The secret to chewy brownies is to use a combination of ingredient ratios, most specifically using higher fat and sugar content, relative to the flour, as well as using specific techniques which prioritize moisture retention.
Using a mixture of butter and oil and adding an extra egg yolk and avoiding overbaking brownies can help you get chewy brownies.
Heating the brownies butter and sugar together before stirring them into the batter is also key in getting chewy brownies.
Using only butter when making brownies can also make the brownies fudgy but also sometimes .
And combining melted butter for flavor with vegetable oil for moisture that stays soft even when cooled is a major secret to getting chewy brownies instead of just fudgy textured brownies.
And adding an extra egg yolk like 2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk increases the fat and lecithin content in the brownies, which emulsifies the brownies batter and creates a denser and chewier texture.
Also using a mixture of granulated white sugar and brown sugar helps as brown sugar contains molasses and adds moisture and creates a more caramelized and chewy and caramel like flavor.
And adding around 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to the dry brownie ingredients can also help mimic the texture of box mix brownies and add to the chewiness of the brownies.
An extra egg does not make brownies chewier although an extra egg will make the brownies light and more cake like instead of being intensely chewy, while also still adding moisture to the brownies.
However adding an extra egg yolk or two egg yolks instead of a whole egg will add extra fat to the brownies and lead to a richer and denser and chewier brownie a fudgier texture.
Too many eggs in the brownies, especially too many whole eggs can make your brownies tough or even rubbery, but adding an extra egg yolk is a perfect way of getting fudginess for your brownies without the cakiness.
What makes brownies fudgy vs cakey is the baking time as well as the ingredients used.
Fudgy brownies have a high fat to flour ratio and feature more batter and melted chocolate, along with minimal flour and no leavening agents used.
And cakey brownies are made with more flour, less fat and also often include baking powder in the ingredients for a lighter airy and higher rising structure to the brownies.
Fudgy brownies rely on the use of a high volume of butter and melted chocolate for a moist, dense and almost truffle like texture.
And cakey brownies use less fat and rely on cocoa powder for flavor, instead of melted chocolate.
Fudgy brownies also often have no leavening agent like no baking powder or baking soda, which allows the brownies to remain dense and cakey brownies use baking powder to create the air pockets to get a fluffy and high rise texture.
Also fudgy brownies often use less eggs to keep the brownies dense or sometimes even use just extra egg yolks for added fat and cakey brownies often use more eggs or eggs and sugar that are whipped together to introduce air.
Cakey brownies often also use a creaming method, like beating the butter and sugar together to create a lighter texture and fudgy brownies are mixed just until the ingredients are combined and the fudgy brownies are also baked for less time to ensure a gooey and slightly underbaked center.
When baking brownies at 350 degrees, the brownies are supposed to bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes to 35 minutes.
The pan size also matters when baking brownies as an 8 inch square baking pan will require the brownies to baking for 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees and deeper baking pans will often require the brownies to bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
When baking brownies you should check for doneness 5 minutes before the minimum recommended baking time to avoid overbaking the brownies.
To tell if brownies are done without a toothpick you can gently press the center of the brownies and when done, the brownies should feel set and spring back slightly and not leave an indentation.
Also look for edges of the brownies that dry and pulling away from pan, and a shiny/crinkly top and a center that does not jiggle when shaken.
The edges of fully cooked and properly baked brownies should look firm and matte and separate from the edge of the baking pan while the center appears set and not wet.
A thin, flaky and crinkly crust to the brownies also indicates that the brownies are done baking and ready.
You can also use a cake tester or a butter knife to check the brownies for a few moist crumbs instead of wet batter.
Brownies are supposed to be slightly gooey in the middle when done.
Properly baked brownies should be fudgy, moist and slightly gooey in the center instead fully dry and the brownies when baked properly and done should have set edge and have a slightly wobbly center which firms up when they are cooling.
If you stick a toothpick into the middle of the brownies and it comes out with moist crumbs and not with raw batter then they are done perfectly.
Fudgy brownies also use more fat/chocolate and less flour and often also rely on melted chocolate and cocoa powder, and cakey brownies use less fat and sometimes leavening agents.
Fudgy brownies are ready when the center of the brownies still have a slight jiggle.
And while brownies are supposed to be gooey, the brownies are also not meant to be raw, and so they must reach an internal temperature of at least 160 F to be safe to eat.
If your brownies are liquid in the middle after they cool, then they might be underbaked, which can also be fixed by placing the brownies back in the oven.
Common brownie baking mistakes are overmixing the batter, using cold eggs, cutting the brownies before they cool completely and even overbaking the brownies.
Overbaking the brownies is the most common mistake when baking brownies, which leads to dry, cakey textures for the brownies instead of fudgy textures that brownies should have.
When baking brownies, the brownies should be removed from the oven when a toothpick comes out of the brownies with a few moist crumbs and not completely clean as the brownies also continue to cook while they are cooling.
If the toothpick comes out completely clean then they should be baked more until the toothpick comes out of the brownies with a few moist crumbs.
Overmixing the brownie batter develops the gluten in the brownie batter, which results in a cake like or tough texture, instead of the dense and fudgy texture that brownies should have.
Using cold butter or cold eggs in brownie mix is also a common mistake when baking brownies as the ingredients including the eggs and butter should be at room temperature to properly emulsify the ingredients, otherwise it can result in a broken or uneven brownie batter.
And cutting brownies too soon while warm also ruins the texture of the brownies and causes the brownies to crumble.
So before cutting the brownies, the brownies should be cooled completely to ensure clean fudgy square brownies.
Other common mistakes when baking brownies are using the wrong size baking pan, using low quality chocolate, not lining the baking pan and even not measuring the flour properly.
Not measuring the flour properly and scooping the flour directly into the bowl with a measuring cup also packs the flour down and adds too much flour that makes your brownies dry.
When measuring flour for the brownies you should use a scale or the spoon and level method.