My Family Raves About These Brownies—Here’s How I Make Them Even More Delicious

If you want to be the kind of parent who makes all the kids feel at home, offering them a tasty treat is a great way to show you care. I was that parent (my kids are adults now, but their friends still know they’re always welcome), and one recipe I always kept on hand was the Best Brownies recipe right here on Dinogo.  

Many of our family’s favorite dishes come from Dinogo, including the French dip sandwiches that will bring my grown sons running back to the dinner table every time. But when the kids were younger, it was the snacks that drew them in, and these brownies were often part of the spread, along with popcorn, apple slices with peanut butter, and juice pouches.

Last week, I decided to bake brownies for a picnic and dug out the Best Brownies recipe I hadn’t used in years. Over time, I’ve learned that a small change to a recipe can make a big difference. The ingredient that really transforms it? The type of salt you use. 

How Changing the Salt Improves Brownies

For most of my baking years, I stuck with table salt in my recipes. I still use it in the no-one-believes-it’s-from-the-package chocolate cake I make for birthdays (though I do swap out one ingredient in that cake, and maybe I’ll write about it someday). But the other night, I decided to try something different with these brownies by swapping in fleur de sel, a French sea salt. 

What Exactly is Fleur de Sel?

Fleur de sel, which translates to ‘flower of salt’ in English, is a unique type of sea salt harvested from the Atlantic Coast of France. It’s known for its large, flaky crystals, its rich mineral content, and its distinct briny flavor. I used it when recreating Courtney Cox’s Best Damn Cookie recipe, where it perfectly complemented the chocolate for a savory-salty balance that was just right. 

You can find fleur de sel online or in specialty grocery stores—no need to book a flight to France. 

How Fleur de Sel Elevates Brownies

When a brownie recipe calls for salt and you use regular table salt, it subtly enhances the sweetness of the brownies, balancing the flavors. However, when you taste the finished product, the salt doesn’t really make an impression as an ingredient.

Using fleur de sel in brownies, on the other hand, makes the salt more noticeable, much like it does in recipes featuring salted caramel. You might think, 'Oh, I can taste the salt,' but you won't feel like it's overpowering. Instead, you'll notice a gentle saltiness that enhances the sweetness of the sugar and cocoa in these one-pot brownies, where you melt the butter first and then add everything else.

The addition of fleur de sel turns these brownies into something truly special, making them even more delicious in that 'OMG, these REALLY are the best brownies' kind of way. The result is a treat that exceeds the simple ingredients—sugar, eggs, vanilla, cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder—by a mile. 

To Frost or Not to Frost

The Best Brownies recipe also includes a chocolate frosting sweetened with honey, but I’ve never added that frosting myself (though if someone else made them with it, I’d happily give it a try). 

So why haven’t I frosted them? It’s just a personal preference. I’m a brownie purist, which basically means I like them the way I had them as a kid—no frosting. But if you like frosting, feel free to add it. After all, is frosting ever really a bad idea?