Have a craving for brownies but don't have brownie mix or the ingredients for from-scratch brownies? Grab a box of chocolate cake mix and just a couple other ingredients and you can make the most delicious and fudgy Cake Mix Brownies!
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Do you ever get that feeling that you'd do absolutely anything for a batch of rich, chocolatey brownies??
If you have a box of brownie mix or all the ingredients in stock to make from-scratch brownies, you're in luck. But if you don't? Well, there's still a chance you might not be out of luck.
After all, these cake mix brownies simply require a box of chocolate cake mix and just two other ingredients.
🍰 Can you make brownies with cake mix?
You sure can! And don't worry; they don't have to be dense cake-y brownies either. You can make an absolutely perfect fudgy brownie that's so delicious nobody will ever guess it was made with cake mix.
There are a few keys to making the perfect cake mix brownies:
- Dark chocolate cake mix is best: I like to use a dark chocolate or devil's food cake mix for my brownies as that will make the richest, fudgiest browines.
- Use oil and eggs and omit water: you want to use ingredients that are going to add moisture without diluting the flavor of the brownies or making the batter too thin, which will result in a light cake-like brownie. That's why we use vegetable oil and eggs in this recipe.
- Add chocolate chips: the chocolate chips in this recipe are optional, but I highly recommend them as they add even more fudge-like chocolate bliss to the brownies.
- Don't over-mix: I always say you should mix your batters until "just combined." Over-mixing brownie batter (and cake and cookie batter, too) can make the resulting baked good dense and not fudgy and chewy like you want a brownie to be!
- Undercook the brownies a bit: I also highly recommend underbaking the brownies a bit. Whereas I'd recommend baking a cake in an 8-inch pan for about 26 minutes, when baking brownies with cake mix, I bake them for 20-22 minutes. That leaves them incredibly chocolatey and fudgy!
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
If you have a box of chocolate cake mix instead of brownie mix, this recipe still lets you get your brownie fix!
You'll love it because the brownies are incredibly easy to make with just a few simple ingredients. And they taste just like homemade brownies.
Whether you have a chocolate craving or you nee a quick dessert to bring to a party or gathering, these cake mix brownies will be perfect.
And if you love this easy recipe, you should check out all my recipes using boxed mix!
🗒 Ingredients
Here's what you need to make brownies with cake mix (be sure to view the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions):
- 15.25 oz box of cake mix: I recommend chocolate, of course, but you can really use any flavor you like
- Vegetable oil
- Large eggs
- Chocolate chips: these are optional but, highly recommended
🧁 What brand cake mix to use
You can use the cake mix of your choice, but they may all perform a little bit differently. I've made these brownies with both Duncan Hines's Devil's Food and Betty Crocker's Super Moist Triple Chocolate Fudge.
This recipe does use a 15.25 oz. box of cake mix, but on the recipe card, I'll share with you an alteration to make if your box is 13.25 oz.
🥣 How to make cake mix brownies
Really, you make these brownies just like you would if you had a box of brownie mix, with a few tweaks in the ingredient amounts!
Start by pre-heating your oven to 350 degrees and lightly greasing an 8x8" pan with oil, butter, or cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, egg yolk, and vegetable oil.
Stir to combine, until the batter is just blended together. Be careful not to over-mix.
Fold in chocolate chips if using.
Spread batter into prepared pan.
And bake for 20-23 minutes, until the center of the brownies no longer jiggle and the brownies are just set to the touch.
Be careful not to over-cook brownies.
Let cool slightly before slicing the brownies into squares.
You really should let them cool completely, but I cannot resist a warm, just-out-of-the-oven brownie, so I have to dig in after waiting just a couple minutes.
And check out that awesome fudginess! Don't these baked goods look way more like brownies than they do cake?
That's thanks to the fabulously rich ingredient mix-ins and undercooking the brownies to keep that cakiness away.
Because all good brownies should be rich, fudgy, and packed with chocolate.
And no, they don't need to be baked from scratch or with a box of brownie mix to be just that!
⏲️ How to store
Once cake mix brownies are cooled and sliced, I recommend storing them in an airtight container at room temperature.
When stored properly, they should keep fresh for about 3-4 days.
If you prefer to freeze the brownies, I recommend individually wrapping each brownie in plastic wrap (or you can wrap the entire batch of brownies before slicing) and store in an airtight container or large freezer-safe bag.
Brownies should stay fresh in the freezer for 2-3 months. Let thaw in fridge or at room temperature before enjoying.
🎉 Variations on recipe
As you can see, these brownies are quite simple made with a standard chocolate cake mix and a few other ingredients. But there's so much you can do to add even more fun to this dessert!
Here are a few ideas:
- Use the cake mix flavor of your choice for all different kinds of brownies: some fun ones include funfetti cake, red velvet cake, yellow cake, strawberry cake, carrot cake, and lemon cake. Of course, some will result in blondies more than brownies, but any flavor would be delicious!
- Add the baking chips of your choice: I use semisweet chocolate chips in mine, but you can use dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter, butterscotch chips, or mint chips.
- Add nuts: I especially like walnuts and pecans in my brownies.
- Add flavor extracts: feel free to add vanilla extract, mint extract, almond extract, or the flavor of your choice to the brownie batter.
- Add espresso powder: coffee can help enhance the chocolate flavor even more.
- Swirl in more flavors: swirl caramel, peanut butter, or Nutella into the brownie batter to create visually-appealing and tasty flavor swirls.
- Sprinkle salt over the brownie batter before baking.
- Frost the brownies: since the brownies are a bit undercooked, they're a little more delicate than the typical brownie, so you'll have to take care to be gentle, but the brownies would be delicious with a layer of chocolate frosting over the top.
🎂 More cake mix recipes
Did you know there are a lot of different desserts (and breakfasts!) you can make with a box of cake mix? Here are some of my favorite cake mix recipes:
These Texas Sheet Cake Cookies also look SO delicious!
I sincerely hope that this cake mix brownie recipe made your day a little brighter and a lot more chocolatey.
And now that you know you can make brownies with cake mix, you can see these incredible cookies you can make with brownie mix.
No matter what kind of boxed mix you have in your pantry, I can help you turn it into a whole new dessert!
📖 Recipe
Cake Mix Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 oz box cake mix (I recommend a dark chocolate mix, but you can use any you like)
- ½ cup vegetable oil (like canola oil)
- 2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
- ¾ cup chocolate chips, optional but highly recommended
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease an 8x8 baking dish with butter, oil, or cooking spray.
- Put cake mix in a large bowl. Add vegetable oil and eggs and egg yolk and using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir until just combined, taking care not to over-mix.
- Fold in chocolate chips, if using.
- Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 20-23 minutes, until the center of the brownies in the pan is no longer jiggly and is just set to the touch. Be careful not to over-cook brownies.
- Let brownies completely cool slightly before cutting.
Notes
- If your cake mix is 13.25 oz, use 1 Tbsp less of vegetable oil.
- Brownies will keep for about 3–4 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
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