A single dessert has been popping up all over Instagram and TikTok lately, and it’s easy to see why. It looks like a brownie at first glance, then your spoon breaks through a delicate, crackly top and hits a warm, molten center that behaves more like pudding. The recipe at the heart of the trend comes from Ina Garten, whose chocolatey “brownie pudding” has suddenly found a brand-new audience.
What makes it so addictive is that it doesn’t try to choose one lane. The edges set into something you can scoop in clean, cake-like portions, while the middle stays soft, glossy, and spoonable. It’s that contrast, plus the dramatic little crack on top, that turns a simple bake into a social media moment. And yes, the classic finishing touch is a scoop of vanilla ice cream that slowly melts into the warm chocolate.
Garten first made the dessert on camera back in 2008, preparing it as a treat for the 40th wedding anniversary she was celebrating with her husband, Jeffrey. She has also shared that the recipe itself traces back to the late Anne Pump, a cookbook author and the owner of the much-loved Loaves & Fishes Foodstore in the Hamptons. That backstory gives the trend a cozy, passed-down feel, even if you’re discovering it for the first time through a quick video.
@ps.plates If Ina says brownie pudding is the move…I’m preheating my oven and minding my own.🙂↕️ This. Was. Amazing. INGREDIENTS: -2 sticks unsalted butter (1/2 pound), plus extra for buttering the dish -4 extra-large eggs, at room temp -2 C sugar -3/4 C cocoa powder -1/2 C all-purpose flour -Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean (I used vanilla bean paste) -1 T framboise (optional) -Vanilla ice cream INSTRUCTIONS: -Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9×12 baking dish. Melt the 1/2 pound of butter and set aside to cool. -In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside. -When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla seeds, framboise, if using, and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined. -Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester 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. #browniepudding #inagarten #dessert #baking #EasyRecipe Trying Ina Gartens brownie pudding recipe. @Food Network ♬ original sound – CountryMusicLand
This is also a great example of how “baked pudding” differs from the stovetop kind many people grew up with. Instead of whisking a custard on the hob until it thickens, you build a batter that bakes gently until it’s both structured and creamy. A small amount of flour is key, since it helps the dessert hold together like a brownie without losing that plush pudding texture underneath.
The ingredient list is refreshingly straightforward, which is another reason it’s taken off. You’re looking at butter, eggs, sugar, cocoa, plain flour, and a vanilla bean for that deeper aroma. The recipe often includes a splash of raspberry liqueur for a subtle fruity lift, and it’s designed to be served with vanilla ice cream.
Technique matters more than fuss. The eggs and sugar are beaten until thick and pale, then cocoa and flour are folded in, followed by vanilla seeds, liqueur, and cooled melted butter. It’s baked at 160°C in a water bath for about an hour, so the outside sets while the center stays deliberately underbaked. Once it cools slightly, you’re ready for the best part, serving it warm and watching that top layer crack all over again.
Have you tried this brownie pudding cake yet, or do you have your own twist on it? Share your thoughts in the comments.
