Better-Than-Box-Mix Brownies
These homemade brownies have all of the great texture and flavor of box-mix brownies, without any of the processed ingredients. They have become the base for some of my favorite brownie recipes, like peanut butter brownies, buckeye brownies, and marshmallow brownies!
Whenever I ask people what their favorite brownie is, there is always a resounding majority – most people only have eyes for box-mix brownies. And really, what’s not to love? The brownies always turn out gooey, chewy and with that amazing thin crackly crust on top. As a teenager, each Sunday night our church held youth group meetings and one of the mom volunteers always brought a pan of brownies. They were the BEST brownies. At one point a couple of us girls asked for the recipe and were sheepishly told that they were just from a box.
So many of those amazing brownie concoctions that you’ll see on Pinterest invariably start by calling for a box brownie mix, right? A number of years ago, I went on a mission to find a homemade brownie recipe that could mimic that elusive taste and texture of a box-mix brownie. Not surprisingly, it was Cook’s Illustrated that had formulated exactly what I was looking for – a homemade brownie recipe with all of the characteristics people love about a box-mix brownie.
Now, anytime I come across a recipe that calls for preparing a box of brownies, I turn to this recipe instead!
According to the headnotes for this recipe, the key to the texture of the beloved box-mix brownie is the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fat. The box-mix brownies have a 28% to 72% ratio while a classic homemade brownie recipe has a 64% to 36% ratio. Big difference! The major factors in creating this chewy brownie recipe to mimic the box-mix include: using a mix of butter and vegetable oil, a mix of cocoa powder and melted chocolate, and extra egg yolks. I guarantee that if you are in the box-mix brownie camp, this recipe will wow you. Another huge bonus is that this is still a one-bowl recipe with only a whisk and spatula needed.
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Here are a couple of quick notes to make sure these brownies turn out absolutely superb:
- For the chewiest texture, it’s important to cool brownies completely before cutting.
- If your baking dish is glass, cool the brownies 10 minutes, then remove them from the pan to a wire rack (otherwise, the heat retention of glass can lead to overbaking).
Once you try this simple recipe, you’ll never go back to those box mixes!
Four years ago: Strawberry Cream Cheese Crumble Tart
Better-Than-Box Brownies
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (28.67 g) Dutch-processed cocoa
- ½ cup (125 ml) + 2 tablespoons boiling water
- 2 ounces (56.7 g) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (109 ml) plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2½ cups (500 g) granulated sugar
- 1¾ cups (218.75 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) salt
- 1 cup (180 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving about a one-inch overhang on all sides. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk cocoa powder and boiling water together in a large bowl until smooth. Add the unsweetened chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted. Whisk in the melted butter and oil (the mixture may look curdled at this point, that’s okay!). Add the eggs, yolks, and vanilla extract, and whisk until smooth and homogeneous. Whisk in the sugar until fully incorporated. Add the flour and salt and mix with a rubber spatula until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake until a toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 1½ hours.
- Using the foil overhang, lift the brownies from pan. Place the brownies on the wire rack and cool completely, about 1 additional hour. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve. Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on March 9, 2010.
Michelle–I’m working my way through your top ten brownies. I think I agree with your number one recipe. Your number 2 recipe (these chewy ones) are great. I love how thick they come out and cooked through; however, I was skeptical of the vegetable oil/butter combo. I think it’s all butter in your number one recipe and my mouth can tell the difference. Mmmmm, butter.
Hi Michelle,
I tried this recipe and it was awesome.. Can I remove the eggs from the recipe and still get the same richness. Can you give me an eggless recipe for brownies..
Hi Shruthi, If you omit the eggs, the texture will be greatly altered. I do not have any recipes for eggless brownies at this time.
Thank you so much for posting this! By far the best brownie recipe I have ever tried. Who knew oil would make such a difference? I tweaked this recipe just a touch so I could use whole wheat instead, and it was still yummy. My changed-up recipe is here: http://bakeordare.blogspot.com/2012/11/box-mix-brownies-from-scratch.html
Made these tonight. I have finally found a brownie recipe I like that isn’t from a box! So so good.
