Is Brownie Acidic or Alkaline?
Brownie (baked) is slightly acid-forming: Positive PRAL: acid-forming after digestion.
Classification
At +0.7, a brownie is surprisingly mild. Egg, butter and flour do supply protein and phosphorus, but cocoa and chocolate provide lots of potassium and magnesium and win back almost all of it. The PRAL knows nothing about the sugar that makes a brownie what it is. The 489 kcal per 100 g are the much stronger reason to stop at one piece.
In the Sweets & Snacks category, brownie (baked) ranks #45 of 91, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Twix (+0.6), Vanilla pudding (+0.2), Cocoa butter (0.0). More acid-forming are Black forest cake (+0.8), Cherry cake (+0.8), Marshmallows (+0.9).
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
On this site, acidic and alkaline refer to the PRAL (potential renal acid load). It estimates what a food leaves behind once it has been digested: a positive value is acid-forming, a negative value is alkalizing. That is different from the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0, so it is alkalizing. Your diet does not change your blood pH. It does change how much acid your kidneys have to deal with.
What balances brownie
A small serving (40 g) of brownie adds +0.3 to your daily balance. These three bring it back; the grams shown offset exactly this serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is brownie acidic?
It depends on what you mean by acidic. The pH describes the food itself, for example how sour it tastes. The PRAL describes what it leaves behind after digestion: Brownie (baked) has a PRAL of +0.7 per 100 g, so it counts as slightly acid-forming in your daily acid-base balance.
Do I have to avoid brownie on an alkaline diet?
No. What counts is the balance of the whole day, not a single food. Brownie is slightly acid-forming; with enough vegetables, potatoes and fruit on the same plate, the meal stays balanced.
Brownie logged, balance checked.
Basentracker adds up every meal automatically and shows whether your day is in the alkaline range. The same values as on this page, all 977 foods, photo scan, recipes.
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Compare all Sweets & Snacks: Sweets & Snacks table. Common questions are answered in Acidic or Alkaline?, and the PRAL calculator adds up a whole meal.
Source: Basentracker food database (PRAL according to Remer & Manz, calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per 100 g). This information does not replace medical advice.