The BEST Vegan Brownies Recipe - Crazy for Crust (2024)

FAQs

What makes the crust on top of brownies? ›

Wanting to discover the science behind the shine, I Google "brownies with shiny crust." And come upon several sources in agreement with one another: shiny crust is the result of dissolved sugar and egg migrating to the brownies' surface as they bake, where the sugar melts and becomes shiny; and the egg white joins the ...

While your brownie may taste just as good, a dull-topped brownie is never as inviting as a shiny one. The paper-thin crinkly crust can only form if the sugar in the brownies has fully dissolved and broken down. The best way to achieve this is by making sure you thoroughly beat the sugar and the eggs.

Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones. So add more fat—in this case, butter and chocolate. A cakey batch has more flour and relies on baking powder for leavening. The amount of sugar and eggs does not change whether you're going fudgy or cakey.

Best substitutes for eggs in cakes, cupcakes, muffins, and brownies: Ripe Banana- (most common) ¼ cup mashed ripe banana = 1 large egg. However, there is a definite banana flavor. Apple Sauce- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce = 1 large egg.

Add semisweet chocolate chips

That's when I realized that the extra step of adding chocolate chips to the brownie batter helps the brownies get a crackly top.

To ensure a crisp edge on each brownie (and to prevent sticking) coat the muffin tin with oil and sugar before adding your batter. Use a pastry brush to apply a thin layer of vegetable oil to the bottom and sides of each well in the muffin tin.

Cookbook author and food stylist Jerrelle Guy might have given away the secret: In an article for The Kitchn, Guy suggests the secret to a "glossy" and lifted brownie — like the ones you see in bakeries and restaurants — is to beat the eggs and the sugar together for 10 minutes before adding additional ingredients.

Whether you use butter, margarine, or vegetable oil, putting too much in your brownie batter causes it to be greasy. Don't worry, you're not alone. Many people fall into this trap when trying to substitute butter with oil.

Achieving a fudgy brownie is all to do with the ratio of fat to flour. A fudgy brownie recipe will use more fat than flour. Generally this is achieved by adding more butter or real chocolate to your brownie recipe. A cakey brownie recipe on the other hand will call for more flour in the ratio of fat to flour.

If you opt to add more eggs, say double the amount, something interesting happens. Even though you are adding more moisture, the air bubbles that you catch in the extra eggs add volume, which decreases the density of your final product. This makes your brownies rise and gives them a much more cake-like texture.

What are the 3 types of brownies? ›

Brownie textures fall into three general camps… Cakey, fudgy and chewy. Cakey brownies, like the name implies, are light, moist and airy, with a slightly fluffy, cake-like interior. Fudgy brownies are moist, dense and gooey, with almost the texture of fudge, but not quite as compact.

In brownies, both butter and oil will offer a moist, tender texture, but only butter will give the dish the aeration needed for rising brownies well. If you use a cake brownie, butter is a better option because it helps rise the batter. For denser, fudge type brownies, oil is permissable.

If you're looking to make some of your favorite baked goods a wee bit healthier or vegan, applesauce is your magical friend! Applesauce can be used as a substitute for oil, butter, or eggs, and still give you delicious baked treats.

It's a swap that makes sense since mayonnaise is made of mostly oil and egg. It provides moisture, which keeps the baked goods soft and tender, just like oil does. For most recipes, it's a one-to-one substitution, and works in everything from cakes to muffins.