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!!
If you’re wondering how to make box brownies taste better, 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!
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Brownie mixes are an awesome shortcut for baking. They contain most of the ingredients that you need to make your pan of brownies with only a few additions.
To make the process as easy as possible, boxed brownie mixes call for ingredients you would most like have on hand AND that are inexpensive. Replacing them with “more expensive” ingredients really doesn’t cost a lot more, but it does make a BIG improvement in the taste.
The next time you’re bringing brownies to a party, family dinner, bake sale or barbecue, use these tips and see the reactions of people raving over your delicious homemade brownies!
If you want to go beyond “regular” brownies, we have more fun recipes at the bottom of this post that are all made with a boxed brownie mix.
If you like your brownies with frosting on top, use our Easy Chocolate Frosting Recipe. The recipe is surprisingly easy to make from scratch and it’s SO GOOD!
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. Just thinking about them again is making me hungry!
How to Make Box Brownies Better:
Follow these simple tips to learn how to make box brownies taste homemade. While you don’t have to use every suggestion, the more you use the better your brownies will be.
Ingredients Needed
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.
OPTIONAL: One other option I like to make brownies even BETTER is to add in chocolate chips. Semi sweet are the best and you can use either regular sized chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips.
Or, if you want something different you can use white chocolate chips, but I think it kind of dilutes the chocolatiness.
OPTIONAL: Add nuts! Both walnuts and pecans make a great addition to brownies. To make, after you have mixed together the rest of your brownie ingredients, simply fold the nuts into the batter.
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!)
Brownie Toppings
Once your brownies are cooled, you can top them with a dusting of powdered sugar. To do that, place confectioners sugar in a small sieve or sifter and sprinkle over the top.
OR you can use the Easy Chocolate Frosting Recipe we mentioned above to make a nice thick layer of frosting on top.
Other delicious toppings for brownies include:
- caramel sauce
- ice cream
- drizzled hot fudge
- whipped cream
- marshmallow fluff
- chocolate shavings
- shredded coconut
You can mix and match any of these toppings – you’re not limited to one! – and all of them will help make box brownies better!
How to Store Brownies
Brownies can be stored tightly covered at room temperature. To extend the life even longer you can keep them in the refrigerator, but you need to make sure they are well-sealed and then bring them back to room temperature before serving.
To keep them extra tightly sealed you can wrap them in plastic wrap. It is less convenient if you’re taking a brownie here and there, but works well if you’re saving them all for later.
To keep your brownies more fresh, it’s better not to cut them until you’re ready to eat.
Recipes Using Boxed Brownie Mix
There are so many different ways to use brownie mix! Here are a few of our favorite brownie mix recipes:
- Reese’s Brownies Cups
- M&M’s Popcorn Brownies (perfect for movie night)
- Snickers Brownies,
- White Chocolate Peppermint Brownies
- Rocky Road Brownies
- Brownies with Peanut Butter
How to Make Box Brownies Taste Homemade
Ingredients
- 1 Box 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.
Video
Notes
CARRIE HENDERSON says
HOW WOULD I ADD PECANS OR WALNUTS
Chrysa says
You can fold them into the batter right before pouring it into the baking pan.
lisa says
Just to double check., is the measurement of butter the same as the measurement of oil? I don’t have a box mix in front of me so I am just making up a measurement for an example here: say it called for 1/4 c of oil, would i use 1/4 c melted butter?
Chrysa says
Yep!
Amy Lynn says
Hi, I’m trying this recipe out as we speak. I didn’t have milk, so I used peppermint mocha creamer instead. So praying they turn out great. I also doubled the recipe and only added 1 extra egg instead of 2 since I used two boxes. I used the triple chocolate chunk brownie box mix.
Joy says
I use 2 egg yokes/plus 1 egg and I double the butter, and use milk instead of water. I also add cocoa powder and espresso powder and DON”T OVER BAKE!!! 🙂
Wenna says
How do they turn out?
Dan says
That’s EXACTLY what I do! They are the best brownies I have ever tasted. I don’t measure the espresso powder and cocoa. I probably add a few TB of each. I always use 2 boxes and use a 13×9 pan and bake for about 45-48 mins. My oven runs just a tiny smidge on the cooler side so adjust accordingly.
Dan says
That’s EXACTLY what I do! They are the best brownies I have ever tasted. I don’t measure the espresso powder and cocoa. I probably add a few TB of each. I always use 2 boxes and use a 13×9 pan and bake for about 45-48 mins. My oven runs just a tiny smidge on the cooler side so adjust accordingly.
Mara Acevedo says
I’ma try your box brownies tweak and hope I’m a success with my children.
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.
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.
Donna Catt says
I use Duncan Hines Milk Chocolate brownie mix 3 eggs, everyone likes them.
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!
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!
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
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.
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.
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.
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