Perfect Fudgy Brownies (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.

Wrapping aluminum foil around individual brownies or a tin of brownies will block the air from entering and preserve their chewy nature.

Fudgy brownies are moist, dense and gooey, with almost the texture of fudge, but not quite as compact. Chewy brownies are dense (like fudgy brownies), but have a little more “bite” to them or elastic texture when you chew them.

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.

If you want a fudgy chocolate brownie, use melted butter. For cakey brownies, beating softened butter and sugar together to create air pockets will make your brownies lighter and cakier.

If you've ended up with cakey brownies and wanted fudgy you've probably used too much flour. It is difficult to play around with flour levels in brownies and cake recipes so if you're going to innovate then be prepared for several batches that may not result in perfect brownies.

The brownies will continue to set as they cool. This recipe must be served after they've cooled to room temperature completely. In fact, they solidify into even more fudgy brownie bits if you chill them in the fridge before slicing and serving.

That being said, if you're in charge of bringing brownies somewhere and you want to get a head-start, you could certainly refrigerate the batter overnight (you just may want to add a few minutes to the bake time). But honestly, I still think you'd be better off baking the brownies and refrigerating the cooked 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.

Want to make sure that your brownies are still fudgy but not raw? The truth is, fudgy brownies are slightly undercooked. The key is to make sure the center of the brownies is set and that the toothpick doesn't look too gooey when you remove it from the brownies.

Are fudgy brownies supposed to be gooey? ›

Fudgy Brownies

With a high amount of fat (in the form of butter and chocolate) and less flour than other varieties, these sweet squares do not hold back. You can expect an intensely rich chocolate flavor and a dense, super-moist, often gooey texture that just might remind you of a truffle.

Note that while some brownie recipes do call for melted butter instead of oil, the butter can aerate the batter, altering the texture of the brownies and making them cakey rather than fudgy. So, while you can substitute butter for oil and vice versa, remember that it might alter the texture.

One change is to use milk or heavy cream instead of water. This change will make brownies more moist and gooey since milk is more fatty and flavorful than water. A second change is to use butter instead of oil. For similar reasons to using milk, butter adds a rich and more decadent quality to the batter.

Adding Too Much Fat to the Recipe

Whether you use butter, margarine, or vegetable oil, putting too much in your brownie batter causes it to be greasy. Don't worry, you're not alone. Many people fall into this trap when trying to substitute butter with oil.

Brownies are perfect when the middle is just baked, so it sets to a fudgy, moist consistency - if your flour and baking powder are causing the edges to rise, cook and set too quickly, they will give the appearance of a sunken centre, even if the centre is perfectly cooked.

Keep in mind that fats make a brownie creamy and gooey. A brownie is softer and more gooey if the fats are (at least partially) liquid. It is why a brownie stored in the fridge will be denser than one that's been heated up just slightly before serving.

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.

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!