The Best Way to Cut Brownies Has Been Hiding in Our Kitchens the Whole Time

Whether you’re baking them from scratch or from a box, brownies never disappoint. You can dress them up or go with a simple bake-sale classic brownie; you can make them fudgy or cakey, or even make all-edge brownies. And while we know that looks don’t matter as much as taste when it comes to cooking and baking, it can be frustrating to see a pan of crackly, shiny-topped brownies transformed into uneven, jagged-edge brownies after you attempt to cut them into individual bars.

How to Prevent Messy Edges

The messy edges aren’t a dealbreaker, but they are annoying. One way to get neat edges is to dip your knife in hot water and wipe it dry before slicing. The hot knife edge can generally slice through cakes and brownies cleanly. But that technique takes a bit more time and effort. TikTok creator Jennifer, aka @mrsshoemaker, has a different tip that’s even easier. Instead of using a chef’s knife or other sharp knife from your knife block, she turns to something slightly unexpected: a plastic knife.

According to the creator, she learned the tip from a catering mentor who recommends doing this when cutting brownie portions for a party or event. The plastic knife glides smoothly through the brownies because it’s nonstick without dragging or catching. If you get crumbs on the plastic knife, just wipe them off before your next cut.

Apparently, some box brownie bakers may already know this tip. According to some commenters, many brownie mix boxes direct you to cut with a plastic knife in the recipe instructions. But other commenters said they were as excited as I was to learn something new. One commenter said, “I want to try this, so I guess I HAVE to make brownies!!”

If you want to give this hack a try, it may be worth baking one of Allrecipes’ top-rated recipes (the Absolutely Best Brownies version has over 500 reviews). Just make sure your brownies are fully cooked and cooled before cutting them.