This post may contain affiliate links meaning if you buy from them, I will make a few pennies, at no cost to you. See disclosure here.
“Better Than Box Mix” Chocolate Brownies really are better than the box! Why make a box mix brownies when I’ll bet you have everything on hand to make these?
Better than Box Brownies
The other night, after we finished our bourbon chicken, I wanted dessert. I checked the cupboard for a brownie mix but I didn’t have any.
I glanced over this recipe I had pinned last month, realized how simple it was, and decided to give it a shot. I’m really glad I did.
I had never made chocolate brownies from scratch but I’ll never go back now.
Now all my brownies are homemade – coconut oil brownies, simple chocolate brownies, zucchini brownies, cream cheese brownies.
These are best brownies I have ever tasted!
– Karen
Why Choose This Chocolate Brownies Recipe?
This recipe is so simple & really good. They’re very dense and chocolaty and even better when served warm topped with vanilla ice cream.
You probably have all the ingredients on hand so you should give it a shot, you’ll be happy you did. It is just as simple as that.
What other reason do you need to make our chocolate brownies?
✨ The dark chocolate version shown below was made with black cocoa powder. It gives a really dark, delicious chocolate flavor that I highly recommend (if you’re a dark chocolate lover!).
Both photos shown are the same recipe, just different cocoa powder.
Equipment you’ll need
- 9 x 13 baking dish WITH LID
- Hand mixer
- Brownie spatula that happens to be really cute
Better than Box Brownies Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card.
- Butter – I use salted butter but unsalted will work just as well.
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar. This recipe calls for a lot of it, but they’re a treat.
- Eggs – Large eggs, at room temperature.
- Cocoa Powder – Unsweetened cocoa powder. Some people question the amount but it’s not a typo, they really need all that cocoa powder. If you want dark chocolate, use black cocoa powder.
- Salt – For balance and to amplify the chocolate flavor.
- Baking Powder – For rise.
- Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract (not imitation) for the best flavor.
- Flour – All purpose white flour is all I’ve tested with.
- Chocolate Chips – An optional mix-in, but I find them required. I use Ghirardelli baking chips because they’re my favorite. Adding chocolate chips to the batter also helps create the shiny, crinkly brownie crust.
How To Serve These Chocolate Brownies
This recipe for chocolate brownies makes what would be a “family size” of the box mix – a 9×13 pan, which is about 15-18 good sized brownies. That means you don’t have to fight anyone for your serving.
It also means if you are careful, you can sneak a few out of the pan to save for later before anyone sees them!
I recommend serving by themselves, or as a brownie sundae with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of hot fudge on top!
Don’t forget a few extra chocolate sprinkles or chocolate chips!
Can I freeze them?
Yes, they will freeze well. Individually wrap the brownies in plastic wrap or foil and place in a freezer bag. Press out any air and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When ready to enjoy, move the brownie to the counter and let thaw at room temperature.
Want to try more brownie recipes? Try these:
- Simple Dark Chocolate Brownies (this makes a small batch – my favorite!)
- Pretzel Crusted Brownies
- Peanut Butter Brownies
Click here to view my entire collection of bars and brownies.
Chocolate Brownies are one of the most iconic desserts of all time. Using this simple but delicious recipe is ideal. Especially if you are like me and don’t always plan for dessert.
Keep ingredients on hand for this recipe and you’ll never be stuck without a chocolate fix when you need it!
Better Than Box Mix Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) salted butter
- 2 cups (396 g) granulated white sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups (105 g) unsweetened cocoa powder or black cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) all purpose flour
- 1 cup (280 g) chocolate chips I use Ghiradelli baking chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Line a 9×13 baking dish parchment paper, allowing it to hang over the edges. Spray with non-stick spray and set aside.
- In a small pot, melt butter over medium low heat. Once completely melted, add in the sugar and stir together. Continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, stirring continually, until the sugar has dissolved. Don’t let the mixture boil.1 cup salted butter, 2 cups granulated white sugar
- Pour the butter/sugar mixture into a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer bowl).
