Mary Berry vs Jamie Oliver Brownie Recipes

Please note - these images were provided by the Baking Mad team.

First thoughts on the bakes:

I love brownies, so I didn’t want to miss the chance to compare these recipes! I found the Mary Berry brownie recipe was a lot easier to follow. All I had to do was measure out all of the ingredients into my mixing bowl, mix it, then pop it in the oven.

The Jamie Oliver recipe was a bit more complex as there was an extra step - I had to use the hob to melt the butter and chocolate. I’d say that the Mary Berry recipe is much more family-friendly, and much more suitable for a first-time baker - or someone cooking with kids!

Surprisingly, they both turned out remarkably similar - even though the Mary Berry recipe doesn’t use melted chocolate, and relies on chocolate chips to provide richness. The Jamie Oliver brownie recipe suggests adding dried cherries and nuts, but I didn’t do that as I wanted to compare both bakes just testing the ‘plain’ brownie recipe as a foundation, and I wanted to complete a ‘true’ comparison. 

Mary Berry’s brownie recipe - a top-level look:

• Ease of baking: 10/10 - This was super easy to bake
• Enjoyment to bake: 8/10
• Time to bake: 40-45 minutes
• Appearance of bake: 7/10
• Taste test: 8/10
• End result: 8/10

Want to bake for yourself? Here’s Mary Berry’s brownie recipe. 

Jamie Oliver’s brownie recipe - a top-level look:

• Ease of baking: 6 /10 - I marked this slightly lower as this recipe had more steps
• Enjoyment to bake: 7 /10
• Time to bake: 25 minutes - although I’d say it needs far longer. The batter was still half cooked after 25 mins, so I baked it for 40 minutes
• Appearance of bake: 7/10
• Taste test:  7/10
• End result: 7/10

Want to give Jamie’s brownies a go? Try out Jamie Oliver’s brownie recipe and let us know how you get on!

Mary Berry vs Jamie Oliver brownies:

I was really surprised by how much I liked the Mary Berry recipe - as it doesn’t have melted chocolate, I did wonder if Mary’s trademark ‘richness’ would be there, but it was. The chocolate chips add to the bake’s overall flavour.

I’m a relatively-new baker (but learning all the time!) so I did like that the Mary Berry recipe had fewer steps - and less washing up, as a result! I used slightly different-shaped trays but they had the same depth, so that didn’t affect the overall bakes. The Jamie Oliver bake has more ingredients - it uses plain flour and baking powder - but the Mary Berry one just uses self-raising flour.

Overall, I’d say that both were great - these recipes make really good, fudgy brownies. 

Mary Berry brownie verdict:

How did it taste?

Surprisingly fudgy - I wasn’t expecting that! I found that the cocoa powder and the chocolate chips gave a serious chocolate hit, which I really enjoyed.

Mouthfeel and texture:

The inside was soft and gooey with a hint of crumb - but the outside had that crunchy, papery feel which I associate with brownies. It wasn’t overwhelmingly chewy, which I liked.

What would Mary Berry’s brownie pair well with?

As they’re fairly indulgent, I’d pair them with ice cream or whipped cream. If you’re having one for an afternoon tea treat, I’d recommend a smaller piece so you don’t fill up before dinner! Mary’s recipe suggests the number of squares you can cut the bake into, which was a really handy guideline. 

Jamie Oliver brownie verdict:

How did it taste?

This was definitely richer and denser than Mary’s recipe - I could really taste the 70% dark chocolate I used in the batter. I would say it’s delicious, but it’s almost overwhelmingly-rich.

Mouthfeel and texture:

Jamie’s brownies were very similar to Mary’s in terms of texture and the way they came out of the oven. I’d say they were a little chewier, but I reckon that’s because of the richer ingredients.

What would Jamie Oliver’s brownie pair well with?

As this bake is so rich, I’d say custard or single cream - I’d steer clear of anything like clotted cream, double cream or ice cream. You could also add some sliced strawberries to cut through the richness of the chocolate. 

Overall verdict:

Overall winner: Mary Berry

This was a super-efficient, easy to make bake which made tasty brownies with a look and flavour which I was expecting. It’s so easy - the six ingredients are mixed together and then smoothed into a baking tray. I can’t fault the method. Making this gave me a lot of confidence and I was really pleased with the outcome.

What went well?

Both recipes came together as I thought they would - they both looked like the pictures in the recipes, and this was very reassuring. As a lifelong brownie lover, I knew the flavour I wanted from both bakes - and I wasn’t disappointed.

What was a challenge:

The Jamie Oliver recipe had a few more steps, and I was slightly concerned when I was melting the butter over the hob, as I didn’t want it to burn, so I had to keep my eye on it at all times. Because of the hob and the boiling water used to melt the chocolate and butter, it’s less suitable for baking with smaller children.

How would you improve these recipes?

My friends and family know I’m a huge fan of Fluff marshmallow spread, so I’d try adding marshmallow pieces if I made either brownie again. I’d slightly reduce the amount of sugar used in both to make sure the sweetness wasn’t overpowering, though.

My sister made these with me and she’s going to make the Mary Berry recipe again, but substitute the chocolate chips for small pieces of chopped up Mars Bar, which I think will taste great!