Freezing Brownies

Asked by Lampshade. Answered on 7th July 2011

Full question

I have volunteered to make a wedding cake for my youngest brother's wedding. The happy couple have decided that they'd like a chocolate cake, but as more people are now attending than they'd anticipated, I think that I'll make one cake to cut, then brownies to give to everyone. Can your chocolate brownie recipe be frozen, and if so, at what stage?

Our answer

Brownies, like most other baked goods, can be frozen successfully, though we would be a little cautious on freezing the type of brownie which has a cheesecake swirl or layer as these can sometimes "sweat" a little on thawing (they are fine to eat but may feel a little moist on the surface). You can freeze the brownies for up to 3 months, making sure that they are suitably wrapped to reduce the risk of freezer burn.

If you are making large quantities of brownies then it is probably easiest, and most efficient in terms of taking up freezer space, to freeze the baked slabs of brownies when they are cold, but not cut up. Bake the brownies in your usual tins (pans), lining the tins with baking parchment (parchment paper) and allowing parchment to come up the sides of the tin. Once the brownies are cold use the parchment paper to lift the brownies out of the tins. Leave the parchment paper on the base of brownies to provide some support and wrap the slabs of brownie in a double layer of clingfilm (plastic wrap) followed by a double layer of foil. Label and freeze.

To thaw the brownies, unwrap them from the foil and clingfilm and let them stand at room temperature for 3-4 hours before cutting into squares or bars (keep the baking parchment on the base until they are cut). A large serrated knife, such as a bread knife, is useful for cutting brownies as you can use a sawing motion to break through the top crust then press down to cut through the softer brownie underneath. Wipe the knife between each cut to get clean edges to the slices.