Learn How to Make Box Brownies Taste Better – actually just like homemade – with only a few changes and additions to the ingredients. These tips will take your brownies from good to GREAT!
Brownies from a boxed mix are a quick and tasty treat, but they are never quite as good as homemade – UNTIL NOW!
By simply making a few changes to the instructions on the box and adding a few extra ingredients, our tips for how to make box brownies taste homemade will make them go from good to GREAT!!
The simple changes like replacing oil with butter, replacing water with milk and adding increasing the amounts of the ingredients really go a long way.
All of the changes will take you less than an extra minute or two in the preparation process, and those will be two minutes very well spent. Let me know if you agree once you see the results!
If you want to go beyond “regular” brownies, we have more fun recipes made with a boxed brownie mix including M&M's Popcorn Brownies (perfect for movie night), Snickers Brownies, and White Chocolate Peppermint Brownies.
If you like your brownies with frosting on top, use our Easy Chocolate Frosting Recipe. It's SO GOOD!
Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix
Betty Crocker Baking Delights Triple Chunk Supreme Brownie MixGHIRARDELLI Triple Fudge Brownie MixGhirardelli Chocolate Caramel Turtle Brownie MixBrownie Mix Bliss: More Than 175 Very Chocolate Recipes for Brownies, Bars, Cookies and Other Decadent Desserts Made with Boxed Brownie MixBetty Crocker Fudge Brownie MixBetty Crocker Hershey's Triple Chocolate Brownie MixNon-Stick Brownie Pan with DividersMadhava Organic Ooey-Gooey Chocolate Brownie Mix with Ancient GrainsBaker's Edge Nonstick Edge Brownie Pan50 Fixes for Brownie MixesDuncan Hines Brownie Mix, Dark Chocolate Fudge
How to Make Box Brownies Taste Homemade
Your finished brownies will taste awesome and they will be ready for a school bake sale, an everyday after dinner treat, or even as the basis for a decadent ice cream and hot fudge topped sundae to impress your guests the next time you entertain. I think I have to head to the kitchen right NOW to whip up a batch.
Follow these simple tips to learn how to make box brownies taste homemade:
Ingredients:
1 Box brownie mix
All ingredients listed on box, BUT make these changes:
- add 1 extra egg
- use melted butter in place of oil
- add extra 2 TBS butter
- use milk in place of water
- add extra 4 TBS milk
Note: Adding the extra egg will make the brownies more cake-like. If you prefer a more dense/chewy brownie, then leave out that extra egg.
How to Make Homemade Tasting Box Brownies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl add brownie mix, egg(s), melted butter and milk. Mix. Do not over mix. There should be some small clumps in the batter. Bake for length of time indicated on the box. (Make sure you follow the correct timing for the size/type of pan you use!)
How to Make Box Brownies Taste Homemade
Make brownies from a box taste better than ever with a few simple substitutions.
Ingredients
- 1Box Brownie Mix
- add 1 extra egg
- use melted butter in place of oil
- add extra 2 TBS butter
- use milk in place of water
- add extra 4 TBS milk
Instructions
- Prepare brownie mix as directed on box with the exception of adding/substituting all the ingredients listed above.
Myrah - Coupon Mamacita says
Those look amazing! I’m not surprised, though. Ghirardelli is the best chocolate in the world.
Chrysa says
Thanks! It actually works with ANY brand of brownies though!
Madlutk says
It is cake like and doesn’t look like brownies anymore….😵
Kathryn J Hutchinson says
Ive made these brownies 3 times and usually using 2 boxes of brownie mix. They came out perfect every time so easy. I bake for a crowd usually 3 times a week. Box mix brownies are so easy and now they are even better. I would rather use butter than oil. I was using coconut oil and that was getting expensive!
LaVonne says
Brownies are my love language. So it’s extra butter, extra milk, and an extra egg? That’s pretty easy. I’ll give it a try. And yes, I love buying this brand at my local Costco!
Ellen Christian says
My husband loves brownies. They’re one of his favorite snacks! I need to try these tips next time.
valmg @ From Val's Kitchen says
I love using box brownies, they’re so convenient. I like to add chocolate chips when I make them.
tammileetips says
I love to find ways to spruce up box brownies, they are so convenient! I love the changes that you made, I have added in chocolate chunks and even peanut butter to mixes before.
Adrian Windsor says
How about adding toasted pecan halves to this?
Mary Beth Elderton says
This sounds delicious!!!
Terri says
Should these take longer to bake?. I baked them at 350 degrees for 25 minutes as instructed on the box and the center was very jiggly. I had to bake them for 40 minutes.
