How to make boxed brownies better was always something I wanted to experiment with! If you follow some of our recipes, you know we like to doctor up cake mixes for lots of different recipes. Surely the same can be done with a brownie mix. I have a favorite cookie made from a brownie mix, but this time I just wanted to turn that brownie mix into a yummy, fudgy, bakery brownie. I have a good recipe at the end of this post, but I also have several different tips so you can make your boxed brownies taste like a bakery, however you’d like! And enjoy that rich bakery taste!
These. Brownies. You would never think they came from a mix. They are thick, fudgy, and have the perfect amount of salt and vanilla and richness. Totally taste like the best homemade brownie ever. SO SO good.
Brownies are the perfect dessert for, hmm, everything? Someone coming over? Make brownies. Someone have a baby? Make brownies. Going on a picnic? Make brownies. Going to a potluck? Make brownies.
Anytime brownies are around, they disappear pretty quick! That’s because most people love brownies. They are hard to pass up!
WHY IS THIS BROWNIE RECIPE SO PERFECT?
- Tastes homemade!
- Starts with a mix!
- Each brownie is so fudgey and stays together very well!
- The richness is amazing!
- Time saving, only takes about 10 minutes!
- Perfect dessert to make because everyone loves brownies!
Ok, so let’s get going on these 10 brownie mix hacks to doctor up your mix and make it taste homemade!
1- START WITH A 9×13 BROWNIE MIX
Some brownie mixes are designed to make a 8×8 square pan. We are going to make a 8×8 pan of brownies, but we are going to use a mix that makes a 9×13 pan to give us a little more batter to work with resulting in the ultimate thick fudgy brownies.
2- USE MELTED BUTTER INSTEAD OF OIL
Desserts made with butter are always BETTER! So, if you want your brownies to taste better, use butter! Simply melt the butter and use it instead of oil.
3- USE WHOLE MILK INSTEAD OF WATER
Adding milk (or even cream!) will add depth and richness to your batter and make your brownies so much better. You’ll be adding fat and that helps bring out the ooey gooey-ness in each brownie.
4- USE EGG YOLKS IN PLACE OF A WHOLE EGG
Once again, this increases the fat content. You can use 2 egg yolks in place of one whole egg. It’s a simple change that will make a big difference.
5 – ADD SOME VANILLA EXTRACT
I love this one! Vanilla really enhances the chocolate and brings out the depth of flavor. It’s an easy addition.
6 – USE COFFEE INSTEAD OF WATER
Nothing goes together better than chocolate and coffee. If you want to add hot coffee in place of the water, you will get an intense chocolate flavor. Just use a regular hot, brewed coffee for the best results.
7 – ADD IN SOME INSTANT COFFEE OR ESPRESSO POWDER
This tip is helpful if you want the intense chocolate flavor that coffee brings out, but you want to use one of the previous tips and use cream or milk in place of the water! Rather than replace the water with coffee, replace it with cream and sprinkle in some instant coffee.
8 – ADD SOME SALT
To balance out the sweetness, add a little salt! You can also sprinkle some sea salt on top.
9 – BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVERMIX THE BATTER.
If you want a fudgy brownie, don’t overmix your batter or it will become dense. Just stir until the dry ingredients are mixed in, then transfer to your pan.
10 – BAKE LOW AND SLOW.
This may seem strange, but if you bake at a lower temperature for a longer period of time, the result will be an amazingly delicious rich and fudgy brownie. I bake mine at 325° for 40 minutes.
Want to take your brownies to the next level? Here’s some ideas to make your boxed brownies taste better!
Add some nuts or chocolate chips to the batter before baking.
Swirl some peanut butter or Nutella or caramel sauce into the brownie batter before baking.
Top your baked brownies with a chocolate icing like this one, or a peanut butter icing like this one.
Serve with chocolate sauce and berries.
Serve with ice cream and whipped cream.
This is my favorite way to make boxed brownies taste like they are from a bakery:
Bakery Brownies (from a mix!)
Doctor up a brownie mix for some thick fudgy brownies that taste like they are homemade or from a high end bakery.
Ingredients
- brownie mix (9x13)
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Line a 8x8 baking pan iwth parchment paper. Preheat oven to 325°.
- In a large bowl, mix the brownie mix, egg yolks, melted butter, milk, vanilla extract, coffee, salt, and chocolate chips together.
- Spread the brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes. Let the brownies cool completely before cutting.