Box Brownie Hacks – How To Make Box Brownies Better

Don’t have time to make brownies from scratch? These simple box brownie hacks will help you take regular old boxed brownies up a few notches and taste just like homemade with a few easy ingredient swaps! Make better tasting box brownies every single time.

There’s nothing better than a gooey, fudgy, chocolatey brownie when dessert cravings strike, but sometimes you just want to indulge immediately. Rather than baking brownies from scratch, you can make better tasting boxed brownies with a few ingredient upgrades. No one will ever be able to guess they’re not homemade from scratch!

Why these are the best box brownie hacks around

• They’re simple. You likely have each of these ingredients at home already, so there’s no excuse not to try them out!
• They’re flavor enhancing. You thought brownies couldn’t get any more delicious, but once you try these box brownie hacks, you’ll be thinking again!
• They’ll come out perfect every single time. Since you’re not baking the whole recipe from scratch, it’s so much easier to make sure your box brownies come out amazing every time.

Top Ingredients Needed To Make Box Brownies Taste Homemade

Most boxed brownie mixes call for eggs, water and oil in order to bake them, but they simply never taste homemade unless you make some simple ingredient swaps. While there are many options that we’ll talk about shortly, some of the very best ways to make boxed brownies taste homemade are to use:

• Egg yolks
• Chocolate milk
• Butter
• Espresso Powder
• Vanilla Extract

Here are a few of my favorite boxed brownie hacks you have to try!

Choose a high quality boxed mix

My favorite boxed brownie mixes are:

• King Arthur Fudge Brownie Mix – best Gluten Free option
• Ghiradelli Chocolate Supreme – best regular option

Some other great gluten free options are:

• Bob’s Red Mill
• Lakanto (low carb option)
• Simple Mills

Use chocolate milk instead of water

The extra fat from the milk adds a richer flavor to the box brownies and using chocolate milk simply ups the chocolate ante. Another great box brownie hack is to use coffee or red wine in place of water.

Use egg yolks for extra fudgy brownies

You have a few options when it comes to this box brownie hack. Most brownie mixes call for 2 eggs. You can either add the two eggs plus an additional egg yolk to make ultra fudgy brownies or you can use 4 egg yolks for the ultimate in fudgieness. It is important to note that 2 egg yolks are the equivalent of 1 whole egg.

Substitute Butter Instead of using oil

Oils like vegetable & canola oil are really bad for you, not to mention they can be damaging to the gut. Instead of using oil, make better box brownies by substituting the oil with butter. They’ll taste richer and will make your box brownies taste homemade. You can also really up the ante by browning your butter before adding it to the brownie mix for delicious brown butter brownies!

Add flavor enhancers

Adding flavor enhancers like vanilla extract and espresso powder may not seem necessary to make box brownies taste homemade, but these simple ingredients really punch up the chocolate flavor, making for a richer, more delicious brownie.

Add some texture

Another great box brownie hack is to add texture to your brownies from add ins like chocolate chips, pretzels, peanut butter cups, oreos and even potato chips!

Even more box brownie hacks to make them taste just like homemade

• Bake them low & slow. Not every box brownie mix has the same baking instructions, but baking your brownies at 325F for 35-40 minutes yields an extremely fudgy brownie.
• Swirl in additional flavors. I love adding peanut butter, nutella, strawberry jam or marshmallows to make box brownie mix taste homemade.
• Chill the brownies immediately after baking. I figured out this box brownie hack by accident, but I’ve noticed that if you immediately chill brownies after they’re done baking, the texture ends up ridiculously fudgy every single time!
• Don’t over mix the batter. Add each of the eggs and egg yolks in at once. This way you’ll have to mix to combine everything less and avoid over beating the eggs.

Want to make some brownies from scratch?

If you’re ready to try baking brownies from scratch, here are a few recipes you’ll definitely want to try:

• Dairy & Gluten Free Fudgy Brownies
• Gluten Free Matcha Brownies
• Best Gluten Free Low FODMAP Brownies
• Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
• Starbucks Copycat Espresso Brownies
• Gluten Free Brownie Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Did you have a chance to make this recipe? If so, please leave me a rating and review below. I always love and appreciate hearing from you!