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    Home » Sweets

    Cake Mix Brownies

    Published: May 25, 2020 by heather · This post may contain affiliate links

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    Cake mix brownies are seriously easy! Use your favorite flavor mix to create delicious brownies with just a few ingredients. 

    Cake mix can be used for so many things like these strawberry bars or cake mix lemon cookies. It’s a great thing to keep in your pantry when you want to make a quick dessert. 

    Stack of three brownies and chocolate chips.

    Can you make brownies from a cake mix? 

    Yes and they are so good and simple to make!

    Now I am the first to admit, there is nothing better than a homemade brownie, however, sometimes it’s nice to have a quick and easy option for making this chocolate treat. 

    So how do you make box cake mix better? Use it to make brownies! 

    Why this recipe works

    • Only 3 ingredients!! We won’t count the chocolate chips.
    • Kids can make them. This is a great recipe for kids to make on their own.
    • Flavor options. Don’t feel restricted to chocolate. Try strawberry, lemon or even red velvet.

    Ingredients needed

    Cake mix –  Choose your favorite. For this recipe, I am using chocolate. 

    Vegetable oil – This is the fat used for brownies.

    Eggs – Help keep moist and tender. 

    Optional add-ins – I am using chocolate chips here, but feel free to use your favorite chips, candy, nuts or nothing at all.

    How to make fudgy brownies from cake mix

    Scroll down for full printable recipe, ingredients and video.

    1. Ingredients: Pour cake mix, oil, egg in a large bowl. Give it a good stir to fully combine ingredients. 
    2. Fold: Fold in chocolate chips or if you are using something like nuts or candy.
    3. Bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place batter in prepared baking dish and cook for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 
    4. Cool: Let them cool before cutting to serve. 

    cake mix, oil, chocolate chips, eggs, in a bowl and then baked in a baking dish

    Is it better to use oil or butter for brownies?

    Oil is a great option if you are looking for fudgy brownies. Butter offers more flavor but creates an aeration in the batter that cause them to me more cakey. 

    Variations

    There really are so many ways to jazz these brownies up. Here are a few great add-ins to try:

    • Nuts: Peanuts, walnuts, macadamia nuts and pecans are all delicious. 
    • Candy: M&M’s, Reece’s Pieces, and toffee bits are always delicious.
    • Cake mix: Dark chocolate, Devils food, Lemon, Strawberry, Cherry chip, Red velvet, Butter pecan and Yellow are great as brownies. 

    chocolate chip brownies cut in squares

    How to store

    These are best stored in an airtight container for 4-5 days, but something tells me that won’t last that long. 

    Can you freeze these brownies?

    These can be frozen. Make sure to let them completely cool. I like to cut mine into individual squares and then place in a freezer safe bag. You can also wrap squares individually in plastic wrap and then place in freezer bag if you would want to thaw them one at a time. 

    Recipe notes

    • Make sure to use an 8 x 8 baking dish or pan. 
    • This batter is super thick so don’t be alarmed. Make sure to either grease your baking dish well or line it with parchment paper and spray. 

    More amazing ways to use cake mix

    • Cake mix banana bread – This is a simple way to make a quick banana bread.
    • Cake mix cookie bars – These are some of my favorite. Another great recipes for kids to help make. 
    • Holiday bars – Perfect to make for an easy holiday dessert. 
    • Apricot nectar cake – One of the most popular cakes on this site. 
    • Chocolate chip bundt cake – Chocolate cake filled with mini chocolate chips. 

    ***If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. 

    Full video below. 

    Brownies stacked on each other
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    4.84 from 43 votes

    Cake Mix Brownies

    Quick and easy brownies from a cake mix.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Total Time25 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: cake mix brownies
    Servings: 10
    Calories: 166kcal
    Author: Heather

    Ingredients

    • 1 (15.25 oz) box chocolate cake mix or any flavor you like
    • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 cup chocolate chips or white chocolate chips

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 8 x 8 -inch baking dish with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray. (If you don't have parchment, just spray dish.)
    • Mix together cake mix, oil and eggs until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
    • Spread batter in baking dish and bake for approximately 20 minutes.
    • Let cool before cutting.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 166kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 12mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 88IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Follow me @foodlovinfamily or tag #foodlovinfamily!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bette

      November 19, 2022 at 3:05 am

      5 stars
      I just did this recipe and I added chopped pecans and it was wonderful. I’m going to try different things next time. It is the greatest !!!!

      Reply
    2. Debi

      August 18, 2022 at 8:09 pm

      They were delicious. I added about a tbsp water. Did not hurt anything. Turned out delusions. I used a Duncan Hines chocolate fudge cake mix. Ty

      Reply
      • Deb

        December 14, 2022 at 10:39 pm

        5 stars
        I added a tablespoon of water also.

        Reply
    3. Julia

      March 27, 2022 at 10:18 pm

      This was such a quick and easy dessert I used Duncan Hines butter golden cake mix added pecans and mini white chocolate chips. Left it in the oven for 24 minutes and they are so moist chewy and buttery. Thanks for this quick and Amazing recipe !!!

      Reply
    4. Susan

      March 10, 2022 at 1:15 am

      5 stars
      My kids LOVED these! I used chocolate cake mix and Andes crème de menthe baking chips. Baked exactly as directed (yes batter is thick but it works!) Perfect St. Patrick’s Day recipe!

      Reply
      • heather

        March 10, 2022 at 3:39 pm

        Thanks Susan! Glad they liked them.

        Reply
      • Susan

        March 11, 2022 at 9:14 pm

        One thing to add is that they might not SEEM done if they are still warm. My son tried these an hour out of the oven and told me “they are good but not done in the middle). Today they are just fine, though. The texture is fantastic!