This is amazing!!!!! My husband has the biggest sweet tooth and his #1 favorite sweet dessert is brownies..especially box brownies! I have tried variations of brownie recipes from scratch and done of them are ever as good as box brownies! I am going to save this recipe and make it in 3 weeks for thanksgiving, when I will give thanks for the recipe lol
1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour is 7.88 ounce in weight. I baked my 2nd batch according to your instruction of 8 3/4 ounce and it turns out cakey and not chewy at all :(
My first batch was fine though.
These are delicious brownies but watch the sugar–I used 90g of brown sugar only and they were perfect. Also, I used a mixture of vegetable oil and walnut oil–gave a nice nutty touch.
They’re in the oven! Can’t wait! This has always been a mystery to me. So glad I found your post.
Well butter my biscuit and call me dogie…these brownies are ah-maze-ing!!! The texture is what I could best describe as baked fudge. Intense chocolate flavor packed into each tiny square. Pure genius, combining cocoa and unsweetened chocolate, oil and melted butter. Who’da thunk?? Because I’m diabetic, I used only half sugar, replacing the other half with Splenda. I’ve found that in order to avoid any of the textural changes that come with using all Splenda, the most sugar that can be safely replaced is half. I cut the recipe in half and baked for 24 minutes in an 8″X8″ pan. I intend to freeze most of the pan, and believe that because of the incomparably moist texture they will freeze like champs. Perfect, in every way! Hands-down the best brownies this former pastry chef has ever made.
Just a post-script: They never made it to the freezer (she said, sheepishly.) It only took me 3 days to put away a whole 8″X8″ pan. Good thing I only used half the sugar! Good thing I have that to feel virtuous about!
Every bite made me realize how perfectly, crave-satisfyingly intense their chocolate flavor is, and how they just melt away on the tongue. Yes, they ARE that good!
I was a major piggie. I’m so ashamed…But very, very happy.
i was really looking forward to trying out this recipe….they just came out of the oven – and let’s just say it’s not what i expected at all! the batter mixed well, and i followed the recipe completely – but the butter/oil seemed to separate and rise, then bubble on top of the rest of the batter. is that normal? the brownies seem to be floating in grease! i’d appreciate any tips or comments – i haven’t given up on these yet, because they sound really yummy. feedback is welcome!
…so now that they’ve cooled, it seems as though the grease has soaked in – but the brownies have a really dry crumbly texture. looking forward to hearing suggestions for next time!
Hi Anah, No the butter and oil should not separate from the batter, it should be homogeneous when mixed. Did you use any substitutions or do anything different when preparing the recipe?
Thanks for letting me know, Michelle…the batter was definitely smooth and homogeneous after mixing the ingredients. It looked like normal brownie batter going in the oven – but the oil/butter separation happened while they were baking (bubbling on top while in the oven). I did not use any substitutes, other than using grape-seed oil instead of veggie oil (I haven’t had issues with other baking this way)….but that may make a difference. I’ll give it another go and post my results for sure!
I used grapeseed oil and this happened to me too. And I also thought it imparted a weird flavor to the brownies.
For the most part I agree, the first time I made these brownies they came out perfect, the second time a bit dry and the third they are mush. I don’t know if it’s my oven or what but these things never are consistent like boxed!
Made this last night, and think that they are undercooked. They are pretty messy and gross in the middle. All of them totally fell apart. I added 1 cup of chocolate (bittersweet) chunks instead of 3/4 cup, and substituted Bob’s Redmill All Purpose gluten free flour for regular flour. The bag suggested adding small amounts of xanathan gum, but I didn’t. I am heating the oven again, and will try baking an extra 10-15 mins to get them to solidify. The corners that had the firm crust on the bottom were perfect, but everything else is too disgusting and undercooked to stomach. We used a glass pan lined with foil, and painted the foil with traces of vegetable oil. I like using foil for cleanup, but I don’t recommend the vegetable oil. Any recommendations of changes that I should make are welcomed! I want to try to give this a go again next weekend, so I will be checking back . . .
