When you’re trapped, getting brownies out of a pan might be difficult. I’d cooked so many brownies in various pans, including glass, nonstick, and even metal, and taking the brownies out right was becoming more difficult. So I pondered: How can I pull brownies out of a pan without shattering them?
- Put a cold wet towel underneath your brownie pan once it’s out of the oven.
- Let it cool for 20 minutes.
- Use a rubber spatula to separate the edges of the pan from the brownie.
- Flip the brownie upside down onto a plate.
- *Grease and line your pan before starting to bake your brownies.
When baking your brownies, you may encounter a variety of conditions that may make it difficult to remove your brownies from the pan. You may have missed the greasing stage and ended up with an ungreased pan, or you could have simply overbaked your brownies and they became stuck. In any case, I have the simplest options for you!
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The Correct Way to Cool Your Brownie Pan (Greased or Ungreased)
The first suggestion I have, and I’ve said it many times in previous articles because I want it ingrained in your mind, is to let your brownies cool. It is crucial that you do this or your brownies will crumble.
In this case, my grandmother advised me to place a cool damp cloth below the pan after it had been removed from the oven. This aids in the removal of the large brownie square from the pan as it cools.
This is very useful for unsticking brownies from an ungreased pan, saving your brownies from the usual error of forgetting to oil your pan.
Let your brownies to cool for at least 20 minutes while still on the cloth. When I have the time, I let mine cool for approximately 30 minutes.
*By the way, I just discovered the ideal Brownie Pan, which effortlessly cuts the brownies into pieces! This Metallic Professional Slice Solutions Brownie Pan is 9 inches by 13 inches and will make it much simpler to pull your brownies out of the pan! This Brownie Pan is available on Amazon!
The reason for this is because as they cool, they begin to deflate somewhat, which means they draw away from the edges of the pan, reducing the likelihood of sticking.
To Remove Your Brownies, Use A Rubber Spatula
This has occurred to me several times. I create a beautiful brownie batter, correctly oil my pan, and then hurt my heart by overbaking or shattering my brownies.
I simply want to explain that slightly overbaked brownies aren’t a huge concern. They’ll still be wonderful, but they’ll be a little crunchier. But if that’s how you prefer your brownies, go ahead and munch away!
The issue with keeping brownies in the oven for too long is that they may be more difficult to remove than softer brownies that are eager to jump out of the pan.
Next you’ll need your wand, which will magically pluck them out in a clean way. I’m referring to a rubber spatula as a magic wand. Rubber spatulas are so useful in the kitchen that I’m going to use one to remove overbaked brownies from a pan!
*Run the spatula around the pan, wriggling lower to loosen the bottom as you go. While doing this, be gentle; hurrying will just force them to bolt away from the uncomfortable contact*.
After running the spatula around the edge of the pan, lay your hand or a big dish on top (upside down like a lid) and turn the whole pan upside down. It should transfer the brownies to your hand (which you can then put onto a plate) or straight onto the platter.
DO NOT twist it if it is straining to come out! Turn the pan over and use your rubber spatula to release any remaining stuck bits.
*Side Note: I just published an article on How to Freeze Brownie Batter Correctly. How Long Does Brownie Batter Last? is the topic of this article. This article may be found here!
Varieties of Pans for Baking Brownies
Because of the inconsistent baking, glass pans should not be your first option for baking brownies. This implies that your brownie mix will have an inconsistent mixture of wet and dry components. If you use this pan, be sure to coat it generously with butter and add flour or cocoa powder to keep things from sticking.
If you’re looking for a new Glass Pan, I have discovered a wonderful Rectangular Glass Baking Pan that would look amazing in your kitchen! You may find it on Amazon.
You may learn how to properly oil a glass pan for cakes and brownies in an article I published not long ago that discusses this in depth. The article may be found here!
Metal pans: Since they are metal, these pans are ideal for baking brownies because they distribute heat evenly (great conductor of heat). When I bake my brownies on a metal pan, they have a crunchier surface and a mushy middle. To keep my brownies from sticking, I use the foil technique (see below) or parchment paper.
Nonstick Pans: I normally make brownies in these pans since all I have to do is oil them with butter and they never stick. With these pans, my brownies are generally moist with little crunch on the edges (which is how I prefer them).
*Side Note: You may also be interested in learning How To Bake A Cake In A Water Bath. I just published an essay titled The Dos and Don’ts of Baking a Cake in a Water Bath. This article may be found here!
Before you bake your brownies, grease and line your pan.
