About This Dish

This is a single serve brownie pudding — a small-batch adaptation of Ina Garten's widely celebrated viral dessert, scaled down to make one perfect individual portion. Baked in a ramekin set in a hot water bath, it produces a thin, crisp and slightly chewy brownie crust on top with a deeply fudgy, almost molten pudding underneath — somewhere between a chocolate fondant and a classic brownie in the very best possible way. The recipe uses half a whole egg, a handful of pantry staples and around 30 minutes in the oven, making it one of the most achievable single serve desserts you will ever make. It is unashamedly indulgent, completely straightforward, and the kind of thing you will make on a Tuesday night for no particular reason other than you deserve it.

‍About Ina Garten's Brownie Pudding

Ina Garten is an American cook and food writer best known for her long-running television series and her philosophy of unfussy, generous, deeply pleasurable food. Her brownie pudding — a recipe from her cookbook Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics — went viral in recent years when people began sharing the results online, and it is easy to understand why. It is the sort of recipe that looks almost too simple on paper and then produces something that stops you in your tracks.

The original is baked in a larger dish and serves several people. What makes it distinctive is the bain-marie method — baking the pudding in a dish set inside a tray of hot water — which creates a gentle, even heat that sets the outside while keeping the inside deliberately, gloriously liquid. The result is not quite a brownie and not quite a fondant: it is something entirely its own.

This recipe adapts that idea for one person, baked in a single ramekin. The method and the magic are entirely Ina's. Eleanor's contribution is making it achievable for a solo cook, with detailed guidance on timing so you can dial in exactly the texture you want.

Why You'll Want to Make This Recipe

The Ultimate Single Serve Dessert

This is one of the most satisfying single serve desserts in the repertoire — genuinely special, completely portioned for one, and made from ingredients most people already have. No need to make a whole tray of brownies and spend the rest of the week working through them.

Two Textures in One

The bain-marie method creates something that no conventional brownie recipe can replicate: a set, crisp, papery top that gives way to a soft, puddingy, almost molten centre. The contrast between the two layers is what makes this dessert so extraordinary. It is a melt in the middle brownie pudding in the truest sense.

Endlessly Adjustable

Bake it for 25 minutes and you have something closer to a chocolate fondant — liquid and dramatic. Bake it for 35 minutes and it becomes fudgier and more set throughout, closer to a classic brownie in texture. Knowing your oven and your preference gives you complete control over the result every time you make it.

Quick & Simple

Five minutes of mixing, 30 minutes in the oven, and one bowl to wash up. This is a single serve brownie that asks very little and gives a great deal back.

A Note on Using Half an Egg

This recipe calls for half a whole egg — and that phrasing is deliberate. It is not half a yolk, and it is not just the white. Here is why that matters.

A whole egg contains two distinct components that do very different jobs in baking. The yolk is rich in fat and emulsifiers, which contribute moisture, richness and that fudgy, dense quality in the finished pudding. The white is mostly water and protein, and it is the white that — when whisked — creates the structure and lift that produces the brownie's characteristic thin, crisp, papery top.

Using only a yolk would give you a richer, denser result but without the lift that creates that distinctive crust. Using only a white would give you structure without the depth of flavour or the fudgy interior. The magic of this recipe — both in Ina Garten's original and in this single serve adaptation — depends on the balance between the two. Halving a whole egg preserves that balance exactly, just at the right scale for one.

To halve an egg: crack it into a small bowl, beat it lightly with a fork until the yolk and white are just combined, then measure it out or simply pour half into your mixing bowl by eye. Use the remaining half in scrambled eggs, an omelette, or brush it over pastry — it will keep covered in the fridge for up to a day.

Eleanor's Top Tips for the Perfect Single Serve Brownie Pudding

• Whisk the egg and sugar until genuinely pale and fluffy — this is the most important step and the one most people rush. You are looking for a mixture that has roughly doubled in volume and turned a very pale, almost ivory colour. This takes around 3–4 minutes with an electric whisk. This step creates the air that forms that crisp, papery top, so do not skip or shorten it.
• Use a ramekin of around 150–175ml capacity. Too large and the pudding spreads too thin and sets through entirely; too small and it will overflow. A standard individual ramekin is exactly right.
• The bain-marie is not optional. Setting the ramekin in a dish of hot water is what creates the gentle, even heat that keeps the centre liquid while the top sets. Without it, the pudding will bake through too quickly and you will lose the molten middle entirely. Use a deep enough outer dish that the water sits halfway up the sides of the ramekin.
• Use hot water in the bain-marie, not cold. Starting with already-hot water means the oven temperature does not have to climb from cold, which gives you more consistent and predictable results.
• Sift the cocoa powder and flour. Cocoa powder in particular is prone to lumps, and whisking lumps into the batter risks overworking it. Sift directly into the bowl and whisk very briefly — just enough to combine.
• Once you add the flour and cocoa, whisk as little as possible. Overworking the batter at this stage develops gluten, which tightens the texture and can work against that soft, puddingy centre.
• The press test is your best guide to doneness. The top should feel firm and set when you press it very gently with a fingertip, but the pudding beneath should give — you should be able to feel it move. If the whole thing feels solid, it has gone a little too far. If the top feels wet or unset, give it another 3–5 minutes.
• Eleanor's recommendation is 30 minutes for the ideal balance — a set, crisp top with a centre that is fudgy rather than fully liquid, but still yields beautifully when you break through the crust with a spoon.
• Dust with icing sugar just before serving and eat immediately. Like a fondant, this pudding is at its absolute best the moment it comes out of the oven. The centre will continue to set as it cools.

