Find out how to make box brownies better with easy ingredient swaps and delicious mix-ins.
You might also like Brownies vs Chocolate Cake: What's the difference?, Magic Brownie Bars, and Brownies with Chocolate Frosting.
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Better Than Box Brownies
There’s no question that boxed brownie mixes can be a real life-saver! They are cheap and super easy to throw together in under an hour. Making brownies from a box can be a quick way to satisfy a craving or please a hungry crowd since it only calls for 2 or 3 additional ingredients.
That being said, it’s time to address the elephant in the room. The fact is that most of the time boxed brownies taste like, well, boxed brownies.
There is nothing more disappointing than reaching for a warm gooey brownie only to be instantly disappointed when you taste that undeniable “boxed” flavor.
Make Box Brownies Taste Homemade
Here’s the good news. It’s actually extremely easy to make your boxed brownie mix taste like homemade brownies!
All it takes to make box brownies better is a few additions and some simple ingredient swaps.These small adjustments will give your brownies a better taste and texture. If you want to kick your boxed brownies up another notch, there are tons of different mix-ins you can add too!
Ingredient Swaps
Most traditional boxed brownie recipes call for eggs, vegetable oil, and water. Here are 5 recipe changes that will give your brownies that “made from scratch” flavor:
- Use milk or buttermilk instead of water. Milk contains more fat than water which makes for a better flavor and texture in the brownies. This change will ensure that you end up with an extra creamy chocolate taste.
- Use melted butter instead of oil. Butter has a much richer flavor than vegetable oil. Not only will it give your box brownie a better flavor, but it helps create the perfectly gooey texture we all love!
- Add cocoa powder. Adding an extra ¼ cup of cocoa powder will make your brownies even more chocolatey. This addition will really help take your brownies to the next level.
- Add vanilla extract. A teaspoon of vanilla will add another flavor element to your brownies and make them taste more homemade. We recommend always using pure vanilla extract for the richest and best flavor.
- Add salt. Adding a ¼ teaspoon of salt will help to balance out the sweetness and bring out the chocolate flavor of the brownies.
- Add an extra egg yolk. The extra yolk will give your brownies a SUPER fudgy texture. This step is optional, but if you like your brownies extra fudgy, I would recommend it!
What Else Can I Add To My Brownie Mix?
Now that you’ve made your boxed brownie mix taste like delicious homemade brownies, it’s time for the fun part! There are a ton of add-in options that will totally transform your brownies. Here are a few of our favorite boxed brownie mix-in ideas:
Nutter Butter
Obviously peanut butter and chocolate is an amazing combination. For delicious peanut buttery brownies, just swirl some peanut butter into your brownie batter once you have poured it into the pan.
Cover the top in pieces of nutter butter cookies and you're ready to bake! Add a little crunch by mixing the cookie chunks into the batter too!
Andes Mints
Chocolate and mint are another awesome duo. For this recipe, mix some chopped-up Andes Mint candies into your brownie batter.
(Pro Tip: Most grocery stores sell Andes Mint chips for baking - these work great too.) Once your batter is in the pan, add even more Andes Mints on top before baking.
Frosting And Walnuts
Adding frosting to pretty much anything makes it better, am I right? After your brownies are baked and cooled, add a thick layer of chocolate frosting on top. Next, sprinkle on some chopped walnuts.
You can use homemade or your favorite store-bought frosting, anything goes! If you’re looking for an incredible chocolate frosting for brownies, Check out this Frosted Brownies Recipe!
Magic Brownie Bars
These are just as amazing as they sound. If you like magic cookie bars, then this is the brownie recipe for you. If you’ve never had magic cookie bars, then prepare to have your mind blown!
After you’ve poured your brownie batter into a pan, sprinkle crushed graham cracker over the batter. Then, drizzle a few tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk on top.
Next, add chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and sweetened shredded coconut evenly covering the top. Bake and enjoy!
Additional Topping Ideas
In addition to the mix-in ideas above, here are some super fun brownie topping ideas to create your better than box brownies.
- Pretzels
- M&Ms
- Crushed Oreos
- Caramel drizzle
- Toasted marshmallows
- Sprinkles
- Peanuts
Best Brands Of Box Brownies
There are many different brands of box brownies to choose from. Here are a few of our favorites to help you navigate the baking aisle.
- Duncan Hines
- Ghirardelli
- Hershey’s
- Betty Crocker
Recipe FAQ's
Adding an extra egg yolk to brownies increases the fat content, creating a fudgier brownie. If you like extra fudgy brownies, an additional egg yolk will do the trick!
Most brownie mixes call for eggs, oil, and water to contribute a moist texture. Adding an additional egg yolk or increasing the amount of fat (butter/oil) or liquid (water/milk) will make your brownies more moist.
I prefer to use melted salted butter instead of oil when I make boxed brownies. Butter has a richer flavor than oil, so using butter makes your brownies even richer.
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