How to Avoid Underbaked (and Overbaked!) Brownies (2024)

Fudgy brownies are a tricky beast: overbake them and you enter cakey territory, underbake them and you get a squishy mess. Katzie Guy-Hamilton, Global Director of Food and Beverage of Max Brenner, knows a thing or two about baking with chocolate, and she puts it this way: “There is nothing better than either raw brownie batter or a perfectly cooked fudgy brownie. But the in-between is brownie custard, and I’m not a fan.”

Nobody is. Even people who think they like "underbaked" brownies (as our editor David Tamarkin claims to) don't really want their brownies undercooked—they just want a brownie that's gooey and rich. And if your recipe has enough butter, chocolate, and sugar, that's what you'll get, even when the brownie is fully cooked. (Using the egg-sugar ribboning method, a la flourless chocolate cake, helps, too.) (Underbaking doesn't work because unless you completely cook out the flour, your brownies will have an off-putting flour flavor.)

So how do you avoid under- and overbaking? Unfortunately, a cake tester is no help—if your brownies are fudgy, a cake tester or toothpick will always come out with crumbs attached. (See no crumbs? You've overbaked.) But there are a few other steps you can take to ensure your brownies are perfect.

1. Follow the Recipe

Sounds obvious. But because of the aforementioned cake tester problem, cooking times are especially important in brownie recipes. Use a recipe from a trusted source that thoroughly tests (like, ahem, us).

2. Rotate Your Pan

Oven temperatures vary substantially—what's 350 degrees in your oven might be more like 375 in your mom's. To correct for this, always rotate the pan of brownies halfway through. This not only ensures even baking, but also reminds you to check in on your brownies. Which brings us to….

3. Look for the Crack

When done, the edges of the brownies will be visibly baked through and the center will be set (that is, not wiggly) when you shake the pan. Guy-Hamilton looks for the first sign of cracking on the brownie’s top—which should be shiny and set—and then pulls them out. These cues override the recipe; even if the instructions suggest baking for five more minutes, when your brownies exhibit these signs and look done, take them out.

How to Avoid Underbaked (and Overbaked!) Brownies (2024)

FAQs

How to not overbake brownies? ›

Brownies keep cooking after you remove them from the oven, so you'll end up with an overcooked batch if you wait until there are no crumbs at all. Using an oven thermometer can also help you avoid overbaking because it'll tell you the exact temperature of your oven.

Can you put underdone brownies back in the oven? ›

Put the brownies back in the 300 degree oven and bake until a cooking thermometer reads 195 degrees, or about 30 more minutes. Finally, you'll cool the brownies for 30 minutes in the pan, then for 10 minutes on a cooling rack before slicing with a pizza cutter (my favorite tip) and serving.

Why are my brownies always undercooked in the middle? ›

Lowering the temperature can help ensure that the middle of the brownies cooks properly without burning the edges [1]. Reduce the baking time: Another factor to consider is the baking time. If the edges are burning while the middle remains undercooked, it could be because the brownies are baking for too long.

How do you make overcooked brownies moist? ›

Softening Hardened Brownies

Place the cut pieces on a single layer of paper towels moistened or sprayed with water. Cover the brownies with another piece of dampened paper towel. Fold the ends of the towel closed. Cook on the medium setting for about 15 seconds.

What makes brownies fudgy vs 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.

Are brownies better with oil or butter? ›

the butter brownies actually had a fudgier texture. they were softer, and they really just melted in your mouth. they also had that shiny crust and just better flavor, whereas the oil brownies were actually chewier. they were crunchier at the top and at the edges.

Can I bake brownies at 350 instead of 325? ›

Most recipes call for baking brownies at 350°. If a fudgy inside and crackly top is your goal, stick with that temperature. Brownies baked at 325° will take longer to bake and will become chewier in texture.

Is it better to overcook or undercook brownies? ›

You don't want to overcook the brownies or they'll dry out; if you undercook them, they might be too raw in the middle.

What is the best oven setting for brownies? ›

Brownies: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Line the bottom and sides of an 8 inch (20 cm) square baking pan with foil.

How to get brownies to cook in the middle? ›

If the middle of your brownies are not cooking while the edges are burning, try lowering the oven temperature and/or extending the baking time. You may also want to cover the pan with aluminum foil to prevent the edges from burning.

How do you know if brownies are overcooked? ›

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 the toothpick is totally clean, the brownies may already be over-baked.

How to cook brownies evenly? ›

Rotating the pan will give all areas of the batter the same amount of heat in the same amount of spots, negating the problems of inefficient heat circulation. This will help the entire tray of brownies turn out as evenly baked as possible, making them more consistent as well as easier to eat and serve.

How do you firm up undercooked brownies? ›

Problem #1 – Brownies Underbaked in the Middle

Since the edges are done, cut them off. If the leftover middle section is on the larger side, cut it in half and scoot the two pieces apart. Put it back in the oven to finish baking.

How do you keep brownies from being gooey? ›

We would never attempt to slice a brownie less than 2-3 hours after baking - it'll be a gooey mess. For perfect, fudgy brownies, let them cool in their tin for 1-2 hours after baking, and then put them in the fridge overnight.

How to make sure your brownies are moist? ›

What are the best ways to make moist brownies? Substituting cocoa with chocolate and increasing the quantity of chocolate and butter produces a moist and fudgy brownie. Decreasing the amount of flour and baking the brownie for a lesser time in the oven will also produce a more moist brownie.

How to get brownies to bake evenly? ›

Rotating the pan will give all areas of the batter the same amount of heat in the same amount of spots, negating the problems of inefficient heat circulation. This will help the entire tray of brownies turn out as evenly baked as possible, making them more consistent as well as easier to eat and serve.

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