How to Soften Difficult Brownies (9 Simple Methods)

When it comes to baking, nothing surpasses a tasty brownie. Soft and chewy. It’s rich and chocolaty.

But, every now and then, a batch would bake up hard instead of soft and moist. Or a pan of brownies that are wonderful and soft on the day they are baked, but hard and crisp the following day.

Before you know it, no one wants to taste your brownie masterpiece!

Not to fear, with a few of my techniques, you’ll be able to soften hard brownies in no time, making them delectable and sweet and ready to serve to your family and friends.

1. Use Sliced Bread

Using a few pieces of white bread to soften brownies is a tried and proven approach. Cut the brownies into squares and store them in an airtight container, such as Tupperware. Put the bread pieces on top of the brownies and place the container in the refrigerator overnight.

Your hard brownies will be pleasant and soft the following day. The brownies absorb moisture from the white bread, making them virtually as soft and wet as when they were originally made, according to the science behind this procedure.

2. Wax Paper Method

Wax paper seems to work well for softening firm brownies. Line a shallow sealable plastic jar with wax paper. I like to use a 913 sized container for this.

Cut the brownies into separate pieces and stack them on waxed paper. Place them so that the sides do not touch and there is plenty of space between them.

Cover the brownies with a layer of waxed paper and the lid, ensuring sure the container is airtight. This method is excellent for softening the firm, crunchy edges of slightly overbaked brownies.

3. Soften in the Oven

Putting hard brownies in the oven for a few minutes is a quick and simple technique to soften them. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Use parchment paper to line a cookie sheet. Cut the brownies into pieces and place them on top of the parchment paper. Bake the cookie sheet for 1 to 2 minutes in a preheated oven.

The oven’s heat immediately warms the brownies, making them soft and moist. If you don’t serve them right away after cooking them, they’ll stiffen up again.

4. Microwave to Soften

Like with the oven approach, a little heat is an excellent way to soften brownies. Wrap each brownie slice in a wet paper towel to keep it moist in the microwave.

Put in the microwave for approximately 5 seconds on medium. Assess the softness of the brownies and repeat for 5 seconds if required.

You must eat them immediately after cooking or they will turn hard and crispy. Here’s a little secret: after softening hard brownies in the microwave, I prefer to serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

The ice cream melts over the warm, silky brownie, making for a simple and delightful dessert.

5. Don’t Refrigerate!

Never put brownies in the fridge. It may seem that keeping them chilly will keep them soft, but the reverse will occur. After just a few hours in the fridge, you’ll get hard and dry brownies.

What is the explanation behind this? At low temperatures, the sugar in the brownies begins to solidify and crystallize, resulting in hard and crispy brownies.

Another issue with the fridge is that the low humidity removes the moisture from the cake, leaving it dry and crumbly.

6. Baking Soft Brownies

Making sure your brownies bake up nice and soft is one method to keep them from getting hard. Brownies are better underbaked than overbaked.

Check brownies in the oven a few minutes before the timer goes off. Check the center of the cake with a cake tester or toothpick.

The tester should peel away from a properly cooked brownie with crumbs still attached. If it comes out clean, your brownie has been overcooked!

As a result, soft and moist brownies will be hard, with the exterior bits overbaked.

7. Cut When Cool

Wait until the brownies have fully cooled before cutting them. Cutting into a warm brownie too soon might cause it to harden rapidly!

Even if the delightful scent of baked brownies has drawn your family to the kitchen, always wait until they are cold.

8. Cut and Wrap Individually

You risk having hard brownies the following day if you don’t eat them the day you make them. By cutting and wrapping them into separate pieces, you can preserve them soft and chewy.

Let your brownies to cool fully after baking. Next, cut into serving-size pieces and wrap each one individually in plastic wrap. You may keep it at room temperature for up to three days.

When wrapped separately, they may be frozen for up to four months. Wrap them in plastic, then in another layer of aluminum foil, and finally in a big freezer bag or container.

When you want a brownie, just take as many pieces as you need from the freezer. Let them to fully defrost before removing the plastic wrap.

This technique of cutting and wrapping each brownie dish is ideal for keeping your brownies soft.

9. Delicious Tricks For Hard Brownies

There will be batches of brownies that will remain hard no matter what you try to cure them. When this occurs, I do one of the following actions:

• As previously said, I top a warm brownie with vanilla ice cream, but any flavor of your favorite ice cream would work just as well!
• Brownies, on the other hand, are delicious as an ice cream topping!
• Warm brownies should be served with a scoop of sweet whipped cream.
• Drizzle with ooey chocolate frosting. The frosting will quickly make you forget just how tough the brownie is.
• Poke little holes in the brownie while it is still in the pan. Pour over a cup of sweetened condensed milk. Return to the oven for 5 minutes more before serving warm.
• I cut exceptionally hard brownies into little pieces and use them as the basis for a fruit trifle. They soften fast behind a layer of custard and fruit.
• Use in a chocolate fondue by cutting into cubes!

Hard brownies, as you can see, can be softened! Employ one of my strategies to mend those brownies that aren’t soft and moist enough to offer to your family and friends as they are.

If all else fails, try one of my delectable tricks. Even hard chocolate brownies with a little sugar fix are delectable on their own.