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15 Tips You Need To For Making The Best Fudgy Brownies

Would you rather have a brownie or a piece of cake? I personally think it's a hard question, but if you tend toward chocolate, fudge, and all things dense and molten, you're probably going to opt for a brownie every single time.

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In terms of composition, there isn't much that sets brownies apart from cakes. Brownies include chocolate of course, but they otherwise contain the same ingredients as most types of cake: flour, eggs, fat, sugar, leavening agents, and the like. But what makes a brownie (and a truly good brownie at that), different from a cake is its super dense texture and lingering richness. While there are cakey brownies out there that have the same springiness of a cake and the chocolate flavor of a classic brownie, they can't hold a candle to a decadent fudge brownie. 

There are many small tweaks that you can make to a brownie recipe to turn it from cakey to fudgy. I've utilized some of my experience as a home baker and brownie aficionado to offer ways that you can transform your cake-masquerading-as-a-brownie into a chewier, thicker, and ultimately more satisfying dessert. 

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1. Combine your sugar with melted butter

A big component of making fudgy brownies isn't just the "what" you add — it's also about how you add it. For example, when you're combining the ingredients, you're going to want to mix the sugar and cocoa powder into the melted butter rather than haphazardly pouring all the wet and dry ingredients together and hoping it turns out fine. 

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This mixing method has numerous benefits, including ensuring that your brownies come out with a perfectly crackled top. For one, the hot butter will bloom the cocoa powder and help amplify its flavor. Mixing the sugar and the melted butter together allows these two ingredients to better integrate throughout the brownie batter. As the brownie bakes, the sugar moves to the top and crystalizes, which gives you the chocolatey lacquer on the surface.

Combining melted butter and sugar also does a lot in terms of the structure of your brownies. If you often make cookies, you are probably familiar with the process of creaming sugar into butter, which traps air in the fat. You'll essentially be doing the opposite here, as the goal is to have less air and in turn, fudgier brownies.

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2. For denser brownies, rest the batter overnight

You may have tried resting (also called ripening) your cookie dough, but what about for brownies? Well, letting your brownie batter sit can actually offer it many benefits. For one, the flavor of the brownie will be more concentrated, as some of the water in the batter will have had a chance to evaporate, thus concentrating the sugary and chocolatey flavors. Plus, after your batter has had a chance to rest, the leavening agents won't be as active, which will curb some of the rise, making for a denser result. 

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The key here is to put your brownie batter into a lined pan, rather than to leave it in the mixing bowl and then have to transfer it back into the pan. It will be very sticky, especially after the water has evaporated, which means that you'll risk leaving more batter in the mixing bowl than what you get in your pan. You may also want to bring your brownies back to room temperature before you slide them in the oven, as you don't want to alter the baking time too much by starting with a cold batter. 

3. Don't skimp on the chocolate chips

I'm not a chocolate chip brownie person — I'll admit it. I honestly kind of think its overkill to have an already chocolatey dessert studded with even more chocolate. But whether I like it or not, I have to admit that this ingredient can do wonderful things for a fudgy brownie. 

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Chocolate chips introduce two key elements to your brownies: fat and sugar. These are the prerequisites to a tasty and crispy brownie topping, and adding an extra handful of chocolate chips to the batter will allow you to get a head start in achieving it. The chocolate pieces also impart that signature, molten mouthfeel that will make your brownies all the more delicious. 

If you don't like coming across chunks of chocolate in your brownies, I would recommend melting down your chips (though baking chocolate is preferable for this purpose, as it melts smoother) and stirring them into your batter so the gooeyness is more widely-distributed. Pair your chips with cocoa powder for an even more powerful chocolate punch. 

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4. Add a little coffee

Spoiler alert: Adding a scoop of coffee to your brownie batter isn't going to magically make it fudgy. But, it will heighten the chocolate flavors in the brownie and make it at least seem like it's a little more dense and gooey.

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Why is chocolate and coffee such a decadent paring? A research published in the journal Foods in 2020 claimed that coffee alters sensitivity to certain tastes, namely increasing perceived sweetness and decreasing bitterness. The exact mechanisms for why this is the case are not entirely understood yet. Regardless, chocolate has both sweet and bitter flavors, which is why chocolate and coffee are a dynamic duo worthy of gracing your next batch of brownies. 

There are right and wrong ways to add coffee to your recipe. I suggest refraining from pouring the rest of your morning cup into your brownie batter, as it will make it too wet. Espresso powder or instant coffee will offer a pungent, java-forward flavor without messing up the chemistry of your batter.

