Ina Garten Brownie Pudding (Printable)

Decadent chocolate dessert featuring a crackly top and a luscious molten center, ideal for chocolate lovers.

# What You Need:

→ Chocolate Mixture

01 - 8 ounces unsalted butter
02 - 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

→ Batter

03 - 4 large eggs, at room temperature
04 - 2 cups granulated sugar
05 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
06 - 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
07 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
08 - 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

→ For Serving (optional)

09 - Vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish and set aside.
02 - Place butter and chopped semisweet chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water; stir until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
03 - Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes until thick, pale, and ribbon-like.
04 - Reduce mixer speed to low. Add vanilla extract and salt, then gradually pour in cooled chocolate mixture, mixing until just combined.
05 - Sift together flour and cocoa powder; gently fold into batter using a spatula until just incorporated.
06 - Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Place baking dish inside a larger roasting pan and add hot tap water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the baking dish.
07 - Bake for 1 hour until top is set and crackly but center remains soft and pudding-like.
08 - Remove from water bath and cool for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like an upscale restaurant dessert but comes together in less time than you'd think, making you feel like a culinary genius with minimal effort.
  • The contrast between the crackly top and silky pudding center is genuinely addictive, and it never fails to impress people who taste it.
  • It's the kind of dessert that feels special enough for company but easy enough to pull together on a Tuesday night when you just need chocolate.
02 -
  • The center is supposed to be gooey and pudding-like—the first time I made this, I thought I'd underbaked it and almost put it back in, which would have been a disaster.
  • Room temperature eggs aren't just a suggestion; cold eggs from the fridge won't whip properly and you'll lose the structural magic that makes this dessert work.
  • Letting it cool for 15 minutes is crucial because the pudding continues to set slightly as it cools, and serving it too hot makes it collapse into a puddle on the plate.
03 -
  • Having your eggs and chocolate mixture at similar temperatures before combining prevents them from seizing up or creating lumps.
  • The stand mixer makes a real difference here—hand mixing won't whip enough air into the eggs and you'll lose that essential texture.
Go Back