Fudgy Brownies in the Air Fryer (Crinkle Top)

Name: Fudgy Brownies with Crinkle Top
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 42 min
Yield: 9 servings
Ingredients: butter (for greasing); baking paper, to line the tin; 105 g 50% dark chocolate, chopped into chunks; 105 g plain flour, sifted; 0.5 tsp salt; 100 g unsalted butter; 60 ml neutral vegetable oil; 60 g cocoa powder; 100 g soft brown sugar, packed; 1 tsp instant coffee powder; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 200 g caster (white granulated) sugar; 2 large eggs

Source video by Bakeology on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules.

From Bakeology. 105 g of 50% dark chocolate is chopped into chunks and combined with 105 g (3/4 cup) of plain flour and 0.5 tsp salt. Separately, 100 g of unsalted butter, 60 ml of vegetable oil, 2/3 cup of cocoa powder, 1/2 cup of soft brown sugar, 1 tsp of coffee powder and 1 tsp of vanilla microwave-melt in 20-second bursts until hot to bloom the cocoa. Two eggs and 1 cup of caster sugar whip on medium-high for 3 minutes till light. The hot chocolate-butter mix folds in, then the flour/chocolate mix, gently. Into a greased and lined 20 cm square tin, into a 160°C fan oven for 22-25 minutes; the air fryer at 160°C for 22 minutes hits the same target if your air fryer fits a 20 cm tin.

Air fryer notes: Source is a 160°C fan oven recipe with 22-25 min bake time. Adapted for the air fryer at the same 160°C, same 22 min, since air fryers are essentially compact convection ovens. Caveat: a 20 cm square tin only fits larger air fryers (5L+). For smaller air fryers, use a smaller round tin and reduce by 2-3 minutes.

Ingredients

Tin prep

butter (for greasing)
baking paper, to line the tin

Dry mix

105 g50% dark chocolate, chopped into chunks
105 gplain flour, sifted
0.5 tspsalt

Melted mix

100 gunsalted butter
60 mlneutral vegetable oil
60 gcocoa powder
100 gsoft brown sugar, packed
1 tspinstant coffee powder
1 tspvanilla extract

Wet mix

200 gcaster (white granulated) sugar
2large eggs

Method

Preheat the air fryer to 160°C. Grease a 20 cm square tin (that fits your air fryer basket) with butter and line with baking paper.
~4 min
In one bowl, combine the chopped chocolate, sifted flour and salt. Mix briefly. Set aside.
~2 min
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter, vegetable oil, cocoa powder, brown sugar, coffee powder and vanilla. Microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between, until fully melted and hot to the touch. The heat blooms the cocoa and partially melts the brown sugar, that's the crinkle-top trick.
~4 min
Set aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, in another bowl, combine the caster sugar and the two eggs. Whip with a hand or stand mixer on medium-high for 3 minutes until light and creamy.
~4 min
Pour the slightly cooled chocolate-butter mix into the whipped eggs. Fold gently with a spatula, don't beat the air out.
~2 min
Add the dry mix (flour/chocolate chunks/salt). Fold gently until just combined; stop the moment you don't see flour. Overmixing makes them cakey, not fudgy.
~2 min
Pour into the prepared tin. Shake the tin to level, then tap a few times to release large air bubbles.
~1 min
Air fry at 160°C for 22 minutes (22 = fudgier, 25 = a touch firmer). A toothpick should come out dirty, not clean. The top should be shiny and crinkled.
~22 min
Let cool in the tin for about 1 hour. Run a thin knife around the edges, lift out using the baking paper, slice into 9 squares.
~60 min

Frequently asked

Will any small tin fit my air fryer?

Probably not a 20 cm square. Most 5L air fryers take a 15-18 cm round or square. Scale the recipe to two thirds and use a 15 cm tin, or look for a tin that nests inside your specific basket. Cooking time scales roughly by depth, not diameter.

Why brown sugar in the melted mix specifically?

Bakeology says it's the trick for the crinkle top: melting some of the sugar early lets it dissolve into the wet mix and rise to the surface during baking, where it crackles. Using all white sugar or adding brown sugar later won't crinkle the same way.

Can I use milk chocolate?

You can, but the cook is emphatic about 50%+ dark or semi-sweet to keep the brownies from being cloyingly sweet. Milk chocolate plus the cup of caster sugar tips it over.

Does the air fryer affect the crinkle top?

Honestly a little. Air fryers blow more direct heat than a fan oven, so the top sets slightly faster and the crinkles can come out finer than oven-baked. The texture and fudginess are unaffected.

Extraction notes (transparency): All quantities and the bake time explicit in the source. Conversion: 1 cup flour = 130 g, 1 cup sugar = 200 g, 2/3 cup cocoa = 60 g, 1/2 cup butter = 100 g (as stated), 1/4 cup oil = 60 ml.