Best ever chocolate brownies recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should I add baking soda to brownies? ›

Many brownie recipes don't contain baking powder or baking soda; these recipes tend to be for the dense, sometimes chewy, kind. Cakelike brownies usually contain a leavening agent, which helps give them their fluffy texture. The technique you use also makes a difference in the texture of the final product.

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.

This homemade brownie recipe is great for every day celebrating to enjoying life's special moments that call for chocolate deliciousness. This recipe is perfect 9×13 to give you 12 large or 24 smaller brownies.

Nuts and chocolate are a flavor combination made in heaven. In addition to scattering nuts on top of brownies, you can also add them directly to the batter, then bake as usual. Walnuts, pecans, almonds and peanuts all work beautifully. Just be sure to toast the nuts beforehand for extra depth.

I also mixed a little cocoa powder with confectioners' sugar to sprinkle over the cooled brownies before serving. Vinegar: White distilled vinegar is added to the batter to react with the baking soda, causing the brownies to rise. The vinegar also helps activate the cocoa powder for a more chocolatey flavor.

Vinegar helps with the rise of our baked goods

Firstly, vinegar helps our baked goods rise and create an airy texture by reacting with baking soda. When vinegar reacts with baking soda, it creates carbon dioxide bubbles, which act as leavening agents.

If you opt to add more eggs, say double the amount, something interesting happens. Even though you are adding more moisture, the air bubbles that you catch in the extra eggs add volume, which decreases the density of your final product. This makes your brownies rise and gives them a much more cake-like texture.

Oil Brownies: These were chewier with crunchier edges and a crunchier topping. They were more matte on top with a far less crinkly shiny brownie 'skin. ' They tasted more like box mix brownies. Butter Brownies: These were much fudgier, softer, and had a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Add nuts – Add a handful of finely chopped pecans or walnuts if you love brownies with nuts. Add mix ins – Jazz up a basic brownie mix with chopped mini peanut butter cups, white chocolate chunks, or your favorite chopped up candy bar. Add a swirl – Swirl in spoonfuls of peanut butter or Nutella before baking.

Unfortunately, there's just not a standard size for brownie pans. But if you're baking for a big family or other large crowd, we recommend a 9-by-13-inch pan over an 8- or 9-inch square. And when it comes to nonstick bakeware, "USA Pan is the GOAT!" says Commerce Writer Kristin Montemarano.

What size pan for perfect brownies? ›

The best pan for classic brownies: Ceramic 9"-square baking dish. I tested with this pan, but any ceramic 9x9" pan will deliver similar results. Of all of the square pans I tested, the ceramic performed the best overall, beating out its metal (aluminized steel) and glass counterparts.

Pans for making brownies are usually square (8 x 8 inches or 9 x 9 inches) or rectangular (9 x 13 inches), so most recipes are written for use in those sizes. Round cake pans can also be used, and pans for individual mini brownies are available too.

Replacing Oil with Butter

It couldn't be easier to substitute butter for oil using a 1:1 ratio. This should work with olive, canola, vegetable, and coconut oils. Simply melt and cool the butter to room temperature, then continue with your recipe. (If the recipe calls for ½ cup oil, use ½ cup melted and cooled butter.)

Recently, as I was reading through the comments on all our brownie recipes, one suggestion in particular stood out: Refrigerate the batter overnight for a richer, chewier brownie.

Adding baking powder or a combination of baking soda and cream of tartar to a brownie recipe makes it much more like chocolate cake, creating a lighter and airier texture.

If you accidentally add baking soda instead of baking powder to baked goods, they won't rise because there is not enough acid. To fix this, add about one tablespoon of white or apple cider vinegar for every half teaspoon of baking soda to the liquids before mixing with the dry ingredients.

It's important not to use too much baking soda in recipes, as it can result in a metallic, soapy flavor. It is much more powerful than baking powder – you only need about 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per cup of flour to leaven baked goods.

Baking powder is a leavening agent that contains both an acid (such as cream of tartar) and a base (such as baking soda), which react together to create carbon dioxide gas. This gas helps the brownies rise and become fluffy. On the other hand, baking soda requires an acid to activate its leavening properties.