge and lifting them out by the parchment. Cutting hot brownies compresses the layers and produces collapsed, messy squares that stick to the knife. Cold brownies cut into clean squares with a sharp knife pulled straight down rather than dragged through the surface.
