Brownie mix boxed brownies can be made even better with any one of these simple ideas. From add ins, to toppings, these brownie ideas are all delicious and perfect for an easy dessert!
Brownies, I love them in all forms. But, I mostly LOVE brownies from a box. In fact, I’ve never tried making brownies from scratch because I’ve never had better brownies than the brownies I’ve made, or the one’s I’ve had that came from a box.
But sometimes I want to add a little somethin’ somethin’ to my box brownies. So after trying a few things out here are some of my favorites and some other ideas I found online that sound equally delicious…
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1. Add chunks of your favorite chocolate candy bar to the mix. Chop up 1 large candy bar into 1 centimeter sized pieces and add them to your brownie mix. My favorites are peanut butter cups for a chocolate peanut butter fix, and milky-way for something caramely. Some other yummy choices, would be peppermint patties, twix, m&ms, almond joy, any of your favorite chocolate candy bars would be delicious!
2. Add vanilla extract to the brownie mix. Add 1 tsp to 1 TBS vanilla when you are mixing all the ingredients together. This will bring out the chocolate flavor, and add a delicious vanilla taste to the brownies!
3. Add chocolate chips to the brownie mix before baking. Try mixing the “chocolate” chips in with the brownie batter. You could add 1 cup of dark, semi sweet, milk, white chocolate, cinnamon, mint or even peanut butter chips. You could also try a mix, like peanut butter and chocolate chips, or mint and white chocolate, etc.
4. Top your brownies with white, chocolate or peanut butter chips after they bake. As soon as the brownies come out of the oven sprinkle chips on liberally, allow them to melt a little and then spread them over the top to create a frosting with them.
5. Add marshmallows to the brownie mix. Stir in 1/2 of a bag of small marshmallows into the prepared brownie batter. You could also wait to add the marshmallow till the brownies are almost done baking. Sprinkle the same amount on top and return the brownies to the oven to finish cooking and allow marshmallows to melt. To make “rocky road” brownies try mixing in the marshmallows and some chopped nuts; almonds, walnuts or pecans.
6. Add chopped nuts to your brownie mix. Chop up some nuts with a knife or a food processor and add them to your mix before baking. Try adding peanut, walnuts, pecans, cashews or almonds. Add 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped nuts depending on your preference.
7. Top the brownies with frosting. After your brownies are done baking, and have cooled a little, add your favorite frosting to the top. Homemade or from a can, either way is a winner. My favorites are plain chocolate or coconut pecan.
8. Add crushed peppermints. Crush peppermint candy canes in a bag with a rolling pin or with a food processor. Add about 1 cup of the crushed candy pieces to the brownie mixture. Try adding 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract for an even stronger mint flavor.
9. Add cookie pieces. Break or chop your favorite cookie into small pieces and add 1 cup of them into the mixture before baking. Oreos, Nutter Butters or Chocolate Chip Cookies are delicious. Try adding whole cookies to your brownies as well. Pour half of the batter, put a layer of cookies and then top with the rest of the batter.
10. Make cheesecake brownies. You’ll need 1 1/2 blocks cream cheese, 1 egg, 1 TBS flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1/2 tsp vanilla for the cheesecake swirl. Go to the cheesecake swirled brownies here for the full recipe.
11. Add caramel syrup to the brownies. After pouring the brownie batter into the pan, pour caramel syrup over the batter. Swirl caramel throughout the batter with a knife. To make “turtle” brownies also add some pecans into the batter.
12. Add 1 can of fruit to the brownie mix. Take your brownie mix, 1 egg and 1 can of fruit with juice (raspberry, cherry, etc) and mix carefully to keep the fruit pieces intact. This eliminates using oil in your brownies and makes them a little lower in fat. You could also try this with a boxed cake mix.
13. Make individual brownie bites. Do this by pouring the batter into a sprayed muffin pan instead of an 8×8 or 9×13 inch pan. Bake for about 15 minutes, checking them closely with a toothpick so they don’t overcook. (Try adding a piece of small candy or a cookie to the middle of the mix in each pan, rolos, kisses, oreos, etc.) Try bite sized brownies in a mini muffin pan.
14. Make brownie cookies. Mix brownie mix with 1 egg (instead of 2), 1/3 cup oil, 2 TBS water, and 1/4 cup of flour. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes until the cookies look set. You could still try adding your favorite mixins to these cookies, chocolate chips, candy bar pieces, etc.
15. Try combining more than one of the suggestions to improve your mix brownies even more. Mix in candy chunks and add frosting. Try adding nuts and chocolate chips. Add cream cheese and fresh fruit.
Ps. Click on pictures for their sources.
What do you do to improve boxed brownies?
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If you like these 15 ideas for jazzing up boxed brownies, then you’ll love these too!
15 More Ways To Jazz Up Boxed Brownies
M. Goetz says
To add a wonderful warm after glow type of heat add 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to mix and prepare as recipe indicates. Then a simple dusting of confectioner sugar for a frosting is great.