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A box brownie mix might be nostalgic and easy but Homemade Brownie Mix is even better. This easy mix makes several sizes of rich, chocolatey, fudgy brownies anytime you want! Keep it in your pantry and you can have brownies whenever you want – no box needed!

jar of brownie mix

Growing up we lived on box brownie mix. No shame in the semi-homemade game, but since I learned how to make my own mixes I’ve stopped buying as many boxes. I love keeping homemade brownie mix in my pantry for when I want a last minute batch of fudgy brownies (especially when I want to make a single serving).

That’s what sets this recipe apart from all the rest: I’ve tested making all different sizes of this recipe: small batch, thick brownies, brownies in a 9×9-inch or 9×13-inch pan, etc. You don’t have to guess at anything: all the instructions are here for you in one place!

Homemade Brownie Mix Video

Four labeled bowls on a white surface display the essential ingredients for homemade brownie mix: one with cocoa powder, one with salt, one with flour, and one with sugar.

4 Ingredient Brownie Mix

  • Cocoa Powder: Use unsweetened cocoa powder for a regular chocolatey brownie. You can also use Dutch Process or Black cocoa for a deeper, darker chocolate flavor.
  • Sugar: Granulated sugar is best, but you can use half and half brown and white sugar if you want. I just don’t recommend using all brown sugar.
  • Flour: This recipe was tested extensively with all-purpose flour. For gluten-free brownies you can use a 1:1 Gluten Free AP Flour substitute.
  • A little salt to cut the sweetness and add depth to the brownie flavor. Salt plus chocolate is heavenly. All desserts need a little salt to balance the flavor.
homemade brownies from brownie mix in a stack of 4

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How to make Brownies from Brownie Mix

When storing or gifting this brownie mix you’ll need to include directions for how to make the brownies and what ingredients to add.

  • Fat: All good brownies need some sort of fat to be rich and fudgy. This recipe has been tested with melted unsalted butter, vegetable oil, and liquid coconut oil, all with success. You could also use canola oil but I don’t recommend olive oil or margarine.
  • Eggs: Did you know that the structure (and often fudgy texture) of brownies comes from the eggs? The whites give stability to the brownies and the yolks add additional fat and richness.
  • A touch of vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste) adds a little depth.
  • Water or Coffee: Box brownie mix has the addition of water, and so does this recipe. However, I suggest adding hot (or room temperature) coffee. The coffee enriches the chocolate flavor (don’t worry, they won’t taste like coffee). Using hot liquid blooms the cocoa which also enriches the flavor.
Three baking pans lined with aluminum foil, each filled with uncut brownies made from homemade brownie mix, sit on a light surface. A bottle with a brown label and white cap is partially visible in the top right corner.

Brownie Mix Pan Sizes

  • A small batch is made with 1 cup of mix and baked in a bread pan. Perfect for when you know you’re going to eat a whole pan of brownies. Think of it as portion control.
  • The medium batch is baked in a 9×9 pan, using 2 cups of mix. I usually prefer 9×9 pan recipes because there are only 3 people in my family.
  • The large batch is baked in a 9×13 pan, using 3 cups of mix.
  • The THICK large batch is baked in a 9×13-inch pan but uses the whole mix so you get thick fudgy brownies.

Dorothy’s Testing Notes & Storing

  • Store brownie mix in a cool, dark place (like a pantry) in an airtight container, bag, or jar, tightly sealed. It will last up to 6 months if stored properly.
  • When stirring sugar into the butter/oil mixture, always stir for 30 seconds. This helps achieve the crackly top you’re used to on a box brownie mix.
4.86 from 41 votes

Homemade Brownie Mix Recipe

This easy mix tastes better than a box mix and you can keep it in your cabinet for whenever a brownie craving hits! Make the brownies in a 9×9 pan or a loaf pan for a smaller serving, or gift a jar of mix to a friend!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 24 servings

Video

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Ingredients

For the Mix:

  • 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (80g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup (124g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For the prepared Brownies (See directions for amounts depending on pan size):

  • Melted unsalted butter, vegetable oil, or liquid coconut oil
  • Large Eggs
  • Water
  • Vanilla Extract

Instructions 

To Make the Mix:

  • Whisk together all mix ingredients in a large bowl. Place in an airtight container or gallon size ziploc bag. Store until ready to make brownies.
  • You can also gift this brownie mix in a large jar. Just attach directions as written below!

