Thick, rich brownies are a classic treat. If you want to take your brownies over the top by making them even thicker, there are a few tricks you can use. Keep portion size in mind, and consider cutting thick brownies into smaller pieces than you otherwise would. A 3- or 4-inch-square brownie that is as thick as it is wide may be too much chocolate, even for the most devoted brownie connoisseur.
Pick Your Pan
Most brownie recipes instruct you to bake in a 13- by 9- by 2-inch pan. Brownies baked in this type of pan usually rise to about 1 inch high. You can substitute a smaller 9- by 9- by 2-inch pan or 8- by 8- by 2-inch pan to increase the height to which your brownies will rise. This takes advantage of simple physics. The larger ban has 117 square inches of space for the batter to spread. The smaller pans have only 81 or 64 square inches of space, giving the batter less space to spread. You will need to lower the temperature of your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and increase the bake time by 10 minutes to cook the thicker brownies all the way through. Insert a toothpick into the center of the brownies to check for doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean, the brownies are done.
Vary Your Style
Brownie recipes tend to fall into two categories: fudgy and cakey. Fudgy brownies are dense, and tend to be smaller than cakey brownies. Brownies made in a cakey style are fluffier, which makes them taller. If you want a brownie that rises as high as possible, look for a cake-style recipe. You'll recognize it by the proportions of flour and liquid. A cakey brownie recipe will call for more flour and milk than a fudgy one.
Add Some Filler
Nuts, marshmallows and chocolate chips take up space, increasing the overall volume of the batter. A brownie baked with these additions will be thicker than the same batter baked in the same pan without them.
If you want to add drama, pour one-half of the brownie batter into the pan, then top with a layer of additions. Cover this with the remaining brownie batter. The finished brownies will have a ribbon of nuts, chocolate or marshmallows in the center.
Brownie Sandwiches
Brownies have enough structure to support your most creative ideas. Sandwich two brownies together with your favorite frosting or fruit filling to create a double-thick brownie.
FAQs
Add Some Filler. Nuts, marshmallows and chocolate chips take up space, increasing the overall volume of the batter. A brownie baked with these additions will be thicker than the same batter baked in the same pan without them.
What to do if your brownies are too watery? ›
replace water with milk and oil with melted butter. Plus add 2 tbsp of each. bake as normal and you will have the yummiest. fudgy brownies ever!
Why are my brownies not thick? ›
It's important to follow the recipe closely to achieve the desired texture. Type of Fat: The type of fat used in the brownie mix, such as butter or oil, can affect the consistency of the batter. Butter tends to result in a thicker batter, while oil can create a smoother and more liquid consistency.
How do you fix runny brownies after baking? ›
Solution: if you still think they're too soft once cooled, cook them for a few minutes longer next time. But first, pop them in the fridge overnight and have a bit of faith.
Why do my brownies come out thin? ›
Not using the right pan for the job.
Use a pan that's too big, and you'll end up with thin, overcooked brownies.
How to doctor up box brownies? ›
Boxed brownies can be their own blank slate for just about any snacks, sweets, or baking scraps you've got in your pantry or fridge. 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.
How do you moisten baked brownies? ›
On an electric stove turn off the heat, Put about 5 ml (1 teaspoon) of water in the pan, quickly put the brownies in and cover it with a lid. Let it sit about 5 minutes. For a gas stove, put the water in the pan before turning off the heat, but turn off the heat when you put the brownies in.
Should you add water to brownies? ›
Sticking with the theme of richer flavored brownies, using milk instead of water is an absolute MUST. The fat from the milk adds flavor and fudgy texture that water just can't achieve. If you want to add even more flavor, use one of your favorite flavored coffee creamers instead of water or milk.
How do you keep homemade brownies moist? ›
Airtight Containers
Use parchment paper to layer brownies into an airtight container for best results. Tip: When storing brownies in an airtight container, add a slice of bread in with them. The moisture from the bread will help keep your brownies fresh and soft for a couple more days.
Should brownies still be runny in the middle? ›
If the brownies still look wet or aren't pulling away, they aren't done. Even fudgy brownies will pull from the edges once they've finished baking. You'll see that the edges look dry while the middle still looks soft or slightly wet. Chewy and cakey brownies will have dry edges with firmer-looking centers.
- Swap the water for milk or heavy cream. This will help make a fudgy texture because milk has fat and water doesn't. - Most brownie mixes require two eggs. Swap one of the eggs for two egg yolks and still use one whole egg.
What happens if you overmix brownies? ›
Overmixing the ingredients can cause brownies to turn out tough or for a thin crust to form on top.
How do you thicken watery brownies? ›
If it seems a bit too runny (like if you added two or three extra eggs for instance) then add a tablespoon of flour and mix and repeat until it has the consistency you want. If you've added too much oil or water to your mix then you'll need to compensate with extra dry ingredients.
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.
Do brownies firm up when cooled? ›
Brownies will be easiest to remove from the pan when they are fully cooled, because they will be fully set and firm. If you want to be able to remove the brownies from the pan without cutting them first, you can line the pan with parchment paper, allowing it to hang over the sides of the pan.
How do you make brownies gooey again? ›
So what is a ooey-gooey brownie lover to do? Leave it to Alton Brown to solve this conundrum for us. Brown insists that baking your brownies for about half of their baking time, pulling them out of the oven to rest, and then returning them to the oven is the secret to “ooier” brownies.
What does cornstarch do in baking brownies? ›
Cornstarch. This little secret ingredient really helps to improve the texture of these brownies so they're that much closer to a box mix texture. 1 tablespoon of cornstarch makes the brownies thicker and improves that crust on top.
How do you keep brownies from hardening? ›
Make Sure They're Airtight
To keep your brownies as fresh as possible, you'll want to place them in an airtight container. Unfortunately, the air is your brownie's biggest enemy, and even a little bit of it can quickly turn soft brownies into dry, crumbly ones.
What makes brownies rise in the oven? ›
By minimizing any air in the batter, relying on just a touch of baking powder or baking soda for rise, you'll get brownies with that desirable dense, fudgy center.
