Brownies are a favorite of many. They have a vibrant flavor and go well with vanilla ice cream, another classic.
But it takes effort to make from scratch. You must find several ingredients, mix, bake, cool, slice, and all that.
While such effort is often worth it, some of us don’t have the time. This is where brownie mixes save the day.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong or shameful about using brownie mix. It may have even been the highlight of most of our childhoods.
But you can certainly improve it. Check out these brownie mix recipes to learn how.
1. Homemade Brownie Mix
We use packaged brownie mix for convenience. So if we’re making one homemade, does it defeat the purpose?
Not really. This recipe focuses on the familiar flavors of boxed brownie mix and less on the packaged convenience.
Many of us grew up on box mix brownies; thus, they bring back delicious fond memories. Through a homemade version, we get to celebrate the nostalgia with improved flavors.
For the dry ingredients, you’ll need granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder. For the wet, you’ll have melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Combine and bake for around 20 minutes.
2. Hot Fudge Brownie Dessert by Pillsbury
Pillsbury is one of the most classic box mix brands. They offer tons of dessert varieties and brownie mix recipes.
For the brownies, one of their most popular is the Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix. This mix is the base for today’s hot fudge brownie dessert.
Besides the chocolate fudge mix, you’ll need butter, coffee, eggs, pecans, and condensed milk. These, with the mix, comprise the brownie batter.
To make the creamy white, fudgy topping, you’ll use a jar of hot fudge and frozen whipped topping.
Set against the dark brownie, the white topping provides a beautiful contrast – taste-wise and appearance-wise.
3. How to Make Box Brownies Better by Show Me the Yummy
A dessert made from a box brownie mix is great, but you can tweak it for the better.
There are many ways to reinvent a box of brownie mix. Lucky for you, this recipe can show you how.
For starters, swap water for milk. It makes it creamy and flavorful while making the brownie moist and gooey.
Also, add coffee. It draws out the rich chocolatey flavors, leaving you with a decadent dessert.
Consider tossing in some chocolate chips or chunks. They are not just a treat for chocolate lovers because they also provide extra texture to the brownie.
4. Lazy Girl Brownies
This brownie recipe teaches you to work smart, not hard. These effortless ways to elevate a boxed mix dessert are a lazy girl’s best friend.
Besides the mix, you’ll need unsalted butter, coffee, egg, vanilla, and sea salt.
The butter replaces the usual vegetable oil. With the egg, you’re sure of having a moist, fudgy brownie.
The salt adds complexity to the dish. It allows you to experience sweet and salty flavors.
The vanilla and coffee also play crucial roles. Contrary to expectations, the coffee highlights the chocolate flavors.
Meanwhile, vanilla balances the richness and provides some sweetness (and aroma).
5. S’mores Brownies
Do you miss camping? If you don’t have the time to bring out your tent, you may have a few to crack open your oven.
Make these simple s’mores brownies and relish the nostalgia. While it’s not like the usual camping s’mores, it does have the flavors down to the tee.
There are three layers: a crushed graham base, a middle brownie, and a topping of toasted marshmallows. You can sprinkle some chocolate chunks on top, too!
You’ll have to bake the graham first for just a few minutes. Then add the batter and bake again before laying the marshmallows.
6. Peanut Butter Brownie Mix
This recipe has many flavor dimensions. Its ingredients contribute sweetness, saltiness, creaminess, and decadence, making the flavor profile amazingly complex.
While it sounds like a lot is happening, these peanut butter brownies are easy to make. You need brownie mix, egg, canola oil (or any vegetable oil), powdered sugar, and peanut butter.
If you want to further elevate the dessert, swap water for milk or coffee. You can even substitute it with buttermilk.
Once the brownie batter is ready, pour it into a prepared pan with parchment paper. Refrigerate the baked goodies before cutting them to avoid crumbling.
7. Cake Mix Brownies
Technically not a brownie mix, but you’re still using a convenient mix recipe. In this case, you’ll need a boxed cake mix.
It’s got the same fudgy crust and chocolatey goodness you look for in a great brownie. Done right, you can’t tell the difference.
