Home » Cookies » Role of Eggs in Brownies
3 pieces of brownies stacked on top of each other.

Role of Eggs in Brownies

Share this:

Figuring out what each ingredient does in a recipe is one of the most valuable things you can learn to improve your baking. There are books detailing the properties of each ingredient. But if you’re anything like me, written facts just disappear from your memory before you’ve even finished reading the sentence. So I thought it was time for some baking science posts where we explore together the role of ingredients with some fun visuals (and a delicious recipe to enjoy of course!). And what better way to experiment than to make lots of brownies!

Supernatural brownies

Today we’ll be exploring the role of eggs in brownies. What happens if you skip them or if you add more than your recipe calls for? We’ll start with a brief overview and then we’ll get into the experiments.

What Are Eggs Made Of?

The three main components in an egg are:

  • Moisture: Eggs are primarily composed of water (76%) and are the main source of liquid in the brownie batter.
  • Protein: Eggs are made up of proteins that coagulate when heated and provide structure to brownies.
  • Fats & Emulsifiers: Egg yolks contain emulsifiers such as lecithin (about 10%). Emulsifiers make it easier to combine fats and water to get a smooth, homogeneous batter. Egg yolks also contain fat which adds richness and flavor.

But I find that the best way to determine the role of an ingredient is to simply omit it and see what happens. So let’s talk first about the most obvious function of an egg when baking.

Moisture/Hydration

Let’s see what would happen if you simply skip the egg:

  • Thick batter: The batter will have a paste like consistency that has to be spread with a spoon.
  • Grainy texture: Without the moisture from the eggs, the sugar won’t dissolve in the batter and you’ll end up with a gritty, unpleasant texture. You also won’t get to enjoy the shiny crust on the surface of the brownie without enough liquid. You’ll be left instead with a surface full of holes (pictured below).
  • Greasy product: The batter (and baked product) will feel very greasy since there isn’t enough water to balance out all the fat added from the butter and chocolate.
  • Hard cookie: The lack of moisture in the batter will lead to a dry, almost sandy bar that hardens significantly if slightly overbaked or chilled.
  • Overwhelming flavor: The flavor of the butter will be extremely pronounced.

Adding More Eggs To Brownies

Now let’s go in the other direction and see what happens when you add more egg than the recipe calls for.

Effect of egg in brownies before and after baking.
  • More batter: Since you are adding more egg, there will be more batter.
  • Cakier texture: Eggs play an important role in the cakey versus fudgy brownie debate. The more eggs you add, the lighter and cakier your brownie will be. We mentioned previously that eggs are primarily composed of water. This water will turn to steam in the oven, helping your brownie rise. The additional liquid provided by using more eggs also contributes to better starch gelatinization leading to a more cakey texture.
  • More structure: A brownie made with more egg will deflate less after baking as it can handle its weight better. You can see in the picture below that the brownie made with less egg (control) deflated in the center.
  • Stronger egg flavor: You’ll need to add more flavoring to mask any eggy taste if you are sensitive to it.
Comparison of brownies made with varying amount of egg.

Egg Yolks versus Whites

Let’s dig even deeper into the role of eggs and see what the difference is between egg whites and egg yolks. To do this, I replaced the amount of whole eggs called for in my recipe with the same amount of egg yolks in one trial and the same amount of whites in another.

Difference between brownies made with whole eggs, egg yolks or egg whites.
  • Appearance: All brownies had a thin shiny crust on the surface thanks to the high amount of sugar in the recipe. But the crust was slightly lighter in color when using egg yolks.
  • Texture: The texture of the brownies looked more or less the same. But during our tasting, the egg yolk brownies were noticeably drier than the rest when slightly overbaked. On the other hand, the brownies made with egg whites had the runniest batter and had a softer texture, more moist than those made with whole eggs or yolks. When slightly overbaked, the egg white brownies had a crispy crust with a soft crumb.
  • Chewiness: Brownies made with egg yolks were quite chewy. My daughter called them chewing gum as she was devouring them!
  • Flavor: Surprisingly, the egg yolk brownies had the worst flavor of the three trials. They had a noticeable egg flavor which was overpowering. The winner was the brownie made with whole eggs closely followed by the egg white brownie. The brownies made with egg whites did feel less sweet than the other ones.

If all this talk about brownies is making you hungry, here’s how to make them!

Step-by-Step Instructions

I’ve been making Nick Malgieri’s supernatural brownies for years and they get rave reviews every time so I had to share this recipe with you.

  • Line a square pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang over the edges of the pan (for easy unmolding). Set aside.
  • Place the butter and chocolate in a large microwavable bowl. Heat in the microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in-between, until completely melted. Set aside to cool down slightly.

  • In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar (white and brown) for 1-2 minutes or until light in color. Don’t worry if there is still some undissolved sugar.

  • Whisk in the chocolate mixture (that has cooled down), vanilla extract and salt until fully incorporated.
  • Add the flour and mix just until combined.

