Last Updated on April 24, 2022
If you are wondering how to reheat brownies, we have created the ultimate guide for you! Our techniques are easy, quick, and completely fool-proof!
The best technique to use by far is oven reheating. But, we have included some other great options that will work for many different scenarios!
Do Brownies Keep Well?
Believe it or not, but brownies keep extremely well. This is mostly because they have a very high sugar content and fat. All in all, when brownies are properly stored, they can have a surprisingly long shelf life, regardless of where they are stored.
Brownies will last anywhere between 3-4 days at room temperature and for more than a week in the fridge. And, when frozen, they keep their fresh texture exceptionally. These will stay good for at least 3 months.
Before looking at how to reheat brownies, we are first looking at the best ways to store them. If brownies aren’t properly stored, they will never properly reheat!
How To Properly Store Brownies
Brownies can be stored in 3 main ways. The techniques we have listed below are how you can best keep your brownies fresh. Before using any of the below-mentioned storage techniques, make sure that your brownies have been completely cooled at room temperature.
Storing brownies at room temperature
To store brownies at room temperature, first, allow them to cool. Then, place them inside an airtight container. You can add a layer of non-stick wax paper or baking paper at the bottom of the container. We’d also recommend placing baking paper between stacked layers of brownies.
Then, once your container has been closed, store it in a cool dry place. Keep it away from any heat sources, direct sunlight, or humid areas. The food pantry or bread bin works great!
Storing brownies in the fridge
If you want to store your brownies in the fridge, follow the exact same steps as we laid out above for the room temperature technique.
First, make sure that your fridge is running at a stable temperature below 40ºF (4ºC). If it fluctuates, it may affect the texture of your brownies after a couple of days, not to mention its overall shelf life.
Secondly, make sure you store your brownies away from any cooked meat, cooked food, and pungent odors (like garlic and onions). Brownies have a cake-like texture which makes them very porous. They can easily absorb strong odors.
Storing brownies in the freezer
To freeze brownies, again, place them in an airtight container. However, now you can add a layer of a around it. This layer will help add protection against freezer burn.
Then, make sure to label the foil-covered container and freeze it away from strong odors. Again, make sure your freezer doesn’t have fluctuating temperatures which will cause the brownies to constantly thaw and re-freeze.
How To Reheat Brownies From Frozen
Before we look at ways to reheat fridge-stored brownies, let’s have a look at exactly how to reheat brownies after they have been frozen.
First, you have to thaw the brownies at room temperature for a couple of minutes. The exact time will depend entirely on the size of your brownie.
We highly recommend using the oven to reheat frozen brownies. The microwave could potentially make them soggy and not everyone has a toaster oven or air fryer.
Then, simply reheat the brownies as per our instructions below. They might need to reheat for slightly longer, especially if you see them going a bit soggy. The longer it is exposed to dry heat from the oven or air fryer, the less soggy it will become.
How To Reheat Brownies – 3 Effective Options
Now, let’s look at how to reheat brownies in the most effective way. We have listed 4 amazing techniques below which will all do a great job. however, which one you choose depends entirely on what will work best for you! So, let’s get right to it!
1. Oven reheating
Our first technique, and the one we would recommend most, is reheating brownies in an oven. You can preheat your oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Then, place the brownies inside an oven-proof baking dish and heat them for 10-15 minutes, depending on their size.
This technique allows you to carefully control how much you heat them and prevent you from drying them out. It works exceptionally well for all types of brownies including fudgy and cakey brownies. And, it also works well for large uncut brownie sheets!
2. Microwave reheating
This technique is very quick and easy, making it perfect when you are in a rush. You can set your microwave to the highest heat setting and only reheat the brownie for 20-30 seconds. Alternatively, you can use the “reheat” setting and check the progress every 20 seconds (depending on the temperature the microwave works at).
The biggest downside to this technique is that you cannot accurately control how much the brownie reheats. This may cause it to dry out and change consistency completely.
3. Toaster oven reheating
Toaster ovens are unique appliances that look like an oven, but which have a toaster setting. They are the size of a regular convection oven but will help make your brownies crisp again.
All you have to do when using the toaster setting is reheat the brownies for 5-10 minutes. This setting works at a higher temperature, so the brownies will reheat faster.
4. Air fryer reheating
You may be very confused about how to reheat brownies using an air fryer. But trust us, it’s easier than you may think! As with the oven, preheat the air fryer to 350ºF (180ºC). Place the brownie pieces inside and heat for roughly 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
Air fryers work with extremely well-circulated hot air, so reheat at a similar speed as a microwave. Don’t underestimate it! You may just end up with brunt brownies!
Conclusion
As you can see, how to reheat brownies is incredibly easy and there are loads of options available! Let us know which method you like best. And, we would love to hear what other nifty reheating techniques you use!
FAQs
How do I make brownies fresh again?
The best way to make brownies fresh again is to reheat them inside of the oven. While there are other techniques you can use, you can't accurately control how much they reheat.
How do you reheat brownies without an oven?
You can either use a microwave, a toaster oven, or an air fryer to reheat your brownies. Naturally, there are many other appliances you can use, but these will definitely work the best.
How do you fix underdone brownies?
If you have baked your brownies and see that they are underdone, simply place them back inside the preheated oven for a couple of minutes. Don't use other appliances to further bake brownies - the oven works the best.
How to reheat frozen brownies?
When reheating frozen brownies, first you will need to thaw them inside of the fridge or at room temperature. Once thawed, you can use an oven, microwave, toaster oven, or air fryer to reheat them.
Lindy Van Schalkwyk is a culinary specialist with a background in Advanced Cooking, Advanced Pâtisserie, Media Communications and Nutrition. She has gained invaluable experience in the culinary industry having worked in some of the top restaurants in Africa in 2016 and 2017. Her expertise in nutrition has enabled her to develop recipes for special dietary needs. In 2018, Lindy began working in the Food Media industry, focusing on recipe development, recipe writing, food writing and food styling.