Chrysa says
For us it works as the same time as indicated on the box. There are often different times listed whether you’re using a metal vs. a glass pan. You can usually tell that they are done because the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Hope that helps!!
sarah says
I have made them with coconut cooking solid cooking oil and it gives them just a hint of coconut.
Harriet says
By adding these extra ingredients, are they a chewy brownie…rather than cake like?? I love using box mixes….so much easier …especially making them for a large group.
Sowji says
These came out more like chocolate cake than brownies.
Vanessa White says
I’m going to be not very happy if they come out like cake.
Lisa says
If you left out the additional egg, would it be more fudge like than cake like?
Chrysa says
Yes, it would be. The eggs set up more of a “structure” in the brownies.
Jacqueline Banks says
When making a double batch, how long would you bake them for?
Chrysa says
Per Betty Crocker, in a 9×13″ pan bake 51 to 53 minutes for shiny metal or glass pan and 45 to 47 minutes for dark nonstick pan.
Gabrielle says
They were basically a cake! No brownies 😭
Nicole says
I made 1/2 a box and used 2 eggs instead of 1.5, (exactly 1/2 of the original amount of eggs required for a full box) thinking slightly “cakey” brownies might be yummy. They weren’t really “cakey” but more like spongey, and not great. I don’t recommend the extra egg!
Vonda K says
Just wondered why you guys are baking at 350 and not 325, thats how you get the flake and shiny top of brownies…? Egg yolk only mite help with the cakeness issue and 2T of cocoa
Robyne Carroll says
Hey Chrysa, I need to make these brownies in a 10×15 pan, and double the recipe. What baking time would you recommend, and what amounts of ingredients to add.
Thank you,
Robyne
Chrysa says
I haven’t tried this before, but if I did I would probably start out with doubling all the additions except only add in ONE extra egg. Then i would bake it for probably at least 5 minutes longer but then keep checking it to see when it is actually done.
Amber says
I just made these. The recipe is a little confusing from the get go. But I will say that if you were to make these brownies the normal way with two eggs, they would come out fudge like, right? Well I went back and saw all the ingredients you said to add and it said add one egg. So I figured that’s where I went wrong by using two. But when I looked into your bowl with all of the ingredients, you had two eggs also. These were NOT fudge like brownies at all. Now I could have ate the batter all day long but the brownies, my family did not like at all. If you use two eggs, 1/2 cup and 2 tbsps of butter, and 1/4 and 2 tbsps of milk, they will be like cake. This is using the Duncan Homes Fudge Brownie Mix. And since it said you could use any, you obviously can not.
jean nordly says
you can also just add: 1 cup oatmeal and 1 cup chocolate chips, mix as usual and bake. Very rich and chewy/nutty. YOu can then frost with plain chocolate frosting if desired, or serve under ice cream. yummy.
Laura Parlante says
I love adding brewed coffee inl lieu of water. Def leave out the extra egg. Brownies become spongy. Always use butter instead of oil. Yummo!!
Lisa says
how much butter do you use? is it the same amount as oil?
Chrysa says
The same amount as oil plus 2 Tablespoons.
barbara colvin says
Hi my grandson is coming over to spend time with me and we are going to make ( BETTY CROCKER DELIGHTS SUPREME TRIPLE CHUCK BROWNIES MIX I WANT TO USE A LONG PAN AND USE COOKIES CUTTERS IS THAT A GOOD IDEAL BECAUSE I WANT HIM TO TAKE THEM BACK HOME TO GIVE HIS FRINDS SOME BUT I DON’T WANT TO MESS UP
Lizzie says
I have to tell you I follow the the recipe with the milk in the butter in the extra eggs and I use the 10 x 15 cookie sheet like and I doubled the recipe it was fabulous because I made a chocolate butter icing in the crowd went nuts thank you for this wonderful recipe using box mixes
Chrysa says
Thanks for sharing, Lizzie! I’m so happy to hear it turned out fabulous. Chocolate butter icing on top sounds amazing!
Miri says
HI, Chrysa. Those brownies look double size and amazing. I wanna reach to the same thickness as you did. Im wondering if you used only one box, also Im wonder the pan size you used. Thank you!
Donna Catt says
I use Duncan Hines Milk Chocolate brownie mix 3 eggs, everyone likes them.
Irene says
Love these tweaks, but as I prefer fudgy, I’ll skip the extra egg. Another great tip for elevating box brownies is to lower the oven to 300° and increase the cook time slightly. (Try 5 mins, then increase if necessary.) Really fudgy, and with that shatteringly crunchy top.
Jamie Stulpin says
I made this a review, but I wanted to leave it as a comment instead: I added 1/4-1/2 cup of melted milk chocolate chips to the batter.
Mara Acevedo says
I’ma try your box brownies tweak and hope I’m a success with my children.