How To Cut Brownies – The Best Tips
Is there anyone who doesn’t absolutely love brownies? Gooey, fudgy, and very chocolatey, this dessert tastes good no matter what shape it has.
And while you can eat messily cut brownies, you want them to look more presentable when you are serving them to your guests.
So how to cut brownies? To cut brownies cleanly without causing them to crumble you should first let the brownies cool off completely before cutting them. For the best results, use a plastic or a chef’s knife to get sharp edges. Cut the brownies into squares or rectangles of your preferred size.
This article is for you if you always struggle with cutting your brownies cleanly.
Read on to learn how to cut brownies cleanly with a plastic knife, what are other methods for cutting brownies, as well as useful tips to help you with dealing with this fudgy dessert!
Why Is It Hard To Cut Brownies Cleanly?
If you bake brownies often, you have surely noticed that getting clean cuts on them is rather difficult.
This is because of the soft yet dense texture of the brownies. And when the brownies are too gooey inside, cutting them cleanly becomes an even bigger problem.
What Is the Ideal Shape And Size For Brownies?
Brownies are typically cut into squares or rectangular bars. It is easy to cut brownies into squares. Additionally, square-cut brownies hold their shape well and don’t fall apart.
As for the size of the brownies, it is all a matter of preference. But brownies are usually cut into small or medium size squares as this dessert is quite dense and filling,
Small brownies may measure an inch on all sides. But if you want larger pieces, you can cut the brownies into 3 or 4-inch squares.
How To Cut Brownies Cleanly
Brownies are such a great dessert that you will eat them no matter how you cut them. But if you are a perfectionist or you want to serve your guests brownies with perfectly clean and sharp edges, here are a few steps to follow.
Choose The Right Pan
You can bake brownies in whatever pan you have at home. So long as you have a good recipe to follow, the pan you are using doesn’t play the biggest role.
But if you are aiming for cleanly cut brownies, there are a few considerations to make regarding the pan you will be using to bake the brownies.
First off, consider the shape. A square pan works best for brownies that are to be cut into equal-size pieces.
Secondly, use a metal pan. A metal pan has sharper edges. So, you get more refined brownie bars when you cut the dessert.
Lastly, look for a non-stick surface. Using a non-stick pan ensures that the brownies have a clean bottom edge which will make the overall look of the brownies much neater and cleaner.
Line The Pan With Aluminum Foil
To make sure you are able to cut your brownies cleanly, line the baking pan with aluminum foil.
Doing this will allow you to take the dessert out of the pan undamaged and cut it without the sides of the pan getting in the way of the knife. Let the Brownies Cool
When the brownies are cooked, let them cool and don’t attempt to cut them right away.
Having lined the baking pan with aluminum foil is helpful for this step too as removing the dessert from the hot pan speeds up the cooling process.
But don’t do this right after taking the brownies out of the oven as they can be fragile and develop cracks.
Trim the Edges
This step is optional, and a little extra. But if you want your brownies to have sharp edges on all sides, trimming the edges is what you should do.
But don’t trim off too much of the chocolatey goodness. Do it as little as possible to achieve a smooth outer edge while keeping the sides of the brownies smooth.
Measure The Brownies
When your brownies have cooled, remove the aluminum foil and grab a ruler. Yes, you read that right. If you want perfectly cut brownies, you have to do some measurements.
Decide on the size of the pieces you want your brownies to be. Then do some math. Measure the edges of the brownies and think about how many equal rows you can divide them into.
For example, if your trimmed brownies turn out to have 8×6 measurements, you can get twelve brownie pieces that measure 2×2.
Make marks with a knife following the numbers on the ruler. Then, remove the ruler and start making the cuts.
Get A Plastic Knife And A Bowl Of Hot Water
As odd as it may seem, getting clear cuts on your brownies is easier with a disposable plastic knife. The reason is that these knives are non-stick. They make clean cuts instead of tearing the baked brownies.
To make the process more efficient, have a bowl of hot water at hand. Dip the plastic knife in hot water and make the cuts following the marks you have made previously with your ruler.
Keep dipping the plastic knife into hot water after each cut.
Is It Best To Cut Brownies Hot Or Cold?
It is best to cut brownies after cooling them off completely. If you have time, freeze the brownies before cutting. This is one of the most effective ways of getting clean and sharp cuts on your brownie pieces.
Let the brownies cool down and wrap them with cling wrap.
If you wrap the brownies with cling wrap while they are still hot or cold, the steam coming off the brownies will create condensation which will make the outer layer of brownies softer.
You can cool the brownies in the fridge. But it is best to keep place them in the freezer for the best results. Leave the brownies in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before cutting them to get sharp edges.
It would be great to leave the foil or plastic-wrapped brownies in the freezer overnight too.
What Happens When You Cut Brownies Hot?
Brownies right out of the oven are very tempting. But if you like to eat your brownies warm, know that you won’t be able to get clean cuts on them.
Trying to cut hot or warm brownies will result in crumbly edges and messily cut pieces.
Other Methods For Cutting Brownies
You can still cut your brownies cleanly if you don’t have a plastic knife. There are a few common tools you can use to do this.
Using A Chef’s Knife
If you don’t have a disposable plastic knife at hand, your best bet is cutting the brownies using a chef’s knife.
