Freezing Brownies Is Best Done While They're Fresh

When it comes to sweets, brownies may be one of the cornerstones of society — quite literally, if they're overbaked into a substance tougher than stone. The chocolatey delights are almost universally appealing, whether lovingly crafted in the kitchen or gobbled down by children drooling with uncontrollable excitement. No home, restaurant, event, or alien spaceship should be without brownies.

It's a strange quirk of human nature that urges the devouring of every last crumb of brownie, so it's almost inconceivable to imagine a situation where you'd end up with excess. However, these circumstances can occur — perhaps an event you were preparing for was suddenly canceled, or you're very efficient and make a double or triple batch of homemade brownies. Whatever the reason, say you've found yourself with a large number of brownies. Freezing them provides a useful solution so they won't go to waste — and there are several tips to keep in mind that ensure your brownies retain their freshness even after they've been frozen.

The key point to consider when freezing brownies is that they must be fresh — that way, when you choose to thaw them out they'll still be of an enjoyable quality. Brownies should still be in an optimum state two to three days after baking, so freezing brownies after this time will only result in subpar taste when they're taken out of the freezer, which is sure to instill disappointment in anyone with a sweet tooth. Any type of brownie can be frozen, but those filled with cream cheese could become a little soggy during thawing. You should also allow brownies to cool before freezing (otherwise they'll cause the freezer to warm up).

Brownies are safe to be frozen for up to three months, but an important measure to remember is that they must be suitably protected from freezer burn. The best way to do this is to slice the freshly baked brownies into single portions (or leave them intact, if you want to freeze an entire tray), wrap them in two layers of plastic film, and cover them in a final layer of foil. You're not done yet: You want to place your treats in sealed containers, too. You can wrap an entire batch of brownies, but it's more convenient to be able to take out small slices when you need them.