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Crackle Top Brownies – Updated

annikapanikker
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crackle top brownies

With a crackle sugar, shiny crust on top and a rich fudgy chocolate interior, these brownies are the ONLY recipe you need. 

Brownies and I have had a long lasting relationship. I remember making my first brownie recipe from scratch with my aunt (Hannah) in Bombay. I was mesmerized at how eggs, cocoa, sugar, flour and butter made something so delicious. I was about 9 years old and I think moments like these set my food ambitions, very subconsciously but these instances remain etched in my heart.

Naturally with all the years gone by my skills and experience have brought me to understand the science behind brownies and what makes them taste the way the do, as well as, what gives them their textural characteristics. What I aim to justify here are that brownies are not those dry, sand like textured cakes, instead they can be what you desire! Today brownies can be fudgy, cake like, gooey, in cookie form, in pies, a part of cheesecakes, turned into ice cream sandwiches, sundaes, etc. Once you know what you like it is difficult to eat brownies any other way.

This recipe is in my opinion the best brownie recipe that exists. It doesn’t expect much from you; all you need is a whisk and bowl to bring it all together, a few pantry friendly ingredients and an oven for the best-desired result. If this doesn’t make it a food proof worthy recipe I don’t what will. It starts with a little whisking action and then all you do is fold the ingredients together until combined before baking. I have tried so many recipes from various sources and found so many that I absolutely love however this one right here has become my go to recipe for life. Unless my tastes change this will forever be my favorite brownie recipe to make.

What are crackle top fudge brownies?

Brownies can be cakey, molten or fudgy. This recipe caters to Team Fudge Brownies. The crackle top aka shiny crust comes from the sugar and eggs being beaten until pale and fluffy.

What ingredients do you need to make Crackle top brownies?

We need butter, dark chocolate, eggs, castor sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, espresso powder, flour, cornflour/almond flour, cocoa powder, salt.

A few substitutes:

Eggless –

You can substitute 1 whole egg with 1 flax egg (1 Flax egg = 1 tbsp Flaxseed powder with 3 tbsp water mixed and set aside for a few mins until gloopy)

Flour –

All purpose, Self raising, Cake flour. I have also used cornflour or almond flour here, it is a small amount but it does the job of keeping the brownies tender and moist. 

Gluten Free –

Gluten free flour mixes work well.

Butter –

You can use any vegan butter here, you cannot use coconut butter/ nut butters or oil, as it will change the texture of the brownies.

Dark Chocolate –

I like using a 70% dark chocolate but you could use milk or even a mixture of chocolates however this will affect the sweetness so be mindful of it.

Sugar –

If you do not have brown sugar use white granulated sugar all the way however it is worth adding it into the recipe for the caramel like fudge flavor. Other sugars that also work in this recipe are; Coconut sugar, castor sugar, muscavado sugar, light or dark brown sugar.

What equipment do you need to make these crackle top brownies?

I have used an electric hand beater to make these brownies but you can use a whisk or a planetary mixer as well. You will need a couple of mixing bowls. A rubber spatula, a sifter and an 8c8 inch tin to bake the brownies. I have lined my tin with baking paper. A sharp knife to cut into them once they are baked and cooled. 

How to make these Crackle top brownies?

Preheat 180°C and line an 8×8 inch tin with oil and baking paper. Melt the butter, espresso powder and chocolate until smooth, either in a microwave with 10-second intervals until melted through or over the stove stirring constantly. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl whisk the eggs, vanilla and sugars together until thick and pale color. It should take around 3-4 minutes of whisking vigorously. Pour the cooled, melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and whisk well until combined. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the dry ingredients, i.e. the flour, cocoa powder, cornflour/almond flour and salt. Do not over mix the batter at this stage. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bang the tin against the surface to release the excess air bubbles. Bake for 22-25 mins until the top is cracked and shiny. A toothpick inserted should come out with wet moist and sticky chocolate cake crumbs or should have a jam like cake texture. What it shouldn’t have is raw batter as this means the brownie isn’t baked in the center yet. Leave to cool for an hour in the tin and remove, transfer to a cooling rack and leave for another hour before cutting into squares and enjoying.

Pro Tips to make these Crackle Top Brownies – 

1. Whisk the Eggs and sugars well:

Whisking the eggs and sugars well will ensure a shiny, crackle top brownie once baked. Do not skip on this step as it is the only reason for your brownies to get that beautiful shine once baked. If you are using an electric beater it should take 2 minutes. If you are whisking by hand then it should take 5 minutes. The mixture should look pale and fluffy. 

2. Sift the dry ingredients:

We sift the dry ingredients here not to add air into the mixture but to ensure there are no lumps as these lumps would make you over work the batter in the process which will give you a dense and hard brownie once baked. 