To Make a Loaf Pan of Brownies:

  • Mix 1 cup of Brownie Mix with 1/4 cup melted butter (or you can use vegetable oil, or liquid coconut oil), 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 1/2 teaspoons water. Spread in a loaf pan (4×8 or 9×5) that’s been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for about 12-15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out 1” from the edge of the pan with only a few crumbs. Cool before slicing into squares.

To Make a 9×9-inch Pan of Brownies:

  • Mix 2 cups of Brownie Mix with 1/2 cup melted butter (or you can use vegetable oil, or liquid coconut oil), 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 tablespoon water. Spread in a 9×9” pan that’s been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for about 20-24 minutes, until a toothpick comes out 1” from the edge of the pan with only a few crumbs. Cool before slicing into squares.

Thin 9×13-inch pan Brownies:

  • Mix 3 cups mix, ¾ cup vegetable oil liquid coconut oil, or melted butter, 3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1½ tablespoons water. Spread in a 9×13-in pan that’s been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for about 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out 1” from the edge of the pan with only a few crumbs. Cool before slicing into squares.

Thick 9×13-inch pan Brownies:

  • Mix entire mix, 1 cup vegetable oil liquid coconut oil, or melted butter, 4 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons water. Spread in a 9×13-in pan that’s been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for about 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick comes out 1” from the edge of the pan with only a few crumbs. Cool before slicing into squares.

Notes

Add your favorite mix-ins (nuts, candy, chocolate chips):
  • 1/4 cup for loaf pan
  • 1/2 cup for 9×9 pan
  • 1 cup for 9×13 pan

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 92kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 49mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Mix-In Ideas for Brownies

Plain brownies are my favorite – just pure chocolatey fudgy heaven. But if you like to add crunch to your brownies you definitely can. Depending on pan size, add approx 1/4 cup to 1 cup of add-ins. Here are some ideas:

  • Chopped Oreos make delicious Oreo Brownies
  • M&M Brownies with any kind of M&Ms
  • We love making ultimate Reese’s brownies by adding peanut butter cups and Reese’s Pieces.
  • Walnut Brownies (or use pecans)
  • You can also bake these in muffin pans to make brownie bites.

Favorite Brownie Recipes

Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

4.86 from 41 votes (33 ratings without comment)

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162 Comments

  1. I have to admit, just like all of the others, this sounds SO good! The pictures………ooooohh! It looks sinfully good! Unfortunately, there was not one comment that said I’ve tried it and……. Has anyone put this together and had the same to say? I do hope you’re getting ahead of your issues with vertigo. Thank you for spending the time & coming up with this recipe 😉

    1. Yes there were a few commenters that tried it, I believe. And I’ve gotten a few emails too!

  2. I am SO psyched to have found this, was thinking of doing a food gift as a takeaway for an upcoming celebration – this will work perfectly!!!

  3. My grandmother had a recipe for brownie mix that you could store in your pantry, but it also could be used to make chocolate syrup, hot fudge as well as brownies. All you had to do was adjust the fresh/wet ingredients and you turned out a different result! I remember she used to have it stored in paper grocery bags and it was like heaven when she pulled that out. Sadly the recipe is long gone with her passing. Would you care to take up the challenge of making hot fudge out of your brownie mix? Pretty please??? 🙂

    I can’t wait to try this at home, I’m sure my son will love it. Mahalo!

    1. What a great idea! I’ll have to try that. I wonder if your grandmother’s mix had flour in it? I’ve never heard of flour in a hot fudge, but maybe just adding water would make it that thick texture. I have some mix, I’ll play with it! I was already planning to test it for cookies and gooey bars too! 🙂

  4. I LOVE IT! I am saving this recipe to try soon. I hope you’ll stop by and share it and/or any of your other delicoius recipe at my recipe link party, The Yuck Stops Here starting Tuesday evening at 8pm ET. You can find it on my blog, Hot Momma’s Kitchen Chaos at http://mommasangelbaby (dot) com. I hope to see you there! And thanks again for this yummy recipe! HUGS

  5. Hi, you might of said this already but do you know how long the mix will last in a container? They look delicious, can’t wait to try them. Thank you for making it look so easy!

    1. I’m not sure exactly, but I would assume at least a month or more. None of the mix ingredients go bad, so just make sure to keep it in an airtight container!