These Instant Pot fudge brownies are THE BEST brownie recipe for perfectly fudgy brownies every time. If you’ve never tried a brownie cooked in the electric pressure cooker, you have been missing out!
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Hello, my friends!
I’m excited to share these amazing brownies with you. They are absolutely to-die-for-good.
Their chewy texture is unlike any brownie you have ever had from the oven. They have a similar texture to fudge with the flavor of a brownie. It really takes the meaning of fudge brownies to a whole new level.
Why Cook Brownies in the Electric Pressure Cooker?
Now that is a great question!
Before I answer it, let me first tell you what this recipe is not:
- It is NOT a time saver. Believe me, if you are looking for time shortcuts, this is not your recipe. While the Instant Pot or other electric pressure cookers can save time, these brownies really don’t. It’s much faster to cook them in the oven, which you can do by the way (see recipe for details).
- These are NOT baked brownies. The electric pressure cooker acts more as a steamer to cook the brownies. If you are expecting brownies like those coming out of the oven, you are in for a big surprise (in a really good way –read on!).
And now let me get back to the question. Why cook brownies in the electric pressure cooker?
- First let’s talk practical. It’s MORE EFFICIENT to cook in an electric pressure cooker than an oven. It uses LESS ENERGY which means there’s also a lot LESS HEAT given off. You don’t have to heat up the whole oven for a pan of brownies, which is SUPER nice, especially on a hot summer day.
- Secondly, you can make brownies even when you do not have access to an oven. An electric pressure cooker is PORTABLE –it just needs an outlet to plug into and you can have brownies. You can take it with you when you are away from home. Bring it camping, plug it in at an outlet at a park pavillion, bring it to a hotel, or even use it when your kitchen is out of order during a renovation (been there, done that).
- Third, let’s talk about how CONVENIENT it is to use an electric pressure cooker to cook. And not just these brownies. There is a great benefit to putting in the food, pushing some buttons and walking away. This is one of those recipes that you do not need to babysit. The electric pressure cooker will cook the brownies perfectly every time. And if you aren’t there right when the pressure releases, no worries. I probably wouldn’t trust them by leaving them on the keep warm function all day, but no need to rush to take them out either. This recipe is super flexible like that.
- And finally let’s talk about the AMAZING FUDGY TEXTURE of these brownies. This really is the #1 reason for me. Yes, my friends. The texture of these brownies is unlike any brownies that you’ve ever tasted from the oven. They are amazingly fudgy (as in, you’ve probably never tasted brownies this fudgy in your life). My favorite way to eat them is after they’ve been refrigerated because they become super dense, with enhanced fudginess. So good and worth a little extra time.
How to make these Instant Pot fudge brownies
First off, you will need an electric pressure cooker. I this Instant Pot Duo from Amazon (aff. link), which is what I created the recipe with. I am guessing that any electric pressure cooker will work for this recipe, but cooking time may vary slightly.
Add a metal trivet to the pressure cooker insert (most electric pressure cookers come with one). Then add about a cup of water to the pot. I normally add about a tablespoon of white vinegar along with the water, but this is optional. I’ve found that the white vinegar helps avoid a white film on the insert and trivet, making cleanup go a little easier.
Mix up the batter then beat it vigorously for 40 strokes with a rubber spatula until well mixed. This helps the sugar dissolve into the batter, making the delicious texture I’ve been telling you about.
You will need a pan that fits inside the electric pressure cooker. I’ve made these brownies with a 7 3/4-inch round pan (probably the largest I would use) as well as disposable 7-inch aluminum foil pans (they came in a 3-pack at the dollar store). They both worked great and cooking time was the same.
I haven’t tried it but I am guess that if you want to make more than one pan of brownies at once something like this would work for two (aff. link) or this for three pans at once (aff. link).
Spray the pan well with cookie spray before adding the brownie batter. You can also line it with a layer of parchment paper to help the brownies remove from the pan easier (highly recommended if not using a disposable pan).
I should mention too that for pretty brownies, you need to smooth out the batter on the top when you place them in the pan. Unlike cooking them in the oven, these brownie tops don’t become smooth after cooking them. They will stay in basically whatever shape that they started in.