3. Do not over bake the brownies:

Keep in mind, the baking temperatures of each oven are different, you must preheat the oven before baking. Also the type of tin you use affects the time the brownies would bake. Keep in mind it will cool  firm up as it cools down so we want to essentially under bake it. At the 20 minute mark, check the brownies and add a couple of minutes if need. I like to bake my brownies for no more than 25 minutes in this 8×8 inch tin. 

4. Allow them to cool:

If you cut into hot brownies it will just break apart and you wont get those clean edges. You always let them cool completely before slicing and serving. 

Baking Methods:

For the best crackle top and fudge interior, the oven is the best option to bake these brownies however they work well in the following ways: Microwave Baking – Preheat the microwave for 10 mins at 170 C. Bake the brownies for 22 – 25 mins until knife inserted comes out with wet moist chocolate crumbs/chocolate jam like consistency is achieved. You do not want raw batter. Ideally it is good it check the batter after 7 mins and keep baking at 170°C until baked through. If using flaxseed powder and baking in the microwave, do not waste time with the batter, it is essential to work quickly once the batter is whisked as it will split while baking otherwise. You could bake these in a microwave heating option until baked through or even over the stove with indirect dry heat however; these options do not yield the best crackle top. The brownie will taste delicious but it might not have the crackle top.

Now that we have covered how to make this Crackle Top Brownie, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it. 

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.

Print

Crackle Top Brownies

With a crackle sugar crust on top and an intensely fudge chocolate interior these brownies are the only recipe you need in your repertoire. The crackly top adds for a great crunch while the interior has a rich and indulgent dark chocolate fudge. They are great with a little a cup of black coffee or tea.
Course Cake, Dessert, Sweet tooth, tea time
Cuisine American
Keyword Baking, Brownie, Cake, Chocolate, Comfort food, Crackle top, Crackle top brownie, Easy recipes, Fudge, fudge brownies, ninjabakealong, Weeknight
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 8 Squares

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Spatula
  • Heatproof bowl
  • 9x5 or 8x4 inch Baking tin

Ingredients

  • 115 gm Butter
  • 115 gm Dark chocolate
  • 1 tsp Espresso powder / instant coffee powder
  • 2 Eggs
  • 100 gm White sugar
  • 100 gm Brown sugar
  • 65 gm Flour
  • 1 tbsp gm Cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp Cornflour / almond flour
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • ¼ tsp Salt

Instructions

  • Preheat 180°C and line an 8×8 inch tin with oil and baking paper. 
  • Melt the butter, espresso and chocolate until smooth, either in a microwave with 10-second intervals until melted through or over the stove stirring constantly. Set aside to cool.
  • In a large bowl whisk the eggs and sugars together until thick and pale. It should take around 3-4 minutes of whisking vigorously.
  • Pour the cooled, melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and whisk well until combined.
  • Sift the dry ingredients.
  • Switch to a spatula and fold in the dry ingredients, i.e. the flour, cornflour / almond flour, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla. Do not over mix the batter at this stage.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bang the tin against the surface to release the excess air bubbles.
  • Bake for 32-35 mins until the top is cracked and shiny. A toothpick inserted should come out with wet moist and sticky chocolate cake crumbs or should have a jam like cake texture. What it shouldn’t have is raw batter as this means the brownie isn’t baked in the center yet.
  • Leave to cool for an hour in the tin and remove, transfer to a cooling rack and leave for another hour before cutting into squares and enjoying.

Notes

PRO TIP:
> You can double the quantity of the batter and bake it in a larger baking tray for the desired time.
> If baking in a smaller tin the brownies will take longer, while if baking in a larger tin they will bake much faster. So the size of the tin plays an important role in the baking time.
> Do not over mix or over bake them.
Recipe Inspiration: Nick Malgieri

6 thoughts on “Crackle Top Brownies – Updated”

  1. Pingback: Easter Brownies – Annika Eats

  2. Jyo

    Hi Annika.. Can i use Lindt 70% dark chocolate for this brownie? If that is not the right one, can you recommend which dark chocolate i should use for this recipe?

    Reply

  3. Pingback: Chocolate tahini halwa brownies - Fudgy, Crunchy, Delicious

  4. Siddhi Sharma

    Hi Annika, baking this brownie is my Sunday ritual. Can’t get enough of the fudginess this recipe bring. Can I use only almond flour in this recipe to make it gluten free. I only have oats flour and almond flour to make it gluten free. I believe oats flour would give a caky texture which i am not very fond of. request your guidance here. Thanks much 🙂

    Reply
    1. annikapanikker

      Hey Siddhi, I love your sunday ritual! I would suggest using 60-40 ratio here, 60% oat flour and 40% almond flour. I have made these with almond flour alone but they do not have the same structure as they should. Hope this helps and let me know how it turns out!

      Reply

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