Why Are My Brownies Raw in the Middle

Fudgy brownies are meant to be dense and moist, so the line between perfectly fudgy and raw can be thin. A brownie with a properly baked center feels moist and dense but holds its shape when cut. A raw one has a wet, glossy streak of batter in the middle that smears on the knife and tastes floury. Pan size, pan material, oven temperature and cooling time all affect which one you get.

This guide helps you figure out why the middle stayed raw, how to test brownies so you pull them at the right moment, and what to do if you have already cut into an underbaked pan.

Pan size and depth

Recipes are written for a specific pan, most often a 20 cm (8 in) or 23 cm (9 in) square or a 23 x 33 cm (9 x 13 in) rectangle. A 20 cm square pan has roughly a quarter less area than a 23 cm one, so the same batter sits deeper and takes longer to bake in the middle. The edges overbake while the center is still raw.

If you use a smaller pan than the recipe calls for, lower the oven by about 15°C (25°F) and expect to add 10 or more minutes. For a larger pan, the brownies will be thinner and bake faster, so start checking early.

• Use the pan size in the recipe
• Deeper batter needs more time and slightly less heat
• Thinner batter needs less time

Glass, ceramic and dark pans

Glass and ceramic dishes take longer to heat up but hold heat strongly once hot. In practice, the edges of brownies in a glass dish set and dry out while the center lags behind. Light-colored aluminum pans conduct heat more evenly and are the best choice for brownies.

If you bake in glass, reduce the oven temperature by about 15°C (25°F) and lengthen the baking time. Dark metal pans brown edges and bottoms faster; the same adjustment helps.

Testing for doneness

Insert a toothpick or thin skewer about 5 cm (2 in) from the center. For fudgy brownies, it should come out with moist crumbs clinging to it but no streaks of wet, shiny batter. For cakey brownies, it should come out nearly clean. The top should look set and slightly cracked or shiny, and the edges should be pulling away from the pan.

Brownies contain raw egg and flour, which should not be eaten raw. If you want certainty, an instant-read thermometer in the center should read at least 71°C (160°F), the temperature FDA gives for egg dishes; most fudgy brownies are well past that by the time the moist-crumb test is met.

The oven and the clock

An oven running cooler than its dial is a common reason brownies stay raw in the time the recipe gives. Check with an oven thermometer. Very rich recipes high in butter, chocolate and sugar also take longer to set, so treat the recipe time as a starting point.

Avoid opening the oven door repeatedly in the first 20 minutes, since each opening drops the temperature. Bake on the middle rack, and rotate the pan once if your oven has hot spots.

Rescue and cooling

If you catch underbaked brownies before cooling, return the pan to the oven at about 160°C (325°F), loosely covered with foil to protect the top and edges, for 5 to 15 minutes, checking often. Even brownies that have cooled can go back into the oven; the texture will be slightly drier at the edges but the center will set.

Fudgy brownies are very soft straight out of the oven and firm up dramatically as they cool, often taking 2 hours or more. For clean slices, chill the cooled pan for 30 minutes and cut with a hot, dry knife.

Common questions

Are slightly gooey brownies safe to eat?

Moist, dense brownies that are baked through are fine. A center with wet, uncooked batter means the egg and flour have not been fully cooked. FDA advises against eating raw flour or batter, so bake until the center is set.

Can I use the microwave to finish raw brownies?

For a single piece, a few seconds in the microwave can heat the center through, though the texture will be softer and more cake-like. For a whole pan, the oven gives more even results.

Why are the edges hard but the middle raw?

The heat reached the edges much faster than the center, which usually points to a glass pan, a pan that is too small or deep, or an oven that is too hot. Lower the temperature and bake longer.