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I tried Ina Garten's and Gordon Ramsay's favorite brownie recipes. The best one was the easiest to make.

22 October 2026 at 15:34
Ina Garten and Gordon Ramsay
I tried brownie recipes from Ina Garten and Gordon Ramsay for a celebrity-chef showdown.

Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images/FOX via Getty Images

  • I compared brownie recipes from Ina Garten and Gordon Ramsay.
  • Garten's "outrageous" brownies are decadent, with a nutty crunch. 
  • But Ramsay's easy and delicious "world's best brownies" won my heart. 

On a chilly night, there are two things I crave: a '90s rom-com and a deliciously decadent brownie. I'm a stereotypical millennial who needs a little treat and a lot of nostalgia.

Ina Garten and Gordon Ramsay can't build a time machine, but they sure know how to bake. So I turned to them for inspiration and decided to have a little celebrity-chef showdown in the process.

Would Garten's "outrageous brownies" come on top, or would Ramsay's "world's best brownies" live up to their name?

First up is Gordon Ramsay's recipe for the "world's best brownies."
Gordon Ramsay's Brownies

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I've made many of Ramsay's delicious dishes — including his 15-minute pasta and 10-minute burger — but had never whipped up one of his desserts.

That changed when I came across his recipe for the "world's best brownies."

With a name like that, I obviously had to try it.

Ramsay's brownies include a lot of dark chocolate.
Ingredients for Gordon Ramsay's Brownies

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To make a serving of 15-20 brownies, you'll need:

  • ½ pound of dark chocolate, broken into squares or roughly chopped
  • ¼ pound of dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks (optional)
  • ½ pound of butter, diced, plus extra for greasing
  • ¾ cup of caster sugar (granulated sugar also works)
  • ½ cup of light-brown sugar
  • ½ cup of all-purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Ramsay lists two separate chocolate measurements because the small chunks are added to the brownies in the middle of the baking process. To simplify things, I bought two bags of dark chocolate chunks (each was 10 ounces/283 grams) for this recipe.

I used one full bag for melting the chocolate and a third of the second bag while adding more chunks to my brownies. It was a little more chocolate than Ramsay intended, but I loved the results.

I began by preheating the oven, prepping my baking pan, and melting some chocolate.
Melting butter and chocolate for Gordon Ramsay's Brownies

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After setting the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, I greased my pan and lined it with parchment paper.

Then I diced the butter and threw it into a heatproof bowl with my chocolate. Since I didn't have enough pans to melt the chocolate over the stove (known as the double-boiler or bain-marie method), I used the microwave instead. Ramsay recommends throwing the chocolate and butter into the microwave for 3 minutes, but my mixture was ready in 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

After melting the chocolate, I whisked in the sugars and added my eggs, vanilla, and dry ingredients.
Batter for Gordon Ramsay's Brownies

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I sifted the flour and salt over the batter, then stirred everything together until it was smooth and combined.

I poured my batter into the lined pan and baked my brownies for 40 minutes.
Gordon Ramsay's Brownies

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I baked my brownies for 20 minutes, then took my pan out of the oven so I could add the extra chocolate chunks. Ramsay's recipe says you should "vigorously throw the chunks of chocolate" into the brownie mix at this stage, which was surprisingly therapeutic.

I let the brownies bake for an additional 20 minutes, then let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Ramsay's brownies are a chocolate lover's dream.
Gordon Ramsay's Brownies

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Ramsay's decision to stick to dark chocolate really helps this recipe shine, because the brownies are indulgent without tasting sickly sweet. I also loved how many chocolate chunks were stuffed into each brownie, adding some texture to all that fudginess.

I made these brownies for my fiancé, who said he loved their "smooth, irresistible chocolate flavor."

These brownies taste fantastic on their own, but adding some vanilla ice cream would make an incredible dessert.

Get the full recipe for Gordon Ramsay's "world's best brownies" here.

Ina Garten used to make "outrageous brownies" at her Barefoot Contessa store.
Brownies on a glass dish.

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Before she was a Food Network star, Garten ran a beloved specialty food shop in the Hamptons, ditching her White House job to follow her passion.

In her first cookbook, "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook," Garten writes that these brownies used to fly off the shelves and that she sold "like a thousand" a week.

