Skillet Brownie Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

What is the best pan to bake brownies in? ›

Metal pans, specifically aluminum, absorb and transfer heat more consistently than glass, making them perfect for delicious, evenly-cooked, moist brownies every time. Metal pans are also excellent for other baked goods, like quick breads, cakes, cookies, and biscuits.

In my experience, a(n) (un)healthy layer of shortening or butter in the baking pan will do a decent job of keeping brownies from sticking to the pan. I usually put some on a scrunched up paper towel and coat the empty baking pan. Also, if the brownies are underdone, they will be inclined to stick.

(Do this even if the recipe doesn't specify.) After greasing the pan, many bakers like to line it with pieces of parchment paper or aluminum foil that have been cut larger than the size of the pan so that the edges hang over the sides like a sling. Thoroughly grease the lining.

Wait until your brownies have completely cooled to room temperature. As brownies cool, they will solidify and set up, so slicing into them too early can result in brownie squares that fall apart or become a mess very quickly. Note: I don't recommend slicing baked brownies until just before you plan to serve them!

The brownies baked in a metal pan were perfectly cooked through after 30 minutes. They were also taller, thicker, and had a perfectly chewy, slightly fudgy texture. The brownies baked in a glass pan were very underdone in the center after 30 minutes.

Vegetable oil or shortening is your best bet at ensuring your baked goods don't stick to the pan; however, they do little to flavor your recipe. If you use butter, the key is to use it sparingly, preferably along with a nonstick pan.

If you don't know how to grease a pan it's super important to learn, otherwise your cakes will stick and not release. And it's not just for cakes! Brownies, bars and cookies also need some sort of nonstick surface to bake on otherwise you'll have a mess to clean up.

It used to be that they would only grease the bottom of the pan if you were making brownies. It helps them to rise, and they just naturally pull away from the sides slightly when they are done. Now they generally say to grease and flour the brownie pan.

Since parchment paper doesn't have a helpful “this end up” sign with an arrow, it takes a little detective work. Just hold the paper up to the light and look for the side that's slightly glossier or shinier. It is the shiny or glossy side of the parchment paper that should be face up on your baking sheet or cake pan.

Is it better to bake brownies with butter or parchment paper? ›

Oh, because it makes removing your brownies from the pan a cinch, and makes clean-up quicker too. "Line all your pans with parchment paper!" notes Molly Hanson, executive pastry chef, Grill 23 & Bar in Boston, Massachusetts. The trick not only works for brownies and bars, but cakes and cookies, too.

Don't open the oven until the brownies are at least half way through their cooking time otherwise they will sink. Use a clean skewer to test the brownies about 5-10 minutes before the end of cooking – it should come out with some mixture still attached.

Cutting your brownies when they are just out of the oven and trying to lift them onto a plate to eat them. Wait about 15 minutes the will hold some heat you could cut them and they won't fall apart. If they are too cold put them in the microwave for 15 seconds and they should be perfect.

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.

Storing brownies in the fridge can keep them fresh for up to two weeks. For the best storage method, wrap each brownie tightly before placing it in the fridge. Because baked goods are porous, they tend to absorb the odors and flavors of the foods around them.

And finally for brownies, the batter touching the edges of the dark pan will cook and set before the middle has time to catch up. This means you end up with brownies that have a super-crisp edge as opposed to the softer edge of brownies made in a lighter pan."

Middle. The default position. It's ideal for most foods since it situates the item in the middle of the oven, allowing the hot air to circulate evenly around the food, resulting in even cooking. Use this for a single tray of cookies, sheet-pan dinners, fish, brownies, banana bread, and so on.

First things first, bake your brownies on a rack positioned in the middle of your oven. If the pan is too close to the bottom, then the bottom could burn before the top gets a chance to bake. If it is too close to the top, then the top will bake too fast and leave raw brownie batter on the bottom.