Everyone loves a good brownie. Maybe you’re a fan of a rich, fudgy brownie or in favor of a fluffy, cake-like brownie. Either way, I’m on a mission to find the best brownie recipe. Who better to look to than celebrity chefs starring on The Food Network. I recreated 4 Food Network celebrity brownie recipes, evaluating each on taste and texture to find the best one.
The four brownie recipes I chose are from
Giada De Laurentiis, Valerie Bertinelli, Ree Drummond and
So, which Food Network celeb makes the best brownie?
Let's find out...
Giada's Double Chocolate Brownies
Giada is known for all things Italian. You can find Giada by watching Giada at Home, or tuning into one of the countless cooking competitions she either hosts or judges. Although brownies are not an Italian dish, Giada is known to make some pretty delicious desserts, so I have high hopes.
Giada's recipe is fairly simple and only includes a few staple ingredients, the most prominent being unsweetened chocolate. Making Giada's recipe is quick and easy. The consistency of the batter is much thicker and chunkier than the typical boxed brownie batter I am used to.
Taste
The taste is slightly disappointing for me. The brownie itself is somewhat bitter since the recipe didn't call for much sugar and contains unsweetened chocolate. The chocolate chips add the sweetness that the brownies need, but just not enough. The flavor of Giada's brownies are more sophisticated than your average brownie, playing on both the bitter and sweet flavors of chocolate.
Texture
Fresh out of the oven, Giada’s brownies are moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside. However, as the brownies cool, they become crumbly and fall apart easily. The interior of the brownies are moistened by the chocolate chips, but not enough to save the outside of the brownie.
Valerie's Classic Gooey Brownies
Valerie is a more recent addition to the Food Network family, with her hit show Valerie’s Home Cooking. Valerie makes food that is easy to prepare at home, being a home cook herself. She is the host of Kid’s Baking Championship, so she knows her desserts.
Valerie’s recipe has all the basic brownie ingredients, plus a secret ingredient: espresso powder. Valerie’s brownies include an icing made with brewed coffee. Her recipe is also packed with chocolate chips.
Taste
There is only one word to describe these brownies: decadent. The brownie is very sweet, with the icing adding another layer of sweetness to the already flavorful brownie. I could not detect any coffee flavor, but I don’t think it is Valerie’s intention to. When coffee is added to chocolate, it enhances the chocolate flavor, rather than adding the flavor of coffee. The coffee certainly delivers the rich chocolate flavor I look for in a brownie.
Texture
As soon as the brownies came out of the oven, I could see that the top had hardened, creating the crunchy top layer that I love in brownies. This is the epitome of a fudgey brownie. Valerie’s recipe creates a gooey brownie that is heavenly. However, the recipe seemed to be nearing the consistency of fudge, rather than a classic brownie.
Ree Drummond's Dark Chocolate Brownies
Ree Drummond is a blogger and Food Network host of her own show, The Pioneer Woman. She shares recipes for hearty home cooked meals she makes for her friends and family. Ree is known for not sparing any calories when it comes to taste, so I am excited to try her take on brownies.
Ree’s recipe has similar ingredients to Giada’s, but the measurements are vastly different. Ree's brownies call for larger amounts butter, flour and sugar, but not as much chocolate as Giada's.
Taste
Ree’s recipe is not as sweet as Val’s, but not as bitter as Giada’s. The flavors are well balanced and not overly sweet. Most of the sweetness comes from the chocolate chips, while the base of the brownie has a subtle sweetness to it. These brownies are a chocolate lovers dream, aka my dream brownie.
Texture
This brownie has the crunchiest top layer of all the brownies so far. Somehow Ree's recipe keeps the inside both fudgey and gooey, while the exterior is perfectly crunchy. The chocolate chips are melty and the whole brownie is moist.
Aaron Sanchez's Mexican Brownies
Aaron Sanchez has made his mark on Food Network by appearing on shows like Chopped, Iron Chef America, Best Thing I Ever Ate, and more. He specializes in Mexican and Cajun cuisine and is known for his unique flavor combinations.
Aaron’s love of spice is apparent through his brownie recipe, which contains chili powder and Mexican cinnamon. Aaron’s recipe is the only one that contains no solid chocolate, only cocoa powder. His recipe also includes more eggs and baking powder, typically creating a cakey brownie. I'm interested to see how these ingredients affect the texture of the brownie. His recipe also calls for a larger pan than the other recipes, so his brownies may turn out a little thinner.
Taste
Aaron’s brownies have an interesting combination of flavors. His brownies have the least chocolatey flavor out of all four. The brownies have a subtle, but pleasant cinnamon flavor. There is just enough cinnamon, so that the flavor comes across, but is not overpowering. After each bite, I can sense a slight spiciness in the back of my throat. This is an interesting sensation that I haven’t experienced in a brownie before.
Texture
Aaron’s brownies are lighter than the others, but not as cakey as I expected it to be. The thin slices of brownie are a nice reprieve from the other’s thick and fudgey brownies. The brownie was moist on the inside with a crisp top layer, adding a slight crunch.
So who's Brownie Reigns Supreme?
1st: Ree Drummond
Ree’s brownie recipe is well balanced in both texture and taste. The brownie is the perfect level of sweetness. The top layer is crunchy, while the inside remains soft and moist. Ree's brownies have the ideal brownie texture and taste, earning her 1st place.
2nd: Valerie Bertinelli
Val’s brownies are delectable. The brownies are fudgey and moist. I love that in a brownie, but it makes me question if they’re closer to fudge than brownies. There are different layers of chocolate throughout this whole dessert, from the batter, to the chocolate chips, to the icing.
3rd: Aaron Sanchez
Aaron’s flavors are unique and refreshing, compared to the other three recipes. His brownie is fluffy, moist and crispy on the top. Aaron’s brownies deliver on texture, taste and originality.
4th: Giada DeLaurentiis
Giada’s brownies disappointed me. The brownies are dry and crumble with each bite. Her brownies are not meant to be overly sweet, but they are too bitter for me. Even though Giada’s goal seemed to be well-balanced flavors, I don’t think she achieved that.