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If you’re wondering how to make box brownies better, you came to the right place! With just a few little tweaks, you can make boxed brownie mix taste homemade!
Make Box Brownies Better with these Brownie Mix Hacks!
Whether you don’t have the time or the ingredients, sometimes homemade brownies just aren’t realistic. And while boxed brownies might work just fine, they’re never even close to as good as homemade brownies. That is, until now! This recipe is perfect for when you already have boxed brownie mix and want to doctor it up just a bit to make your brownies taste homemade!
How to Make Box Brownies Better: ingredients
- Boxed Brownie Mix – You can use your favorite brand, just make sure it’s for a 9×13 pan size.
- Melted Butter – Read the back of your brownie box and use equal parts melted butter in place of oil.
- Heavy Cream – Read the back of your brownie box and use equal parts heavy cream in place of water. If needed, you could also use milk instead if you’re in a pinch.
- Egg Yolks – Read the back of your brownie box and double the amount of eggs, but use only the yolks.
- Chopped Chocolate / Chocolate Chips – You can use chopped chocolate, chocolate chips, Rolos, peanut butter chips, white chocolate chips, or honestly whatever else you can think of. Have fun and get creative here!
Almost homemade Brownies Box Mix substitutions and variations
Brownies are a classic dessert that almost everyone loves. Making brownies from scratch can be time-consuming, so many people turn to box mixes for convenience. However, box mixes can be a bit plain and lack the homemade taste that we all crave. In this blog post, we’ll show you how to jazz up your brownie box mix with simple substitutions and variations.
Is butter or oil better for box brownies?
One of the easiest ways to upgrade your box mix is to replace the oil with butter. Butter adds a rich, buttery flavor that oil simply cannot match.
How To Make Boxed Brownies Better
- Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F.
- Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, fold together the brownie mix, melted butter, heavy cream, egg yolks, and mix until just combined. Be sure to not over-mix the batter.
- Now fold in your chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. I always save a bit of the chocolate here to add to the top of the brownies after baking.
- Pour your brownie batter into your prepared baking pan and place in the preheated oven for about 35-45 minutes.
- To know if your brownies are done baking, insert a toothpick into the brownies. If the toothpick still has batter on it when removed, the brownies aren’t done yet. If the toothpick comes out completely clean, the brownies are probably over-baked.
- For perfectly cooked brownies, take them out of the oven when you can insert a toothpick into the brownies and the toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs on it. When removing the pan from the oven, the brownies will still be very soft and jiggle slightly – don’t worry, they will finish setting up while cooling.
- Sprinkle the remaining chocolate (and a bit of sea salt if you’d like) on top of the warm brownies to make them look even prettier!
- Allow the brownies to cool in the pan completely before cutting.
- Store your brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Serving this Box Brownie Recipe
After baking your brownies, allow them to cool completely before cutting them into squares. For an extra special touch, you can sprinkle powdered sugar on top or add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
What is the trick to cutting brownies?
The trick to cutting brownies while they’re still warm is using a plastic, disposable knife. I know it’s surprising, but just trust me on this one.
If you want perfectly clean cut lines like in the photos, I let my brownies cool completely, then put them in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Then I used a large, chef’s knife to cut across the entire pan in one motion.
Is it better to cut brownies hot or cold?
If you want your brownies to look pretty, it’s always better to cut them cold. However, if you just can’t wait to eat them, it’s totally fine to cut them right away, just know they will be super gooey. Perfect to serve with vanilla ice cream!
How to store doctored Brownies Box Mix
Store your doctored brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want them to last longer, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Box Brownie Hacks FAQs
You can make brownies more moist by increasing the fat content. That’s why substituting oil for butter, water for heavy cream, and eggs for just egg yolks, is how to make box brownies better, plus more moist and fudgey! If your brownies are still dry, you most likely over-baked them.
Adding an extra egg to your brownie mix will make your brownies more cake-like and less fudgy.
Using milk instead of water in your brownie mix will make your brownies richer and creamier.
The amount of fat and sugar in the brownie recipe will determine whether the brownies turn out fudgy or cakey. Fudgy brownies have more fat and less flour, while cakey brownies have more flour and less fat.
A typical box of brownie mix will make 16 to 20 brownies, depending on the size of the pan and how big you cut them.
The key here is to not over bake the brownies. The brownies should have a few moist crumbs on the toothpick when they come out of the oven. If the toothpick comes out clean, then the brownies will be over baked.
More recipes you’ll love
Box Brownie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box brownie mix
- 2/3 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 cup chopped chocolate/chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper and set aside.In a medium sized bowl, fold together the brownie mix, melted butter, heavy cream and egg yolks until combined. avoid over mixing.
- Fold in the chopped chocolate/chocolate chips. Reserve some extra for the top, if desired.
- Pour the brownie batter into the 9×9 pan and bake at 350° for 35-45 minutes until a toothpick is inserted and a few moist crumbs are left on the toothpick. If the toothpick comes out completely clean, the brownies will be over baked. The brownies will still be very soft and still jiggle slightly when they come out of the oven.
- Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan prior to cutting and serving.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Thank you for these wonderful tips. I’ve saved this in my favorite recipe app. My question is, I’m planning to try making brownies maybe some in silicone pans (heart shapes) and maybe some in metal heart shape pans for Valentine’s Day treats for friends. How should I adjust my baking time/temperature when using your recipe/tips? Is heavy cream the same as heavy whipping cream? I’ve tried some boxed brownie mix hacks before but not as you’ve suggested and doing them all in the same recipe. I’m excited to try this. Thank you.
This recipe has become my secret weapon. Everyone thinks I make the best ‘homemade’ brownies but it’s really from a box 🙂 I don’t always double the eggs and use just the yolks (organic pasture eggs are $$!) and they’re still fabulous! So happy to have this recipe in my arsenal.
Ommmmmmggggggah! I made these and I am now SUPER WOMAN! Thank you for sharing!