One of my favorite make at home convenient foods is brownie mixes. I always keep them on hand to use for a fast dessert.
Store bought brownie mixes have a distinct texture that my family loves. This homemade brownie mix is very close to the real thing that you buy in a box at the store. In fact, my family loves these more than those boxed mixes.
I have several recipes for homemade brownies that we love, but they are homemade and take a little bit of time to make. Having a homemade mix on hand saves so much time when I need a really quick dessert.
You can make this as you use it, or you can make quite a few batches and place in jars or Ziploc bags. You can also layer this nicely in a jar to give as a gift. I like to make up several batches of mixes and place them in jars. Then, I have them ready to use anytime I need or want a brownie mix. It is healthier and cheaper than a store bought brownie mix.
I also have a gluten free version that we love. If you are gluten free or know someone that is be sure to try out my homemade gluten free brownie mix.
Homemade Brownie Mix Recipe
Skip the box and make brownies at home.
Ingredients
For Mix
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups white sugar
For Serving
- 1 cup melted butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Mix ingredients together and place in a jar or container.
- When you are ready to make brownies pour ingredients from the jar into a bowl.
- Mix until well combined.
- Grease a 9x13 pan.
- Spread batter evenly and bake at 350 for 22-25 minutes or until done.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
15Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 280Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 286mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 1gSugar: 27gProtein: 3g
Nutritional values are approximate and aren't always accurate.
Sounds yummy! I am trying to do the same thing. And, don’t you love your label maker?
Yes, I love my label maker. My husband bought it for his office but I think I use it more then he does. I love it for items like this. I just label the jar and I always have the directions right there. I just keep refilling the same few jars.
sounds delish!! i’m craving brownies now!
I love brownies!! I think I will go mix up a batch. Thanks for the yummy looking recipe!
That is such a great idea! Thanks so much for sharing it – I’ll have to give it a try.
I can’t wait to try this out! It sounds delicious, and easy to have on hand!
What a wonderful idea. Thanks for sharing this. I, too, am trying to make more things from scratch and will certainly give this a try.
Susan
Should I assume that you bake these at 350 degrees?
I will have to try your recipe soon! Have you ever added mini chocolate chips? Yum!
Yes, sorry Lizzie you should bake them at 350 it is written on the jar in the picture but not in the recipe. I need to fix that. 🙂
I tried these they were such a hit. Thanks soooooo much. From now on this is going to be my adopted brownies recipe 🙂
I printed out your brownie mix recipe more than a year ago, Lynn, and just now got around to making them. Boy, were they delicious! I think I’ve found my go-to brownie mix recipe. Thanks so much for sharing (and thank your sister for me, too :))
Hi Lynn!
I have adapted your recipe a while ago, even people asked me for the recipe & ha to share. & all I can say is that it’s the best brownies ever. Not too sweet not too chocolaty. Now I’m planning to bake them & post it to my blog. Would you mind if I linked to your blog? a little something to say thank you 🙂
@lovefrom1stbite, I am so glad that you love these. As long as you link to me, I don’t mind at all. I love it when people use and love my recipes.
Hi Lynn,
I hope you don’t mind, I linked to your brownie mix recipe today. It is so yummy! Thanks for sharing. Here’s the link: https://queenofthecastlerecipes.blogspot.com/2010/03/homemade-brownie-mix.html
@lynn, No, that is fine. I am glad that you liked them. Those are great.
Fantastic idea – I use the box brownie occasionally when I am in a hurry to make something for the kids but I hate reading the list of all the additives in there. This is a brilliant compromise though and I’ll be trying this!
.-= Nicola´s last blog ..Rustic Fish Soup =-.
I will totally be doing this!! Thanks:)
@Hope Mueller, It fits in a quart jar. Ziplock bags work too, but they are not nearly as pretty. 🙂
I just tried this recipe, and while the brownies taste wonderful(!), they are too gooey, as in they are pretty much too gooey to cut into bars. I did use real butter, but I think that’s what I was supposed to do. I am at high altitude, so I did add a little additional flour and reduced the baking powder a little, which is typical for baking here, because otherwise things rise too quickly and then fall. It’s as though I need to add a bit more flour, but I don’t want to turn it into a cake-like recipe. Any thoughts as to an adjustment? I loved the taste of these, so I would really like to figure out how to adjust it for baking here. I realize you are busy and may not have time, but just wanted to ask if you had any thoughts. Thank you!
