These decadent brownies, made from scratch are so easy to put together in the Instant Pot. Whether you are looking for an easy dessert, a decadent treat or a last minute surprise for someone special, these fudgy, slightly gooey in the middle brownies are perfect.
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While I do love the convenience of turning to a boxed brownie mix and calling it a day, few things offer comfort and satisfaction as a brownie made from scratch.
There really is something about homemade brownies. They are decadent, gooey, dense and can be customized to our preferences. That is exactly why you need to make these from the scratch.
Now, let us get to the elephant in the room, shall we?
As someone who has been asked this umpteen times, I can almost always tell when this question comes up- “why in the Instant Pot?”
There, I caught ya. A penny for your thought if you are wondering the same as you read through this. Let me explain why it makes sense.
Why use the Instant Pot?
- Making these chocolatey treats is so easy if you are on the road. Just carry your Instant Pot with you.
- Perhaps, your kitchen or your home is being renovated and your kids still want a treat. Voila, bring out the IP and get started.
- You are short on counter space and can afford to have only the IP.
- Or you simply do not have an oven.
- Worse yet. It is summer. Temperatures are cruel. And no one wants to turn on the oven.
- Minimal effort, clean up and baby sitting is the agenda when you use IP for making these treats.
- Last but not the least, there are some of us who love our IP too much that we cannot bear to not test every single recipe in it. Count me in!
Ingredients
This is a pretty straight forward recipe and calls for mostly easily available ingredients. The method is simple too.
- Melted butter – a brownie is not a brownie unless it has butter.
- Soft brown sugar – or use regular caster sugar.
- Vanilla
- Eggs– I have used free range eggs here.
- Unbleached all purpose flour– Use regular APF in a pinch. But your brownies will be lighter than these.
- Cocoa powder– I have used Dutch process cocoa here.
- Baking soda– for leavening.
- Salt to balance the flavors.
- Chocolate chips – I have used dark chocolate chips here but a mix of dark and milk chocolate chips or just milk chocolate chips also work.
Equipment
You will need-
- a six quart Instant Pot
- a regular 6″ cake pan or a springform pan (otherwise called a push pan because it has a loose bottom that can be pushed to remove the cake/ brownie after baking)
- a tall trivet that is at least 3 inches high.
- measuring cups and spoons or a weighing scale.
- aluminum foil
A note on tall trivet-
For this particular recipe, it is necessary that we position the brownie pan at least 2 inches above water. When the pan is too close to the water, the brownies do not rise as much.
My recommendation is that you use a tall trivet or an egg rack to achieve this. In case, you do not have either, then use an inverted bowl or plate placed over the trivet you have to elevate the pan.
When you do this, make sure you pick a sturdy bowl that can support the base of the brownie pan steadily.
Can we bake in the Instant Pot?
First things first, the Instant Pot is not an oven. An oven works using dry heat to cook things. Whereas, an instant pot relies on water or steam and pressure.
Essentially, when we make something like a cake or a brownie in the Instant Pot, we are steam baking or simply put, steaming it under pressure.
Tomato Blues Success Tips
Follow these tips to make the best non-cakey but fudgy brownies-
- Measuring the ingredients correctly yields the best results. I recommend using a weighing scale.
- The butter must be melted and at room temperature before mixing it with the sugar.
- Brownies are thick, dense and fudgy. Please do not whip the eggs too much. When we do this, we do not get a dense texture.
- You may use a 7 inch round cake pan or springform pan in place of the 6 inch one. But your brownies wont rise as much and will be a tad flatter.
- Unlike regular oven based brownie batter, this batter will be thick. Do not panic or attempt to make it thinner. We need the batter to be thick since we are going to steam bake as opposed to oven baking.
- Covering the brownie pan snugly with foil is essential to achieve perfectly done brownies. The objective is to prevent moisture getting into the brownie pan.
- Fill the pan only till ¾th for best results.
- While some people have had success with making these in the IP for upto 55 mins, I found that 45 mins is more than enough. However, this may differ if you are living in a high altitude place.
- You can also bake these as brownie bites in an egg bite mold. Simply divide the batter equally into the grooves of an egg bite mold and continue with the same cooking settings.
- If you do not have an egg bite mold, you may also use silicone cupcake liners.
Serving suggestions
Honestly, nothing but a scoop of vanilla ice cream can complement a brownie better. But a little variety hurt no one, right?
- Top these brownies with some chocolate ganache or even store bought frosting to make it fancy.
- Serve them alongside some berries.
- For a change, pair these with some chocolate ice cream and fruit of choice.
Recipe Notes
- For a gooey centered brownie, do a quick release pressure as soon as the brownie has finished cooking.
- Whole wheat flour is a fantastic option if you are looking for a denser brownie. Simply substitute whole wheat flour in place of the unbleached APF.
- Using a tall trivet is very important here. Please read my note on tall trivet in this post to know more.
- You may be wondering why the cooking time is higher as opposed to oven baked brownies. It is because an Instant Pot steam bakes your brownie and does not bake it in dry heat.