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5. Be very, very cautious of over-mixing

One of the most common mistakes that people make with baking — and I'm talking baking anything — is over-mixing. I know how tempting it can be to just go to town on a batter and take your day's frustrations out on it, but there comes a point where you need to put down the spatula and walk away. 

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If you look at the instructions on a box of store-bought brownie mix, it might say something like "mix 50 times." I don't think the point here is to make you count each individual fold, but it does make you more aware of how much you should be stirring. When you stir the mix, you are activating the gluten in your batter. Do this too much and you'll risk a stodgy, elasticky brownie that's more reminiscent of bread. Plus, you may also be inadvertently beating air into the mixture, which will make it light and fluffy — the opposite of dense and fudgy. 

Only mix your batter until there are no dry pockets of flour, and always mix by hand rather than with an electric beater or stand mixer. If you mix with an appliance, it's harder to tell when your batter is over-mixed because you don't physically feel it. 

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6. Use a higher fat-to-flour ratio

Having a solid understanding of the fat-to-flour ratio is critical in baking. Fat serves multiple roles, including lubricating gluten strands and keeping things moist, because it doesn't evaporate in the oven. You can easily tweak the consistency of a baked good, like cookies and brownies, by adding more or less fat to the batter. 

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For a fudgier brownie, you'll want to increase the fat content and decrease the flour. However, it's important to do this mindfully; if you don't add enough flour, you won't get enough structure, and if you add too much butter, it will just turn into a pool of fat in the baking tin. This delicate balance is why I recommend beginners just use a fudge brownie-specific recipe rather than trying to tweak an existing cakey one. Once you master the basic baking chemistry, then you can start playing test kitchen. 

7. Stir in some cornstarch for super fudgy brownies

Cornstarch is one of the ingredients that you will curse yourself for forgetting to add to your grocery list. Unless you regularly use cornstarch to thicken your sauces, it might escape your mind until the exact moment when you really need it — like for a batch of brownies.

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You can add about a tablespoon of cornstarch for every ½ cup of flour your recipe calls for. The starch molecules will help soften the protein strands in the flour, which will ensure that your brownies have a softer and more molten bite than if you went without it. Add it in at the same time as the rest of your dry ingredients and watch your brownie recipe be transformed — it'll almost taste like it came from a box (in a good way)! 

8. Add a scoop of mayo to your brownies for moisture

What can't mayonnaise do? While you may think of it more as a topping for burgers or an essential component of a flavorful aioli, mayonnaise is actually a great ingredient to consider adding into your brownie mix. Think about the primary ingredients in mayonnaise: oil, eggs, and acid. They're all common additions to baked goods anyway, so a scoop of mayonnaise is an easy way to help streamline the process. 

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The oil will add more moisture to your batter, while the acidic element (typically vinegar or lemon juice) will help keep the gluten strands short, in turn keeping your brownies soft and tender. The eggs get confusing, as they are a very small part of the mayonnaise formula. Adding more eggs than called for to a brownie recipe has been shown to result in a more cake-like bake — which we want to avoid. However, if you use a mayonnaise that's made with more egg yolks, like Kewpie mayo, you'll get a brownie with more fat and a fudgier flavor. 

9. Use gluten-free flour

When I ranked the absolute best boxed brownie mix brands, I was surprised to find the ones that reliably outperformed the rest were gluten-free varieties. While gluten aids in creating great muffins, fluffy cakes, and more, it seems like using gluten-free flour is the secret to getting brownies that are super fudgy. 

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Gluten is fundamental to trapping the air bubbles released by chemical leaveners. In turn, these help give gluten-based brownies a remarkable rise, thus making them feel more cake-like. On the other hand, measure-for-measure gluten-free flour can impart a denser consistency. While you won't be able to get the characteristic rise and structure of gluten, gluten-free flour still has enough starch to keep your brownies moist and flavorful — which is what we're looking for here. The next time you're working with a brownie recipe, consider swapping regular flour with gluten-free measure-for-measure flour or using a specific gluten-free recipe instead. You may be surprised by what comes out of the oven. 

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10. Incorporate brown sugar

If you haven't guessed by now, the quality you're after in the search for a super fudgy brownie is moisture. Not only do you have to consider how much fat you're going to add to your brownies, but you should also take a look at the type of sugar you're planning to use. Dark brown sugar, specifically, is the best type of sugar to use for ultra gooey brownies, because it has a higher moisture content than regular granulated sugar. The molasses imparts a toffee-like flavor to this sugar, which would make it ideal for pairing with add-ins like caramel or nuts. 

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That being said, it does take two to tango here. You can't just use 100% brown sugar in your recipe. Ideally, you'll want to use two types of sugar for a fudgy brownie with a perfect crust. Combining white and brown sugar helps balance out the heavy flavor notes and moisture in the latter, ensuring your brownies come out with the proper texture — very moist but not goopy. 

