Have you ever pulled a batch of brownies out of the oven for a party and they look great. After they cool you discover a problem. It happened yet again and you wonder, Why do brownies crack? Now what are you going to do? Bring cracked brownies to the party because no one will mind it seems everyone has this problem or do you run to the store and get something from the bakery?

It is time to figure this out so we don’t run into this problem again.

Why do brownies crack?

The answer is simple and seems almost obvious once you think about it. Let’s assume you are using your favorite boxed brownie mix. You follow the directions on the side and stir, stir, stir because the eggs need to be mixed in well with the other ingredients. STOP! That is your problem!

Stirring too much or using a hand mixer for too long will put air bubbles into the batter. When you cook the brownies those air bubbles will expand. When you pull the baked brownies out of the oven the air bubbles are large. As the brownies cool, the air bubbles shrink causing the top to crack and the middle to sink. Makes perfect sense but I don’t want that to happen.

How do I prevent brownies from bubbling and cracking?

Crack the eggs in a separate bowl to whisk. Whisk as long as you need to break up those eggs. When they are ready add them to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients which usually are water, oil and brownie mix. Gently stir just a few times to combine everything. Stop once the ingredients are moistened. That is it. Do not keep going. It is ok to stop when you do not see anymore dry parts.

Bake as directed on the box making sure you test for doneness then cool as usual. Congratulations your brownies should be without cracks! To make them fancy boxed brownies how about adding some orange cream with chocolate icing.