Hi :) Today I want to bake your brownies and there are a few language things which I do not understand because I come from Austria ( not Australia :) ) so it would be great if you could help me!
First, is a foil made out of metal? and which side I have to put up the shiny or the non shiny one?
Second, how many cocoa does an unsweetened chocolate has, 100%?
Third, I am totally confused about the “toothpick inserted halfway between edge and center” does that mean I have to put the toothpick in one third?
Fourth, should I put the pan in the lowest position? and when I cool it down, I should not put it in the fridge just on my table, right?
I am looking forward to hearing from you !
Love Anna
Hi Anna, I hope these clarifications help!
1. Yes, the foil is an aluminum foil. It doesn’t matter which side you put down.
2. You are correct – unsweetened cocoa is 100%
3. This just means not to use the toothpick to test doneness in the very center of the pan, or near the edges of the pan. Instead, just a spot in between and insert the toothpick to check for doneness.
4. Yes, put the brownies on the lowest oven rack position. When you cool them, do so at room temperature (on a table), not in the refrigerator.
Happy Baking! :)
Hello :)
The first time I made this recipe in a 9×13 inch pan, it came out 1/2 cm thick. The second time, I thought using a smaller pan would solve the problem. I again tried to make this recipe in an 8×8 inch pan, but it only came out 1 cm thick! I am not sure what I did wrong; I followed the recipe exactly. I also have this problem when making other brownie recipes; the final result just comes out too thin. Is this because of my oven, baking pan or some other mistake I must have done?
Even if I didn’t get the desired texture, the taste of the brownie was great! Served with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream= heaven! :)
Hi Ananya, These brownies aren’t meant to raise very high, as they are much more fudgy than cakey, and there are no leavening agents used (baking powder or baking soda). The only thing I can think of, if you have this problem with all brownies, is that you might be having trouble with your oven, or you could be overmixing the batter.
Hello
The first time I made this recipe in a 9×13 inch pan, it came out 1/2 cm thick. The second time, I thought using a smaller pan would solve the problem. I again tried to make this recipe in an 8×8 inch pan, but it only came out 1 cm thick! I am not sure what I did wrong; I followed the recipe exactly. I also have this problem when making other brownie recipes; the final result just comes out too thin. Is this because of my oven, baking pan or some other mistake I must have done?
Even if I didn’t get the desired texture, the taste of the brownie was great! Served with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream= heaven!
I am a scratch baker, and the daughter of a scratch baker who considered all baked goods from a mix intrinsically inferior. I have a couple of go-to brownie recipes that I have baked for years that most people rave about, but my sons always prefer those made from a boxed mix. I just tried this recipe and it is very much like the box kind, but somehow better. I think my sons and I finally have a brownie recipe we agree on! Thanks!
OMG x 3! These r AMAZING! Best recipie EVER!!!
I swap out the white flour for whole wheat pastry flour and you can’t even tell. This is my go-to brownie recipe. THE best chewiest brownie recipe I’ve ever tried!
I made these, and the flavor was fantastic but they were only slightly chewy the first evening, and had lost their chewiness the next day. They were fudgy instead. I halved the recipe and used regular unsweetened cocoa, not dutch processed. Perhaps that’s the problem?
Hi Berry, Usually chewy and fudgy can be used to describe the same type of brownie, which is a stark contrast to cake-like brownies. Are you able to better explain the texture differences by any chance? Sometimes halving or doubling a recipe can have an effect on texture; I would guess that could be the issue, and not the cocoa substitution.
Thanks for the response. I made these again this weekend. I baked them 10 minutes longer and they were perfectly chewy. The next day, again, they were not. I would describe the texture on the first day as having slight resistance so there’s a slight stickiness when you chew them, like 1/10 the chewiness of caramel candy. Day two, there was no resistance when biting into them; they were very moist and nearly melted in your mouth. It was like they’d absorbed the moisture from the chocolate overnight. I have an all-butter brownie recipe from the Gourmet cookbook that does the same thing. They’re still delicious, just not the texture I was looking for. I’m not sure if I did something wrong, or if it’s normal “brownie behavior.” I suppose I could just eat the whole pan of brownies in one day!
