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Home ยป Tasty Tips ยป Kitchen Tips ยป How to Tell When Brownies are Done

How to Tell When Brownies are Done

June 21, 2017 By Katie Moseman 18 Comments

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How do you know when brownies are done? This handy guide will help you know exactly when your brownies are ready to come out of the oven!  Some links below are affiliate links; when you shop, your purchase helps support this site at no cost to you.

3 toothpicks show how to tell when brownies are done

From left to right: underdone, done, and overdone brownies

How to Tell When Brownies Are Done

The first toothpick (on the left) demonstrates what underdone or underbaked brownies look like.  Generally, if you take brownies out at this stage, they will be extremely wet in the center and will only be firm if refrigerated.  They will be difficult, if not impossible, to cut neatly at room temperature. 

Some recipes recommended underbaking for a “fudgier” taste.  That’s up to your personal preference, but I find brownies at this stage to be too goopy to enjoy properly.

3 toothpicks used to test brownies for doneness

From left to right: underdone, done, and overdone brownies

The center toothpick is from a batch of brownies that are completely baked but not overdone.  There is still a smear of brown color on the toothpick- but NO wet batter- and there are a few moist crumbs sticking to the toothpick after it comes out.  These brownies are done!

The final toothpick on the right was inserted in an overbaked pan of brownies.  It is completely clean, with no brown color and no moist crumbs.  It’s so clean that you can’t really tell that you inserted it in a pan of brownies.

3 toothpicks show how to tell when brownies are done

From left to right: underdone, done, and overdone brownies

One note of caution:  If you use chocolate chips or pieces, or another mix-in that is melty or moist, you’ll have to be more observant when testing to see if you brownies are done.  If you accidentally poke some melted chocolate, your toothpick will look wet no matter how thoroughly baked the brownies are. 

In this case, I recommend getting a few toothpicks and poking several places in the center to get an idea of how done your brownies are.

Also check out how to tell when spaghetti is done!

My Favorite Cocoa Powder for Brownies

I’m really picky about the type of cocoa powder that I use in brownies.  My absolute favorite is Guittard Cocoa Rouge for its smooth yet intense flavor.  

I’ve been pleased with this cocoa powder in all kinds of recipes, but it particularly shines in brownies. 

Try My Famous Brownie Recipe

If you’re looking for a great brownie recipe, my most popular brownie recipe is these decadent Flourless Brownies!

You'll love these decadent flourless brownies! Made with absolutely no flour of any kind, they are brimming with intense chocolate flavor and fudginess.

Now that you know how to tell when brownies are done, here are some more helpful articles I’ve written about brownies.

  • What happens when you add extra eggs to brownies?
  • What happens when you add extra sugar to brownies?
  • Can you use a chocolate bar in brownies?
  • What to do with underbaked or overbaked brownies.
How to Tell When Brownies are Done
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Vegetable Cookbook

Filed Under: Kitchen Tips, Most Popular, Tasty Tips

Previous Post: « Decadent Flourless Brownies Recipe
Next Post: Smores in the Oven »

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Comments

  1. Kacey @ The Cookie Writer

    May 12, 2015 at 1:07 pm

    I am so glad you posted this! I plan to post my brownie recipe in the next few weeks and I had a hard time describing when brownies were actually done. I prefer mine a tad underdone, but there is nothing worse than over-baked goods!

    Reply
    • Katie

      May 13, 2015 at 8:56 am

      Amen to that. It’s finding that perfect moment when they’ve just set, but aren’t drying out.

      Reply
  2. Stephanie

    May 12, 2015 at 3:01 pm

    Brownies are my obsession. And I love mine extra fudgy ๐Ÿ™‚ Great tips!

    Reply
  3. Alisa @ Go Dairy Free

    May 12, 2015 at 7:51 pm

    I love this visual guide! Though I often add chocolate chips, I usually sprinkle them on top, so this test should still work as long as I avoid those visible land mines.

    Reply
    • Katie

      May 13, 2015 at 8:56 am

      Mmm… tasty little land mines. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  4. Healing Tomato

    May 13, 2015 at 10:50 am

    This is a very helpful tip. I make brownies and they always turn out soggy in the middle. This will make a huge difference.

    Reply
  5. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious

    May 21, 2015 at 1:49 pm

    What a great visual tip on how to tell! Thank you!

    Reply
  6. Savannah

    February 7, 2016 at 3:08 pm

    Thanks for the tip if not my brownies would be hard as bricks lol

    Reply
    • Katie

      February 7, 2016 at 3:54 pm

      Ha! Glad I could be of help. ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  7. Kimette Witt

    December 25, 2016 at 10:03 pm

    Thank you for the fantastic visual! Now I know why my brownies are always overlooked. I thought that the toothpick had to come out clean??โ€โ™€๏ธ

    Reply
    • Katie Moseman

      December 26, 2016 at 6:25 pm

      Hooray! I’m so glad it helped. Do try my favorite brownies some time- they’re one of my most popular recipes! ๐Ÿ™‚
      https://recipeforperfection.com/ultimate-deep-dish-brownies-recipe/

      Reply
  8. Anna

    July 31, 2017 at 7:02 am

    Brilliant!!! This is exactly what I needed – I now have perfectly baked brownies thank you so much!

    Reply
    • Katie Moseman

      August 3, 2017 at 10:38 am

      Yay! I’m so glad it was helpful. Thanks for visiting my blog!

      Reply
  9. Isabel

    October 30, 2017 at 10:09 pm

    Do you insert toothpick in the middle of the pan? The box I use says to insert toothpick 1 inch from edge of pan. Thank you. I have brownies in the oven right now. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Katie Moseman

      October 31, 2017 at 6:50 am

      Sorry I missed your question yesterday- I had already gone to bed. ๐Ÿ™‚ To answer your question, I always test in the center. The center is the last part to get done, so if you test 1 inch from the edge and it appears to be done, the center may still be mushy. So testing in the center is usually the most accurate. Thanks for stopping by! Do try my decadent flourless brownies recipe some time, it’s my most popular.

      Reply
  10. Krissy

    January 23, 2021 at 12:40 pm

    This guide is so helpful! I like to think I’m an experienced baker, but every once in a while I bake a brand new recipe (usually with tons of substitutions, like flax eggs and coconut oil if I’m cooking for vegans) and it’ll come out either under or over done. Reading in the recipe to “bake until the toothpick comes out clean” never worked for me, finding your guide was so helpful! Thank you thank you thank you. Just made black bean brownies for breakfast! ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Katie Moseman

      January 29, 2021 at 9:11 am

      Now that’s a breakfast of champions! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

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