        Reply
    5. Elaine

      February 04, 2022 at 9:58 pm

      5 stars
      Made these today..when i was craving something chocolatey! So easy and so good. I also iced them with a nice thick chocolate icing! I followed the recipe exactly and baked for 20 mins. And they turned out perfectly! A great recipe!

      Reply
    6. Autumn Brooke

      September 14, 2021 at 7:32 pm

      That first photo is SO enticing. I love recipes that are simple and come together like this with things we often already have in the pantry. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
    7. Alecia

      September 13, 2021 at 12:38 am

      Question: How can you tell when done baking? The surface looked cooked at the 20 minutes cook time specified in the recipe. Tried the toothpick test at 20 minutes and it came out gooey. Tested again at every 5 minutes thereafter, but still gooey. Finally took it out at 35 minutes for fear it would become too dry. The toothpick was still gooey when tested on the middle area of the pan and the edges had become more cake than brownie.

      Reply
      • heather

        September 13, 2021 at 1:22 pm

        Did you add chocolate chips? The toothpick might have been going through them making it appear gooey?

        Reply
        • Alecia

          September 13, 2021 at 5:39 pm

          No. Made the recipe without chocolate chips. Just used the basic three ingredients – cake mix, ergs and cooking oil.

    8. Karla

      September 08, 2021 at 11:20 am

      We really liked this recipe. We used only slightly more oil than was indicated … but the brownie texture was moist and a little chewy. My sons love it!

      Reply
    9. Gloria

      September 03, 2021 at 11:41 pm

      5 stars
      Pregnant and craving brownies, but the corner store only had cake mix. This was a helpful recipe! I used chia instead of eggs and it still turned out like chewy brownies. I did need to add a few tablespoons of water to get it to brownie batter consistency but that may be because of the chia.

      Reply
    10. Jourdyn

      August 08, 2021 at 6:32 am

      2 stars
      “Batter” was so thick I had to knead it like dough. Added an extra egg and some more oil hoping it works out…

      Reply
      • heather

        August 08, 2021 at 9:26 pm

        The batter is thick but there shouldn’t be a need to add anything extra as you can see in the video.

        Reply
    11. Robert

      August 08, 2021 at 2:32 am

      5 stars
      Figured I would try out the brownie concoction and it came out really good . Was surprised and satisfied.

      Reply
    12. Pat

      August 03, 2021 at 12:52 am

      4 stars
      They weren’t exactly as I expected but satisfied my craving on short notice.

      Reply
    13. Joyce

      July 29, 2021 at 4:37 pm

      I added chopped walnuts, the brownies turned out great. I enjoyed the texture much better than standard brownies. Will definitely bake again and will try other flavor combinations.

      Reply
    14. Larissa De Guzman

      April 20, 2021 at 2:51 am

      3 stars
      Mine didn’t turn out like brownies at all, it’s just like cake. Not bad but not what I was expecting.

      Reply
    15. Jenny Jiang

      March 17, 2021 at 10:17 pm

      5 stars
      This was great! As mentioned, the batter was really thick, but then that’s why you only bake for 20 minutes! I added chopped up pretzels to my cake mix brownie 🙂

      Reply
    16. Kerry Halloran Collis

      February 13, 2021 at 7:13 pm

      Smell delish by at 25 minutes they are still jiggling did I miss read 20 minutes?

      Reply
      • heather

        February 13, 2021 at 8:29 pm

        Some ovens vary a little in cooking time, if they are still jiggly you might want to add another 5 minutes and then test them.

        Reply
    17. dolores a urato

      January 13, 2021 at 7:25 pm

      LOVE YOUR BLOG !!!!!!!!PLS SIGN ME UP FOR UPDATES pdurato@yahoo.com…BLESSINGS dolores

      Reply
      • heather

        January 13, 2021 at 10:31 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    18. Rebecca Centers

      October 29, 2020 at 3:20 pm

      5 stars
      A kids approval rating is best! My cousin made these and my 4 year old, who normally doesn’t like chocolate, ate TWO of these! We’re making them today and turning them into bats for Halloween!

      Reply
      • heather

        October 29, 2020 at 8:38 pm

        So fun! Hope you have a great Halloween!!

        Reply
    19. Jodi

      October 02, 2020 at 7:38 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious recipe and very easy to make. Would highly recommend trying this

      Reply
      • heather

        October 02, 2020 at 10:18 pm

        So happy you enjoyed them!

        Reply
    20. Marilyn Blazon

      August 30, 2020 at 11:48 pm

      4 stars
      My batter was so thick, I had to layer the batter, chips, batter. Next time. I think I would double the recipe and add one extra egg to help, and put it in a 8/11 to feed more!

      Reply
      • Deborah Grantham

        July 23, 2021 at 2:36 pm

        My batter was thick too! Added an extra egg. In oven now. Hope it turns out ok.

        Reply
        • heather

          July 23, 2021 at 4:35 pm

          That batter is really thick for these brownies but they turn out delicious.

    21. Kayla

      August 14, 2020 at 3:13 am

      5 stars
      I decided to use strawberry cake mix and white chocolate chips. I gotta say this may be my new favorite dessert!

      Reply
      • heather

        August 14, 2020 at 1:37 pm

        Yay! That combination sounds delicious!!

        Reply
    22. Cyd

      May 26, 2020 at 7:52 pm

      5 stars
      I love a good easy baking hack and these brownies turned out so rich and moist! Such a great recipe.

      Reply
    23. Melissa

      May 26, 2020 at 7:01 pm

      5 stars
      YUM – these were so delicious! Can’t wait to make them again!

      Reply
    24. katerina @ diethood.com

      May 26, 2020 at 6:20 pm

      5 stars
      WOW! These brownies look incredible! I bet they taste amazing!!

      Reply

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