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Oozey, gooey, fudgy brownies. A universally loved treat that is unanimously one of the hardest to cut and serve neatly.
Finding that your delicious, perfectly baked brownies look like a jagged, crumbly mess after you’ve cut them up for serving, is a common frustration amongst the best bakers.
But a little bit of patience and a few common household implements can help you slice up and serve your cleanest brownies yet.
If you’re desperately wondering what is the secret to cutting brownies, here are the 6 best ways to cut brownies perfectly.
Just a reminder that no matter which of the following six methods you use, you should ensure your brownies have completely cooled.
Put them in the fridge if you’re running short on time, but cutting cold brownies will give you the best chance of cutting neat and even brownies.
1. Hot knife method
One of the easiest ways to cut brownies cleanly is by using a hot knife.
For this method, you’ll need a large glass of hot water and a sharp knife.
Start by submerging the blade of your knife in the water so that the blade is hot.
After removing the knife from the glass of water and wiping the blade dry, make your first cut. Then dip the knife back into the hot water, rinse and repeat.
After each cut, you’ll need to rinse the blade clean, reheat in the hot water and cut a slice.
It may feel like a painstakingly slow process, but a hot and clean blade will result in the neatest cut.
2. Use a non-stick knife
If you have a strong plastic or non-stick knife handy, use this to slice your brownies.
Plastic is non-stick, meaning your knife is less likely to stick to the gooey batter as it slices through.
If you don’t have a non-stick knife, you can also spray your regular knife with cooking spray.
The oily texture of the spray will make your knife less likely to cling to the batter, resulting in a neater and more even cut.
3. Put your brownies in the freezer
Instead of simply letting your brownies cool in the fridge, you can actually put them in the freezer to help you get a clean cut.
For this method, you should allow your brownies to cool to room temperature first.
Once they have cooled down, flip your brownies onto a flat plate, wrap them in some cling film and store them flat in the freezer until they have completely frozen.
Once removed and unwrapped from the freezer, put your slab of brownie on a sturdy chopping board and slice them using a sharp knife.
You may need to put some elbow grease into slicing them, but once they have thawed back to room temperature, the texture will restore to their original softness and chewiness.
4. Use a cookie cutter
If you’re happy for your brownies to take on different shapes, rather than your typical square, a metal cookie cutter can be a handy way to get cleanly cut brownies.
Similar to the hot knife method, you’ll need to warm up your cookie cutter in a bowl of hot water.
After drying your cutter, press it into your brownie block and gently pry your brownie out.
After each cut, you’ll need to dunk the cutter into the hot water, rinse, dry and repeat but you should end up with some uniformly shaped brownies (and a stack of delicious crumbly scraps to snack on afterwards).
5. Use your pizza cutter or pizza cutter rocker
Your pizza cutter can be used for so much more than just pizza!
From chopping herbs, sheets of pasta or homemade pie, this nifty little tool can be very handy for getting a clean cut.
To use a pizza cutter or rocker for your brownies, you’ll want to make sure you’ve sprayed the metal blade with a cooking spray first.
The non-stick surface will avoid any gooey pieces of chocolate making a mess.
Again, you’ll need to clean the blade between each slice and spray as you go.
6. Use unflavored dental floss
Perhaps the most quirky option, but an ingenious secret to cutting brownies neatly is to use unflavored dental floss.
Dental floss is not only sharp but is also coated with a non-stick layer that will help to slice through your brownies with razor sharpness.
To use the floss, pull out a long strand, enough to cover the full length of your brownie batter, hold tightly and pull the floss firmly down in a smooth stroke.
Repeat a few inches apart, as per your desired thickness and then repeat the process, across the width of your brownie.
Now that you know the 6 best ways to cut brownies cleanly, here are a few additional tips to help you cut brownies perfectly:
- Don’t saw your brownies in a jagged manner. This will cause your batter to tear and crumble, leaving you with uneven brownies that easily fall apart.
- Let your brownies cool before slicing them. If your brownie is still warm, it’s much more likely to lose shape as you try to cut it. Let the brownie cool completely by putting it in the fridge or freezer.
- Be sure to clean your preferred cutting implement after each slice. If you use a sticky knife or cutter, it’s more likely to catch on to your batter and pull apart your batter. You want a hot, dry and clean blade to help you get the neatest result.
