Brownies are the ultimate comfort bake, sweet and chocolatey like a cake but much more moist and fudgy than your average chocolate sponge. With the right recipe, brownies are simple to make too, whether you're a seasoned baker or just starting out. And they don't get much easier than this formula that calls for no chocolate at all.

You can have a batch of delicious brownies ready to go in 15 minutes, according to Sarah at AllRecipes, who says her brownies are "the best in the world" thanks to two substitutions: using cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate and oil instead of butter.

AllRecipes fans who have tried the brownie recipe, which yields 16 brownie squares, rave about the results, calling them "fabulous" and "great for a late craving".

Suggested tweaks include substituting some of the white sugar for brown sugar and mixing the dry ingredients in a separate bowl beforehand.

Many recipe testers suggest decreasing the temperature by 25C, or taking them out of the oven a little earlier for a gooey texture.

Brownies recipe

Ingredients

• 200g white sugar
• 120ml vegetable oil
• One tsp vanilla extract
• Two large eggs
• 65g plain flour
• 30g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 60g chopped walnuts (optional)

How to make brownies

Weigh out all of your ingredients, then preheat the oven to 175C and grease a nine-inch square baking pan. If you have greaseproof paper, line it with it.

Metal pans, particularly aluminium, are preferred because they conduct heat more evenly, ensuring a more consistent and even bake.

For the brownie mixture, combine the sugar, oil and vanilla together in a medium-sized bowl. Beat in the eggs until well combined.

Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.

Gradually stir the dry mixture into egg mixture until well blended. Stir in walnuts if using. You can add chocolate chips at this point too, if you have them going spare.

Spread the prepared brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake the brownies in the preheated oven until the mixture begins to pull away from the edges of the pan, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Leave the brownies to cool in the tin for a while, then transfer from the tin onto a wire rack. Once cooled, cut the brownie into 16 even-sized squares.