One-bowl Small

One bowl, 5 minutes prep, and 8 ingredients are all you need to make these super quick, easy, and delicious small-batch brownies.

That’s right, I said brownies. (We’ll try fugu some other time, you crazy adrenaline junkies.)

Why are these cute little triangles of chocolate goodness so dangerous? Because they are completely irresistible and way, way, WAY too easy to make.

Picture of small-batch brownies cut into triangles. - 1

Picture of small-batch brownies cut into triangles. - 2

Quick and Easy Small-batch Brownies

These are my current favorite brownies in all the world, dense and incredibly chocolatey, with lightly crispy edges and fudgy centers. (Depending on the level of fudginess you prefer, you can under-bake them for max brownie gooeyness, which is always an excellent option in my book.)

This small-batch brownie recipe makes just four to eight brownies depending on how you want to cut them, so you can go wild experimenting (or not!) knowing that you’re making just enough to indulge without over indulging.

Ingredient Notes

Melted and slightly cooled salted butter: I call for salted butter here, but if you typically use unsalted butter, not a problem, just add 1/8 teaspoon table salt. After melting your butter, be sure to let it cool slightly so it’s no longer hot to the touch. Butter that’s too warm can scramble your eggs and leave little eggy bits in your brownies.
Not a lot of all-purpose flour: Yes, this recipe really does call for just 1/4 cup of flour. It’s not a typo. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but for this recipe, it’s plenty. Your brownies will come out beautiful and perfect, I promise.

How to Make a Small-batch of Brownies

Start by greasing and lining a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. I like to use a loaf pan and get thinner brownies because it makes me feel like I’m getting more brownie for my caloric buck, but if you don’t own a loaf pan, you can also bake them in a 7×5-inch baking dish and just extend the baking time a little.
In a medium bowl, mix butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla until well mixed.
Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, and stir until just combined.

Photo of small-batch brownie batter mixed and in a loaf pan. - 3

Photo of small-batch brownie batter mixed and in a loaf pan. - 4

Transfer the mixture to your baking dish and bake until done.
Slice into squares or triangles and enjoy!!

Brownie Variations

And good as they are on their own, these brownies are also a perfect blank chocolate canvas to throw other things at.

Frost (cooled) brownies with Chocolate Frosting, Vanilla Frosting , Cream Cheese Frosting , or maybe Oreo Frosting , and top with sprinkles.
Add some peanut butter and make Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies .
Top still-warm brownies with a scoop of ice cream and Chocolate Sauce , Caramel Sauce , Fudge Sauce or Peanut Butter Sauce and Whipped Cream to make a brownie ice cream sundae.

How to store brownies?

Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh for 3 to 4 days.

Can I freeze these brownies?

Yes! Brownies freeze very well. Store them in the freezer in an airtight container or freezer bag for up two months. They can be eaten frozen right out of the freezer or set them on a plate at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before eating.

Can I double this recipe?

Yes. You can double this recipe and bake it in an 8×8-inch pan. Simply extend the baking time as needed (start checking on them at around 23 minutes). To change the recipe yield, hover over the serving size in the recipe card below or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.

For a really large batch of brownies, check out my Frosted Brownies . It’s this same recipe but quadrupled and topped with a fabulous chocolate frosting.

Small batch brownies stacked on parchment paper. - 5

Small batch brownies stacked on parchment paper. - 6

More Small-batch Favorites

Small Chocolate Cake
Small-batch Vanilla Cupcakes
Small-batch Chocolate Cupcakes
Small-batch Peanut Butter Cookies
Small-batch Sugar Cookies

Small batch brownies stacked on parchment paper. - 7

Equipment

9x5-inch loaf pan
Parchment paper, optional

Ingredients

▢ 1/4 cup ( 2oz ) salted butter melted and slightly cooled
▢ 1/2 cup ( 100g ) granulated sugar
▢ 1 large egg
▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 1/4 cup ( 30g ) all-purpose flour
▢ 3 tablespoons ( 15g ) unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
▢ 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and line your loaf pan with parchment paper (if you don’t care about lifting the brownies out of the pan, you can skip the paper).
In a medium bowl, combine slightly cooled melted butter and granulated sugar and whisk until well combined. Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
Add flour, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir until just combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth it out so it covers most of the bottom. Bake for 18 to 24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. For fudgier brownies, bake for 16-20 minutes and pull them.
Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

Notes

This thick and sweet homemade teriyaki sauce recipe is quick, foolproof, and so, so good.

Today I’m sharing a stand-alone recipe for my absolute favorite teriyaki sauce. If you’ve ever wanted to make your own teriyaki sauce at home or haven’t quite found your perfect recipe, give this one a try.

You can make it in about 15 minutes, and it’s perfect as a thick and sweet glaze or as a marinade.

Picture of thick homemade teriyaki sauce being poured into a jar. - 8

What is teriyaki sauce?

Traditional teriyaki sauce is a mix of soy sauce, sugar, and sake and/or mirin. In Japanese, teriyaki actually refers not to the sauce, but to a cooking method where meat is broiled or grilled and brushed with or marinated in this mixture.