Now cover the brownies with aluminum foil– I use 2 layers and spray the layer that is going to be potentially touching the brownies (this is especially important for the smaller 7-inch disposable pans). Using 2 layers of foil is really just a precaution, but can you blame me? I really don’t want any water residue creeping inside wreaking havoc with my brownies.
Aluminum foil sling
There’s a lot of products on the market now that you can buy to help you remove the pan from the pressure cooker easily. But I’m going to show you my good old fashioned method that works just fine.
Take a 2 to 3-foot section of aluminum foil and fold it down a third lengthwise. Then fold the bottom third, up making a long foil sling. Place the foil sling underneath the brownie pan to easily maneuver it in and out of the pressure cooker.
Leave the sling under the brownie pan and fold down the sides so the lid will close.
Lock the lid in place and cook brownies at high pressure for 45 minutes. Then use a natural pressure release. I expect that you could probably get away with a quick pressure release after about 10 minutes if you’re in a hurry. And I wouldn’t blame you for being in a hurry one bit.
Then, using the foil sling, remove the brownies from the pot and uncover carefully so no water residue falls in. Brownies are done if they are barely set on top.
If the brownies are not done when you check them…never fear. This brownie recipe is super forgiving and checking them too early will not ruin them. Just cover them back up, return them to the pressure cooker, and cook on high pressure for another 5 to 10 minutes depending on how runny they are. Keep in mind that electric pressure cooker recipes sometimes need to be adjusted for time depending on your altitude, brand and size of cooker, the diameter of pan you are using, among other things.
And I know if you’re like me, you are going to want to dig right in. But trust me that these brownies are a lot better after being refrigerated for a couple of hours (or even overnight). Coming from one chocolate lover to another, please believe me that it’s worth the wait.
Instant Pot Fudge Brownies {Electric Pressure Cooker Recipe}
These Instant Pot fudge brownies are THE BEST brownie recipe for perfectly fudgy brownies every time. If you've never tried a brownie cooked in the electric pressure cooker, you have been missing out!
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup (7.5 ounces) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (2 ounces) cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- ⅔ cup (3.3 ounces) all-purpose flour
Instructions
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Line the bottom of a 7 to 7 ¾-inch round pan with a round of parchment paper, if desired (see note). Lightly grease bottom and sides with cooking spray and set aside.
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Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Let cool slightly if needed; mixture should be warm to the touch but not hot.
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Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer. Then beat batter vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Spread evenly in the prepared pan and smooth the top.
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Add the metal trivet to the pressure cooker insert along with 1 cup of water plus 1 tablespoon of vinegar. The vinegar is optional, but will keep the insert and trivet from developing a white film over it.
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Cover brownie pan completely with 2 layers of foil, spraying the inside of the layer that sits directly over the brownies to keep them from sticking. Prepare a sling for the pan by folding another two to three foot piece of aluminum foil into thirds lengthwise.
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Place the foil sling underneath the brownie pan and fold the edges together over the pan. This should allow you to easily lift the pan into the electric pressure cooker. Place the brownie pan levelly on top of the metal trivet, leaving the foil sling underneath. Fold down the sides of the foil over the pan so the lid will close.
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Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Release pressure naturally.
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Remove pan from pressure cooker using the foil sling and place on a cooling rack. Carefully remove foil so that any water residue doesn’t drop onto the brownies. Cool to touch before serving or refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight until the brownies develop the most delicious fudge texture ever (my favorite way to eat them).
Recipe Notes
1. You can use any small pan that will fit inside the pressure cooker insert – a small cheesecake pan or cake pan will work. I’ve also made these in a disposable 7-inch aluminum foil pan.
2. If you open the pot and the brownies are still really runny in the middle, you always just return them to the pot and cook them another 5 or 10 minutes until they are just barely set on top. This may happen if you used a smaller pan than 7-inches because the brownies will be thicker.
3. Even though my favorite is the electric pressure cooker, these brownies are also delicious baked in the oven. You can bake them in the round pan or 8-inch square pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes in a preheated 325 degree F oven until barely set. Refrigerate before serving for best fudginess.
Recipe Source: Heather @ The Cook’s Treat
All images and text © The Cook’s Treat
Disclaimer: post contains affiliate links for items on Amazon
