Better than box mix brownie recipe! These easy one-bowl cocoa powder brownies are as easy as boxed mix brownies, but they taste so much better!
Box brownie mix is the star of the box mix section. Mix brownies are one dessert that homemade brownies always try to copy.
Even though the flavor can be a little lacking, box mix brownies have that amazing chewy/fudgy texture and perfect, shiny brownie crust that make them so incredible.
These scratch brownies take that amazing chewy/fudgy texture and add rich chocolate flavor. They’re so tasty that you’ll never want to make box brownies again!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Butter: I use salted butter. If you’re using unsalted butter, increase the salt by 1/4 teaspoon. You can melt the butter by placing it in a large, microwave-safe bowl and microwaving for about 40 seconds. Stir until completely melted.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar will work.
- All-purpose flour: I highly recommend weighing the flour for the most accurate measurements (click on “metric” just above the ingredients for the weights). You can also stir or sift the flour, lightly spoon it into the measuring cup, and level. Be careful to avoid packing the flour as that will give you dry or cakey brownies.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: I’ve only used unsweetened cocoa powder and haven’t tried using Dutch-process cocoa powder in this recipe.
- Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips: You can substitute another type of chocolate chip. Please don’t skip the chocolate chips, through, because they help the brownies to form the crust on top.
How to make better than box mix brownies
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full, including ingredients, is given below.
If you aren’t familiar with baking brownies, check out my how to make brownies post for tons of tips and info that will help you make the best brownies.
Step 1: Whisk the butter, sugars, and vanilla together until well-combined.
Step 2: Whisk in the eggs one at a time until combined.
Step 3: Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt to the butter and sugar mixture. Whisk just until combined. There’s no need to beat the batter – whisking it just until the ingredients are incorporated is sufficient. The batter should be thick and smooth.
Step 4: Fold in the chocolate chips, and pour the brownie batter into the prepared pan.
Step 5: Bake until a toothpick in the center comes out with fudgy crumbs attached. Wet batter means that the brownies aren’t done cooking. No crumbs means the brownies are over-baked. Just a few fudgy crumbs is perfect.
Step 6: Let the brownies cool in the pan before cutting and serving.
Recipe Tips!
- Checking for doneness: These brownies will have a thin, shiny crust on top. They’ll be set at the edges and still look a little fudgy in the middle. When a wooden toothpick is inserted in the center, it should come out with just a few moist crumbs attached. If you bake the brownies until the toothpick comes out clean, the brownies won’t be as moist and fudgy.
- Add-ins: Feel free to stir in add-ins like chopped nuts along with the mini chocolate chips.
Recipe FAQs
These brownies fall somewhere between chewy and fudgy. They have a thin, shiny crust like box mix brownies, but they also have rich chocolate flavor.
You don’t! The vanilla helps to enhance the chocolate flavor, but you can reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon if you prefer.
Storage
I like to store brownies in an airtight container in the refrigerator because it helps to make them chewier and fudgier. It also makes them last a little longer.
If stored in the fridge, the brownies will keep for up to 4 or 5 days. If stored, covered, at room temperature, the brownies will keep 2-3 days.
More brownie recipes!
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Better Than Box Mix Brownie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter melted
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour weighed or properly measured1
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish. Set aside.
- Stir together the butter, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl until well-combined.
- Stir in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended.
- Add the flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a bowl. Stir in until just incorporated.
- Mix in the chocolate morsels.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake 20-35 minutes. The edges should look dry and set, but there should still have fudgy crumbs but not wet batter when a toothpick is inserted in the middle.
- Cool in the pan to room temperature before cutting.
Video
Notes
- To avoid packing in the flour (and ending up with dry brownies), sift or stir the flour. Then lightly spoon it into the measuring cup. Avoid tamping it down or packing it in. Level the flour off with a butter knife.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Originally published 8/26/16.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Sandra says
Excellent!I did add 1/2 tsp baking soda. I used regular size chocolate chips because I didn’t have many and I also sprinkled a few on top before baking
Kate says
Thank you!
Hildy Bornstein-Shapiro says
Wonderful recipe.: comes together easily. Next time I will add pecans to make them even MORE decadent.
Kate says
Thank you!
