20 Recipes That Start With Boxed Brownie Mix

June 16, 2020
No offense to the from-scratch stuff, but boxed brownie mix is one of the best ingredients that'll ever grace your pantry. Plus, nobody said you ever have to stop at just using boxed brownie mix to make brownies. Just like boxed cake mix, boxed brownie mix is an incredibly versatile (and delicious) ingredient that can be used as a building block in various cookies, cakes, dessert bars, and other treats.
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Baileys Irish Cream Brownies

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Styling: Christina Daley; Food Styling: Karen Rankin and Melissa Gray
Baileys Irish Cream Brownies Recipe

Our Baileys Irish Cream Brownies are fudgy, rich, and chocolatey with great notes of coffee and espresso throughout—so, in short, super indulgent. Nobody has to know that the first ingredient is a box of brownie mix! The Baileys buttercream we made is melt-in-your-mouth fluffy and has a gentle, yet luxurious coffee cream flavor that shouldn’t just be paired with brownies. Then, the chopped espresso beans added at the end provide an excellent crunch. Doctoring up a box mix is a great way to save time and energy, and stirring in luxurious ingredients like mini chocolate chips and espresso powder give them a homemade feel. We used Ghiradelli brownie mix, but feel free to use your favorite. We found the chocolate-covered espresso beans at a local grocery store—just check the candy aisle. These would be great with a cup of coffee or Irish coffee.

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Girl Scout Cookie Layer Bars

Time Inc. Video Studio
Girl Scout Cookie Layer Bars Recipe

Why pick one Girl Scout Cookie when you can have them all… in one epic dessert bar. This decadent amalgamation of Girl Scout Cookies—featuring Trefoils, Samoas, Do-si-dos, and Tagalongs—is the perfect recipe for anyone who simply can’t say no to any scout who asks. Go ahead; generosity earns you extra indulgence points, everyone knows that. 

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Waffled Cookie Brownies

Time Inc. Video Studios
Waffled Cookie Brownies Recipe

Why choose between a waffle, a cookie, and a brownie, when you can have the best of all three? This recipe is great for kids who aren’t quite ready to cook using the stovetop or oven. Try it with different baking mixes and cookie combos to create your ultimate dessert. 

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Instant Pot Peppermint Brownie Cake

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Prop Stylist: Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland; Food Stylist: Karen Rankin
Instant Pot Peppermint Brownie Cake Recipe

This festive cake will make you smile. The tiny pieces of peppermint candy offer a delightful crunch that plays well with the gooey chocolate, while their red and white colors look beautiful against the deep, dark chocolate. 

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German Chocolate Brownies

Annie Campbell
German Chocolate Brownies Recipe

This recipe is a combination of my nana’s greatest hits—brownies and German chocolate cake. The fudgy brownies allow the frosting’s coconut flavor to shine and are decadent without overwhelming the palate. We used a 9x13” baking pan, which yielded thinner brownies and a more even distribution of both the brownies and the frosting’s flavor. It’s definitely possible in an 8” or 9” square pan, which will give you thicker brownies and globs of frosting. In that case, you’ll need to use a fork. 

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Hamburger Cupcakes

Photo: LindsayRenee11
Hamburger Cupcakes Recipe

These cupcakes are fun, fairly easy to make, an great for cookouts and celebrations!

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Brownie Trifle

Photo: Will Dickey; Styling: Cari South
Brownie Trifle Recipe
Trifles are an easy fix to providing an elegant and rich dessert for your family or when entertaining. Southern Living's brownie trifle recipe uses boxed brownie mix and pudding to make this recipe quick to prepare but loaded with chocolaty goodness!

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Fudgy Toffee-Crunch Brownies

Oxmoor House
Fudgy Toffee-Crunch Brownies Recipe
No one will detect that these decadent brownies start with a mix.

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Brownie-Berry Blast

Oxmoor House
Brownie-Berry Blast Recipe
Freezing the raspberries before folding them into the yogurt helps them hold their shape.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter-Fudge Bars

Antonis Achilleos
Chocolate Peanut Butter-Fudge Bars Recipe

Your favorite candy can also be your favorite bar. These Chocolate Peanut Butter-Fudge Bars are perfect for bake sales, Valentine's Day, and a regular Tuesday night. Allow enough time for the top layer of melted chocolate to firm up before slicing these triple-decker bars. Leftovers can be covered and stored in the refrigerator up to three days, perfect for drop-in guests or last-minute dinner parties.

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Chocolate Bundt Cake

Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke
Chocolate Bundt Cake Recipe

Made with boxed cake and brownie mixes, this Bundt is decadent yet easy to pull off. Drissled with chocolate frosting and topped with edible pansies, this cake is not only easy to make, but wil impress at every occasion. We love the contrast of the colorful pansies against the dark cake. Choose flowers labeled as edible, which you can find in the produce section of specialty-food stores.

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Neapolitan Brownies

Photo: Caitlin Bensel; Styling: Rishon Hanners
Neapolitan Brownies Recipe

This recipes makes 3 cups of each flavor of frosting, if that ends up being more than you need to Neapolitan 1 box of brownies, you can save the leftovers for dipping other store-bought baked goods like crispy rice treats or doughnuts. The idea is to make the Neapolitan Icing flavors, then dip to your heart's content.

Tip: If you refrigerate your brownies once they’ve cooled slightly, cutting clean edges is a breeze.

These icings will start to stiffen as they sit. They will be good for 1/2 hour after you mix them up. If you want to make them in advance and use them later, place them in a bowl and lay a damp paper towel directly on the surface. And then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature. If necessary, whisk in an additional 1-2 Tbsp. hot water to recapture proper consistency.

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Coffee Flour Brownie à la Mode

Time Inc. Video Studio
Coffee Flour Brownie à la Mode Recipe

Adding a bit of coffee flour to box brownie mix not only contributes richer flavor and a slight caffeine boost, but also delivers a whopping dose of potassium. Just 1 tablespoon of coffee flour contains 310 mg of potassium. Topped off with a scoop of coffee ice cream, this dessert is a mocha-lover’s paradise. If you want to make these brownies completely gluten-free (coffee flour is naturally gluten-free), use your favortite gluten-free brownie mix. 

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Banana Brownie Sticky Toffee Puddings

Photo: Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller
Banana Brownie Sticky Toffee Puddings Recipe

Any remaining sauce makes a great topping for ice cream.

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Raspberry-Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Oxmoor House
Raspberry-Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake Recipe
It’s true: raspberries and chocolate belong together. Try this lighter truffle cheesecake, decorated in ripe raspberries.
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Rocky Road Bars

Oxmoor House
Rocky Road Bars Recipe
Brownies with chocolate chips, marshmallows and peanuts…need I say more?

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Mocha Cream Brownie Wedges with Fresh Raspberries

Photo: Oxmoor House
Mocha Cream Brownie Wedges with Fresh Raspberries Recipe
You'd never guess by looking at this sophisticated dessert that it started from a boxed brownie mix.

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Blackberry Brownie Torte

Blackberry Brownie Torte Recipe
A chocolate torte sounds fancy, but this one is made from ingredients you already have in your pantry.
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Be Mine Cherry Brownies

Gooseberry Patch
Be Mine Cherry Brownies Recipe
Make these too-cute cherry brownies for your sweetheart.

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Divine Praline Brownies

Divine Praline Brownies Recipe
Brown sugar and pecans give these brownies a perfect coating of pralines.
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