If you don’t have a chef’s knife, use any other non-serrated knife with a long blade. Using a serrated knife to cut brownies will cause their edges to crumble and fall apart.
When using a chef’s knife to cut brownies, set the knife on the sheet of brownies and press firmly to cut the brownies at one go.
Using A Pizza Cutter
If you don’t have a big chef knife to cut the brownies but have a pizza cutter somewhere in your kitchen tools drawer, pull it out. A pizza cutter works perfectly for cutting brownies. And you don’t have to make a lot of effort either.
To make sure no brownie bits stick to the pizza cutter, spray it with some cooking oil or heat it in hot water. Apply sufficient pressure on the pizza cutter to cut the brownies without causing them to fall apart.
Clean the pizza cutter after each swipe.
The 7 Tips For Cutting Brownies
If you always struggle with cutting your brownies cleanly, you will make use of these tips we have gathered for you.
1. Choose A Square Or A Rectangular Pan
It is easier to cut brownies into similar-size pieces if you are using a square or rectangular pan. You can surely make brownies in a pan of any shape.
But if you are aiming for perfection and clear cuts, opting for a square or a rectangular pan is a great idea.
2. Wipe The Knife Clean After Each Cut
To have clean cuts on your brownies, wipe your knife clean after each cut. Not wiping the knife after making cuts will leave a thick chocolatey residue on the blade. This will interfere with getting sharp and clean cuts on the dessert.
3. Don’t Drag The Knife Back And Forth
Doing a sawing motion when cutting the brownies is a major mistake that people make when cutting brownies. Dragging the knife back and forth results in unclear cuts and causes the edges of the brownies to crumble.
4. Cut Brownies With A Bench Scraper
A bench scraper is a tool every baker needs. You can use it to cut all kinds of dough, including the wet and the sticky type.
But bench scrapers are good for cutting brownies and other bar desserts too. All you need to do is to press it down the brownies and pull it out. The cuts this tool makes on brownies are quite clean and sharp.
5. Use A Cooking Spray
If the knife you are using sticks to the brownie, spray it lightly with cooking spray before each cut. The cooking spray will prevent any brownie bits from sticking to the knife.
6. Remove The Brownies From The Pan Neatly
You can’t cut the brownies cleanly if you fail to remove them from the pan without damaging the sides or getting cracks on the sheet of brownies.
If you want to cut the brownies after removing them from the pan, let them cool completely and then flip the brownies on a cutting board. Peel off the parchment paper and flip the brownie onto another cutting board.
You won’t need to do any of this if you line your brownie pan with aluminum foil prior to pouring in the batter.
7. Bake Individual Brownies Or Use A Brownie Tray Divider
If you feel like you are stressing too much over cutting brownies, the best thing you can do is to cook individual brownie bites. At the end of the day, who said that you have to always bake brownies in large pans.
You can bake brownies in muffin tins or mini brownie pans. But keep in mind that this way brownies cook much quicker.
You can also use a brownie tray divider. When using a tray divider, you get same-size brownies and don’t have to worry about getting all messy with cutting fudgy brownies.
Can You Cut Brownies With A Cookie Cutter?
Brownies shouldn’t only be boring squares and rectangles. You can have fun with the shapes and use cookie cutters to cut this chocolatey dessert into fun shapes – hearts, stars, various animals, etc.
When cutting brownies with a cookie cutter, here are a few steps you should take for the best results.
- Put the cookie cutter you will be using for brownies into a bowl filled with hot water. Leave it there for around a minute.
- When the cookie cutter is hot, take it out of the water, and dry it using paper towels.
- Put it on the brownies making sure to use the sheet of dessert efficiently to get as many pieces as possible.
- Press on the cookie cutter applying even pressure on all its sides.
- Remove the cookie cutter and gently push the brownie out of the cutter.
- Clean the cookie cutter, place it in the hot water again, and repeat the cutting process as many times as needed.
How To Cut Marshmallow Brownies Cleanly
Cutting marshmallow brownies cleanly can be challenging due to the stickiness of the marshmallow layer on top.
To cut marshmallows brownies cleanly, choose a long non-serrated knife. The longer is the blade the better.
Hold the knife blade under running hot water for a minute or two. Then dry it out with a paper towel. Set the knife on the brownies lining it up where you want to make a cut. Making sure that the knife is set straight, push it into the brownies.
Don’t make any cutting motions. It is important to separate the brownies into columns with a single cut.
And when you do this, make sure to keep them away from one another. If the marshmallows on different columns touch one another, they will stick and create messy edges.
Once you have cut the brownies into columns, cut them into squares or rectangular bars remembering to keep the pieces away from each other.
How Do You Cut Brownies In A 9×13 Pan?
If you don’t care about the brownie pieces being of the exact same size, you can eyeball it and cut a brownie baked in a 9×13 pan by making three long rows each measuring 3 inches.
Then cut across the other way to form four seemingly even columns. This will make 12 uneven squares/rectangles.
But if you are a perfectionist and want to cut out evenly sized brownie squares, you will need to trim the excess of the ends.
This will help you to get a perfect sheet of brownies to measure 9×12 inches for 3-inch square brownies or 8×12 for 24 20-inch brownies.
Up Next: Consistency Of Cake Batter
