Brownie Pudding
Decadent and delicious, this brownie pudding is a chocolate lover’s dream come true! An outer brownie shell hides molten chocolate pudding underneath. Yum!
Can we handle brownie pudding right now? Mid-January?
I rarely say this, I know, but this brownie pudding is so incredibly rich and decadent that a little serving is actually better than a huge bowl full.
Just enough to satisfy and calm that chocolate craving without making you never want to eat chocolate again (would that, could that ever happen?).
I’ve made a lot of chocolate desserts in my day and this ooey, gooey, delicious brownie pudding is right up there with desserts that I’ll love for the rest of forever.
Think hot fudge pudding cake with a little less cake and a lot more pudding.
Or like a big pan of brownies that are underbaked times a million.
The minute you crunch through that top crusty layer and dive into the pool of molten chocolate, you’ll get what I’m trying to say.
The key to this dessert is using a water bath while baking.
I know it’s easy to want to resist that step but don’t! Otherwise, you’ll just end up with a pan of brownies.
Not necessarily a bad thing, but also not what we want when it’s brownie pudding we have in mind.
And besides, it’s no harder than setting the pan of brownie pudding inside a slightly larger pan and filling it up with water.
Simple, simple.
As long as we are talking about rules here, don’t skip the ice cream.
This dish is rich beyond words and a little bit of cold creaminess goes a long way to complimenting the dark decadence of the chocolate.
Plus. Ice cream.
Is there ever a reason to say no? Speaking of, has anyone gotten on the 3-ingredient no churn ice cream bandwagon yet?
We are making it like crazy but I wasn’t planning to share our variations with the world if you’re all over it already.
One Year Ago: Chicken Tikka Pizzas: Another 20-Minute Meal
Two Years Ago: Slow Cooker Jalapeno Popper White Bean Chili
Three Years Ago: Chocolate Flan Cake {i.e. Magic Chocoflan!}
Brownie Pudding
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (64 g) cocoa powder (Dutch-process or regular; dark cocoa powder works great here)
- ½ cup (71 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs
- 1 ¾ cups (371 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 sticks (227 g) salted butter, melted
- Ice cream, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish (see note below) with nonstick cooking spray or butter.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour and salt.
- In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment), beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed for 5-7 minutes until very thick and light yellow in color. Don’t short the time on this step – it’s essential for the texture of the dessert.
- Add the vanilla and flour/cocoa mixture and mix on low speed until just combined and no dry streaks remain. With the mixer on low, carefully add the melted butter and mix until just combined.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and place it in a larger baking pan. Place in the oven and carefully pour very hot water into the larger pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the brownie pudding pan.
- Bake for 60 minutes. There will be a layer of crust on the top and the middle will look really underbaked. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the brownie pudding pan from the water bath.
- Allow to cool 10-20 minutes before serving warm with ice cream.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted a little from Ina Garten
85 Comments on “Brownie Pudding”
Amazing recipe! such a good taste and you can leave it in the fridge for a few days and it will still taste amazing!
Thank you!
I found this recipe in my Mom’s Better Homes cookbook when I decided I wanted to learn how to cook and bake at age 10. I always put chopped pecans in the brownie batter. Brownie pudding always makes me smile.
There are recipes I find like this where I feel like I struck gold. These remind me of the inside of chocolate lava cakes (but you get a whole pan!). So good, so perfectly rich. Will be making when I get a craving for one of my favorite desserts!!
Can I substitute almond flour for the wheat flour?
I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure, but if you’ve been able to substitute almond flour for other dessert recipes before, it might be worth a try!
Does the cake cook differently if you mix for too long after adding coco mix?
It might, I’m not sure.
I can’t tell you how yum this is. It’s perfect for a night in with Netflix or to impress visitors at dinner. You won’t regret making this.
My 17 yr old daughter made this one Sunday afternoon. It was delicious ! We used a glass baking dish for the brownies and a much larger 1/2 sheet cake pan for the water bath. Worked out great.
