For all of my chocolate lovers out there, did you know there just so happens to be an actual National Brownie Day?? That’s right, my friends — every year, on December 8th, we celebrate the incredible concoction known as a brownie.
Now, we all love brownies, right? They’re that perfect blend between cake and cookie; something that’s not crumbly or dry, that’s chewy and just the right amount of gooey. It’s decadent and delicious, and National Brownie Day is your chance to give in to those chocolate cravings and indulge. But which brownie recipe is the best?
As someone who loves baking, I have my go-to recipe… but how does it stand up against other recipes? Would it still be the best? Or would I find a new winner? Which brownie recipe is the best for National Brownie Day? To answer all these questions, I gathered four famous recipes and made them all exactly to their specifications. Then, we invited some friends over, and had ourselves a brownie tasting… and a clear winner was chosen. But which would it be??
We tested four recipes. I labeled them one through four, so while I knew which was which, no one else did, so the taste test would be as blind as possible. The recipes were:
- 1. Alton Brown’s Cocoa Brownies
- 2. Katharine Hepburn’s Brownies
- 3. Martha Stewart’s Chewy Brownies
- 4. Tasty’s Ultimate Brownies
Our judges were three adults, and eight kids, ranging in age from five to 15.
Alton Brown’s Cocoa Brownies
These brownies were described as a simple, easy dessert, and it’s true — they were not hard to make. I had all of the ingredients already in my pantry, and I was able to make the brownie batter using just one bowl. It definitely didn’t require much clean up! But how would they turn out? As a big Alton Brown fan, I had high expectations.
So how were they? Well, they were… fine. They were incredibly dense and had a strong cocoa taste, almost reminiscent of fudge. Yet they were somehow still kind of dry. The adults didn’t rate these brownies very highly, but the kids loved them.
Overall score: 5/10
Click here for Alton Brown’s brownie recipe.
Katharine Hepburn
I have to confess, this one surprised me. While I’m a fan of Katharine Hepburn, I had no idea she had a famous brownie recipe. The New York Times described it as, like the actress herself, a “no-fuss classic” that is easy to make. The recipe promises a rich, gooey brownie, and also calls for walnuts.
Unfortunately, there’s probably a reason Hepburn is more famous for her acting than her baking. No one liked these much. They had a decent enough taste, and were less dense than Alton Brown’s brownies, but ultimately, they were mostly disappointing.
Overall score: 2/10
Click here for Katharine Hepburn’s brownie recipe.
Martha Stewart
Does Martha Stewart even need an introduction? I mean, hello, she is only the queen of all things domestic. Her brownie recipe was another one that I had high hopes for. While she has many, many, many brownie recipes, we went with her “Chewy Brownies.” They were described as a fresh taste on the classic dessert, with a gooey inside and a crackly top. It did have some unexpected ingredients — like coconut oil — and while it was a little more involved than the previous two recipes, it wasn’t hard to make.
These were, once again, just kind of OK. They were perfectly fine, and the taste was… adequate? These brownies were dense, but again, dry, and nothing to make me super excited.
Overall score: 7/10
Click here to try Martha Stewart’s brownie recipe.
Tasty
Finally, our last recipe! These were described as the ultimate brownie recipe, and just watching their video of the brownies being made will make you drool. The ingredient list is the most specific, and while these brownies are not difficult to make, they’re definitely the most specific and tedious. However, does all that hard work pay off?
In a word… yes. Oh my gosh, yes. These brownies are, by far, the best you will ever have — at least, in my opinion. They are rich, gooey, fudgy, perfect brownies, and I really believe that intentionally using higher quality ingredients goes a long way. Everyone loved these brownies, although some definitely preferred the ones without sea salt sprinkled on top.
Overall score: 9/10
Click here to try Tasty’s brownie recipe.
So, there you have it! Which one is the best to try for National Brownie Day? Well, the winner was definitely Tasty (the food division for Buzzfeed), although unsurprisingly, the kids were far less picky about brownies overall than the adults were. So whether you’re just trying to celebrate America’s favorite dessert, or want to impress someone at an upcoming holiday party, we think Tasty has a recipe that just cannot fail.
Do you have a favorite brownie recipe? Share it in the comments!