@Sheila, I have never cooked at high altitude, but I have a friend that has. I will see if she has any thoughts and let you know.
@Sheila, When I asked my friend who lives in CO about baking brownies at high altitude, she decided to turn it into a guest post of me. I hope this helps you. Thanks for asking a great question. https://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2010/11/adjusting-homemade-brownies-for-high-altitude.html
Do you think this would work using canola oil to cut down the cost and maybe half applesauce to cut down on the fat?
@Noelle, I think that it will change the texture. You might try 1/2 oil and 1/2 butter. Some applesauce may work , but again it might change the texture.
This is a great idea. Thanks for sharing. We love brownies but sometimes I don’t have a mix.
I am having a link party this week featuring mixes you can make your self. I would love it if you would link up.
https://cookingwithmyfoodstorage.blogspot.com/2011/03/make-your-own-mix-magic-mix-and-link.html
I keep a jar of this mix on hand. We’ve made it multiple times & it is always a hit with the ones we share it with! It is very handy to have the dry ingredients already mixed.
I am so glad I found this! I linked from the Eat Well, Spend Less series on homemade staples. I too love the TEXTURE of boxed brownie mix, but really want to stay away from the weird ingredients. I’ve tried several homemade recipes and just can’t find one with the right texture. It’s such a let down to take the time to prepare, smell them baking, then not get the anticipated texture. Monday is kitchen day and we will be trying these for sure, thanks!
I love choc. and I have not tried your brownies yet….but with every brownie I add choc. chips to the mix…Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks and God Bless you and your family:)
Hi Lynn,
Thanks for this recipie. My only problem is that I’m not sure how much of the premade mix i am to use with the wet ingredients. Do I use 1 cup? 1 1/2 cups? Could you please help me out. 🙂 Thanks.
The above recipe makes one 9×13. So, all the dry ingredients and all the wet ingredients. I usually just make the right amount for a 9×13 pan in one jar or container and make up several containers. I have never made a huge batch in one large container and measured out how much each batch needs. You could easily do that though by just measuring out the dry ingredients for one batch. I hope that helps and makes sense.
I doubled this recipe and baked on a large cookie sheet. They turned out great. I used a heart shaped cookie cutter and cut them out for my preschoolers at church. They were a hit. I am going to try dropping them like cookies and put powdered sugar on them. Thanks for this great recipe.
That is a great idea and perfect for a group of kids! Thanks for sharing what you did.
Have you experimented with Applesauce instead of eggs as the binder? I love the idea and recipe, but it seems like a lot of eggs for one pan of brownies, the applesauce might cut down on how many eggs will have to be used and be healthier. I am planning on making some big batches of this (probably giving it as christmas gifts) and would like to know in your’ test’ kitchen if the applesauce works! I have heard you are going to be doing a lot more mixes, I am eager to follow those….thanks!
I have not used applesauce in place of the eggs. I have had readers tell me they use applesauce in place of some of the fat, but that makes it more cake like, not a fudgy brownie. I really think the butter and egg in this is what makes it a fudgy box like brownie. And yes I have a post planned for next month on how I do homemade mixes.
can i use cannabutter ? 🙂
Hi- I halfed your recipe and baked in a large mini muffin pan at 350 for 10 minutes. The kids & I thought they were great- not too gooey at all in the mini pan & a good taste too.
How many servings do you think you can get out of your recipe?
Wow! I tried this recipe tonight and am impressed. This is the best recipe I’ve tried yet for a brownie mix. I substituted powdered eggs for the fresh eggs and it still turned out great. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks! I am so glad that you enjoyed it.
by white sugar, do you mean confectioners or just normal white sugar?
Regular white sugar, not powdered or confectioners sugar. I hope that helps.
Have you tried this recipe with whole wheat flour instead of white flour?
I have tried it would part whole wheat and it works well.
I tried this tonight and they were AMAZING! So much better than store bought. Also, instead of butter, I used Blue Bonnet Light Margerine in a tub and it tasted wonderful 🙂 Thanks for the recipe. I already have another batch of mix made up to give to my mom when I go visit.
Thanks, I am really glad that you enjoyed them!
These were great! I gave one mix away as a hostess gift in a mason jar with some decoritive ribbon hot glued on the lip and the she loved it! Such a great idea 🙂 thank you!