Luckily, it’s easy to do right. Ingredients are simple: chocolate cake mix, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and semisweet chocolate chips.
Making brownies from cake mix takes less than 30 minutes. Prep time takes five minutes only.
You also don’t need a lot of materials – just a large bowl, greased pan, spatula, and oven.
8. Cheesecake Brownie Mix
Just look at these cheesecake brownies, and you can see how gorgeous they are. You wouldn’t even guess they’re made from a box mix!
This recipe brings two dessert favorites together: brownies and cheesecake. It’s crazy delicious but simple.
The ingredients for the brownie batter are standard. The cream cheese mixture needs sugar, salt, vanilla, and an egg.
Once the batter is on the pan, drop dollops of cream cheese mixture on random spots. Using a knife or stick, swirl to create a marbling effect.
It takes around 35 minutes to bake. You’ll know it’s done using the toothpick test.
9. Cookies’ N’ Cream Brownies
My family is a big fan of cookies and cream. It’s creamy, delicious, satisfy our sweet tooth, and has a great texture.
Basically, it’s everything. With that, I just know these Cookies’ N’ Cream Brownies from Delish are heaven sent to them.
The recipe is straightforward. It calls for a brownie batter (box mix + indicated ingredients), Oreos, Hershey’s Cookies’ n’ Creme bars, and melted chocolate.
There’s some layering involved. You start with the brownie base and then top with a layer of Oreos.
After that, cover with melted white chocolate. Finish by drizzling melted dark chocolate for a striking effect.
10. Chocolate Brownie Cake
If you want a fudgy cake and a brownie that looks like a cake, I got you. This recipe is the answer to your dilemma.
This bundt pan-shaped cake is full of decadent chocolate flavors. It has both cake and brownie mix.
You’ll also add oil, whipping cream, chocolate chips, eggs, mayonnaise, and water. Like the recipe, you can use chocolate ganache icing to top the cake.
But if you feel extra, decorate according to the occasion! Try sticking colorful candies and candles for decorations.
You can also serve it with ice cream, making it three desserts in one!
11. Buckeye Brownies
Buckeye brownies have a flavor profile similar to the peanut butter brownie mix above. However, this has layered flavors.
The base is a chocolate brownie, succeeded by a peanut butter filling. The final topping is an even chocolate ganache layer.
In a way, it’s like Reese’s peanut butter cups but in a brownie form. Sounds fantastic, right?
You’ll prepare the three elements separately. The brownie layer is just baking brownies using a mix.
The homemade peanut butter filling needs butter, creamy peanut butter, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. You’ll need milk chocolate chips and heavy cream for the ganache.
12. Chocolate Fudge Caramel Brownies
Caramel and chocolate together? Well, you’re absolutely sure that this brownie is very gooey, rich, and packed with sweetness.
It’s like an awesome chocolatey sandwich. The caramel filling hides between rich brownie layers, providing a surprise at every bite.
To make, prepare the brownie batter and caramel mixture separately. You’ll need caramel bits and condensed milk for the caramel mixture.
Once done, pour half of the brownie batter into the pan. Then, spread the caramel mix over the batter.
Cover the caramel using the remaining brownie batter. Bake for around 25 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees F.
13. Ultimate Turtle Brownies
You may wonder – what are turtle brownies? These are special brownies that feature three flavors: chocolate, caramel, and pecans.
This specific recipe is by Betty Crocker, one of the most famous boxed mix brands. Thus, it features their popular brownie mix.
Besides that, you’ll also need caramels, whipping cream, pecans, and chocolate chunks. You can chop the nuts yourself or buy pre-chopped ones.
You get an explosion of flavors and textures with just a few ingredients.
You can make this dessert in advance. But make sure to keep the prepared brownies in an airtight container at room temp.
14. Brownie Mix Cookies
Do you love brownies? Do you also love cookies? Why not have them in one?
If you’re a brownie AND cookie lover, I have great news. You can have both in one dessert using the easiest brownie mix cookie recipe.