Garten's outrageous brownies feature two types of chocolate, instant coffee, and walnuts.
Ingredients for Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies

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To make a serving of 20 (large) brownies, you'll need:

  • 1 pound of unsalted butter
  • 1 pound, plus 12 ounces, of semisweet chocolate chips
  • 6 ounces of bitter chocolate
  • 6 extra-large eggs
  • 3 cups of chopped walnuts
  • 2 ¼ cups of sugar
  • 1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons of instant coffee granules
  • 2 tablespoons of pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
After preheating the oven and prepping my baking sheet, I melted the chocolate.
Melting butter for Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies

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I set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, then buttered and floured my pan.

I had enough pans to use the bain-marie method while I was making Garten's brownies. So I melted my butter, bitter chocolate, and one pound of the chocolate chips in a saucepan that was placed over a pot of simmering water.

After combining the wet ingredients, I added the melted chocolate.
The batter for Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies

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I added my eggs, vanilla, sugar, and instant coffee to a bowl. Garten says in her recipe to stir the ingredients together without beating the eggs, so be careful!

I kept stirring as I added the melted chocolate and butter, then allowed the mixture to cool to room temperature. You don't want the batter to melt the chocolate chips, which Garten says will ruin the brownies.

I sifted my dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then added them to the cooled chocolate mixture.

Before adding the chocolate chips and walnuts to my batter, I tossed them with ¼ cup of flour.
Chocolate chips for Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies

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Garten says this trick helps prevent the chocolate chips and walnuts from sinking to the bottom of the brownies while they're in the oven.

I baked my brownies for 35 minutes.
Pre-baked Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies

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After the first 20 minutes, I hit the baking sheet against the oven rack. Garten says this helps release air that builds up between the brownies and the pan during baking.

Garten's brownies tasted luscious and decadent.
Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies

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Each bite of Garten's brownies tasted deliciously rich and fudgy, and I loved how much crunch the walnuts and chocolate chips added. I'm not surprised they used to be one of Garten's most popular dishes at Barefoot Contessa.

Get the full recipe for Ina Garten's outrageous brownies here.

This celebrity-chef showdown couldn't have been tighter, but if I had to pick a winner, it would be Ramsay.
Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

There are really no losers here because both Ramsay's and Garten's recipes are delicious and easy to make, but I was a slightly bigger fan of Ramsay's dark chocolate brownies. I love the fact that, save for two bags of chocolate chips, I already had all the ingredients for Ramsay's brownies in the pantry. It's one of the quickest and easiest desserts you could make in a pinch, but it still tastes really impressive.

But Garten's brownies are still really good! And anyone who prefers a little extra crunch should give them a try as well.

Either way, you'll have a pan of delicious brownies.

Read the original article on Business Insider

I tried Gordon Ramsay's favorite 10-minute pasta. Now I know why he makes it for his family every week.

18 October 2026 at 17:26
A bowl of pasta.
Gordon Ramsay has an easy 10-minute pasta.

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  • I tried Gordon Ramsay's 10-minute pasta, which he often makes for his family.
  • The dish features a turkey and leek sauce and is topped with crispy sage breadcrumbs.
  • Ramsay's delicious pasta was light and bright. It's perfect for a busy week.

Gordon Ramsay has never let me down when I need a quick recipe, whether it's a 15-minute Bolognese or a 10-minute bacon cheeseburger.

So I was ecstatic when I discovered that the Michelin-starred chef has an entire cookbook dedicated to dishes that can be made in 10 minutes.

The very first recipe I tried from "Ramsay in 10" was a turkey and leek pasta with crispy sage breadcrumbs.

"For a change, skip the Bolognese and make this creamy turkey and leek sauce in a fraction of the time instead," Ramsay writes in the description. "It might just become a regular midweek family meal, as it has at my house."

Ramsay's 10-minute pasta includes turkey, breadcrumbs, and leeks.
Ingredients laid out on a wooden surface.

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To make Ramsay's 10-minute pasta for four, you'll need:

  • 17 ounces of fresh penne or fusilli pasta
  • 14 ounces of ground turkey
  • ¾ cup of heavy cream
  • 4 sage leaves
  • 4 regular shallots (or 2 banana shallots)
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 leeks
  • 1 lemon
  • A handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)

To make the breadcrumbs, you'll need:

  • 6 tablespoons of fresh breadcrumbs
  • 2 sage leaves
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Ramsay notes in his cookbook that the breadcrumbs are optional, but I recommend taking the extra step. It was my first time making fresh breadcrumbs, and it couldn't have been easier.

But feel free to play around with the ingredients depending on your preferences. Ramsay said this dish also works well with ground chicken or sausage; the sage can easily be swapped for thyme, parsley, or tarragon; and any shape of fresh or dried pasta will do.

