Brownies Runny In The Middle? You're Using The Wrong Pan

Have you ever pulled a batch of fresh, homemade brownies out of the oven, only to find that the center is still undercooked? The culprit might not be a lack of baking skills, but instead the pan you baked them in. To find out how different pan types affect how evenly brownies bake — and what the best one to use is — Food Republic spoke with Alyssa Hendrix, executive pastry chef at The Hope Farm and The Barn at The Hope Farm.

"Metal pans are absolutely the ideal for evenly baking brownies," Hendrix told us. "Glass and ceramic pans hold heat well, but they are slow to warm up which can lead to the edges baking before the center is done." Metal pans are much better heat conductors than other materials and heat up extremely fast and evenly in the oven. This leads to faster cooking time and all-around even baking. The best conducting materials to look out for are copper, followed by aluminum.

Pan thickness also plays an important role in even cooking. "Flimsy thin pans may warp or lead to hotspots where brownies can overbake," Hendrix explained. When there isn't enough metal mass for the heat to conduct efficiently, it becomes unevenly concentrated in one area, leading to sections touching the hotspot to burn while other parts remain undercooked. This can occur with thin aluminum foil baking sheets or lightweight metal pans. For that reason, for the most even bake, you should opt for thick-layered, high-quality metal pans such as aluminum or stainless steel, Hendrix recommended. We also recommend identifying your oven's hot spots in order to adjust your pan placement or rotate your pan for the most even bake.

The material and thickness of the pans play a huge role in how your brownies come out, but other factors — including the size of your pan — can also notably impact the texture of your brownies and how evenly they bake. There are many different reasons why you might alternate your pan size. If you're baking for a crowd, grab a sheet pan. But for those deep, gooey treats — like fudgy macadamia and peanut butter brownies — a deeper baking pan is essential. Depending on what pan size you're using, you'll have to make reasonable adjustments to ensure your brownies don't over- or under-bake.

Overall, the ideal pan size for evenly baked brownies is 8x8 or 9x9. "If you use a smaller pan than the recipe calls for, your brownies will be thicker and therefore run the risk of not baking fully in the center," Alyssa Hendrix told us. In this case, adjust baking time accordingly by baking at a lower temperature for a longer time to ensure even cooking without burning. "If you use a larger pan than the recipe calls for, you may [overbake] the batch entirely," she added. To prevent this, reduce your baking time.

To test doneness without overbaking the edges, Hendrix recommended inserting a toothpick into the middle of your bake. "If moist crumbs come out on the toothpick (but no raw batter), your brownies are done," she added. This is a tried-and-tested baking hack that can be used on other baked goods as well.