  • Pour evenly into prepared pan. Tilt or gently shake the pan if needed to spread the batter. Alternatively, spread evenly with a spatula.
  • Bake in a preheated oven until a shiny crust forms on the surface and the batter has firmed up a little. The toothpick test won’t work for this brownie as it is very fudgy. The batter will remain quite wet (unless completely overbaked and dry).
  • Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack (in the pan) before cutting.
  • To cut the brownies, lift them out of the pan using the overhang. Place on a cutting board and cut as desired. Wipe the knife with a paper towel as needed. Slide a spatula under the brownies (if needed) to release them from the parchment paper.

The baking time will vary depending on the pan you use. The bigger the pan, the thinner the brownie layer and the faster they will bake. Up to you to decide what pan you’d like to use based on availability and how tall you like your brownies. Enjoy!

Brownie baked in two different sized pans

More Easy Chocolate Recipes

Supernatural Brownies

Supernatural Brownies

0.0 from 0 votes

This recipe was adapted from Nick Malgieri’s supernatural brownies. If you love rich, fudgy brownies, you absolutely must try these!

Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy
Yield

16

pieces
Prep time

15

minutes
Cooking time

25

minutes

Ingredients

  • 115 g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (4 oz., 1 stick)

  • 115 g dark chocolate (about 60% cocoa), coarsely chopped (4 oz.)

  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature (100 g/3.5 oz.)

  • 120 g dark brown sugar (4.2 oz., 1/2 cup)

  • 100 g white granulated sugar (3.5 oz., 1/2 cup)

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 65 g all-purpose flour (2.3 oz., 1/2 cup)

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F, conventional setting). Line a 20 cm/8 inch (or 18 cm/7 inch) square pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang over the edges of the pan (for easy unmolding). Set aside. Tip: Use butter if needed to stick the parchment paper to the bottom and sides of the baking pan.
  • Place the butter and chocolate in a large microwavable bowl. Heat in the microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in-between, until completely melted. Set aside to cool down slightly.
  • In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar (white and brown) for 1-2 minutes or until light in color.
  • Whisk in the chocolate mixture (that has cooled down), vanilla extract and salt until fully incorporated.
  • Add the flour and mix just until combined. Pour evenly into prepared pan. Tilt or gently shake the pan if needed to spread the batter. Alternatively, spread evenly with a spatula.
  • Bake in the middle of the oven for about 25-30 minutes if using an 8 inch pan (about 35-43 minutes for a 7 inch pan). It’s ready when a shiny crust has formed on the surface and the batter has firmed up a little.
  • Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack (in the pan) before cutting.
  • To cut the brownies, lift them out of the pan using the overhang. Place on a cutting board and cut as desired. Wipe the knife with a paper towel as needed. Slide a spatula under the brownies (if needed) to release them from the parchment paper.

Notes

  • Make-ahead tips: Brownies will keep in an airtight container for about 3 days at room temperature or about 5 days in the fridge. Serve at room temperature for optimal texture.
  • Baking the brownies: The toothpick test doesn’t work well for this brownie in my experience as it is very fudgy. The batter will remain quite wet (unless completely overbaked and dry). It will continue firming up when you take it out of the oven (from carryover cooking) and if you chill it. Use the recommended baking times as a guideline and adjust if needed based on your preferences and oven.
  • Quicker, one bowl version: If you’re looking for an extra fudgy brownie and prefer one bowl recipes, then you can do the following steps: 1) Melt the chocolate and butter. 2) Whisk in the sugars. 3) Whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract and salt. 4) Add the flour then follow the instructions in the recipe card to bake. We preferred the texture following the slightly longer method outlined in the recipe card but both versions were delicious.
  • Taller brownies: The brownies in the featured image were baked in an 18 cm/7 inch square pan for 43 minutes.
  • Cutting the brownies: These brownies are quite fudgy. You might find it easier to chill them (once completely cooled down at room temperature) before cutting them. If using a 20 cm/8 inch square pan, you can cut the brownies into 16 pieces, 5 cm (2 inch) each. For an 18 cm/7 inch pan, you could cut into 9 larger pieces, 6 cm (2 1/3 inch) each.
  • Consistency of the brownie: The consistency of the brownies will depend on several things such as: 1) Baking time: the less you bake them, the more gooey they’ll be. The longer you bake them, the drier they’ll be. 2) Temperature: Warm brownies will be very gooey but will firm up once cooled down. If you make the brownies on a very hot day, you might notice that they are softer than they would be on a winter day (for the same baking time). 3) Chocolate: The higher the cocoa percentage, the firmer the brownie will be. It’s best to use chocolate with a cocoa percentage close to 60 % for best results.
  • Smaller portion: You can make half the recipe in a small pan 20 x 11 cm (8 x 4 1/3 inch). I used a loaf pan. Bake for about 23 minutes.
  • Larger portion: You can double all the amounts as in the original brownie recipe by Nick Malgieri. Bake in a 23 x 33 x 5 cm (9 x 13 x 2 inch) pan for about 35-40 minutes.
Share this:

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*