It’s got the best of both worlds. The center is rich and fudgy, and you get some crisp cookie edges.
To make it, you’ll need brownie mix, flour, eggs, oil, water, mini chocolate chips, and optional chopped walnuts. Recommended is the Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix.
Once you have the brownie dough, scoop and bake for less than ten minutes.
15. Peppermint Brownies
Looking for something new and unique for Christmas? Try making some of these peppermint brownies!
Peppermint candy canes are a staple during the holidays. By reimagining this dessert, you’re giving your celebration a bit of a twist.
Although the blog’s recipe card indicates a brownie recipe from scratch, you can substitute it for a batter made from brownie mix. Then add peppermint extract and crushed candy canes.
Bake as directed in muffin pans. Top with some more crushed canes.
You can also make frosting. Take a classic frosting, then add peppermint extract and crushed peppermint candies. Spread over the brownies.
16. Easy Christmas Tree Brownies
Here’s another Christmas-themed brownie dessert! This is easily a favorite recipe for the holidays as it’s gorgeous to look at and tastes as good as it looks.
Inspired by the elegant Christmas trees, it takes some effort to make these tree brownies. You need to make, cut, cool, and decorate.
But once you get to try them, there’s no going back. Especially after your kids get hung up on them.
You’ll need brownie mix, vanilla icing, green food coloring, sprinkles, and candy canes. Look for star sprinkles to have a cute, shining star on top of every tree brownie.
17. Brownie Mix Banana Bread
Did you know you can make delectable banana bread using brownie mix? I didn’t know until this recipe.
But I did encounter many banana bread variations with chocolate chips and flavors. And I can say they really work well together.
You can test it yourself by following this recipe. You’ll need the mix, mashed bananas, oil, eggs, mini chocolate chips, and flour.
The end product is a moist, dark brown loaf oozing with intense banana flavors.
You can expect all the flavors to really shine through. It’s not just chocolate or banana you’ll taste as you get BOTH of them.
18. Double Chocolate Coconut Brownies
I grew up with chocolate balls rolled in shredded coconut. Since then, I have known those two flavors make an awesome combo.
I want you to experience that, too. So why don’t you try out this double chocolate coconut brownie recipe?
Besides the fudge brownie mix, you’ll need oil, water, eggs, semisweet chocolate chips, white baking chips, walnuts, condensed milk, and shredded coconut.
There’s also a frosting made from butter, evaporated milk, baking cocoa, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract.
There are three layers: a chocolate brownie base, condensed milk and coconut mixture, and the frosting. Make sure to follow directions.
19. Chocolate Espresso Brownies
Some recipes above include coffee or espresso powder. But they’re in such small amounts that they don’t contribute intense caffeine flavors.
Coffee makes a great partner to chocolate because of how well they draw out each other’s flavors. Both are intense and rich.
This recipe is another treat from Betty Crocker. This time, you’ll need their Supreme Original Brownie Mix.
Other ingredients are dry, instant espresso coffee, chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, and choco-covered espresso beans. From base to toppings, it’s oozing chocolate and coffee.
Directions are straightforward. Preheat your oven, prep, bake, cool, and then serve as squares or triangles.
19 Easy Brownie Mix Recipes
Make the most out of your boxed brownie mix using these recipes!
Ingredients
Homemade Brownie Mix
Hot Fudge Brownie Dessert by Pillsbury
How to Make Box Brownies Better by Show Me the Yummy
Lazy Girl Brownies
S’mores Brownies
Peanut Butter Brownie Mix
Cake Mix Brownies
Cheesecake Brownie Mix
Cookies’ N’ Cream Brownies
Chocolate Brownie Cake
Buckeye Brownies
Chocolate Fudge Caramel Brownies
Ultimate Turtle Brownies
Brownie Mix Cookies
Peppermint Brownies
Easy Christmas Tree Brownies
Brownie Mix Banana Bread
Double Chocolate Coconut Brownies
Chocolate Espresso Brownies
Directions
- Select your favorite recipe.
- Organize all the required ingredients.
- Prep a brownie mix in 30 minutes or less!