Recipe: Chewy Zucchini Brownies (2024)

FAQs

What does it mean when your brownies are chewy? ›

A chewy texture often indicates that something went awry; usually overbaking. Why do brownies have a hard chewy texture? If hard and chewy, the batter was over mixed. You want to mix only enough to hom*ogenize all ingredients.

Fudgy brownies benefit from less cocoa powder and the addition of chopped chocolate, which gets melted with the butter to create a thick, molten base. Pulling them out of the oven before a toothpick comes out clean also ensures the center stays fudge-like and gooey.

Fudgy brownies are moist, dense and gooey, with almost the texture of fudge, but not quite as compact. Chewy brownies are dense (like fudgy brownies), but have a little more “bite” to them or elastic texture when you chew them.

Gently shake the pan back and forth a few times and look at the middle of the brownies—if you're cooking fudgy brownies, they should wobble or jiggle slightly. They'll finish cooking after you take them out of the oven. If you're cooking chewy or cakey brownies, you shouldn't see any movement in the middle of the pan.

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.

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.

Want to make sure that your brownies are still fudgy but not raw? The truth is, fudgy brownies are slightly undercooked. The key is to make sure the center of the brownies is set and that the toothpick doesn't look too gooey when you remove it from the brownies.

If you like chewy, sticky brownies, I recommend: Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix. If you like light, less dense brownies with a picture-perfect sugar top that flakes when sliced, I recommend: Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix.

Ghirardelli's brownies weren't too sweet and had a denser, more fudgelike texture. They had the most intense flavor of the bunch, which I think came from the chocolate chips and the darker chocolate used in the batter. These were also fudgy, which is my personal preference for a brownie.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 9" pan, or 8" x 8" pan (for slightly thicker brownies).

How many zucchinis for two cups? ›

You need 2 cups of grated zucchini for the recipe, so you will need about 3 small zucchini, 2 medium zucchini, or 1 large zucchini.

Working on a cutting board, hold the box grater firmly in one hand. Grip the zucchini a few inches away from the cut end, then grate it, scraping the cut end downward along the side of the grater. Take care to keep your fingers from getting too close to the grates as you work.

The easiest ways to grate zucchini are by using a box grater or a food processor. These instructions work for yellow squash or patty-pan squash as well.

To test for doneness with a toothpick, insert a toothpick into the center of the brownies and pull it back out. For fudgy brownies, you'll want to see some moist crumbs attached to the toothpick when you pull it back out. If it looks like it's covered in brownie batter, the brownies will need to bake a bit longer.

If you've waited to take your brownies out of the oven until there are no more crumbs stuck to the toothpick, brace yourself for the disappointment of overcooked brownies. Instead of soft and fudgy, these are more likely to be dry and crumbly.

The ratios and mixing techniques of these ingredients determine whether your brownies will be fudgy, cakey, gooey or chewy. Fudgy brownies are dense, moist, and intensely chocolatey. To achieve this texture, use more chocolate and less flour. Melt the chocolate and butter together to form a smooth base.