Made it twice, it was delicious.. but every time it turned out cakey rather than pudding-like. I did it for 60min then for 45min and it still turned out cakey. I think it has to do with the pan, as I only have an 8×8 that can fit in the bigger pan. I love it regardless of consistency, but I do wonder how I can make it pudding like without changing the pan.
hi mel
you killing me finallyyyyy
with your recipes. 🙂
all are amazing easy so yummmmmmi
i enjoy when i see your posts, pictures and wowww you have 5 kids …
how you could manage & do these?
with best wishes & good luck for you <3
I saw this on your list of favorites and I wonder why I didn’t make it before now? It was an instant favorite here! My husband, who can take or leave desserts (and most food, really. I KNOW.), LOVED this and requested it when he was in charge of the treat for Family Home Evening. We’ve made it three times already, which says a lot since we’ve cut down drastically on treats around here. Basically, it’s THE treat we’ve been enjoying! 🙂
Yay!
Oh and also, my kids loved this!
This recipe is AMAZING! I highly recommend it for a Sunday night dessert!
Can I substitute oil with butter?
I haven’t tried that – not sure how it would affect the texture and taste.
I love this white baking dish with the handles. Would you mind telling me where you got it?
On Amazon – it’s the HIC brand of baking pan.
I’d like to make this to bring to my mom’s house on Mother’s Day, but I would like to make it ahead of time. Would it be better to make the batter ahead of time and cook it at my mom’s or to cook it ahead of time and reheat it at her house?
I think you could get away with cooking it and then reheating it.
How long should I cook this if I place them in individual ramekins?
I’d suggest right around 20 minutes.
Love your recipes. This is just perfect for my hubby. He goes to Souplantation and puts brownies, choc pudding, choc mousse in a bowl. If they have chocolate muffins, he puts that on the bottom!
Souplantation is a giant salad bar. They have a separate pizza , soup, and dessert bar
Sorry to get pedantic, but quart is a volume measurement and it’s misleading here. A 9×12 dish can be 2 quarts if it’s shallow, but a common 2″-deep 9×12 dish is more like 3 quarts. What is constant is the surface area of the bottom: 108 square inches.
Meanwhile, a 2″-deep 8×8 dish exactly 2 quarts, but the bottom surface area is only 64 square inches, and so the pudding will be much thicker.
Hi there do you think you could use a boxed brownie mix instead of scratch? Looks so good! Thank you
I just made this for company and it was wonderful… your directions were very helpful. I will definitely make this again. A dollop of top quality vanilla ice cream is a must, like you say :). One question – I used a square 2 quart dish with high sides and the pudding puffed/baked at least 2/3 the way up the sides of the dish. (sitting in a regular 9X13 pan for water bath) I just wondered if it would do that in any shape of dish?
It doesn’t puff quite that high in the slightly larger dish I bake so it might be the square pan/size that caused that? Not sure.
I made this amazing desert tonight to celebrate Valentines Day. It was perfect! I wanted to share that I used my 2.5qt oval Corningware pan ( I would guess 8″x 11″) and used my 9×13 pan for the water bath. I baked it for the entire 60minutes and it was perfect. This reminds me of the chocolate chess pie that my husbands grandmother used to make and is my absolute favorite dessert. Thank you Mel!
Do the eggs cook long enough to be safe for kids? I always work when baked goods aren’t “baked” all the way!
I know what you mean. You can use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the gooey parts reads at least 160 degrees.
This looks absolutely delicious! I really want to try it with the three ingredient ice cream. Sounds like a perfect combination. Do you have any recommendations for a half batch variation? It’s not that I want less chocolate, it’s just that my largest pan is a 9×13 so I’ll have to use that for the water bath.
I’d probably decrease the batter by 1/4 (just multiply all the ingredients by .25) and use a 9X9-inch pan. That’s just a guess since I haven’t tried it but it should be a good starting point. Also, I think someone above in the comments reported back after making a half batch so you might check out higher up in the thread.
I most definitely can handle this mid January. It was delicious! Wow.
Did all as directed and took it out 8 minutes early even with no fudgey goo. Under baked brownie-ish and crust but no pudding consistency at all. Any idea where I failed?
Did the water come halfway up the sides of the brownie pan, Shalynn?
