The Pan Swap You Need For More Convenient Brownies

If you've ever delighted in a gooey, fudgy brownie slice, odds are it's a square that's been cut from a rectangular baking pan. And while it's not hard to eyeball how to space and cut a batch of brownies out of the traditional baking dish, a muffin pan, such as this one from Amazon Basics is the swap you need for more convenient brownies.

By doling out brownie batter into separate muffin tins, you're effectively making the baking process convenient for yourself and the eating process more convenient for others. A brownie that's baked in a square or rectangular baking pan can take up to 48 minutes to cook. Our recipe for fudgy brownies cooked in a 12x6 inch pan takes 35 minutes. However, baking brownies in separate, individual canisters, you'll reduce the baking time, cooling time, and save yourself the trouble of slicing the brownies afterward. Guests get their own individual-sized brownie in a novel shape with an even more decadent texture. Transforming a pan of brownies into individual cupcakes gives you all-around crispy edges to contrast that gooey, chewy interior.

To divide your brownie batter into even cupcakes, you can use an ice cream or cookie scooper. While muffin sleeves will prevent brownies from sticking to the pan, they aren't necessary. You can simply spray each muffin tin with Pam cooking spray before adding the batter, and the brownies should slide right out once they've had time to cool.

Not only are brownie cupcakes convenient, but they're also more aesthetic, making for a lovely dessert display at your next gathering. You can arrange them on a pretty, multi-tiered Coitak cupcake stand dusted with powdered sugar. You can also add more flavor, texture, and aesthetic appeal to your brownies with additional toppings. Drizzle this recipe for salted caramel sauce over your brownies, or simply sprinkle coarse salt over them to complement their sweetness and rich chocolatey flavor.

Press whole or chopped pecans into the tops of your brownies for a nutty crunch, or crushed candy canes for a cooling, minty pairing. Use a knife to swirl a dollop of peanut butter or Nutella into each cupcake before baking. Top a Nutella brownie with chopped hazelnuts and a peanut butter brownie with Reese's Pieces or Reese's peanut butter baking chips.

Since you've made brownies into cupcakes, you can always pipe a creamy frosting on top, like this rich chocolate frosting or this classic cream cheese frosting. You can save yourself even more time by using store bought brownies and frosting; these Betty Crocker brownies even come with their own recipe for brownie cupcakes.