What is the ratio of ingredients in a brownie? The ratio of a brownie is simple math and can be used to create your own brownie recipes.
The Ratio of a Brownie
I’ll never forget when I first read Michael Ruhlman’s book, Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking
. For the first time, I realized that I could use ratios to create my own recipes. I think it’s what inspired me to start this blog- I wanted to unlock the ratio of a brownie so that I could write brownie recipes in infinite permutations.
When I launched this blog, I even tweeted to Mr. Ruhlman to ask him, “What is the ratio for a brownie?” He was kind enough to respond that he didn’t know, but that he would be interested to find out. He also recommended the make ahead brownie recipe from his book, Egg: A Culinary Exploration of the World’s Most Versatile Ingredient
, which I promptly bought. (I baked those make-ahead brownies and they turned out to be one of my favorite brownie recipes.) As I’ve written more posts, with more brownie recipes, I’ve learned what it is that makes a brownie a brownie, and how each ingredient affects the finished product.
There really is one basic brownie recipe, from which all others branch out. Oh, there are slight differences, such as baking powder, amount of vanilla or salt, etc., but the underlying ratio is pretty much the same. In the measurements typically used for a recipe, the building blocks for a basic brownie recipe for a 13 by 9 inch pan are:
- 6 oz unsweetened chocolate
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup all purpose flour
Now, in order to get a proper ratio, these measurements must all be by weight, not volume. Commenter Daniel in NYC helpfully fixed up the math.
- 6 oz unsweetened chocolate
- 8 oz butter
- 14 oz sugar
- 7 oz eggs
- 4.5 oz flour
Daniel also calculated the final ratio:
We could round up the eggs to 8 oz and round down the flour to 4 oz (a scant cup) for cleaner math, given that both are imprecise measurements anyway. That gives us:
3 parts unsweetened chocolate : 4 parts butter : 7 parts sugar : 4 parts egg : 2 parts flour
Of course, the ratio changes a bit if you use bittersweet chocolate, semisweet chocolate, or unsweetened cocoa powder, because these have amounts of fat and/or sugar that are different from unsweetened chocolate. To the basic ratio you add some vanilla and salt, and baking powder if you like.
Ready to bake some for yourself? I recommend that you try this very easy Chocolate Brownie Recipe or this amazingly tasty Whole Wheat Brownie Recipe.
Daniel in NYC
Hi Katie, I love your project to unlock the brownie ratio! If the volume measurements you initially provide are correct, the weight conversions are incorrect. I would convert 2 cups sugar to 14 oz (7 oz per cup), 4 large eggs to 7 oz (1.75 oz per egg), and, most importantly, 1 cup all-purpose flour to 4.5 oz. That would give us:
6 oz unsweetened chocolate
8 oz butter
14 oz sugar
7 oz eggs
4.5 oz flour
We could round up the eggs to 8 oz and round down the flour to 4 oz (a scant cup) for cleaner math, given that both are imprecise measurements anyway. That gives us:
3 parts unsweetened chocolate : 4 parts butter : 7 parts sugar : 4 parts egg : 2 parts flour
Meaning, a little less sugar and a lot less flour than your ratio. Also, I’ve put the ratio in the sequence ingredients are added, which is Ruhlman’s approach. (For example, the 3-2-1 pie crust, where 3 parts flour are combined with 2 parts butter first, then 1 part water is added.)
Katie
Wow! A fellow brownie devotee! Looks like I need to go over the conversions again. I had put the order of ingredients from greatest amount to least amount, which I thought is what Ruhlman had done. I’ll pull out the book and look it over again. I will definitely go in and make corrections as needed. Thanks, Daniel, and come back soon! 🙂
Daniel in NYC
Hi Katie,
In case you haven’t seen this page, it has a very interesting discussion of brownie ratios (and the history of the brownie) as well:
http://acselementsofchocolate.typepad.com/elements_of_chocolate/ACSBrownieChronicles.html
I am a lover of the fudgy brownie and am currently experimenting with this recipe:
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/05/best-fudgy-brownies-recipe.html
I just bought Egg and am looking forward to trying Ruhlman’s Make-Ahead Brownies.
In my brownie research, it seems like the major areas of variation are:
–Chocolate: unsweetened vs. bittersweet vs. Dutch-process cocoa vs. natural cocoa
–Fat: butter vs. oil
–Additions: chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, etc.
You’ve already addressed many of these issues on your blog and I’m looking forward to gathering the fruits of your research. Thanks!
Katie
The Make Ahead Brownies I actually test baked for my blog! I love them. Along with my Ultimate Deep Dish brownies, they’re my top two favorite brownie recipes. The Make Ahead are loftier but not cakey, and the Deep Dish are super fudgy. I will check out those links for sure!
Ruth
5 years later, I was about to experiment with your ratios when I also realized that the weight conversions are not right. First time reading your blog and I’ll be a lot more interested in your blog and books if those were corrected. I like Ratio, Ruhlman’s book, too and I got here looking for the ratio of a brownie.
Just saying…
Katie Moseman
Life got away from me, I admit! I’ve edited the post to reflect updated weight conversions.
GMB
Have you ever created a recipe for the perfect single-serve microwave mug brownie.
Katie Moseman
Not yet! But it’s something I’d like to try.