Everyone says to use a mixer for brownies, but I swear by a wooden spoon

Most bakers I know rely on their stand mixers for brownie batter to make it smooth. I did the same for years, but my brownies always turned out too cakey and dry. So I decided to stop using the mixer and just use a wooden spoon. I mix the ingredients by hand until they are just combined, even if the batter looks a bit lumpy. The first time I tried this, I was worried it would ruin the batch. But when I baked them, the brownies came out dense, fudgy, and had a perfect chewy texture. Now I never use a mixer for brownies, and everyone who tries them says they're the best. If you want richer brownies, give hand mixing a shot.

2 comments

2 Comments

valgibson1d ago

My hand mixer was the problem for ages. I’d beat the batter until it was shiny and smooth, and I’d get these dry, tall brownies every time. Switching to a wooden spoon and stopping while it still had some flour streaks made all the difference. They went from sad cake squares to that dense, sticky fudge texture I actually wanted.

theascott1d ago

Watch people murder their brownies with a mixer on high speed and wonder why they get dry cake squares. I had the same issue until I tried @valgibson's method and now my batter looks like a lumpy mess but bakes into perfect fudge. My stand mixer just gives me the side eye from the counter while I stir by hand. Guess it's back to being a very expensive whipped cream machine.