Method
Prep work
Gather all your ingredients, weigh them and set aside.
Making the brownie batter
Melt the butter and allow it to come to room temperature. Whisk the melted butter well to smoothen lumps.
To the melted butter, add the soft brown sugar and mix well using a balloon whisk. The mixture should be smooth and lump free.
Now, add the vanilla followed by the eggs.
Whisk again until you achieve a smooth and glossy mixture. This took me 2 to 3 minutes and I did this by hand.
In a separate mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Whisk thoroughly to evenly distribute the cocoa and soda bi carb into the flour.
Add ½ the chocolate chips to the flour mixture and toss well. The chocolate chips should be coated well with the flour mixture.
Now, tip in ½ the dry mixture into the wet mix. Gently mix using a folding movement until you see no streaks of flour.
When done, add the remaining dry mixture and gently fold till everything comes together and you see no streaks of flour.
Grease a 6 inch round cake pan generously with a knob of butter. You will need 1 teaspoon butter for this.
Transfer the batter to the greased pan and even out the top using a silicon spatula. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on the top.
Tap the pan once or twice to get rid of any air bubbles and to even out the batter. Cover the pan snugly with a piece of foil.
Cooking the brownie in the IP
Cooking the brownie in the IPInsert the inner pot into the Instant Pot. Add 1.5 cups water to the inner pot. Now, place a tall trivet into the inner pot.
Place the brownie pan on the trivet. Ensure that the sealing ring has been fitted properly into the lid. Close the Instant Pot and turn the VALVE to SEALING.
Plug in the Instant Pot. Press PRESSURE COOK-HIGH PRESSURE and set the timer to 45 mins.
Allow the cooking cycle to complete. When done, wait for 15 minutes of natural pressure release and then do a quick pressure release.
Let the brownie sit in the pan for 10 minutes before removing.
After 10 mins, gently transfer to a cooling rack, slice and serve.
More Chocolate Treats
Instant Pot Brownies
Equipment
- 1 six quart Instant Pot
- 1 set measuring cups and spoons or a weighing scale
- 1 six inch round cake pan or a 6 inch springform pan (please refer blog post for more information)
- 1 piece of aluminum foil
- 1 Tall trivet
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter melted 3.9 oz
- ¾ cup brown sugar I have used soft brown sugar here
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
Dry mixture-
- ¾ cup unbleached all purpose flour 3.2 oz
- ½ cup Dutch process Cocoa 1.3 oz
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
For greasing the pan
- 1 teaspoon butter
Instructions
Prep work
- Gather all your ingredients, weigh them and set aside.
Making the brownie batter
- Melt the butter and allow it to come to room temperature. Whisk the melted butter well to smoothen lumps.
- To the melted butter, add the soft brown sugar and mix well using a balloon whisk. The mixture should be smooth and lump free.
- Now, add the vanilla followed by the eggs. Whisk again until you achieve a smooth and glossy mixture. This took me 2 to 3 minutes and I did this by hand.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Whisk thoroughly to evenly distribute the cocoa and soda bi carb into the flour.
- Add ½ the chocolate chips to the flour mixture and toss well. The chocolate chips should be coated well with the flour mixture.
- Now, tip in ½ the dry mixture into the wet mix. Gently mix using a folding movement until you see no streaks of flour.
- When done, add the remaining dry mixture and gently fold till everything comes together and you see no streaks of flour.
- Grease a 6 inch round cake pan generously with a knob of butter. You will need 1 teaspoon butter for this.
- Transfer the batter to the greased pan and even out the top using a silicon spatula. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on the top.
- Tap the pan once or twice to get rid of any air bubbles and to even out the batter. Cover the pan snugly with a piece of foil.
Cooking the brownie in the Instant Pot
- Insert the inner pot into the Instant Pot. Add 1.5 cups water to the inner pot. Now, place a tall trivet into the inner pot.
- Place the brownie pan on the trivet. Ensure that the sealing ring has been fitted properly into the lid. Close the Instant Pot and turn the VALVE to SEALING.
- Plug in the Instant Pot. Press PRESSURE COOK-HIGH PRESSURE and set the timer to 45 mins.
- Allow the cooking cycle to complete. When done, wait for 15 minutes of natural pressure release and then do a quick pressure release.
- Let the brownie sit in the pan for 10 minutes before removing. After 10 mins, gently transfer to a cooling rack, slice and serve.
Notes
- For a gooey centered brownie, do a quick release pressure as soon as the brownie has finished cooking.
- Whole wheat flour is a fantastic option if you are looking for a denser brownie. Simply substitute whole wheat flour in place of the unbleached APF.
- Using a tall trivet is very important here. Please read my note on tall trivet in this post to know more.
- You may be wondering why the cooking time is higher as opposed to oven baked brownies. It is because an Instant Pot steam bakes your brownie and does not bake it in dry heat.
For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes
Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.
Disclaimer
Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.
Nutrition
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