Thick and Sweet Teriyaki Sauce

This teriyaki sauce is much thicker and syrupy than traditional teriyaki sauces (think the consistency of Panda Express teriyaki sauce). So while it’s not exactly authentic, it does create an absolutely amazing glaze over chicken and other meats and is thick enough to make an excellent dipping sauce.

Photo of homemade teriyaki sauce being spooned over chicken thighs. - 9

Photo of homemade teriyaki sauce being spooned over chicken thighs. - 10

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce Ingredients

This recipe calls for eight ingredients: soy sauce, mirin, rice wine vinegar, granulated and brown sugar, garlic powder, ground ginger, and cornstarch.

You probably already have most of these ingredients on hand, but unless you do a lot of Japanese cooking, you might not be familiar with mirin and rice wine vinegar.

Mirin: Mirin is a slightly sweet Japanese wine and helps to give the sauce its tangy umami flavor. It’s readily available online , and (at least here in California) you can find it in the Asian section of your grocery store for less than $3 (it might be labeled Aji-mirin). In a pinch, you can use sherry or Marsala in its place or omit it completely, but if you can get your hands on some, use it. You won’t be sorry.
Rice Wine Vinegar: Rice wine vinegar, AKA rice vinegar gives the sauce a little acidic bite. You should be able to find it with the other vinegars at your local grocery store ( or online ), but apple cider vinegar works well as a substitute. If you’d like to use white distilled vinegar, which has a harsher taste, cut the amount used in half.

How to Make Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

Once you’ve assembled your ingredients, you’ve done the most difficult part of this recipe. When it comes to actually making the sauce, you’re basically just stirring the ingredients together.

First, you’ll whisk together a little water and cornstarch. Whisking your cornstarch with water before adding it to the rest of the ingredients will prevent cornstarch lumps from forming, and the mixture will help thicken the sauce.
Then you’ll combine the cornstarch mixture and all the other ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a simmer. Heads up, keep a close eye on your sauce when it starts to steam. This sauce can boil over very quickly once it starts to simmer, so be ready to turn down the heat.
Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened and syrupy. Depending on the size of the pot you’re using, this will take 5 to 10 minutes.
Then let it cool slightly (it will thicken further as it cools) and use or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Uses for Teriyaki Sauce

Some of my favorite uses for this Teriyaki Sauce are:

Teriyaki Chicken (of course)
Teriyaki Beef
Dipping sauce for chicken strips
Teriyaki Sliders
Teriyaki Burgers

Is teriyaki sauce same as soy sauce?

No. Soy sauce is an ingredient in teriyaki sauce, but they have very different flavors and cannot be used interchangeably. Soy sauce is very salty and quite thin where this teriyaki sauce is sweet and syrupy.

Can I double this recipe?

Yes. This recipe will make 2/3 to 3/4 cup of sauce, which is usually perfect for a meal or two depending on how you’re using it. If you’d like to double or triple the recipe, simply extend the simmering time slightly as needed for the sauce to thicken.

To change the recipe yield, in the recipe card below, hover over the serving size or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider. No other cooking changes are needed.

How to Thicken Teriyaki Sauce

The easiest way to make teriyaki sauce thicker is with a cornstarch slurry (which this recipe uses). Whisk together 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water, and add the mixture to your sauce while it simmers.

Is there a difference between teriyaki marinade and teriyaki sauce?

Teriyaki marinades are often thinner than teriyaki sauce simply because there’s no need to take the time to thicken them. However, any teriyaki sauce can be used as a marinade. If your sauce seems a little too thick to easily coat the meat, simply whisk in a little water to thin it out.

Can I make this sauce ahead of time?

Yes. This sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

Image of chicken thighs in homemade teriyaki sauce on a plate with green beans and rice. - 11

Image of chicken thighs in homemade teriyaki sauce on a plate with green beans and rice. - 12

Ingredients

▢ 1/3 cup soy sauce
▢ 1/4 cup water
▢ 2 tablespoons mirin or sherry or Marsala
▢ 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
▢ 1/4 cup ( 50g ) granulated sugar
▢ 3 tablespoons ( 37g ) brown sugar
▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
▢ 1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch whisked with 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, combine all ingredients. Bring to a simmer, watching closely to make sure sauce does not begin to boil over.
Once at a simmer, turn heat down to medium to keep it there. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. (Sauce will thicken further as it cools.)
Cool sauce slightly before using and enjoy.

Notes

Teriyaki Sauce Adapted From Food Network

This nacho cheese sauce is sharp and creamy, and everything you ever dreamed of smothering over nachos, veggies, or a giant pretzel.

Hey, friend, you ever marvel at that super creamy nacho cheese sauce you get at restaurants and movie theaters and wish you could make it at home? I have just the recipe for you.