Yes, so the brownie pan was about half high with batter and I put water in up to the same line where the batter was.
Hmmm, I’m not really sure – if you dare make it again, I’d cut several minutes off the baking time. It might be that your oven bakes hotter than mine…
I’m going to try in an 8×8 as one reader did. Maybe trying to make shift my 9×13 was an issue or too much hot water bath or less cook time. It is certainly worth another try as the failed recipe was still rather delicious.
Mel- this is incredible!!! Made it for our Sunday Dinner dessert tonight and I wish I could attach a picture of my 2 year old savoring every single bite! It was hilarious. We all loved it, definitely a keeper. As are nearly all of your recipes!
Just for reference, both 11×7 and 8×8 pans are 2-quart pans. I made this last night using an 8×8 pan and it turned out great!
Perfect! Thanks for chiming in with that.
Just made this as written and it was delicious! A huge hit with family of all ages! Thanks for another great recipe Mel!
I need to make this ASAP!!! It looks so flipping good and chocolate-y! I will need to make a make shift 9×12 pan though. haha
Um, yeah. I’m thinking I could make this in my pressure cooker! I mean, if I can make cheese cake and flan in my P/C, I’m willing to give this recipe a whirl!
Do you think this would work with a brownie mix if I beat the eggs like crazy as you mention in your recipe?
I have no idea, Mari – but feel free to experiment.
Water bath works even in baking, good to know 🙂 It looks gorgeous!
I would love to make this for guests tomorrow night, but need about 12 servings. If I double it, would that be too much for a 9×13? I also have a 12×15 pan, but didn’t know if that would make it too thin? Thanks!
This looks amazing! I am not an ice cream person but am slightly obsessed with no church recipes. Make Nigella Lawson’s coffee ice cream immediately! I have made so many versions I lost count and they are all delicious. My fave is coffee with Oreo:-)
Hi Mel. I couldn’t wait to make this. I just tasted it, and it’s good, but I’m wondering if 1/4 tsp is enough salt. The flavor just leaves a tad missing, like the chocolate flavor isn’t quite strong and sweet enough. I went back through and I’m 100% sure I didn’t forget the salt. I added a touch of flaky sea salt to a spoonful, and that seemed to bring it all together in a bite, which makes me wonder if more salt would be the factor here. I used dutch processed cocoa (in case you think that affects it). Thanks!
Hi Lynn – sounds like a nice addition of salt was the right touch! 1/4 teaspoon was just right for us but that may be dependent on the brand/type of butter. I use salted butter and different brands have differing amounts of salt (I know, I know, it’s a bad way to do things and unsalted butter is supposed to be better, especially in instances like this, but I just haven’t brought myself to start stocking it yet).
How long do the brownie pudding last in room temperature?
A couple of hours…
I think it also depends on what kind of salt you’re using. I used kosher salt and used a heaping 1/4 teaspoon — and probably could have used a little more (I also use salted butter). Had I used some fine sea salt I have, 1/4 teaspoon or a little less probably would have worked.
Yes to the 3 ingredient ice cream recipes! I’d love to get your take on them as I’m sure they’ll be delicious.
I’ve died and gone to chocolate heaven!
We just finished eating this. It’s delicious and very rich. You only need a small portion to enjoy it. I used my 2 1/2 quart oval corningware dish and it baked perfectly. Thanks!
Oh my goodness, I just decided what my birthday dessert is going to be tgis year! And please do tell about the 3 ingredient, no-churn ice cream. We will probably need some of that to go along with it.
wow this looks amazing. but i am wondering could i just split up the batter in individual ramekins then it would be easier to put in a water bath. But then i guess i would have to figure out the individual baking times….
Anyways will give this a try!
Yep, I meant to put that in the recipe note. That would work fabulously; for a 6-ounce or so ramekin, I’d bake it for probably about 25 minutes or so (but that’s just a guess; watch it closely!)
I split the batter between 6 oz ramekins (and then some other various sizes because I don’t have a lot of the 6 ounce cups). The recipe is AMAZING! I baked it for 25 minutes, but may have added another 2-3 minutes because the top layer was not very established (still amazing though). My family could not get enough of it and my waist was happy because the ramekins prevented me from taking a spoon to the entire pan. This is going to be a staple in my “rock star” dessert file.