Ingredients and Tools You'll Need

Essential Ingredients

• ½ whole egg – beaten lightly before halving; see the note above on why it must be half a whole egg rather than just the yolk or white
• 50g granulated sugar – regular granulated sugar, not caster; the slightly coarser crystals help create the crisp top when whisked with the egg
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract – rounds out the chocolate flavour
• 10g cocoa powder – use a good quality unsweetened cocoa; the better the cocoa, the better the pudding
• 10g plain flour – just enough structure to hold the top together
• Pinch of salt – enhances and deepens the chocolate flavour
• 30g butter, melted – adds richness and contributes to the fudgy interior
• Icing sugar – for dusting just before serving

To Serve

• A scoop of good vanilla ice cream alongside is an exceptional combination — the contrast of cold ice cream and warm pudding is hard to beat
• Lightly whipped cream or crème fraîche are equally good
• The pudding is also completely wonderful on its own

Essential Tools

• 1 ramekin, approx. 150–175ml capacity
• 1 deeper baking dish — large enough to hold the ramekin with room for water around the sides
• Electric hand whisk — essential for getting the egg and sugar pale and fluffy; a hand whisk will work but takes considerably longer
• Two mixing bowls — one small (for the egg), one larger (for mixing the batter)
• Sieve — for the cocoa powder and flour
• Kettle — for boiling water for the bain-marie

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Dietary Variations

Gluten-Free

Substitute the plain flour with the same quantity of a gluten-free plain flour blend. The small amount of flour in this recipe means the substitution works well — the texture of the finished pudding is not significantly affected.

Dairy-Free

Replace the butter with a good quality dairy-free butter alternative with a similar fat content. Avoid coconut oil — the flavour is too present and the fat content behaves differently, which can affect the texture of the centre.

Scaling Up

If you want to make this for two, double all ingredients and use two ramekins side by side in the bain-marie, or use a small shallow baking dish instead. The timing will be similar but check at 25 minutes as a smaller, shallower dish may set more quickly.

Troubleshooting

“My brownie top didn’t go shiny or crisp.”

You likely didn’t whisk the egg and sugar long enough. It must be very pale and fluffy.

“The centre set too much — it’s not gooey.”

Your oven may run hot. Reduce baking time by 3–5 minutes next time, or place the dish lower in the oven.

“The batter looked too thick.”

You may have over-mixed after adding the flour. A very quick whisk is all that’s needed.

“Water leaked into my ramekin!”

Your ramekin may not be fully watertight or you may have filled the water bath too high. Keep the water level halfway up the ramekin and place it carefully.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a single serve brownie pudding?

A single serve brownie pudding is an individual portion of baked chocolate dessert that combines the crisp, set top of a brownie with a soft, molten or fudgy centre — achieved by baking a small amount of chocolate batter in a ramekin set in a hot water bath. This recipe is adapted from Ina Garten's brownie pudding, scaled down to make one perfect portion.

What is the difference between a brownie pudding and a chocolate fondant?

A chocolate fondant — also called a lava cake — is made with a high proportion of chocolate and butter and typically has a fully liquid, flowing centre. This brownie pudding has a centre that is soft and yielding but not liquid in the same way; it is richer and denser, closer to the inside of a perfectly baked brownie. Bake it for less time and it moves closer to fondant territory; bake it for longer and it becomes fudgier throughout. The crisp top is unique to this recipe and does not appear in a classic fondant.

Why does this recipe use half an egg?

Because this is a single serve adaptation of a larger recipe, and halving a whole egg is the only way to preserve the balance between yolk and white that makes the pudding work. The yolk provides richness and the fudgy interior; the white provides the structure and lift that creates the crisp, papery top. Using just a yolk or just a white would produce a noticeably different and less successful result. See the full note above for more detail.

How do I know when the brownie pudding is done?

Press the top very gently with a fingertip. It should feel firm and set, but the pudding beneath should still give and move. If the whole ramekin feels solid when pressed, it is fully set through. If the top still feels wet, give it a few more minutes. Eleanor's recommendation of 30 minutes gives a fudgy, deeply puddingy result with a properly set top — the ideal middle ground between molten and fully baked.

Can I make this brownie pudding ahead of time?

This pudding is best eaten immediately, straight from the oven, when the contrast between the crisp top and soft centre is at its most dramatic. You can mix the batter ahead of time and refrigerate it in the ramekin for up to a few hours, then bake it when you are ready — bring it to room temperature for 15 minutes before it goes into the oven. Do not bake it in advance and reheat; the centre will set on cooling and will not return to its original texture.

Can I use a mug instead of a ramekin?

It depends on the mug. You need something that is ovenproof, roughly the right capacity (150–175ml), and narrow enough that the batter sits with some depth rather than spreading thin. A standard ceramic mug is often too large and too wide. A small, sturdy ovenproof mug of the right size can work, but a ramekin gives the most consistent result and is worth having for this recipe alone.

Some recipes earn their viral status. This is one of them — and the fact that you can now make it for one, on a weeknight, in a single ramekin, feels like genuinely important information.