The major cause of brownies or other sweet goods sticking to a pan is improper greasing. Brownies are one of those delectable treats that appeal to people of all ages! It’s really my family’s most desired treat. I make certain that my pan is adequately greased since I don’t want to surprise anybody with a crumbly mess!
The holy grail of baking supplies is most likely parchment paper. When it comes to stuck-on sweets, the waxy surface has never let me down. But when it comes to brownies, I have a specific approach that I usually utilize. This is what I do:
- First things first, get yourself a proper-sized pan (keep scrolling down if you want to know more about baking brownies in different types of pans). Bigger pans mean that your batter will spread out and produce thin, hard brownies. We definitely don’t want that. Use about a 9in square pan.
- Spray the bottom and sides of your pan with an oil spray. Why? Because we don’t want our parchment paper moving around or shifting when we’re going to be baking our brownies.
- Tear 2 pieces of parchment paper roughly 3 inches longer than your pan. One-piece will be lined lengthwise while the other will be lined widthwise (trim as needed).
- Line your baking pan. Line them one at a time in a perpendicular fashion (see step 3).
- Press down gently onto the bottom and sides to make sure that the parchment paper properly sticks to the surfaces of your pan.
- Pour your brownie batter into the lined pan and bake according to your recipe.
This procedure has never caused me any problems. After the brownies were done, I let them cool in the pan. I lift the edges of the parchment paper after about 20-30 minutes and it comes out nicely! Remove the parchment and place it on the counter to reveal a crack-free slab of brownie.
Here’s a little video that shows what I was talking about:
It’s quite acceptable if you don’t have any parchment paper on hand. Several other dessert recipes call for greasing a skillet with a fat, such as butter, and then dusting the pan with a few spoons of flour.
This is ideal for this case, however your delicious brownies will become white from the flour! Instead, use cocoa powder! To do this:
- Use room temperature butter! This is important as it will spread better
- Take 1 tablespoon of butter and rub it on the bottom and sides of your pan
- Take 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and tilt your pan in all directions to get the cocoa powder in every nook and corner
- Pour in your brownie batter and bake according to the recipe you are using
*Since my oven just failed, I decided to create this essay on Making Brownies Without An Oven. This post will go through everything you can do to prepare brownies without using a standard oven. This article may be found here!
Build Your Own Tool To Prepare For Brownie Removal:
When I’m in a hurry and don’t have the luxury of preparing my pans ahead of time, I resort to another of my favorite items: aluminum foil.
I used to build phony forks and knives out of aluminum foil when I was a kid. I’m sure I’m not the only one! We may utilize our childhood abilities to create a makeshift gadget to remove brownies from a pan that requires no effort!
- Take a sheet of aluminum foil that is slightly longer than the length of your pan, about 6 inches more.
- Line your pan as you normally would but leave the excess foil hanging over all four sides instead of tucking them in. This literally creates handles for your brownies!
- Continue by pouring in your brownie mix and baking it according to your recipe.
- When it’s done, let your brownies cool for at least 20 minutes with the wet towel method provided above. When the time is up, simply use your nifty DIY brownie handles and pull on them gently.
Slide your brownies out! Place them on a clean surface or cutting board and carefully peel aside the aluminum foil to reveal exquisite chocolate nirvana in the shape of brownies.
How to Cut Brownies Correctly
When you successfully take your brownies from the pan without losing a crumb, it’s a huge relief. Nevertheless, you are not quite out of the woods; there is still more trimming to be done without breaking your brownies.
Plastic knives, according to many people, are the best for cutting brownies. Personally, I am an environmentalist who tries to minimize my usage of plastic, so I would avoid this if you do not want to use plastic or just do not possess one.
I’ve tried a variety of knives, and the best one I’ve found to work is a serrated bread knife. The length of the knife, as well as the saw-like action I get with the serrated portion, both aid.
I recommend spraying both sides of your serrated knife with cooking spray. I’ve discovered that it doesn’t draw back any crumbs and cuts cleanly. During cutting, DO NOT PRESS DOWN! Instead, apply some pressure and move back and forth in a sawing motion.
*By the way, I just published an essay titled Why Your Brownies Have A Cakey Texture. This article explains why your brownies turn cakey after baking, as well as how to cure and prevent it from occurring again. This article may be found here!
In conclusion
One of my favorite things to cook in the kitchen is brownies. But, perfectly removing them from the pan has proven to be difficult. I began to like making brownies much more after learning these few basic strategies for removing them from their pans. Hopefully, these few pointers and techniques will take the sting out of your brownie making adventure!