Best Brownie Recipe Ever (2024)

FAQs

What makes brownies fudgy instead of cakey? ›

Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones. So add more fat—in this case, butter and chocolate. A cakey batch has more flour and relies on baking powder for leavening. The amount of sugar and eggs does not change whether you're going fudgy or cakey.

A 9x9" metal (aluminized steel) pan yielded crisp-edged, somewhat dense brownies that were unremarkable. An 8x8" glass pan made brownies with cakey, crackly-on-top corners and a very thick, gooey texture within.

Fruits and Nuts

“When I make brownies or blondies, I like to add toasted nuts for extra crunch and flavor,” says culinary editor Genevieve Yam. “Any nut will do, but my favorites are pecans and walnuts.” Feel free to chop them up and mix them into the batter, or add them on top for even more visual appeal.

The reason we melt butter in brownie recipes instead of beating room temperature butter with sugar is because that helps give a rich, chewy, fudgy texture. Beating butter incorporates air and gives a more light, airy, cakey texture, which we don't want in a brownie. Well, you might want that, but I don't!

Cake brownies are as the names suggests more cake like in texture. They have an open cake style aerated structure. Fudgy brownies on the other hand are richer, deeper and more dense in structure. A fudgy brownie may have a cake like open or cracked texture at the top but remains gooey and viscous in the centre.

If you make brownies or bake often, consider using or purchasing a metal pan to use in place of your Pyrex dish. Metal pans, specifically aluminum, absorb and transfer heat more consistently than glass, making them perfect for delicious, evenly-cooked, moist brownies every time.

The area of a 8x8 pan on the other hand, is 64 square inches, or close to half that of a 9x13 pan. This means you can scale a recipe down from a 9x13 pan to an 8x8 pan by simply halving the recipe. Conversely, to go from a 8x8 pan to a 9x13 pan, you double the recipe.

The All-Clad Pro-Release Nonstick Bakeware Square Baking Pan is our top pick because it answers most brownie-baking problems before they happen and is great for all levels of bakers. If it's the brownie pan of a lifetime you're looking for, consider the Emile Henry Modern Classics 9-Inch Square Baking Dish.

When placed in an airtight container or Ziploc bag, the batter can be kept in the fridge overnight and still be safe to enjoy in the morning. In addition to keeping your brownie mix fresh, refrigerating brownie batter can also help boost the overall texture and flavor of the treat.

Can brownies be overmixed? ›

Over mixing brownie leads to too much air incorporation and can leave your brownie looking and tasting like a chocolate cake. Under mixing will lead to insufficient combination of your core ingredients and so the brownie texture will not form to perfection.

If you think your brownies are baking too quickly, cover them with a layer of foil to help reflect some heat away.

They give brownies a lighter, drier, and more cake-like texture. If you prefer this over the chewy variety, then go ahead and crack in that additional egg. On the other hand, too many eggs will yield brownies that are hard, heavy, and tough.

Milk. Most brownie mixes call for water. While water does the job, you can add some extra flavor and moisture by mixing some of that water with something richer, like milk. If you want to swap it out completely, be prepared for a more chewy and fudge-like brownie from the extra fat.

Add a teaspoon of instant coffee or espresso powder. Throw in a handful of nuts—pecans, walnuts, macadamia, whatever you have on hand. Scoop in a palmful of dried or frozen fruit. Add an extra splash of the top-shelf vanilla extract, or a dab of vanilla paste, or a dash of vanilla powder, to the batter.

Using airtight wrappings (including using plastic wrap right against the brownies) is key to keeping your brownies fresh, whether you're keeping them at room temperature for short-term storage, or planning to freeze them so you can have a fresh brownie ready whenever you need it.

To test for doneness with a toothpick, insert a toothpick into the center of the brownies and pull it back out. For fudgy brownies, you'll want to see some moist crumbs attached to the toothpick when you pull it back out. If it looks like it's covered in brownie batter, the brownies will need to bake a bit longer.

If your brownies are turning out dry, it's for one of two reasons - either you've overcooked the brownies or there is too much flour in your recipe. Overcooked brownies? You can tell the difference using the edges; if they are a little burnt-looking and very dry, it's likely that the brownies are overcooked.

The molasses content in brown sugar is what is responsible for chewy yet soft brownies. If you don't want chewy brownies, completely keep brown sugar out of the picture. If you do want chewy brownies and it's not mentioned in your recipe, add 3-4 tbsp of brown sugar in the end for beautifully chewy brownies!