Fudgy Greek Yogurt Brownies Recipe - Pitchfork Foodie Farms (2024)

FAQs

What does Greek yogurt replace in brownies? ›

Some health-conscious foodies swap oil for applesauce in their brownies, but Greek yogurt is a better replacement for preserving the moisture content, which maintains the richness and fudgy texture while reducing the overall fat content of the brownies.

Achieving a fudgy brownie is all to do with the ratio of fat to flour. A fudgy brownie recipe will use more fat than flour. Generally this is achieved by adding more butter or real chocolate to your brownie recipe. A cakey brownie recipe on the other hand will call for more flour in the ratio of fat to flour.

Fudgy brownies are moist, dense and gooey, with almost the texture of fudge, but not quite as compact. Chewy brownies are dense (like fudgy brownies), but have a little more “bite” to them or elastic texture when you chew them.

To test for doneness with a toothpick, insert a toothpick into the center of the brownies and pull it back out. For fudgy brownies, you'll want to see some moist crumbs attached to the toothpick when you pull it back out. If it looks like it's covered in brownie batter, the brownies will need to bake a bit longer.

It's used similarly to sour cream in cakes and other baked goods, but can also be used in glazes or folded into whipped cream. Many bakers love the way it helps keep baked goods moist while adding a tang, not unlike baking with buttermilk. Its acidity also helps activate the baking soda in batters for a nice rise.

I make this on my lazy days when I don't feel like making brownies completely from scratch. The substitution of oil with Greek yogurt really cuts down on the cals and adds protein.

The best option is to wrap each brownie in an airtight wrapping such as plastic wrap. Wrapped brownies can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator and should be consumed within 1-2 days before they become dry and stale.

When you peek in the oven, the brownies should be pulling slightly away from the sides of the pan. The brownie's top should have a dry-looking sheen. At the edge of the pan, the brownies should be slightly puffed, and in the middle of the pan, the brownies should be set, and not wobbly.

Whether you use butter, margarine, or vegetable oil, putting too much in your brownie batter causes it to be greasy. Don't worry, you're not alone. Many people fall into this trap when trying to substitute butter with oil.

Ghirardelli's brownies weren't too sweet and had a denser, more fudgelike texture. They had the most intense flavor of the bunch, which I think came from the chocolate chips and the darker chocolate used in the batter. These were also fudgy, which is my personal preference for a brownie.

What is a brownie fairy? ›

brownie, in English and Scottish folklore, a small, industrious fairy or hobgoblin believed to inhabit houses and barns. Rarely seen, he was often heard at night, cleaning and doing housework; he also sometimes mischievously disarranged rooms.

The desired consistency of your batter depends on what results you want to achieve, so there's not one exact answer to your question. Cakey brownie batter contains more flour so it'll appear thicker, while fudgy brownie batter has more butter or margarine and is therefore more “liquidy” (more fat, less flour).

Everyone loves brownies, but some like these chocolaty squares rich and dense, while others prefer a taller treat. What does a baker need to do to have their brownies turn out just as they want them? Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones. So add more fat—in this case, butter and chocolate.

Fudgy Brownies

With a high amount of fat (in the form of butter and chocolate) and less flour than other varieties, these sweet squares do not hold back. You can expect an intensely rich chocolate flavor and a dense, super-moist, often gooey texture that just might remind you of a truffle.

If you're using a cup of butter or less, replace the butter with 1 cup of full-fat Greek yogurt. If your recipe calls for more than a cup of butter, you'll need to tweak the flour in your recipe by adding about ¼ cup more to compensate for the yogurt's extra moisture.

Plain yogurt is an excellent swap for eggs in brownies. For every egg called for, swap in 1/4 cup yogurt. Since brownies are chewy and dense by design, you don't have to worry about adding in extra baking powder or baking soda to counter the fact that yogurt won't help with leavening.

Use: Greek yogurt substitute for baking

Because of its acidic properties, buttermilk works instead when a recipe calls for Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is thicker, of course, so you'll want to adjust the volume of buttermilk (down) or flour (up) to get to the right consistency.

Yogurt is rich in fat and flavor, but also has more moisture than butter which gives it some limitations as a butter substitute. Substitute plain, unsweetened yogurt as a 1:1 swap for butter in recipes calling for less than 1 cup of butter.