I love this recipe! I make it frequently. I use 1 3/4 c sugar and 1 c of whole wheat pastry flour with 3/4 c ap flour. We use a
Mixture of dark chocolate chips and chocolate chunks. They are delicious and freeze very well! Sometimes I also make a peanut butter swirl which makes them mind blowing. Thank you!
Hello:) I was wondering if I were to cut the recipe in half, would I also cut the time it takes to cook in half?? Also, to save them to give to a friend the next morning, would I refrigerate them overnight?
Thanks,
ariana
Hi Ariana, If you cut them in half I would make them in an 8×8-inch pan, and start checking them for doneness just about 5 minutes sooner to be sure you don’t overbake them. I’m not sure if you’re asking to refrigerate the batter or the baked brownies, but I would do neither. Once you mix the batter you should bake them right away; however, you could allow them to cool then cover them and let them sit overnight at room temperature before cutting them.
35 mins and i still had raw batter in my 9×13. ATK and/or CI can’t be this far off…usually they are pretty reliable.
You may want to check your oven. I always recommend using an oven thermometer (that’s calibrated) so that you know your exact oven temperature (it can sometimes vary by up to 50 degrees from what it is set at to what the temperature actually is).
Hey I was wondering if I can substitute anything for unsweetened chocolate in the recipe? I don’t usually see this in the groceries here in the Philippines. I badly want to try this recipe. I’ve been searching for that perfect brownie for quite some time now and this is definitely worth a try. Thanks:)
Hi Cameron, Do you have access to any chocolate without sweetening? You really need 100% cacao chocolate. I have seen both unsweetened and 100% bittersweet in the stores; maybe you could find something like that or order online?
This recipe totally works. Thanks for the post!
These were SERIOUSLY AMAZING. I was first a bit weary about leaving big chocolate chunks in the batter, but they gave them the illusion of being slightly undercooked and super fudgey- amazing.
Not sure why they turned out cakey for some people, but Im guessing they were baked for too long- mine were in for 30-35 minutes.
I live in Prague Czech republic so boxed brownies are just impossible to find here. I use the German brand boxed which I tweaked to taste just right, as yes I had the same experience no matter what receipe I tried the boxed was just chewier. However after reading all of the comments and your excellent blog I am getting up and baking myself a batch right now! Thanks so much and I will let you know the verdict!
Excellent, after tweaking it for the right type of chocolate I feel like I got it, thank you and best wishes from Europe. Will never make different brownies!
I made these this past weekend for a game night party and they were a huge hit — thank you so much. I substituted half brown sugar and half white, an additional ounce of unsweetened chocolate, vanilla paste instead of extract, and half the boiling water with coffee because I didn’t have any espresso powder. These just might be my new favorite brownie recipe — they were amazingly easy to put together and were great at both room temp and cold…though I have to admit I prefer the cold. A warning to anyone trying these — you might think you screwed them up or something when they first come out of the oven (I know I snuck a piece and thought so) — you really need to let them fully cool to experience how amazing they are!
I used these brownies in a brownie sundae and they were a big hit!!! :D Thanks, Brown Eyed Baker.
not really a good recipe, it’s just okay but not the same texture as boxed brownie mix if that is what you are looking for, also i agree with some other commenters way underdone after 35 minutes. i will continue to look for other brownie recipes.
I had a friend’s birthday last week and was keen to give her something extra extra rich.
I used this brownie recipe, subbing the white sugar for brown, and melted about 6oz of chocolate into the batter (while reducing the oil a little) instead of folding in chopped chocolate. Then I folded in chopped local top quality white chocolate, like chocolate chips.
Then I topped the whole lot with home made muscavado caramel, and chocolate drizzle. They were possibly the best thing I have ever tasted. The brownies were the perfect texture, after baking for about 39 minutes. Thank you so much for the recipe! I’ve been ordered to make them again this week, and am happy to oblige.. although how the someone could possibly eat more than one piece in a week I do not know.