Better Than Boxed Brownies


Most childhoods consisted of beloved desserts made from boxed mixes. I used to love birthday cakes made from boxed mixes as much as the next girl, but for me, boxed brownies took center stage. I grew up making them with my mom, and although I now love to make desserts from scratch, boxed brownies have always reigned supreme. I know homemade should be my brownie of choice because they have no fillers or unpronounceable ingredients, but they never held a candle to the deliciousness that is Duncan Hines. After creating my own basic recipe and doing many tweaks after multiple failed test batches, I created the perfect homemade boxed brownie.

My favorite type of brownies are cakey brownies. Whenever I would make boxed brownies, I always added the extra egg. If you’re a fudgey fan, these might not be for you. They are nice and moist and have a rich chocolate flavor without being sickly.  Give them a try anyway because they’re so good and may have you reconsidering your stance in the brownie debate.

Now for some tips to guarantee the best dang brownies around!

1. Use high quality dutch processed cocoa powder. In one of my early tests, I tried my recipe with unsweetened cocoa powder, and it had a powdery chocolate taste. After that failed, I switched to dutch-processed cocoa powder, and boy oh boy, did it make all the difference.

2. Do not substitute the ghee for butter. For this recipe I use ghee which might seem like an odd choice. I choose it for a few reasons but the most important is that ghee/clarified butter melts at room temperature. Because of this, the brownies stay moist and light. When I tried this recipe with regular melted butter, the brownies became denser as they cooled because the butter has a melting point of 90° and was resolidifying. If you want to substitute the ghee, consider Carrington Farms coconut oil. I've made this recipe using it before and it is just as delicious. 

3. Get creative with additions. I’m sharing this recipe as a bare bones brownie recipe because thats what boxed brownies are. If you like adding chocolate chips or nuts into your mix, have at it! The options are endless!

 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup All purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup Powder sugar
  • 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Salt


  • 1/2 cup Melted ghee (or oil)
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 tsp Vanilla

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 8 x 8 pan by coating it in butter and lining the bottom with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl sift together the dry ingredients and set aside.
  3. Using an electric mixer, beat the ghee and sugar until well blended.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in the Vanilla extract.
  5. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just incorporated.
  6. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30 - 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  7. Let cool on a wire rack. Cut into even squares to serve. Enjoy!
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