How To Make Homemade Box Mix Brownies

5 from 1 vote

Homemade brownies made easy today!  Sharing my favorite brownie recipe, How To Make Homemade Box Mix Brownies! Perfect fudgy brownies!

homemade brownies on serving plate

Homemade Brownies

Doesn’t get better than homemade brownies. I’ve been playing around in the kitchen and have developed this recipe that is pretty darn close to the beloved box mix brownie. I tested them at room temperature and chilled. Both equally amazing. They are literally just right in every aspect!

Hope you enjoy! Be sure to follow Picky Palate on Instagram for sneak peeks on what’s coming next to the blog!

homemade brownies ingredients on counter top

What You’ll Need

  • butter– I use salted butter for most of my recipes, unsalted works fine too.
  • vegetable oil– vegetable oil is part of the wet ingredients of the brownies. Canola oil works too.
  • granulated sugar– This fine white sugar gives the brownies their sweetness.
  • eggs– Use large eggs for consistency.
  • vanilla– For best results use pure vanilla extract.
  • all-purpose flour– Flour is the main dry ingredient in the brownies.
  • unsweetened cocoa powder– Find unsweetened cocoa powder in the baking isle of the grocery store.
  • kosher salt– Kosher salt is a coarse salt commonly used in cooking and baking.
  • baking powder– Baking powder helps the brownies rise during baking.
  • chocolate chips– Use your favorite chocolate chips for the brownies.

pouring sugar into mixing bowl with butter

How To Make Homemade Brownies

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. and line a 8×11 inch baking dish with parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray.
  2. Place butter into a large mixing bowl and microwave until partially melted. Add sugar and oil, mix until well combined. Stir in eggs and vanilla stirring until combined then add flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and chocolate chips. Stir until combined and thick.
  3. Transfer batter to prepared baking dish, spreading evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until baked through. Remove and let cool completely, about an hour. Lift parchment and brownies out of pan and cut into squares to serve.

brownie recipe

Mix until well combined.

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Add just a touch of vegetable oil and a splash of vanilla.

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Add 2 large eggs and mix until combined.

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Time for the dry ingredients….flour, salt and baking powder.

brownie recipe

Cocoa powder, unsweetened.

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Chocolate chips! My favorite part 🙂

brownie recipe

I had to refrain myself from licking this bowl clean. Best brownie batter ever! Pour your batter into a parchment lined 8×11 inch baking dish. You can use a 9×13 inch but they’ll be much more thin and you’ll have to adjust your baking time.  Same with a 8×8 inch. Thicker brownies and longer baking time. I find that this size pan was just right.

What’s The Best Type of Pan For Baking Brownies?

  1. Light colored aluminum pans are my favorite for baking brownies.  They heat up quickly without overheating, and then cools down quickly once removed from the oven.
  2. Glass (such as Pyrex) and ceramic have poor heat conduction.  I’ve used plenty of my pyrex pans for baking brownies, but I try to stick to my lighter aluminum non-stick pans.
  3. Dark colored aluminum pans are a very common material.  It work just fine for baking brownies, but since dark colors absorb more heat than light colors, keep a close eye on your brownies to prevent over baking.
  4. Edge Brownie Pans have become very popular.  It’s the pan that gives you an edge brownie piece with every square.  It’s a light aluminum pan, so I’m a fan!  Find them at most Walmart and Target stores.  Amazon is also a great place to find them.

homemade brownies on serving plate

How To Serve

Serve brownies warm or room temperature at any occasion where dessert is needed.

Leftovers

Store leftover brownies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Brownie recipe
5 from 1 vote

How To Make Homemade Box Mix Brownies

These homemade brownies are supremely fudgy and rich, and they're always a crowd-pleaser!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 239kcal
Author: Jenny
Cost: $20
Print Pin

Equipment

  • Oven
  • 8 x 11 inch baking dish
  • parchment paper
  • mixing bowl
  • mixing spoon
  • measuring spoons
  • measuring cups
  • plastic knife to cut brownies without sticking

Ingredients

  • 1 stick unsalted butter partially melted
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup all purpose Gold Medal Flour
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. and line a 8x11 inch baking dish with parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray.
  • Place butter into a large mixing bowl and microwave until partially melted. Add sugar and oil, mix until well combined. Stir in eggs and vanilla stirring until combined then add flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and chocolate chips. Stir until combined and thick.
  • Transfer batter to prepared baking dish, spreading evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until baked through. Remove and let cool completely, about an hour. Lift parchment and brownies out of pan and cut into squares to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 71mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 75IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1.6mg
Keywords: easy homemade brownies, fudgy brownies, homemade brownies

Pin Homemade Brownies

photo collage of homemade brownie recipe

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105 Responses
  1. vicky katz

    Would love to make these….what would u suggest as your egg substitute?
    My son is finally interested in trying chocolate cake but saod it was not sweet enouhh.
    He has a serious egg allergy.
    I think brownies would be a cure for his sweet tooth.
    Thanks in advance
    : )

  2. Paula {JustABiteDesserts.com}

    Thanks for sharing! These looks so yummy, I will be trying the recipe soon. I always mix my cocoa powder with the rest of my dry ingredients with a whisk before adding to wet ingredients just to make sure everything is well distributed in the batter.

  3. Rachael

    I’m short on sugar….but have everything else. Anyone tried it with brown sugar instead or honey?

  4. lynette

    I made these last night and they tasted just like boxed brownies. I have book marked the recipe and will use it from now on. Amazing and this recipe is just what I have been looking for. Thank you!

  5. Kadie

    Wow! Jenny I just made these and they are awesome, way better than the box mix in my opinion! We are making them again tonight for an activity and I’ve made little recipe cards for them to take home. These are too good not to share! Your recipes have never failed me!