- In another mixing bowl, while the butter mixture is cooling, add the eggs, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed until fully incorporated, approximately 1 minute.4 large eggs, 1 ¼ cups unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon vanilla
- Pour the egg mixture into the butter mixture and stir to combine.
- Stir in the flour and chocolate chips until evenly distributed.1 ½ cups all purpose flour, 1 cup chocolate chips
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
- Once cool, lift the brownies out of the pan using the parchment overhang and cut into squares.
- Store in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag me on Instagram @melissa_pplates so I can see!Photos updated October 12, 2016
Really great brownies! Will make this again! Thank you for sharing.
💗💗
This is my go to brownie recipe! We love it and I make it again and again!
❤️❤️
To me, these are the best brownies I’ve ever had. I don’t use boxed anything so I love these.
Best recipe of brownies ever! thanks for sharing Melissa, greetings from Costa rica
So fun – thank you for reporting back!
These brownies are AMAZING! I will definitely make them again!
Yay, thanks Sharon!
I made these and they’re good but not as moist as I would like. Tips on how to possibly make them more moist?
They are a very dense brownie. You can underbake them just a bit to keep them gooier or check out my coconut oil brownies, they’re very moist 🙂 https://www.persnicketyplates.com/coconut-oil-dark-chocolate-brownies/
Thanks for sharing this recipe. It was a hit with my family. My only deviation was adding a tablespoon of instant coffee. The brownies were just yummy!
Ooh, good addition!
Unfortunately we did not like these at all. They were very dense and dry… Definitely more cake like than brownies. Maybe you should describe them as a more dense brownie?
I do describe them as “dense & chocolatey” if you read the post 🙂 Mine have never been dry. Try this one next time for gooier https://www.persnicketyplates.com/simple-dark-chocolate-brownies/
Made these last night. I had a really bad day and Needed Chocolate. So glad I chose this recipe.
All I can say is these are fantastic.
So glad these helped your day & I hope today is going better =)
These are AMAZING. I’ve been looking for a brownie recipe for years and have never found one that I like. These are super easy to make and absolutely delicious!! I added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1 Tbsp of instant coffee granules and WOW. Thank you!
yay =) Thanks for reporting back!
Is the batter supposed to be extremely thick?
Yes, it’s a fairly thick batter. I wouldn’t say extremely.
Found these on Pinterest, really good.
Just finished making these!They smell absolutely devine😀.Can’t wait until they cool down enough to try.Thank you so much for the recipe!
Made these today! They were super easy and my family loved them. I heard a little tip that I’ll share. If you use a plastic knife to cut your brownies, it’s nice and clean. 😃
Yep, I use that tip! I should include it in the post 🙂
I make these in my brownie pan that makes little squares. My kids LOVE them! Perfect for camping. Thanks for sharing 😊
Good idea! I’m glad you like them!
Tried this so yummy. I add a few almonds for texture.
They turned out perfect! I used M’n’ms instead of chocolate chips and it worked just the same. I am addicted to the flakey too and gooey chocolate inside!
I”m so happy to hear that! The flaky crust is my favorite, too!
Great brownies! I turned the oven off for the last 5 minutes and it made them soft/chewy! Will definitely make again!
Thank you!
I’m not sure why I followed the recipe exactly and I had to leave them in way longer then 30 minutes like around 45 minutes because I would stick a fork in there and they were not done. They are really really rich and do not taste like the box brownies at all, is that normal ? It is also really dark because of all the Coco powder is that normal? People say it’s gooey but mine isn’t. Maybe it’s because I didn’t have a mixer I used a hand mixer/beater.
Hi Stephanie – it’s hard to troubleshoot what went wrong when I’m not in the kitchen with you. They’re not supposed to taste like the box – they’re better 😉 They’re likely not gooey because it sounds like you overbaked them. A fork isn’t the best tester – try to use a toothpick or a thin, sharp knife next time.
This recipe is sooo good!!! DEFINITELY way better than boxed brownies
Thanks, Megan! So happy you like them.