Ina Garten’s Viral Brownie Pudding (Small Batch)

Gooey brownie pudding in a bowl with ice cream and spoon.

Ina Garten’s Viral Brownie Pudding (Small Batch)

This Copycat Ina Garten Brownie Pudding is rich, fudgy, and ultra-gooey. It has perfectly crisp edges and a molten, pudding-like center inspired by the viral original recipe. This easy small-batch version is perfect for satisfying a serious chocolate craving without making a full pan.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword brownie pudding

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Cool Time 10

Total Time 1 10

Servings servings

Calories 582kcal

Author Tawnie Graham of Kroll's Korner

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
2 extra large eggs room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
6 Tbsp. cocoa powder choose a good quality, I like Ghirardelli or Guittard
1 tsp. espresso powder optional (Ina’s recipe doesn’t include this but I always love adding in espresso powder in my brownies to enhance cocoa flavors)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
~1 Tbsp. softened butter for buttering the 8x8 pan
1½ tsp. framboise liqueur optional, I didn’t add this just because I didn't want to buy a whole bottle just for 1½ tsp. but it's totally up to you!
Vanilla ice cream for serving

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 325℉. Lightly butter an 8x8-inch baking dish.
~1 Tbsp. softened butter
Melt butter: Melt the butter in a microwave-safe dish in 30-second increments until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
1/2 cup unsalted butter
Beat sugar and eggs: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 8-10 minutes, or until very thick and light yellow. Start Timer
2 extra large eggs room temperature, 1 cup granulated white sugar
Sift dry ingredients: Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder, flour, espresso powder, and salt together and set aside.
6 Tbsp. cocoa powder, 1 tsp. espresso powder, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, Pinch of salt
Bring it together: When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla bean paste, framboise (if using), and the cocoa powder/flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined. Careful not to over mix.
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste, 1½ tsp. framboise liqueur
Prepare water bath (Bain-Marie): Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan (I used a 9x13 pan). Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish.
Bake: Bake for ~40-50 minutes. A toothpick inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean. The center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding. Start checking at 38–40 minutes. Brownie pudding is all about that custardy center, so it’s better to pull it a touch early than over-bake. Start Timer
Cool and serve: Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes in the water bath still, then lift it out and serve with your favorite vanilla ice cream. YUM! Start Timer
Vanilla ice cream

Notes

This recipe is based on the viral Ina Garten Brownie Pudding recipe that is found in her Back to Basics Cookbook, or can be found on the Food Network website.

A few things I changed in the recipe to make it my own:

Halved the recipe: This recipe is very rich on its own, so I halved it to make it a smaller batch (perfect for 3-4 people). However, feel free to double it if you're serving a crowd.
Espresso powder: I added espresso powder, which is not in the original recipe, but I think it always enhances brownies/cocoa-flavored desserts!
Framboise liqueur: I didn’t use the liqueur because I don't feel like it’s something most households have on hand, so feel free to leave it out (or add it) if you wish.
Vanilla: I just used vanilla bean paste (as opposed to the vanilla bean pod that is called for in the original recipe) to make it easier. You can also just use vanilla extract.

Nutrition