  6. angieB

    Thanks for the recipe!
    I loved them but added half a jar of hot fudge sauce on top before baking in 2 rows. Then drug a butter knife back and forth to create a marbled effect and baked as usual.
    So good!

  7. Sondra

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  9. Annaliese

    When i made these, i used half brown sugar and half white sugar, i also added about 1 more tsp of mexican vanilla and a splash of imitation vanilla and left out the baking powder and the brownies turned out great! they were nice and moist and fudgy with a rich flavor, i also topped them with homemade nutella for double decadence! I think next time i will use less cocoa and more imitation flavor for that classic “fake brownie” flavor 🙂

  10. Johanna

    Just pulled these out of the oven. I swirled a little peanaut butter on the top and am not sure I’ll make it waiting for them to cool! Cannot wait to bite into one!

  11. Katie

    These look perfect! I’m getting ready to make them and I’m a little curious about the Kosher salt. I’m don’t do a ton of baking, so maybe there’s such thing as regular Kosher salt and course Kosher salt, but I always thought Kosher was course. It seems weird to me to use course salt in it, does it melt into it enough that you don’t have chunks of salt in your brownies?

  12. Monique @ Gold Medal Flour

    These look delicious, Jenny! We’re sharing them on our Facebook page today! 🙂

  13. Fashion Stiletto Heels

    I’m not sure exactly why but this web site is loading incredibly slow for me. Is anyone else having this issue or is it a problem on my end? I’ll check back later and see
    if the problem still exists.

  14. Nicole

    These were amazing! I was feeling a little skeptical when I licked the spoon, it didn’t taste quite like box mix brownies, but they came out perfectly! Thanks for this recipe, I have a newfound hope in non-box brownies, and I’ll definitely be using this for special occasions!

  15. Nicole M.

    these brownies have a dark chocolate flavor, and they don’t taste like any “box brownies” I’ve ever had.
    I followed instructions.
    oh and they’re dry.

  16. Mega Möpse

    Appreciating the persistence you put into your site and in depth information you
    offer. It’s awesome to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same
    outdated rehashed information. Wonderful read! I’ve bookmarked your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my Google
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  17. Justin

    I am completely with you on this! I LOVE brownies, but have yet to find a from scratch recipe that measures up to the brownies from a mix. The from scratch ones may taste good, but I never manage that crackly top or fudgy texture that I love so much.

  18. Tina | My Life as a Mrs

    These look INCREDIBLE!!! I’m with ya on the boxed brownies… but I’ll have to give these a go!!! Great to see you this weekend! 🙂

  19. LisaB

    AWESOME!!! Just made these…true to the recipe and pulled out at about 33 minutes. Just divine. Thank you — we’ll be making this our family brownie recipe from now on.

  20. Orion

    I have been trying to make brownies for years. All the recipes I tried, although not many, left me with raw cake dough. This is the first time I succeeded and this means the recipe is foolproof. Excellent! Perfect texture, soft, chocolatey goodness!

    I did replace the chocolate chips with grated chocolate, butter with margarine and the vanilla with vanilla sugar. Still worked wonderfully. This is brilliant!

  21. Teresa McFayden

    These look good! I haven’t visited your blog in a while. There are so many ads, now. I won’t be back. 🙁

  22. Leah @ Whitefoot Blog

    I had the craziest craving for brownies the other day and was like “But we don’t have brownie mix…” Thank you for reading my mind! 😛

  23. Erin @ Texanerin Baking

    These are soooo good. And to me, they taste even better than the boxed versions! They do taste like the boxed kind. Just much better. So if you’re thinking about making these… do it! Thanks a ton for this recipe. I haven’t tried that many of your recipes but the ones I have are always absolutely amazing. 🙂

  24. Jillian I

    Made these tonight! I’ve never made from-scratch brownies before because I’ve never been crazy about them when others have made them (it’s hard to replicate that box mix taste!). These brownies are super delicious though, and they don’t take much more time than a box mix.

    I used a 9×13 pan because it was that or an 8×8, and I wanted more brownies! (I always use the 8×8 for box brownies so they’re super thick and decadent). I baked them for 30 minutes and they came out perfect — a slightly gooey inside and a crisp top crust. And, licking the bowl was an added bonus!

  25. Nicole

    Hello! I’m a baker in AZ and made these brownies this morning. I cooked them for 35 min, and they had a great flavor but were definitely overcooked :/ I think they probably would’ve cooked in 25-30 minutes.

  26. Ailuros

    I just made these and they’re almost exactly what I’ve been looking for! The texture is perfect, which is what the other recipes I’ve tried have been missing.

  27. Jody

    So I was skeptical, because I have never tried from scratch brownies (for love of the box variety!), but WOW these are great! For an event this evening I actually made a box mix (I’m a Duncan Hines chocolate fudge girl!)and also this recipe….Not only did the appearance blow the box mix out of the water the taste was incredible! These are super fast, easy, and I LIKE THEM MORE THAN MY DUNCAN HINES! Another great recipe, Jenny–thank you much!

  28. Trudy L.

    “Best Brownie Batter Ever” is the reason to ALWAYS make homemade brownies–licking the bowl. Brownie mix batter tastes horrible, but the homemade batter is SO good. Makes me want to go make some now, just to eat the batter. Plus, it really is just as easy as a box mix. I’ve made homemade ones so often, I can do it really fast, and without a recipe too.

  29. Tara @ Chip Chip Hooray

    I’ve always wanted to be able to get the boxed mix consistency without having to use the mix! Thanks so much for posting this. 🙂

  30. Jennifer G.

    Oh Jenny…you just made this pregnant woman VERY happy! I will be making these for my kiddos tonight!

  31. Sarah

    They are perfect!! Made them and everybody loved them! Definitely one of my favorite brownie recipes!!

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