Katharine Hepburn’s Brilliant Trick for the Best Brownies

A batch of brownies is almost always a welcome treat, no matter the occasion, so it’s no surprise that they’re one of my favorite things to bake and bring to a casual dinner party, monthly game night, or summer potluck. I’ve made my fair share of brownies over the years—both homemade and from my favorite boxed mix—but never has a recipe surprised me as much as Katharine Hepburn’s.

Published in the New York Times shortly after the actress’s death in 2003, it’s now one of the newspaper’s most popular recipes ever. I tend towards skepticism when it comes to online ratings, but when I stumbled across this recipe and saw a staggering 11,000 five-star reviews, I figured there was no way that many people could be wrong. And boy, was I right.

Katharine Hepburn’s brownies are fudgy but not sticky, rich but not overwhelming, dense but not heavy, and incredibly easy to make. With a few small tweaks, it’s safe to say that I’ve found my new favorite way to bake up a batch of brownies.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

So what makes these brownies 11,000-five-star-ratings good? It comes down to the balance of two main ingredients that are the key to a fudgy texture and rich flavor: flour and cocoa powder.

This recipe calls for very little flour—just a quarter of a cup—which is enough to bind the ingredients together but not so much as to risk a cakey brownie. The cocoa powder allows the recipe to keep the amount of flour low while ensuring a rich chocolate flavor and an extra-tender texture.

The flour and cocoa powder work together harmoniously to create a moist and fudgy brownie that not only tastes delicious but renders melted chocolate unnecessary.

How I Make Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Add 1/2 cup (eight tablespoons or one stick) unsalted butter to a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in 1/2 cup cocoa powder; I suggest using the highest quality cocoa powder you can find (I personally like Dutch-process). Once this mixture is smooth, remove from the heat and transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool slightly.

In the meantime, whisk 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt together in a bowl. Katharine’s original recipe calls for “a pinch of salt,” but since everyone’s idea of a pinch is different, I use 1/2 teaspoon to balance the sweetness and richness without being overtly salty.

Grease an 8-inch square (preferably aluminum) baking pan with butter and line it with a strip of parchment paper, letting it hang over two sides. Lining the pan is not called for in the original recipe, but it will really help you get these fudgy brownies out of the pan, so I highly recommend it.

Crack one egg into the cocoa-butter mixture and whisk well to combine. Crack in another egg along with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and (another of my tweaks) 1/2 tablespoon espresso powder and whisk until completely smooth. Fold in the dry ingredients and 1 cup of roughly chopped, toasted walnuts.

Pour the batter into your greased and lined pan. Bake for about 30 minutes. Let cool completely at room temperature before slicing and serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze in a resealable freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost frozen brownies overnight in the fridge or on the counter before serving.

No Shiny Top?

To many people, the sign of a good brownie is a shiny, crackly top, which is achieved by whipping air into the eggs and sugar. While I appreciate a shiny brownie just as much as the next person, Katharine Hepburn’s brownies do not have it. If you think that’s a deal breaker, I beg you to give them a try anyway—you might be surprised at how they’ll change your mind.