These Glass Dish Brownies were developed specifically for baking in a glass pan, which behaves differently from metal when it comes to brownies. Glass pans hold heat longer and can sometimes overbake the edges before the center is set. This recipe is adjusted to keep the brownies chewy, fudgy, and evenly baked throughout. If you've ever wondered why brownies turn out differently in a Pyrex or other glass baking dish, this recipe works with the strengths of glass rather than fighting them.
Why Glass Pans Bake Brownies Differently
Glass pans hold heat differently from metal, which is why brownie recipes don't always behave the same way in both. A glass dish heats more slowly. However, once it gets hot it retains heat longer. This means brownies continue baking internally even after they come out of the oven. That's great for chewy edges and a well-set center, but it also means you have to pay attention to bake time and avoid overbaking.
Pyrex Works Especially Well Here
I usually make these in a standard Pyrex dish, and the recipe was tested with that type of pan in mind. The brownies bake up with a shiny top, chewy edges, and a soft center that stays fudgy without feeling underbaked. If you've ever had brownies turn dry or tough in a glass pan, it's usually more of a timing issue than a recipe issue.
A Few Tips for Baking Brownies in a Glass Dish
One of the easiest ways to avoid overbaking brownies in glass is to pull them from the oven when the center still looks slightly underdone. Residual heat from the pan will continue setting the brownies as they cool. I also like to line the dish with parchment so the brownies lift out cleanly. These brownies are fudgy, so they'll need to cool completely before being removed.
Glass Dish Brownie Texture
These brownies are meant to be chewy and fudgy rather than cakey. The edges get a little firmer from the retained heat of the glass dish, while the center stays dense and moist. They're especially good after cooling completely, when the texture settles and the chocolate flavor deepens.
Recipe
Glass Dish Brownies
Ingredients
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- ¼ cup light brown sugar (50 grams)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28 grams)
- 2 tablespoons water (28 grams)
- 3 oz semisweet or bittersweet, 60% (84 grams)
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips (170 grams)
- 2 large eggs, cold
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour (84 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Another ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square Pyrex dish and line with a strip of parchment so that the brownies can be removed from the pan.
- In a large saucepan, gently melt the butter. Add the water and both sugars and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate and chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Chocolate will begin to thicken as you stir.
- Whisk the cold eggs in a second bowl until very light and frothy, then whisk or stir them into the chocolate mixture. Whisk in the vanilla.
- Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the chocolate mixture. Add the remaining chocolate chips (make sure that the batter is not so hot that it melts them) and spread batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake the brownies at 325°F for 25 to 32 minutes (mine usually take 32), or until the center no longer looks wet and the brownies appear set around the edges. Because glass pans retain heat, the brownies will continue firming up as they cool, so it's better to err slightly on the underbaked side than overbake them. If you like using a thermometer, the center will usually be somewhere around 180°F to 190°F when done, with the fudgiest texture closer to the lower end of that range.
- Let cool completely at room temperature, then chill slightly before serving. Lift from pan and slice.
Anna says
Elizabeth, I'd start checking at 25 minutes. It will probably take them about 32 to 35 minutes, but definitely check at 25 since ovens vary in the way they distribute heat.
Elizabeth says
I needed to know how long to cook a double batch of Giradelli double chocolate brownies in a 14 x 10 glass pan at 325*
Lana says
I like brownies when they just come out of the oven. MMMMMMMMMMMM.
Janice Conway says
My cream cheese brownies turned out great. I used fmly. size Betty Crocker mix, added nuts and baked 40 min. I put them {room temperature] in the frig overnight without the snap on cover to my 9X13 glass pan. This A.M. I lifted them out by the foil that I had left longer on each end. I peeled the foil down on sides and cut them with my wide blade chef knife and dropped them back into my pan with the foil still on the bottom and snapped on my lid...put back in frig.
Anna says
Good point, Janice! That's one of the reasons I always line pans. However, I suppose if I person didn't have a pan liner and didn't want to scratch the bottom of the pan, glass would be a better option. I'm actually starting to like using glass and have used it in recipes since this post. However, I still prefer metal for most recipes.
Janice Conway says
You didn't mention [nor did anyone else] my biggest reason for using glass....the brownies, cakes, whatever can be put in the greased pan and cut up in the pan, in case you don't have parchment or foil. Years ago I had many metal pans scratched up
from the knife. Now I do have those things as they are readily available. Today I lined my glass pan with foil, sprayed it and will make 9X13 cream cheese brownies.
Gloria says
These look MMMMM good even if they only have a little butter. Better for you! Did you submit the MMMMM brownies recipe on Allrecipes? I've seen it many times while looking at brownie recipes out there.
Katrina says
Great minds--I just posted (on FB) some brownies I made today. I like the shiny, crackly top. I added pb stuff (cups and pieces). Yours look great. I have always wondered about glass dishes, too, because I never use them but I know many do.
Sue says
My husband loves brownie experiments so I'll try these sometime. I always use a metal pan to make brownies. I can't remember what size my square Pyrex pan is. I'm not home right now to check.
Anna says
Glass heats more slowly than metal, but it holds the heat longer and can actually promote more even baking. However, to keep the edges (the part where the batter hits the hot glass directly) you're supposed to reduce the heat by 25 degrees. So the rule of thumb is to reduce the heat by 25 degrees F. when using glass and bake a little bit longer. The same rule applies to dark metal pans because black absorbs more heat. For instance, I have a black metal Bundt pan and I always reduce the heat by 25 degrees because the pan holds more heat. And while I do not usually (okay, ever!) make cakes in glass pans, it makes sense that one might get a more evenly baked cake if they baked it in a glass dish and reduced the heat. I might try this the next time I make a 9x13 inch cake.
MassachusEATS says
Huh, I had never really thought about that until now! I've always used glass because that's what we have. I assumed it didn't matter much but you have got me thinking & now I might have to do some experimenting! And not just because you now have me craving brownies...;)
Cheryl says
Always made brownies in a glass pan because I never had a square metal pan--simple as that!
Anna says
Hi Sarah,
Glad to hear I'm not the only one wondering about those things ;). About the texture, they are not quite as chewy as some other recipes, but they're not cakey, either. They're pretty much the quintessential "in-between" brownie.
Sarah says
I've always wondered why so many prefer to use glass,too. Maybe it just comes down to tradition/habit? Either way, these look great! Are they more on the chewy side?