Photo of nacho cheese being poured into a white bowl next to tortilla chips. - 14

Photo of nacho cheese being poured into a white bowl next to tortilla chips. - 15

This nacho cheese sauce is sharp and creamy, just as spicy (or not) as you want it to be, and everything you ever dreamed of smothering over nachos, veggies, or a giant pretzel (<–my fav).

To make it, you just need 5 minutes, AND my secret creamy cheese sauce weapon: evaporated milk.

And I know this might not be something you keep in your pantry. If that’s the case, and you need cheese sauce NOW, no worries, go make my classic Homemade Cheese Sauce . It’s made with butter, milk, and flour, so you probably have the ingredients, and it’s GREAT.

But if you have evaporated milk in your pantry or are going shopping before making this, grab a can and give this recipe a try. You will not be disappointed.

What’s the Deal With Evaporated Milk?

Evaporated milk is just milk that’s been simmered over low heat until more than half of the water content has evaporated , so it’s extra creamy. It’s perfect for giving you extremely creamy cheese sauces without the heaviness of using half and half or heavy cream .

When heated together with cheese and a dash or two of hot sauce, you get something pretty magical.

Image of nacho cheese in a white bowl with tortilla chips. - 16

Image of nacho cheese in a white bowl with tortilla chips. - 17

How to Make Nacho Cheese Sauce

Toss shredded cheese and cornstarch together so your cheese gets coated and you don’t end up with any big cornstarch lumps in your sauce. The cornstarch will help thicken your nacho sauce and prevent it from curdling.
Heat evaporated milk over medium heat until milk just begins to simmer.
Remove the milk from heat and stir in the cheese, a handful at a time, until all the cheese has been incorporated and it has completely melted into the sauce.
Add hot sauce, salt, and cayenne, and then taste and add more if needed.
And the final, most important step: drizzle your homemade nacho cheese over something delicious, and try not to eat the entire pot. 😉

Can I make this in advance?

Yes. Unlike a lot of cheese sauces, this sauce reheats pretty well (though it will get a little lumpy if reheated too hot and as it cools). It will solidify in the refrigerator but returns to its pourable state when reheated. To reheat:

On the stove: Transfer sauce to a small saucepan and reheat gently over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Do not allow to come to a boil.
In the microwave: Microwave in a microwave-safe dish, stopping to stir sauce every 10-15 seconds as needed until just heated through. Heads up, the sauce will pop and sizzle in the microwave.

Nacho Cheese Sauce for Parties

This recipe makes a little over 2 cups of sauce, but if you would like to make an even bigger batch, the recipe doubles with no preparation changes.

You can transfer your prepared nacho sauce to a slow cooker and keep it set to warm for a couple of hours. Fair warning, it will do that cheese sauce thing where the top sets and gets kind of sad and ugly looking, but if you give it a quick whisk, it returns to looking smooth and beautiful.

Picture of tortilla chip being dipped into homemade nacho cheese. - 18

Picture of tortilla chip being dipped into homemade nacho cheese. - 19

What to serve with nacho sauce?

Looking for more things to drizzle nacho cheese over? Try:

Steamed Broccoli
Steamed Cauliflower
Carnitas Nacho Fries
Chili Baked Potatoes

Nacho Cheese Recipe Notes

You should be able to find evaporated milk in the baking aisle next to the condensed milk. Double check the can that you’re putting in your cart and make sure that you’re getting evaporated and not condensed milk, because the two CANNOT be used interchangeably. (Though you can and should use condensed milk to make dulce de leche …)

Ingredients

▢ 3 cups ( 12oz ) freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese *
▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
▢ 1 12-ounce can ( 1 1/2 cups ) evaporated milk
▢ 2 teaspoons hot sauce optional
▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt
▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper plus more as needed

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine shredded cheese and cornstarch and toss to coat.
To a medium saucepan, add evaporated milk. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until milk just begins to simmer.
Remove the milk from heat and stir in the cheese, a large handful at a time, until all the cheese has been incorporated and it has completely melted into the sauce.
Add hot sauce, salt, and cayenne, and then taste and add more if needed. Serve over nachos, fries, or steamed vegetables and enjoy!

Notes

One bowl, 5 minutes prep, and 8 ingredients are all you need to make these super quick, easy, and delicious small-batch brownies.

That’s right, I said brownies. (We’ll try fugu some other time, you crazy adrenaline junkies.)

Why are these cute little triangles of chocolate goodness so dangerous? Because they are completely irresistible and way, way, WAY too easy to make.

Picture of small-batch brownies cut into triangles. - 21

Quick and Easy Small-batch Brownies

Ingredient Notes

Melted and slightly cooled salted butter: I call for salted butter here, but if you typically use unsalted butter, not a problem, just add 1/8 teaspoon table salt. After melting your butter, be sure to let it cool slightly so it’s no longer hot to the touch. Butter that’s too warm can scramble your eggs and leave little eggy bits in your brownies.
Not a lot of all-purpose flour: Yes, this recipe really does call for just 1/4 cup of flour. It’s not a typo. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but for this recipe, it’s plenty. Your brownies will come out beautiful and perfect, I promise.