I am glad you enjoyed it!
Lynn…..I made these brownies tonight. I added some chocolate chips to the batter. I will never make from box brownies again. My husband and I fell in love with these brownies!! Thanks for the easy recipe. 🙂
https://bonzblogz.blogspot.com/2013/03/homemade-brownies-with-chocolate-chips.html#
Have you used whole wheat flour, almond milk and melted coconut oil instead of butter?
I have used whole wheat flour and it works, but I have not tried almond milk or coconut oil. I think they would probably work though. I would love to hear how it works if you try it.
Do you know if you can use self rising flour and leave off the baking soda and salt?
I have never tried it, but I am guessing it might work fine.
Do you have the Gluten Free version of this homemade brownie mix? I love all your GF recipes. Keep them coming, PLEASE!!!!!
Yes, I do. It was a recipe I converted to gf early on when I was still figuring things out, but it is really good. The measurements are a little odd though, so I need to update them a little because the 1 1/2 teaspoons don’t really do that much. 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!
Is this recipe supposed to include water? The batter was more like a greasy dough. I triple checked that I measured everything properly. Could it be that I bake by weight? They absolutely did not bake well at all and have a horrible texture. I can’t figure out what happened. Here’s a picture of my brownie failure. https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/430252_10151419385558507_267952016_n.jpg
I am not sure what happened. I have made this recipe many times and so have a lot of readers. Did you convert my amounts to weights? Is that what you mean?
Yes, I did convert it to weights. I wonder if I ended up with more dry ingredients that way. I’ve noticed it tends to be that way with many of the things that I bake now that I use weights instead of measures. What I use by weight always looks like more than what I’d expect the measured amount to be.
Thanks, much for this. I made it in bulk times 6 how much should I use per batch? Just 1 1/4 cups then add the wet ingredients? Silly question I know, hopefully I’m not wasting your time 🙂
If you add up the dry ingredients I believe it is just under 4 cups and it fills a 4 cup jar, so the amount per batch is right about 4 cups. I hope that helps.
OMGosh!!! This is so good and really does taste like those yummy boxed brownie mixes. My son couldn’t believe I made it, so I made him watch me make the second batch…lol. I posted about and linked your site on my new Pinterest adventures blog….hope it’s okay. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Made these tonight using the Dark Cocoa powder and added some nuts, wow, they are GREAT! Family says I am not to buy box mixes again. I wonder if I could cook the mix in an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 for a thicker brownie. BTW, you say cook till done, maybe you can clarify how you test the brownies to see if they are done, remember there are a lot of new cooks out there that don’t understand the lingo or the standard tests for doneness of foods.
Great recipe! I’m thinking about making these tonight! But about how many brownies will this make?
These are the best brownies yet. They are really easy to make, and they are delish! 🙂
I would really recommend this to others.
This sounds like what I have been looking for! Going to make them today!
Thank you. Do you put icing on yours? Do oypo have a good icing recipe?
I don’t put icing on them, but you can easily put some chocolate chips on it for the same basic idea. During the last couple minutes of cooking sprinkle some chocolate chips on top. When it comes out of the oven take a knife and spread the melted chips around. I love to do that with brownies to change them up a little!
This brownie mix is sooooo salty. I cant believe you said to put 1 TEASPOON of salt. That should’ve been cut in half! This was the worst brownie mix I’ve ever tried. Im posting this on facebook and im gonna tell all my friends how terrible it was!
I am sorry that you were disappointed in it. I have been making this for years and we have not had an issue with it being too salt. You could easily cut back the salt if you felt like it was too much. I am sorry you feel the need to post on Facebook how terrible it was. It really is a recipe that my sisters and I have made many times. I am so sorry that you did not like it.
So glad to find this recipe. The last store bought Brownie mix was an eye opener. Made the brownie and had to leave town for awhile forgot to cover brownies. After sitting there for all the time no mold no nothing just hard as a brick. Maybe to many preservatives? Never again.
Thanks,
Shelia
Is baking powder same as baking soda?
No they are different.
Hi,
I think this is a nice and simple recipe. However, when I tried to make it I got confused and thought one cup = 1 stick of butter. So the brownies came out more like the consistency of cookies. I think it would be helpful to write on the side, 1 cup melted butter or 2 sticks.
What size jar does one batch fit in?
A quart sized jar.