My Top 10 Secrets for Perfect Brownies

Nothing can make brownies less enjoyable than hard edges and dry centers. But no matter if homemade or store-bought, there are ways to keep those chocolaty treats stay in perfect shape.

Brownies can be kept hard by protecting them from the elements. This can be done by storing them in an airtight container, which can make them last anywhere from 3 to 4 days or sometimes a full week. Placing a couple of slices of white bread in the container can also help keep brownies soft and moist.

Whether you love snacking on brownies from your favorite bakeshop or making them with your own two hands, continue reading — this post is all about keeping brownies soft and moist.

How To Prevent Brownies From Getting Hard Overnight

Placing brownies in an airtight container as soon as they arrive from the store or once completely cool if homemade can help keep them from getting hard overnight. Many swear by the effectiveness of adding sliced white bread in the container in maintaining optimum softness and moistness of the brownies.

Brownies and other baked goodies are prone to hardening in no time. That’s because the starch molecules in them go back to their crystallized state gradually. And then there’s also the fact that moisture in them evaporates over time.

And that is why locking in moisture by storing them in airtight containers can help keep brownies from hardening.

How To Keep Brownies Fresh

Brownies can be kept fresh by wrapping them in saran wrap or aluminum foil or placing them in an airtight container as soon as possible. Homemade brownies, however, should be allowed to cool completely beforehand. Brownies may also be stored in the refrigerator where they will keep slightly longer.

Minimizing contact with the elements can make brownies stay in tip-top shape for a few days.

If the brownies are homemade, not cutting them until they are ready to be served and enjoyed can help them stay fresher longer by minimizing the amount of moisture escaping.

Should You Refrigerate Brownies

Without refrigeration, brownies will last for 3 to 4 days. This is especially true if they are kept in an airtight container and placed away from light and heat sources. Brownies may be stored in the refrigerator, too, where they will keep for around a week. Brownies should be wrapped tightly before refrigeration.

If you cannot consume homemade or store-bought brownies within a couple of days, it’s a good idea to keep them in the refrigerator instead of on a countertop in a container with an airtight lid.

Before refrigerating brownies, wrap them tightly in saran wrap or place them in a ziploc bag with the air squeezed out.

Storing Brownies in the Freezer

Brownies can be stored in the freezer to considerably lengthen their shelf life. In the freezer, they can keep for up to 3 long months. As a matter of fact, brownies can last longer than that in the freezer. However, past the 3-month mark, the taste and quality of those brownies in the freezer will begin to deteriorate.

Just before you keep brownies in the freezer, wrap them tightly in saran wrap. You may also stash them in a ziploc bag, squeezing as much air out as you can before sealing.

The goal is to keep the moisture intact and protect the brownies from the cold dry air in the freezer.

Why are Brownies Still Runny in the Middle

Brownies are raw and gooey in the middle because they have not been baked enough. In some instances, the oven is too hot, thus cooking the edges of the brownies too quickly without allowing the center to catch up. A runny middle can be prevented by cooking brownies a little longer and at a slightly lower temperature.

Expert bakers recommend turning the oven down by around 25 degrees in order to prevent a raw center. Turning down the oven by another 25 degrees may be done the next time if that doesn’t help.

You may also avoid putting a lot of batter into the baking pan to allow the middle to cook thoroughly, too.

Why Do Brownies Crack on Top?

Brownies crack on top because air bubbles that have expanded in the oven collapsed after baking. The presence of air bubbles can be due to things such as overmixing the batter, which can introduce a lot of air into it, or using the wrong recipe. The more air bubbles are present, the more cracks will form.

Nothing can ruin the appearance of some of the most delectable and chocolaty brownies more than the presence of cracks on the top, whether or not there are toppings.

Such is due to air bubbles, and mixing the batter properly and following the recipe to a T can help fend off cracks.

How To Get Brownies to Cook Evenly

To cook brownies evenly, the baking pan they’re in should be able to conduct heat evenly. This can be achieved by lightly coating the baking pan with cooking spray, butter or margarine even if the recipe doesn’t say so. Some bakers, home and professional alike, also line the baking pan with greased parchment paper.

Most of the time, the baking pan is the one to blame for brownies uncooked evenly.

It’s a common problem that can be dealt with by greasing the baking pan and lining it with parchment paper that’s also greased. This will help distribute heat more evenly and effectively, thus perfectly cooking the brownies.

How Far in Advance Can You Make Brownies

Brownies can be made up to 3 to 4 days before they are served and enjoyed because that’s how long they typically last if stored properly. But if brownies are going to be made for a bake sale or any other special event, it’s a good idea to make them a day in advance to give their flavors enough time to build up.

Serve brownies too soon and everyone may fail to fully appreciate their flavor. Serve brownies too late, on the other hand, and they may no longer have the best taste and texture.

As a general rule of thumb, brownies are best enjoyed a day after baking and not past 3 to 4 days.

Do Brownies Taste Better the Next Day?

Allowing brownies to cool overnight helps lock in all the flavors, thus allowing those baked confections to taste better. Giving brownies plenty of time to cool also keeps them from falling apart when removed from the tray and sliced, thus allowing for clean and precise cuts just like store-bought brownies.

It can be tempting to enjoy the brownies you worked hard for as soon as it’s out of the oven.

But if you want to have a more enjoyable snacking and an unforgettable experience, consider waiting a few hours or even overnight before you revel in your homemade chocolaty treats as they will taste so much better by then.

Will Bread Help Keep Brownies Soft?

A couple of slices of white bread can help keep brownies soft and moist inside an airtight container. The brownies will absorb the moisture in white bread, thus keeping them from ending up dry and hard. With the help of white bread, brownies can stay in excellent condition for about a week.

Before you store brownies, whether homemade or store-bought, in a container with an airtight lid or a ziploc bag, grab a couple of white bread slices. Place them on the top of the brownies before storing them.

Thanks to the moisture content of white bread, your brownies will stay soft and moist a little longer than usual.

Just Before You Store Those Brownies

Brownies that you purchased with your hard-earned cash or made with your own two hands should be stored properly if you will not be able to eat them right away to keep them from becoming hard and bound for the trash.

Above, we talked about different ways of keeping brownies in superb shape longer.

Keep them in mind the next time you buy or make some to make sure that you (or your family and friends or customers) can enjoy those chocolaty treats to the maximum.