Before I started cooking, I needed to prep my ingredients.
Grated garlic and shallots.

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First, I brought a saucepan of salted water to a boil so it'd be ready for the pasta in a few minutes.

Then, per Ramsay's recipe, I peeled and grated my shallots and garlic. If the handheld grater proves tricky — and risky for your fingers — feel free to use a knife to finish mincing the veggies.

After grating my shallots and garlic, I finely sliced the leeks.
Ingredients for Gordon Ramsay's 10-minute pasta

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Ramsay recommends prepping your shallots and garlic while the olive oil is heating up in the pan and slicing your leeks right before you add the pasta. I'm still pretty slow at chopping veggies, so I got my prep out of the way so I wouldn't be stressed about burning anything. I also soaked my sliced leeks in a bowl of cold water to ensure they were fully cleaned.

The recipe took me a tad longer than 10 minutes, but you can follow Ramsay's lead if you're confident in your chopping speed!

I also prepped my fresh breadcrumbs.
Making breadcrumbs for Gordon Ramsay's 10-minute pasta

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I simply tore two slices of bread into pieces and threw them into the food processor.

I placed my Dutch oven over medium-high heat and added two tablespoons of olive oil. Then I added my shallots and garlic to the pan.
Making Gordon Ramsay's 10-minute pasta

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I allowed the shallots and garlic to cook for two minutes, stirring regularly.

If you don't have a Dutch oven handy, Ramsay says this recipe also works with a heavy-based frying pan or skillet.

After two minutes had passed, I threw in the turkey and sage leaves.
Browning turkey for Gordon Ramsay's 10-minute pasta

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I broke the turkey up with a wooden spoon and allowed it to cook until the meat was lightly browned, which took around three to four minutes.

While the turkey cooked, I added my leeks to the boiling water.
Making Gordon Ramsay's 10-minute pasta

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I let the leeks cook for one minute, per Ramsay's instructions.

I threw in the penne and allowed the noodles to cook until they were al dente.
Making Gordon Ramsay's 10-minute pasta

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Since I chose penne, my pasta didn't cook in the speedy two minutes Ramsay recommends for fusilli. But just follow the instructions on your box, and the noodles will taste great.

While my pasta was cooking, I added the cream to my turkey.
Making Gordon Ramsay's 10-minute pasta

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I stirred everything together and brought the sauce to a boil. Then I reduced the sauce to a simmer until I was ready to serve.

Next up were the crispy sage breadcrumbs.
Making Gordon Ramsay's 10-minute pasta

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I placed a frying pan over medium heat and drizzled some olive oil. Then I added two sage leaves, which I had finely chopped.

I cooked the breadcrumbs until they were crisp and golden brown.
Breadcrumbs for Gordon Ramsay's 10-minute pasta

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This happens very quickly — make sure to watch the pan carefully so they don't burn!

I drained my pasta and leeks and added the penne to the sauce.
Making Gordon Ramsay's 10-minute pasta

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Ramsay recommends saving two to three tablespoons of the pasta water and adding it to the sauce.

I added the finely chopped parsley leaves, along with some lemon zest.
Mixing Gordon Ramsay's 10-minute pasta

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I also added some salt and pepper before giving everything a big stir.

I topped everything off with the sage breadcrumbs.
Gordon Ramsay's 10-minute pasta

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After I added the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and drizzle of olive oil that Ramsay recommends, I stepped back and admired my pasta.

The dish looked bright and inviting, thanks to the pops of color from the parsley and breadcrumbs, and I loved seeing so many different textures meld together. Plus, it smelled absolutely delicious.

Ramsay's 10-minute pasta took me a couple of extra minutes, but the final result was worth it.
Gordon Ramsay's 10-minute pasta

Anneta Konstantinides/Business Insider

I don't usually go for poultry with my pasta, so I was skeptical when making the turkey sauce. But I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved Ramsay's recipe.

The sauce is light but packed with so much flavor. The leeks add a hint of lovely sweetness, and the lemon brightens each bite. The contrasting textures of the crispy sage breadcrumbs and the creamy sauce also make a fantastic team.

I don't usually crave a big meal on a weeknight, so I love that this pasta makes dinner interesting without being too heavy.

Whether you're longing for a quick weeknight dish or just want a light and bright recipe during the busy season, Ramsay's favorite 10-minute pasta will satisfy all your cravings.

And if you're looking for more recipe inspiration, you can check out my ranking of Gordon Ramsay's pasta dishes.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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