11. Be mindful of your ratio of add-ins to batter

Part of the fun of baking at home is being able to incorporate a bunch of tasty add-ins to elevate your brownie batter. These may include (but are certainly not limited to) caramel sauce, pretzels, toffee pieces, chocolate chips, peanut butter, and cream cheese. It can be tempting to follow the Ben & Jerry's philosophy of "the more chunks the better," but this approach can have numerous repercussions on the consistency of your finished brownie. 

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Like baking a batch of cookies, you need to limit the amount of add-ins you stir into the batter. I would recommend sprinkling in no more than 1 cup total of add-ins to a standard-sized brownie recipe (though, I would argue that a ½ cup is more than sufficient). If you're after a brownie that's dense, you need to select add-ins that help you achieve this mission. Things like caramel sauce, chopped nuts, and chocolate pieces can give your brownies the impression that they are denser than they actually are, whereas lighter and fluffier additions, like marshmallows and pretzels, may only serve to disrupt this fudginess. 

12. Underbake your brownies for maximum fudginess

Underbaking is a technique that's been employed by bakers for a long time. After all, if you don't want a cakey brownie, why not pull it out of the oven when its still more reminiscent of batter? Of course, there's an optimal balance to achieve.

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I'm going to venture to say, even as someone who can't resist licking the spoon, that you don't want your pan of brownies to taste like lukewarm brownie batter. Not only will it be a nightmare to slice since it's not yet set, but it could also potentially make you sick. I typically cook my brownies until they reach an internal temperature of around 200 F, however, some folks argue that 190 F is an acceptable stopping point for super fudgy brownies. Regardless, if you let your tray stay in the oven until the brownies hit 210 F or 220 F, you will risk dried out, spongy brownies. 

So, how can you tell that your brownies are set and finished baking, besides the temperature reading? When I make brownies, I look for the edges to start pulling away from the pan and for a dry coating on top. The mix shouldn't jiggle when you touch it, since you want it to be at least mostly set (the center will finish when you take it out of the oven). If you're training your eye on what to look for, start by taking an internal temperature reading and then noting the physical characteristics of the batter. 

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13. Employ the bake and pause method

I absolutely love wonky baking tricks that are seemingly weird but actually work. I'm talking about Sarah Kieffer's pan-banging technique for perfect crinkled cookies and Alton Brown's trick for a crispier brownie crust. In the latter case, the food television personality recommends baking the brownies for about 15 minutes before pulling them out of the oven. Then, let them cool for the same amount of time, before shoving them back in the oven until they finish baking. While you will have to allot some extra time to account for the period the brownies are cooling on the countertop in between oven trips, it's an otherwise painless process. 

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From a baking chemistry standpoint, it makes sense; this technique allows the center of the batter to cook in the residual heat of the pan while the edge cool. This will, in turn, slow the edges down from crisping before the center has set. As a result, you'll get a more consistent bake throughout, along with that fudginess you're after. 

14. Tap your brownies on the counter before and after baking them

If you don't have an extra 15 minutes for Alton Brown's trick, you may want to try a quicker alternative to getting perfectly fudgy brownies. About halfway through the baking time, remove your tray of brownies from the oven and give it a quick, yet hard, smack down on your countertop before returning it to the oven. This rapping technique will help disperse the air bubbles in your batter that have been released by those pesky (yet helpful) leavening agents. Less air means fudgier brownies. 

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You can also help smack out those air bubbles by tapping your pan again on the oven once the brownies have finished baking. This unexpected tip may also help your brownies develop that perfect cracked top. Instead of taking out your rage on your brownie batter during the mixing stage, channel it into these pan-banging occasions; you'll be rewarded with decadently dense brownies. 

15. Let your brownies cool before you slice them

You've done all of these steps to ensure that your brownies are going to be perfectly fudgy, and now it's time to pull the tray out of the oven and slice up your hard-earned reward. But not so fast; your brownies need to cool down a little bit to ensure the texture is absolutely perfect. 

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When you remove your brownies from the oven, especially if you opt for the recommended 190 F to 200 F guideline, they are still cooking. Prematurely slicing into the top will cause all of that hard work to ooze out. You'll be left with a batch of brownies that look like they were sliced apart by hand rather than with a sharp knife. 

If you want to avoid jagged cuts, you'll want to move your fully-cooled brownies to a flat surface and slice them with confidence. In other words, don't use any of that back-and-forth sawing motion. Press down completely and evenly with a sharp knife, or consider digging out your pizza wheel for precise, bakery-worthy slices. 

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