Are you Kidding!?! Why now… after whoe30:) this looks divine, I can’t wait to make it!
Yes Mel, please share your 3-ingredient ice cream method, and all variations you’ve tried…and soon! Love everything you post; please never hesitate to share anything with us, no matter how simple or well-known!
Brownies, and pudding, together? Say no more, I need this in my life right now!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Please add me to the list of those who would like to hear your family’s variations on the ice cream. I found myself wondering if the ice cream pictured here is one of those variations; it looks so good paired with this brownie pudding! I cannot wait to make both! Thank you for all your hard work; my family is so appreciative.
YES to your variations on the 3 ingredient ice cream. we love that stuff!
Can’t wait to try this …. And yes please share the ice cream recipe !!!
Ice cream! 3 ingredients? YES, please!!!! love ya, Mel
This looks so yummy. Please do share your 3 ingredient no churn ice cream!!
This looks wonderful! How do you reheat it? Also, YES PLEASE PLEASE SHARE the 3 ingredient no churn ice cream recipe! Thanks!
Last time, I just popped it into a 250 degree oven until it was warm again (maybe 10 or so minutes?). But you could also reheat in the microwave.
I’m a working mom who loves to bake/cook (I insist on making homemade meals, no matter how tired I am…the reason I love your recipes is because they are simple, fairly quick, use ingredients I already have, and taste delicious!). When I get recipes like this first thing in the morning I end up drooling most of the day, and sighing in happiness when I taste the first bites during dinner/dessert. I love your descriptions and can imagine what this brownie will taste like when I make it tonight – its going to be so good! And, yes, I have heard of the 3 ingredient ice cream. But like every new idea, I wait patiently until you post your version because yours is always the best 🙂
YAY to working moms who cook. The effort is worth it!!! And our kids pitch in and learn amazing valuable life skills.
Oh man! Gooey Brownies are my weakness. Trying to come up with something we need to celebrate so I have an excuse to try this. My sis is coming to Boise Friday evening. That’s worth celebrating, right?
PS I’d love to learn more about the ice cream. I’ve had lots of failed attempts.
I’d never heard of this no churn icecream either so googled and wow it sounds awesome! Definitely want to try so would love to get any tips or ideas you have!
Definitely making this in January! My boys will love this!
This looks divine and I have not heard about the ice cream so please share. Even if I had, you are my go-to food blog, so I will always try your recipe first! Make it happen soon!
Oh yum! This is the first thing I’m making when I’m done with this round of whole30! And YES PLEASE to the ice cream (unless one of those ingredients is bananas!).
ha ha ha… oh I had to giggle. I’m starting my 2nd round on Friday. That means I have until Friday to make this and eat it all… (ha ha- or share) you know… lol
I just googled 3 ingredient no churn ice cream, (because I for one, have never heard of this madness) and I didn’t get results from a site I trust as much as yours. So yes, please share! And variations? Definitely!
How is it when it’s no longer warm? Like, if you made it and brought it somewhere, would it still be good even after it cooled to room temperature and maybe sat unattended for a couple hours waiting to be served? Or would it loose its “puddingness”?
Good question, Patrick. When it cools (not refrigerated, just room temp), it’s soft and kind of fudgy but yeah, it kind of loses that delicious, melty pudding layer unless it’s reheated (although it’s definitely not yucky – still delicious just a whole different texture).
Girrrrl, that looks delicious!!! By the way, I’m sure many of us have seen, heard or tried the 3 ingredient ice cream but who cares!!! Do it anyway, I’m sure all your readers would love to see anything you want to share. I recently bought and swiftly returned a Cuisinart ice cream maker because all those steps were such a pain. Ain’t nobody got time for that!!!
This is happening TODAY!!!!!! This looks unbelievable and the perfect thing to cure my “subzero temps where I live blues”!!!! And no, I haven’t heard about the 3 ingredient ice cream..do share, do share!!!! 🙂