Hildy Bornstein-Shapiro says
These brownies are the best. They are everything that a brownie should be: ultra-chocolatety, sweet and sinful. I intend to experiment with the recipe and use pecans, or white chocolate bits.
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Jess says
I made these tonight in a 8×8 pan. Super thick, fudgey, rich. I didn’t have any vanilla to add, but it still came out ok. I didn’t have a 13×9 pan so in the future I would make 2 8×8 pans so this would bake faster. I also used dark chocolate chips that were given to me, totally love this recipe, thank you. This is going in the family recipe book!
Kate says
Thank you!
Georgia says
So good, very light and fluffy but also has a good combination of sweet with a hint of saltiness which is really nice, family loved this recipe
Kate says
Thank you!
Sherri says
Delicious! So easy to prepare and tasted much better than the boxed brownie mixes. This will be my go-to recipe when I’m making brownies! Thank you, Kate, for sharing your yummy recipe!
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Alicia says
Delicious!!
Kate says
Thanks!
Natalie says
This looks delicious. I often need to make treats for my senior residents at work and use a half sheet/jelly roll pan. How do I adjust the recipe for the larger pan?
Kate says
Hi! I haven’t tried making the brownies in a jelly roll pan to say for certain. If you’re looking for an easy dessert that fits a jelly roll pan, you might like my Texas sheet cake recipe – https://www.ihearteating.com/lighter-version-of-grandmas-chocolate-sheet-cake/.
Patrice says
I made these with my granddaughters today and they fudgy, chewy and absolutely delicious. Definitely a keeper! Thank you for the recipe.
Kate says
Thank you!
Judy says
I forgot to put salt and used walnuts and regular size chocolate chips , they weren’t very sweet so used a little confectionery sugar on top , it’s a good recipe but I forgot salt and needed more sugar from nuts
Kate says
Hi! If you’d like to make the brownies sweeter next time, you could try using milk chocolate chips instead of the mini semisweet chocolate chips.
Dodge says
Super rich and decadent! Highly recommend sprinkling sea salt on top.
Kate says
Thank you! Adding a sprinkle of sea salt sounds fantastic!
Jennifer says
After making your recipe, I realized there’s no baking soda. The brownies turned out incredibly dense and not great because they contained no leavening agent.
Kate says
Hi! I think there might be some confusion here. Brownies don’t typically contain a leavening agent because they’re meant to be dense and fudgy. The lack of leavening is one of the differences between brownies and cake. There are, however, recipes for cakey brownies that will include a small amount of baking powder or baking soda, but these are not cakey brownies.
Kim Warning says
So easy!! Me and my 3 grandsons made these and they tasted so good 👍 😋
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad that the brownies were a hit!
Dawn B. says
WOW! These came out SUPER fudgy… this might be because it was late, and I couldn’t wait for them to cool, so I popped the lid on the pan and put them outside (it was 24 degrees outside). Fell asleep and got them in the morning. I was afraid I had ruined them. Nope! They are sooooooo good! I wish I could post a photo.
I did add a touch of expresso powder, and I only had Dove chopped up chocolate instead of mini chips.
All in alll… this is going in the family cookbook! THANK YOU!!!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that the brownies were a hit!
Eessa says
Best brownies ever!
Kate says
Thank you!
Alli says
Loved these so much. Best homemade brownies I’ve tried so far!
Kate says
Thank you!
Hallie says
Perfection!! I have never made home made brownies because but I had a late night craving, I didn’t even have enough butter but they came out amazing! I used dark chocolate coco powder and it was delicious! It only took a few min to put together too definitely will be using this recipe again. We served it will some vanilla ice cream ❤️ husband approved
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that the brownies turned out well for you!
Renee says
I’ve made several brownie recipes that were tasty, but had many steps. This recipe was easy and so delicious! My family loved these brownie and I’ll be making another pan soon!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad that the brownies were a hit!
Veronica says
So delicious. I didn’t quite have enough butter so used mayo for the remainder and it was so good. 10/10
Kate says
Thank you!
Katie says
Have you made these as mini muffins? If so, how long should I bake them? Thanks!
Kate says
Hi! I haven’t baked this recipe as mini muffins, but I have a brownie bite recipe – https://www.ihearteating.com/muffin-tin-brownies/. That recipe has directions for making both cupcake and mini cupcake-sized brownies, so that may help with ideas on timing.