How To Fix Watery Brownie Mix? Brownies. Most people in the USA absolutely love them. From white chocolate to milk chocolate to dark and even peanut butter brownies Americans will most likely walk ten miles for a brownie! Cream cheese brownies and walnut-infused brownies also top the list of temptations for these delicacies.
This has indeed led to a huge brownie mix industry in the USA as making homemade brownies from scratch can be tedious and time-consuming. Very few homes do not have a package of brownie mix in their pantries.
According to statistics, as of late 2021, there were almost 170 million packages of dry brownie mix sold in the USA, and this figure is expected to DOUBLE by the year 2024. That equals a whole lot of brownie lovers in the USA!
Add to these figures on brownie mix, the sale of over-the-counter brownies, and yes, frozen brownies to pop into the oven, and Americans are consuming approximately 16 billion brownies per year, according to figures by the New York Times.
You would think that using brownie mix would lead to a delightful treat in under half an hour but the reality is many individuals “mess up” the concoction provided. The main mistake is ending up with a watery brownie mix that does not then set up correctly when baked.
How Do You Fix Watery Brownie Mix?
To fix watery brownie mix, press down on the batter with a spoon and remove some liquid. Add a bit more flour. Check the expiration date of the brownie mix. Bake the mix a little longer. Bake the mix in a convection oven.
Let’s first discuss why your brownie mix is watery. Most Americans find themselves pressed for time and do not take the time to measure correctly. We also find ourselves adding “extra” ingredients as some want cookie-like brownies, while others want fudge-like chewy brownies.
Measuring carefully and following directions exactly is crucial in ensuring a brownie mix that is not watery.
If you are very clever at baking, you can insert extra ingredients like peanut butter or chocolate chips, but then you must cut back or add extra liquid ingredients, or eggs, depending upon what you are adding to the mix.
Purchasing a quality brownie mix also can count as the more prestigious mixes do seem to turn out a lot better than the generic brands. According to Maddie Kline, on May 29, 2022, Ghiradelli Brownie mix is just as good as homemade brownies and turns out well most of the time.
Maddie is a professional baker and believes this mix creates brownies just as good as homemade. The piece she wrote appeared in Yahoo Entertainment News on the date stated above.
5 Ways To Fix Watery Brownie Mix
1. Press down on the batter with a spoon and remove some liquid
Do not try to “drain” the mix as it needs a certain amount of liquid. You can tell if it’s too watery by the consistency. It should be fairly solid and you will need to scoop it out of the bowl.
Too much water causes spongy brownies that fall apart after baking, while too little water causes dry brownies with little flavor. Removing excess water exactly does require a spoon and one spoonful at a time for removal.
2. Add a bit more flour
Focus on the “bit” here too. Just like with the water, adding too much extra flour causes brownies that really are not a joy to eat!
Brownie mix is simply flour, cocoa powder, eggs, powdered vanilla, and water. So adding a tad bit more flour can assist. Stir after each addition to ensure you are not now making a too-dry batter.
3. Check the expiration date of the brownie mix
Freshness counts, as does sanitation. Believe it or not, there was a recall of brownie and cookie mixes by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in 2019. Breakdown of flour and other ingredients can lead to a watery brownie mix and it is doubtful this can be fixed.
4. Bake the mix a little longer
This is helpful if you have discovered you have added too many eggs (which is another common reason for watery brownie mix).
Baking for an extra 5 to 10 minutes can reduce the moisture from eggs. The mix will state which size eggs and using overly large ones can create a watery mix. The brownies can be drier, however, if smaller eggs are used.
5. Bake the mix in a convection oven
Serious cooks love convection ovens, as the heat is constant and surrounds the food. However, with baking, convection ovens can dry out the baked goods so check the brownies throughout and cover the tops loosely with parchment paper to prevent burned ends.
Convection ovens use the heat produced by light bulbs rather than coils. Some ovens are combination ovens so you can start the watery mixture in the regular oven and end the baking with the convection portion to reduce the water/moisture.
Summary Of How To Fix Watery Brownie Mix
Whether store-bought or made from your own mix, extricating the extra moisture is the best way to fix the watery brownie mix. Removing the extra moisture via a spoon is best.
You can add extra flour or even other ingredients like peanut butter which can absorb some moisture. In addition, baking the mix longer or in a convection oven can absorb some of the unnecessary moisture.
Remember though, that it is hard to actually spoil brownie mix unless there is a ton of added water or too many eggs.
At that point, you can start over with a new batch, or turn the mix into cookies as there are recipes online for that. There are even “no-bake” brownie recipes and mixes if you want to really cut corners.
Dig in!
Frequently Asked Questions About How To Fix Watery Brownie Mix
I Made a Batch of Brownie Mix and Kept it in the Fridge. Why Is It Watery?
Refrigerators impart moisture into foods so the brownie mix now will have more water added. Just use the methods above until you find the correct consistency, which should be like a very thick cake mix or pudding.
Is Eating Raw Brownie Mix Safe? I Always Lick the Bowl!
Eating raw brownie mix puts you at risk for food-borne illnesses as there may be E. coli, Salmonella, or other bacteria in the raw ingredients such as the eggs. But honestly, most of us do this anyway! It is just something no one can resist.
I Follow a Keto diet. Can I still Have Brownies From a Mix?
There are Keto diet brownie mixes available as well as for instructions on how to make your own mix online. There are also gluten-free, sugar-free and low-carb mixes offline and online for purchase. Gluten-free mixes are necessary for those with celiac disease as gluten is not digestible to these individuals and causes gut inflammation with pain.
I love Butter But All Mixes Call for Oil. Can I Substitute Butter?
You can use butter but melt it first and ensure that the same amount of liquid is exact from the butter substitution. After baking, the butter might creep to the top of the brownies but that is OK and usually adds to the silkiness.