Homemade brownies made easy today! Sharing my favorite brownie recipe, How To Make Homemade Box Mix Brownies! Perfect fudgy brownies!
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!
Easy Homemade Brownies
Here’s what you’ll need to whip up a batch of your own. I used mini chocolate chips, but use your favorite chocolate chip. Up front in the glass bowls is flour, salt and sugar.
Start by adding partially melted butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl.
Mix until well combined.
Add just a touch of vegetable oil and a splash of vanilla.
Add 2 large eggs and mix until combined.
Time for the dry ingredients….flour, salt and baking powder.
Cocoa powder, unsweetened.
Chocolate chips! My favorite part 🙂
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?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Once they cool, cut into squares and sink your teeth right in 🙂 Enjoy!
How To Make Homemade Box Mix Brownies
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
Pin Homemade Brownies
I never comment on recipes bc I don’t care that much but these brownies are amazing. perfect for last night’s mania-fueled impulse-baking. so easy even I couldn’t mess it up and I was out of my mind. you know they were good bc I felt an intense kinship w the witch from hansel + gretel while I was making them. even my brother liked them and he hates chocolate. gave one to my therapist today and she was VERY impressed w how nice n chewy they were. perfectly crispy on the outside n gooey on the inside. I did add more salt than recommended and I also used the dreaded pyrex pan bc I’m not afraid of death and it still turned out good. after a week straight of 2 am mug brownies I was jonesing hardcore for the real deal and these were the brownies of my dreams so thank you I love you happy wednesday
Glad you liked them!
Can the Canola/vegetable Oil be substituted for EVOO or Avocado oil?
Hi Shannon, I haven’t tried substituting the oil, so can’t give you an answer for sure.
Jenny, for the easy of ‘boxed’ brownies we can measure the dry ingredients and package in ziplocks or better, glass jars. Then follow the instructions. Best of both worlds.
I don’t care for chocolate chips in my brownies, so can you melt them and then add it.?
I haven’t tested that, so to be safe I’d just leave them out 🙂
WOW! I’m looking for a fudgey box mix knock off… so far reading comments 3 different people looked at the same photos and said “chewy, fudgey, & gooey”. Just missing cakey and that’s about every brownie recipe out there. (These decidedly do NOT look cakey.. glad that’s ruled out!)
Can anyone that’s made them comment on the category? Seems like too many eggs to be fudgey.
Hi Jenny! I have been looking for a Duncan Hines brownie mix copycat recipe (I saw that in the comments), and so am so excited to have found your recipe! I am lactose-intolerant and so have to make my desserts non-dairy. I am not vegan so keeping the eggs in are fine, but do you have a recommendation of a butter-replacement?
Thank you!
What is a stick of butter in measurement
I’m from the UK and just stumbled upon this recipe… thank you so much for sharing! These are the best brownies I’ve made!!!! The texture is perfect! They’re fab! ?
This is the BEST homemade recipe ever! My mom and I hate cake like brownies so we have been trying to find a good homemade substitute and this is the perfect recipe!! I’m so in love! Also I used apple sauce in place of the oil and it worked great!
I made these brownies, and they were amazing!
I am in Europe, so boxed brownies aren’t even an option, so this was great to get that good ol’ american brownie while away from America. 🙂
Instead of chocolate chips (since you can’t get them in Poland), I cut up a mint chocolate bar…….and that was TO DIE FOR.
So glad to hear it Briana!
How much is a “stick” of butter? 1/2 cup? 1 cup? Our butter doesn’t come in sticks here.
Hi Kathleen, a stick of butter is equal to 1/2 cup. Thanks!!
Thank you so much for this recipe, I can’t wait to try it out. My husband loves brownies but I have not been able find a recipe that matches the box texture or taste.
Just made these last night and they are AMAZING!!!!!!! The perfect texture – very moist, simply amazing and my new favorite brownie recipe! I will never use a box mix again! Thank you so much! ( My fiance´ thanks you as well =) )
the only thing that I did edit was I used a 8×8 recipe pan, I used canola oil, I used 2/3 cup of cocoa powder, and I didn’t put any chocolate chips in it. I only made these adjustments because of what I had in the house, and what I normally know how much chocolate taste we like. The base of this recipe is amazing and any way you edit it, it will still be amazing!
This recipe looks amazing! I plan on using this for Brownie in a Jar gifts. Would the recipe work just as great if all of the dry ingredients were mixed together first then the eggs, oil, and melted butter mixed in last? Also do you think the vanilla is able to be taken out without much flavor change?
I’ve had these brownies pinned for some time, but didn’t make them until recently. They were AMAZING. My husband loves brownies, but hates when I do it from scracth, after he ate these he told me to keep buying that brand thinking they were his beloved box brownies. Recipe sold! I will never make another version again!!
The bestest brownies i have ever tasted! They were Awsome !!! I added kitkat bars to it & they tasted awsome! Thanks a lot for the lovely foolproof recipe.
Great recipe! But I have a question. I first tried this recipe in our house using cocoa powder and it turned out great. I tried this recipe in my cousin’s house and used Dutch processed cocoa powder and my aunt told me that the chocolate flavor is too strong, my friend also told me that it slightly tastes like wine but it turned out great anyway and they loved it! (I even finished 1/4 of it) is it because of the cocoa powder I used or maybe because I spilled vanilla in my bowl not knowing if it’s too much or less?
