Nothing compares to baking a pan of homemade brownies for a loved one. There's something magical about combining the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and eggs and presenting the finished product with a flourish of smiles. However, we all can't be bothered to lock ourselves up in the kitchen for hours to whip up a fudge brownie recipe on the fly. We are busier than ever and sometimes you just have to reach for help from Pillsbury or Betty Crocker.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Yes, that's right, I'm talking about boxed brownie mixes. Back in the 1960's General Foods, General Mills and Pillsbury created the boxed brownie mix providing homemakers with a delicious chocolatey treat only minutes away. Whether you like your brownie batter cakey or fudgy, there's nothing like taking a bite out of a warm brownie. And what's better than adding a few special ingredients to your box mix and making it totally unique?
Here are seven different ways to elevate your boxed brownie batter. Your friends will never know it came out of a box.
1. Add Your Favorite Candy Bars
View this post on Instagram
Turn your fudge brownie mix into a completely different dessert with a few sprinklings of your favorite candy bar. Add a bit of peanut butter flavor with chopped up Reese's or bump up the chocolate flavor with broken up Hershey Bars.
2. Frost Your Brownies
Bake your brownies according to the package and once cooled, top with your favorite frosting or icing. Cream cheese icing is always a good choice as well as a dark chocolate frosting.
3. Replace the Water with Coffee
View this post on Instagram
When preparing your boxed mix, substitute the water for freshly brewed coffee. The bitterness of the coffee will bring out the dark chocolate in most baking mixes. And who doesn't love the combination of coffee and chocolate?
4. Add Espresso Powder
If you really want to add a punch to your box brownie mix, add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder. Just like the coffee, the espresso will bring out the complexity of the chocolate.
5. Underbake
View this post on Instagram
If you have nothing in your pantry to add, take away the last few minutes in the oven if you want your brownies to be extra fudgy and chewy. This tip is for people who do not like cakelike brownies.
6. Add an Extract
Flavor it up with a dash of vanilla extract or even peppermint extract for mint brownies. The sky is the limit.
7. Make it Nutty
View this post on Instagram
Brownies with nuts is a classic, so why not add a few to your brownie batter? Mix brownies according to the package and gently fold in walnuts, pecans or even peanuts and pour into the prepared pan.
