When the yearning for chocolate strikes and you don’t have a boxed mix or the time to run to the grocery store, fear not, you don’t need that box of brownie mix after all.
Few things in this world are more perfect than the small, chocolatey squares we know as brownies. Whether they are fudgy or cakey, topped off with extras or doctored up with some add-ins, or served warm with a cold glass of milk a batch of brownies are an absolute joy.
Many of us grew up making brownies exclusively from a box mix, myself included. I took the convenience of a boxed mix so much for granted that it never even occurred to me that you could make your own brownie mix until much later in my life. (Crazy, I know!)
And even though the convenience of that handy dandy mix is still high up there on my list, sometimes, I simply don’t have a box stashed away. When the craving hits and I can’t think about anything else, I head straight to the pantry to make the magic happen from scratch.
The beauty of this method is you don’t need much and can bring it all together in a single bowl. Of course, you might need a few measuring tools, but what recipe doesn’t? It’s also a fun activity for kids to help out with.
If you are feeling really crafty, you can grab some empty mason jars and make multiple batches so that your “box” you reach for in the pantry, is really a mix you have pre-mixed for yourself. If you are feeling super crafty, you can give them as gifts with a recipe card.
It’s inevitable that the craving for chocolate will strike again in the near future and it is best to be prepared for when that happens. Your future self thanks you.
Check out our ways to doctor up boxed brownie mix for even more inspiration! And if you are in the market, you can also doctor up cake mix.
Ingredients
The ingredient list is quite simple. But keep in mind, these are only for the dry mix. You will need other ingredients to make the actual brownies.
- Sugar – We need something to sweeten the best brownies, and white granulated sugar will work just fine.
- Flour – All purpose flour will do the trick here. It acts as a leavening agent to hold the brownies together.
- Cocoa powder – I like to use dutch-processed cocoa powder for this brownie mix. But you can use any kind you have on hand or prefer to use.
- Fine sea salt – Different types of salt measure differently, so make sure you are using a fine salt here.
- Baking powder – Baking powder helps those delicious brownies to get that perfect rise.
How to Make Brownie Mix
Making the brownie mix itself is quite simple. Check the section below for baking instructions.
- Combine dry ingredients. Sift or whisk together the white sugar, flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt. Be sure that these are all mixed and that any lumps are broken up.
- Pulse in food processor. To get the super smooth effect of boxed mix, you can pulse it a few times in a food processor.
How to Make Brownies
- Prepare oven and pan. Preheat oven and coat a 9×9 square pan with cooking spray.
- Combine wet ingredients with dry mix. Add vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to dry brownie mix, stirring until just combined.
- Add to pan. Pour brownie batter into baking pan and smooth the top.
- Bake. Bake until it passes the toothpick test. Allow to cool before slicing into 9 large brownies.
Variations
- Extra chocolate – Try throwing a handful of chocolate chips into the brownie batter. You could even use dark chocolate or white chocolate chips to mix things up a little.
- Nuts – You could also mix some walnuts or pecans into the batter of these brownies. It adds a nice crunch and an extra flavor.
- Gifting – A jar of brownie mix makes a great gift for the holidays, or even a hostess gift. An edible gift is the best kind, so snag some printable gift tags and a cute mason jar and show your love.
Storage and Freezing
Storage: Store brownie mix in an airtight container like a mason jar. This can be kept at room temperature in the pantry or cabinet. To store cooked brownies, wrap in plastic wrap or keep in airtight container.
Freezing: To freeze individual brownies, just wrap in plastic wrap and add to plastic bags. You can also freeze the whole pan of brownies. Just tightly wrap in plastic wrap and add to a freezer bag.
More Easy Dessert Recipes:
No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
Classic No Bake Cookies
Homemade Brownie Mix
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Sift or whisk together the white sugar, flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt. Be sure that these are all mixed and that any lumps are broken up.
- To get the super smooth effect of boxed mix, you can pulse it a few times in a food processor.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Notes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a 9×9 square pan with cooking spray. Add 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to dry brownie mix, stirring until just combined. Pour into baking pan and smooth the top. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Allow to cool before slicing into 9 large brownies. Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.
Need updated please.
The ingredients say baking powder but the directions say baking soda. Which do you use?
I opted for baking soda since my husband looked on the internet and a leveling is not necessary for brownies.
Your thoughts please?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Kim, thanks for pointing that out. It is baking powder. You do not need a leavening agent, but it does provide fluffy, taller brownies. Without it you’ll have denser, fudge-like brownies.
Love your recipe as I used to make these for years before Box Brownies even existed! Thanks for sharing with the generations since and letting young ladies knows there is a better way! Sweet!
Woohoo! Thanks for coming back to let us know!
Very good brownies recipe. Easy and delicious. This is a keeper.
Fantastic! Thank you for coming back to let us know!
Is this self rising or all purpose flour ?
Always all-purpose unless otherwise stated 🙂
I have made these 5 or 6 times now. I prep the dry ingredients and then add the wet ingredients just before my guests sit for dinner. I pop them in the oven so they will still be warm with vanilla ice cream after dinner. Rock Star entertaining 😘
Oh, fantastic! Glad you love them and thank you for coming back to let us know!
This was a great recipe to start with, but I found it too sugary. On my second try, I used 3/4 c of sugar and 3/4 c of flour. I kept everything else the same and they cooked up great. A bit less sweet, a little more cakey, and they held together well. Experimenting with a brownie recipe is definitely not something I can complain about!
Just made these brownies and made another batch of the mix to put in the freezer! They are so good! Thanks a bunch, Jessica!
You are very welcome and thanks for coming back to let us know!
Hello, these are so yummy! Just wondering if you did half water half oil would it come out the same, like the way boxed brownies are? Would just like to use less oil if possible, thanks
Hi there! So… I would assume they would, maybe just a little less fudgy, but since I haven’t personally tried it, I don’t want to say yes. But they are both liquids and you’d just be losing a little of the fats. Give it a whirl!
Great recipe! This is so helpful to have on hand.
What a great idea to make this and have it ready when you suddenly crave brownies. I have to make this.