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
: )
I haven’t tried these but maybe the chart on this site will help: http://chefinyou.com/egg-substitutes-cooking/
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.
I’m short on sugar….but have everything else. Anyone tried it with brown sugar instead or honey?
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!
Lynette, thank you for sharing that with us! 🙂
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!
Kadie, thank you for sharing your experience with these. Glad they worked out. 🙂
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!
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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 🙂
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!
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?
The best brownies EVER!! I wrote about them on my blog and my friends all devoured them! Thanks so much Jenny! 🙂 Here’s what I thought: http://milistreats.blogspot.ie/2013/04/one-of-my-daily-favourite-foodie-sites.html?q=brownies
These look delicious, Jenny! We’re sharing them on our Facebook page today! 🙂
Thanks Monique!!
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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!
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.
I was wondering when you say one stick of butter do you mean one cup or one half cup?
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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.
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! 🙂
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.
Try melted margarine or butter instead of oil for an even better brownie too. ^_-
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!
These look good! I haven’t visited your blog in a while. There are so many ads, now. I won’t be back. 🙁
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! 😛
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. 🙂
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!
So happy to hear it Jillian! Thanks for sharing!
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.
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.
LOVE how easy these are! I cant wait to try them 🙂
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!
Soooo glad to hear it Jody! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
“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.
Oh yay! I (we haha), can’t wait to try these!!
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. 🙂
Oh Jenny…you just made this pregnant woman VERY happy! I will be making these for my kiddos tonight!
Yay! Let me know how you like it Jennifer!
They are perfect!! Made them and everybody loved them! Definitely one of my favorite brownie recipes!!
So glad to hear it Sarah! Thanks for sharing 🙂
The pictures are only a hint of how tasty these are! Just now making this recipe and let me tell you, I was liking the batter right off my fingers before popping the dish into the oven! Love!
These look so dense and fudgy! I have to try them! My brother always says my brownies will never come out like box mix but I’m thinking he’ll change his mind after I use this recipe!
Oh how I wish it was my job to make and eat brownies. These look brilliant. Can’t wait to try them.
omg. so into this. I hear a new batch of slutty brownies with this recipe calling my name!
Oh my goodness!! Just made and ate these!! They are so good, thank you thank you! Never buying box mix again. Very yummy!
So glad to hear it!! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
I got so used to using those box mixes I completely forgot that brownies are super simple to make from scratch! I was reminded a few weeks ago when I tried my first gluten-free brownie recipe! Yours looks wonderful. 🙂
Oh my word! These look like brownie perfection. I have been making the same brownie recipe for years because I think it’s the best…but your photos have me convinced to try these! In fact I think I need to go to my kitchen NOW and start baking 🙂
I usually don’t bother with homemade brownies because I do like the box mix so much! Is that bad? lol. But these look fudgy and delicious – I’m not a fan of cakey brownies. And they’re so easy! I have all of these ingredients right now. Thanks!
These seriously look like absolute perfection!!!
Love this! These look so chewy and delicious. 🙂
Totally drooling over here! These brownies look amazing, Jenny!
Yeah, these amazing, Jenny!
These do look amazing, and they’re not much more difficult than boxed brownies anyways! Pinned, and definitely trying soon.
these seriously look amazing!! thanks for sharing Jenny!
I’ll take two…or ten, please!
I would replace the GMO soybean oil with coconut oil. Veg oil is a rancid oil that causes inflammation in the body. Never use Veg oil made from Corn, Canola or Soybeans.
Love the homemade version of a box mix!! It looks so chocolatey and fudgey good!!
Homemade brownies are so easy and always welcome!
These look delish but since I am elminating PUFA from our home, I will be using virgin coconut oil instead of the vegetable oil in your recipe. Thanks for the recipe.
Ooo I’ve got to try these! Right away.
This is a bookmark FOR SURE!! they look totally incredible!
You left out the oil in the directions. Making these right now.
Just edited the directions thanks!
Oh so decadent looking…you did not specify the type of Cocoa Power, but will try w/ Extra Dark which is my favorite. Thanks for the post!
Oops, I see it in pictures but it isn’t in actual ingredient directions…
When do you add oil? Looks great!
Just edited the directions 🙂
Such a super smart idea Jenny ~ love your creativity!!! xo
Looking at this recipe and these pictures are not helping me to get motivated to work out this morning! All I want to do is make these right now and eat them for breakfast and skip the workout!! But maybe I will use this as a reward for my workout instead! 🙂
These look perfect! Love the crackly top!
I like my brownies gooey– can’t wait to try this fabulous recipe, Jenny!
Making these ASAP!
WHat a great recipe! I’ll totally be trying these!
I love trying different scratch brownie recipes, and no matter how tasty they are, my husband still has a soft spot for the box! This is a great recipe for us. They look like big slices of fudge-a-licious heaven!
Love chewy brownies…these look amazing Jenny!
Jenny, Wow!!! What a genius Idea!! These look perfect in every way. I NEED to make these. Maybe even today since it is crazy snowing and I am not leaving the house!
They have *the* perfect texture! I can’t wait to make these. I do like boxed brownies but homemade really only take a few minutes extra so I don’t mind making them. Plus we don’t have any good box mixes over here so it works out just fine for me. 🙂
Jenny it looks like you nailed them! They’re gorgeous! Recently I cheated on my 5 year old brownie recipe that was a melted choc recipe, with one that uses cocoa powder and I love it. I bet I would love yours too! Pinning!