The Simple Egg Swap For Even Creamier Brownies

Some people like their brownies fluffy, but some of us like them richer, fudgier, and creamier. If you're in the latter camp, there's an easy change you can make to your standard brownie recipe. As a bonus, it won't even require you to go buy extra ingredients — when adding eggs to your brownie mix, you can just swap out the whole eggs with whites for just the yolks.

There's no single "correct" way to do this, and different brownie recipes use different approaches. Some use two or three full eggs and then add an extra yolk for richness, while others suggest adding only egg yolks — as many as four or five. As a general rule, for each full egg a recipe demands, add two egg yolks. Use some restraint though, since if you add too many eggs, you could end up with an eggy-flavored brownie. Since eggs are typically just folded into a brownie mix without special preparation beforehand (for example, beating them in advance), you can just fold in the yolks at the same point where you'd fold in full eggs.

Of course, you'll need to separate your eggs for this: Do this while the eggs are cold, since it's harder to break the yolk. This trick will leave you with extra egg whites. Instead of throwing them out, consider using them in some baked goods like waffles and cakes to make them extra fluffy, or you can even use them in cocktails like sours for a foamy cap.

If you're hoping to make creamy or fudgy brownies, the standard advice is to add additional fat. This can be done by adding butter or chocolate, but egg yolks are also quite fatty, so they'll do the trick. There may even be slight nutritional benefits, as yolks have fatty acids like omega-3 in them, but let's be realistic: You're probably not eating brownies for their health benefits.

The fat in egg yolks also mixes with the liquid ingredients in your brownie recipe to create a smooth emulsion. This basically means your ingredients end up mixed together more smoothly, ultimately resulting in a deliciously creamy texture.

It's not just that egg yolks add that extra fudgy layer: The absence of egg whites plays a role, too. Whole eggs (that is, the yolk and white together) aren't so good at creating that emulsion; it's considered better when yolks are used alone. Egg whites also make your mix lighter and more aerated. This is more noticeable if you use eggs whites alone (especially if they're whipped into a fluffy foam), but it still happens when whole eggs are used. If you want to go in the other direction and have fluffier (as opposed to fudgier) brownies, you could add extra egg white for a more cakey result.