how many bars is a 13×9 pan

Apparently, I have a knack for cutting desserts in an attractive way that others find difficult. After many requests, I decided to dedicate a post on how to cut perfect cookie bars, squares, and brownies.

Below are ALL my tricks for cutting perfect squares and bars. From brownies to chocolate chip bars to fruit bars, you can perfect your dessert-cutting skills with a few tips.

You will get6 bars with a little extra space for a sample for the cook, to taste for quality control. If 9″ seem too long , cut in half and you will have a nice dozen. I spray my pans with oil so the food slips out easily, and I start by cutting the food in half; cut the halves in half; and so on.

Tips Before You Cut the Bars

• Use a Small Offset Spatula to spread your cookie dough evenly in the pan. The bars will look more professional if both the tops and bottoms are level.
• Before removing the bars or brownies from the pan, fully cool them on a cooling rack. Then cover and place them in the refrigerator to chill.
• PRO-Tip: Cold bars cut more cleanly than room temperature bars. But note that they most often taste better when not chilled.

Tips for Cutting Brownies

• Many of the same techniques work for slicing brownies, like lining the pan with non-stick foil or parchment.
• Chill the brownies for about 30 minutes before cutting to minimize sticking to the knife.
• Score or mark the top of the brownies to guide where you want to cut. Use a ruler if needed to make straight lines.
• PRO-Tip: Purchase a large plastic knife to cut your brownies. Brownies stick less to plastic than metal. Even using one of those small plastic knives you take on a picnic works well.
• Wipe off the knife after every cut is made. Moist brownies tend to adhere to the knife and a clean knife slices better than a dirty one.

• I like using a large sharp knife like my Wusthof Classic 7-Inch Santoku Knife. But first I run the blade through hot water (I have a hot water dispenser on my kitchen sink that is around 190 degrees), then dry it off. This helps cut through chocolate topping very slickly and will also assist in cutting through chilled bars.
• Remember to use a ruler as a guide if needed.
• When using a heated knife, you’ll need to wipe off the blade and reheat it at frequent intervals. I use paper toweling to clean the knife, especially if chocolate is involved.
• If the bars have a crust on top, like those pictured above, I like to use the tip of a knife to poke a few holes along the line where I plan to cut. If you start cutting without doing this, you may see lots of cracking across the surface. Sometimes a serrated knife works best. You’ll need to experiment with your knives to see which works best with each variety of cookie bars.

I hope this simple tutorial on how to cut the perfect cookie bars will help make your squares picture-perfect! Please let me know if you have other tips to add or if you have any questions. Please scroll down to find some of my favorite bar cookies to try!

Equipment Review: Best 13 x 9 Metal Baking Pans (Cakes, Brownies, Sticky Buns) & Our Testing Winner

FAQ

What is a 9×13 pan equivalent to?

What size is a 13×9 pan?

How much volume does a 9×13 pan hold?

How many does a 9×13 pan feed?

How many cups can a 9 inch Pan hold?

Half of the volume is 7 cups, so you’d probably want to choose the 9″ square which can hold up to 8 cups. Another trick you can use to figure out how to adjust cook time is to find a recipe that uses the pan you want to use. And then start with that cook time, but watch your dish closely.

What are the dimensions of a pan?

Approximate Pan Dimensions (inches) Approximate Volume (cups) Approximate Pan Dimensions (centimeters) Approximate Volume (milliliters) (ml) Round Round 6 x 2 inches 4 cups 15 x 5 cm 948 ml 8 x 1 1/2 inches 4 cups 20 x 4 cm 948 ml 8 x 2 inches 6 cups 20 x 5 cm 1.4 liters 38 more rows

How do you size a cake in a 8×8 Pan?

8×8 square → 8-inch round: multiply by 0.79 (1, aka keep the recipe the same for a slightly taller bake, or use ⅔ for just scant) There’s more to accurately sizing up or down than doubling or halving a cake recipe. Refer to this cheat sheet and you can bake brownies or cake with any size pan.

How do you calculate a pan size?

Use the pan’s dimensions to calculate its area, which is described in square inches. You’ll remember the simple equations below from your school days. Find the area by multiplying the length by the width. Here are the calculations for common square and rectangular pans. Editor’s tip: An 11×7-in. pan is about 2/3 the size of 13×9: (77 / 117 = 65%).