Finally, the wait is over, and it is time to taste those heavenly-smelling brownies.
You cut yourself a piece slice but notice that the centerpiece of your brownies is still gooey. Mood spoiler. Right?
Even though it will reduce your excitement to eat the brownies, many people will choose to eat them.
Now the question arises – is it okay to eat undercooked brownies?
In actuality, gooey brownies simply indicate undercooked brownies. You may have purposefully undercooked your brownies because you like them gooey or fudgy.
Regardless of personal taste, it is reasonable to know whether eating undercooked brownies is safe.
Can You Eat Brownies That Are Undercooked?
You must have heard people saying that eating undercooked brownies is not good for the human body. It is said mainly because of the eggs used in the recipe to make the brownies.
Because of the same reason, it is advised not to consume cake batter or raw cookie dough.
It does not matter whether you have used the brownie mix from the market to make your brownies or made them from scratch, you definitely have used the eggs.
When you eat undercooked brownies, you also eat the raw egg in them. By doing so, you are making your body vulnerable to microorganisms like Salmonella and E.Coli.
These microbes are harmful to your body, so it is better not to consume raw eggs.
Now let’s learn something utterly opposite to what we have discussed. You can consume undercooked brownies without any problem.
But how? Let’s understand it.
If you use eggs from the store, they have been pasteurized. But if you are using fresh farm eggs, it can be a whole different scenario, so keep it in mind during the recipe.
Pasteurized eggs, however, are much less likely to result in any health problems.
There is still one more thing to be mentioned here. We are not talking about pure and uncooked brownie batter but strictly only undercooked brownies.
The brownies are almost completely cooked in this situation, but we assume they are still a little gooey in the middle.
As the brownie batter has already been partially baked, eating the undercooked brownies as-is, in this instance, will probably not cause any problems to your body.
What To Do With Undercooked Brownies?
If you cut yourself a piece of brownie only to find that it has not cooked properly yet, you do not have to abort your whole plan of eating brownies.
Why? Because you can fix this situation.
Want to hear the best part? If your brownies are undercooked, there are several ways to fix them. The problem may be fixed in various ways, so you are not limited to only one option.
Baking your undercooked brownies in the oven is perhaps the simplest and most popular fix, but there are a few more options.
Use your microwave
Undercooked brownies may be easily fixed in the microwave. This goes without saying that this method to fix undercooked brownies is fast, simple, and effective.
The easiest method to microwave brownies is to put each slice of brownie for 30 to 40 seconds at a time.
This method will guarantee that the brownies have reached a safe temperature throughout, as it is well known that microwaves do not always heat things evenly.
It will help significantly if you cut your brownies into smaller pieces before putting them in the microwave. Another benefit of a microwave is, unlike an oven, a microwave cooks food from the inside out, so brownies are less prone to burn.
By microwaving brownies, you can prevent dry edges and maintain their moisture.
Use the refrigerator
Placing undercooked brownies in the refrigerator is another way to address this problem. This is the best method to use if your fudge brownies are overly gooey.
By using this procedure, the brownies won’t need to be baked for an extended period.
If your brownies are too gooey and you think it is not safe to consume, instead of utilizing the above approach, cook the brownies longer.
Insufficiently cooked brownies may be saved by placing them in the refrigerator, but this approach won’t truly cook the eggs and flour any longer; it will only harden the chocolate treat.
Put the brownies in your refrigerator for up to 1.5 hours. The brownies will become chewy and less gooey.
Underdone brownies may also be fixed by freezing them. The brownies will get entirely stiff and rigid as a result.
Use this approach only if you believe the brownies are safe to consume since, like the fridge method, it won’t cook the brownies.
Use your oven
Simply rebake your undercooked brownies in the same baking tray they were prepared to fix them in the oven.
After removing the baked brownies from the tray, if you notice that it is still too gooey, just put them on a conventional baking sheet and heat them in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven.
So how long should you leave your brownies in the oven? It entirely depends on how well done your brownies are. Re-bake your brownies for the remaining time if you know they were baked for a few minutes less.
When in doubt, bake them and check them every three to five minutes in a preheated oven.
How To Tell If Your Brownies Are Done?
If you have been dealing with the problem of undercooked brownies a lot, it is time to change your method of knowing whether or not your brownies are done.
Here is a brief guide to know if your brownies are done. Please read them and apply them to get perfectly baked brownies.
By looking at your brownies
By taking a glance at your brownies, you can determine if they are done or not. Open the oven door and check the edges for a hardened crust.
Although the sides of the brownie should be entirely set and just beginning to peel away from the pan, the middle may still slightly wobble.
Here is another tip to know if your brownies are done by looking at them.
Your brownie’s top ought to be matte, not shiny, and you ought to notice a thin layer forming on the cracked tops of your brownies at this time.
Time
The amount of time brownies need to bake will depend on the size of your baking sheet. Set your timer for about 40 minutes to bake your brownies in an 8-inch square pan.
Professional bakers prefer to divide the baking time in half, which means taking the tray out after twenty minutes to add some salt and gently drop it on a flat surface.
Your brownie will bake more uniformly, and the top will develop lovely cracks.
The ultimate toothpick test
The trustee toothpick test can determine whether your brownies are done or not. This method is frequently used to determine whether baked goods are done.
Just prick your brownies a little with a toothpick. Double-check by repeating it in the center and closer to the edge of your brownie.
When slowly removing the toothpick, there should not be any residue dripping from the toothpick’s edges.
You will notice a smear of chocolate goop on the toothpick when removing it from the center of your brownies. If a chewy or fudgy brownie is what you are intended to make, you have to try this method.
The brownie will continue to cook even after you remove it from the oven due to residual heat, so do not worry about it being undercooked.
Check the temperature of your brownies
To check the temperature of the center of your brownies, use the digital thermometer. The ideal temperature for baked brownies is between 165 and 210 degrees Fahrenheit.
If your thermometer reads a higher temperature, you will get cake-textured brownies.
FAQ
How do you tell if a brownie is undercooked?
Cooked brownie batter and melted chocolate have a duller appearance than uncooked batter, which has a brilliant shine.
So all you have to do is pay attention to the appearance of the brownie crumbs. If it is not yet cooked, it will be shiny; however deeper and matte appearance signifies that it is cooked.
Do brownies harden as they cool?
If you have not refrigerated your brownies in the refrigerator or freezer, they won’t harden even though they will stiffen up as they cool.
Your brownies should have a fudgy, firm, and melt-in-your-mouth texture at room temperature.
Final thoughts
I hope that after reading this article, you have got an idea of whether you can eat undercooked brownies.
There is no harm in eating brownies which are a little fudgy but eating brownies batter, or uncooked brownies can pose some serious problems.
But what to do with undercooked brownies? You do not have to throw them away because you can bake them by tossing them in the oven again. You can use microwave and refrigerator methods too.
Happy baking!
