Better Than Boxed Brownies

Brownies
August 20, 2020
Brownies
August 20, 2020

Better Than Boxed Brownies

  • Prep time: 15 min
  • Cook time: 40 min
  • Total time: 45 min

A one-bowl wonder that tastes waaay better than boxed brownies. You’ll never reach for another boxed brownie mix again with

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Better Than Boxed Brownies

A one-bowl wonder that tastes waaay better than boxed brownies. You’ll never reach for another boxed brownie mix again with these homemade box brownies!

fudgy brownies on a cooling rack

Better than Boxed Brownies

My name is Sarah and I am a brownie addict. Brownies are my favorite dessert. Possibly my favorite food. As some of you know, we pretty much always have at least one batch of brownies to munch on in the house. So creating a new brownie recipe is a big deal for me, because if I don’t come up with something next to perfect, I get frustrated. In fact, I threw out an entire batch of brownies yesterday because they just didn’t measure up. And I’m not even mad about it.

Now I know that may make me sound like a brownie snob, but I’m not…in fact, I love a boxed brownie mix. While a homemade brownies is obviously delicious, there is something quintessentially delicious about a boxed mix and that fudgy, crackly top texture can be hard to get just right in a homemade brownie.

That is until these homemade boxed brownies that taste exactly like your tried and true boxed brownie mix!

borwnies cut into squares on parchment paper

Lucky for you all, I finally came up with a recipe that passed the test. They’re soft, fudgy, moist and they just melt in your mouth. In fact, I think I baked them 2 minutes too long, so when you make them be sure to take them out a few minutes early and you’ll have the most magnificent fudgy brownies.

better than boxed brownies on a cooling rack

Why are these brownies better than boxed brownies?

Well, many reasons. I could go on for *hours* about how freaking delicious these homemade boxed brownies are, but they’re truly the best for a few reason:

  1. They take 10 minutes or less to go from nothing to a pan full of brownie batter in the oven
  2. They don’t come from a box AKA you can make them with ingredients you have on hand without any funky fillers or ingredients.
  3. They are a one bowl wonder, meaning you only need one bowl for the entire recipe
  4. They taste as good if not better than any boxed brownie mix out there

fudgy homemade brownies on cooling rack

Is anyone else as crazy about brownies as I am? Or if brownies aren’t quite your thing (gasp), what dessert is your I-must-have-it-and-it’s-my-favorite-beyond-favorite?

I asked Alex that question and he said, “skittles.”

I just shook my head at him.

He then changed his answer to brownies.

better than boxed brownies cut into squares on a cooling rack

 

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Better Than Boxed Brownies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 19 reviews

I used dutch cocoa for a deeper color, and bigger chocolate chips in the batter for an added richness.

I used dutch cocoa for a deeper color, and bigger chocolate chips in the batter for an added richness.

  • Author: Sarah Fennel
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 40 mins
  • Yield: 9 large brownies
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: american
  • Author: Sarah Fennel
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 40 mins
  • Yield: 9 large brownies
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: american
Units:

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup dutch process cocoa powder
  • 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 2 eggs plus 1 yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate baking chips, optional
  • 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips, optional

Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Remove from microwave, stir in sugar, and melt both for 30 seconds. Stir again and melt for 60 seconds more. You want the sugar and butter to bubble up slightly, but not burn. This amount of time should do the trick.
    2. Remove mixture from microwave and stir in bittersweet chocolate. This should melt the chocolate completely. If it doesn’t, put it in the microwave for another 15 seconds. Whisk in all other ingredients except chocolate chips. Gently fold in the chocolate baking chips if using!
    3. Pour batter into a parchment lined 8″x8″ pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the brownies comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan and cutting into 9 large squares.

 

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  1. Love your content and recipes but seriously these ads are out of hand. I couldn’t even listen to music while making these because the ad kept playing.






    • Hi Megan! I’m so sorry to hear that! This is great feedback for us and we’ll definitely pass along to our ad coordinator!

  2. My new go-to brownie recipe! I’ve probably made these about a dozen times they’re so delicious! Rich and moist and so chocolatey.
    I made them gluten free once for my dad. I substituted Bob’s 1-to-1 gluten free flour, and also did a good splash of cold coffee (I find that gluten free flour likes a bit of extra liquid). They turned out amazing with that lovely crinkly top!






  3. Can i use salted butter instead of unsalted , because i don’t have unsalted one ? By the i just LOVE your recipes 😍

    • Hi! Yes you can absolutely use salted butter–just decrease the added salt in the recipe by 1/4 teaspoon! Thank you for your kind words!

  4. I only have natural cocoa on hand (Hershey’s). Can I substitute that for the dutch process? Will changing require other ingredients?

    • Hi Sana! Yes, you can use natural cocoa! The flavor will be slightly less chocolatey and smooth, but it still will be delicious!