Alton Brown's Genius Hack Will Help You Make the Fudgiest Brownies Ever

If fudgy brownies are your love language, we've got the baking trick you have to try on your next batch. Well, actually, Alton Brown does.

In his recipe for Cocoa Brownies: Reloaded, Brown reinvents the standard method of brownie baking and presents a new tactic for baking the fudgiest brownies ever. The secret is all in a double-bake technique. This means it doesn't require any extra effort on the part of the baker, just a few more minutes and a little bit of patience. You've already done the hard part anyway — "ooey" brownies are just a few minutes away.

This simple baking hack has nothing to do with the ingredients in the recipe — in fact, it should work with any brownie recipe (or brownie mix!) you love to use. I experimented using Allrecipes' Best Brownie recipe (one of our absolute favorites) just to be sure. Although the "Brown-baked" brownies were pretty similar in appearance, the difference in texture blew me away.

Typically, brownies bake at around 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes, but Brown's version goes like this: Bake at 300 degrees F for 15 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven to cool for another 15 minutes. Put the brownies back in the 300 degree oven and bake until a cooking thermometer reads 195 degrees, or about 30 more minutes.

Finally, you'll cool the brownies for 30 minutes in the pan, then for 10 minutes on a cooling rack before slicing with a pizza cutter (my favorite tip) and serving. The result is a rich, dense, consistently fudgy batch of brownies your household will go crazy for. On his blog, Brown calls it, "Proof positive that technique is just as important as ingredients, especially when it comes to chocolaty goodness."

So how does this work? The 15 minute rest time allows the quick-cooking outer crust to take a pause while the dense, gooey center can set up. This prevents the outer edges from overcooking when the center is still raw. Taking things low and slow at 300 degrees will keep the brownies moist, while the 195 degree stopping point is the perfect pause between safe-to-eat and dried out.

Now, I know under-baked brownies can have the same irresistible appeal as raw cookie dough, but it's important to keep in mind the safety of those you're serving to. Raw flour and eggs are nothing to mess around with. But stick to Brown's brilliant method, and you'll have all the fudgy indulgence without any of the health hazards.