Cake Mix Brownies
May 25, 2020, Updated Feb 13, 2024
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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.
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.
- Ingredients: Pour cake mix, oil, egg in a large bowl. Give it a good stir to fully combine ingredients.
- Fold: Fold in chocolate chips or if you are using something like nuts or candy.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place batter in prepared baking dish and cook for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool: Let them cool before cutting to serve.
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.
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.
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Cake Mix Brownies
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great recipe! With this icing recipe – yummy! Mix 1/3 cup milk, 1/3 cup buttter and bring to boiling in the microwave. Add 1 cup chocolate chips and stir until melted. Allow to cool somewhat and ice the brownies. Also added a handful of chocolate chips and a handful of chopped walnuts.
Delicious and so easy! I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfectly. Definitely satisfies a craving for chocolate!!
Great when you need a quick dessert. Simple yet pleasing.
Chocolate with salted caramel chips is nice. But the variations are endless.
Why not lemon white chocolate chips with a tart lemon drizzle?
I went 35 minutes and then finally took them out, but I think the mistake I (and probably others) made was that there’s so many chocolate chips in here that when you stick the toothpick in, if it hits a melted chocolate chip it’s going to come out looking gooey and wet still. It’s still tasty, but I think I overcooked it quite a bit.
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 !!!!
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
I added a tablespoon of water also.
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 !!!
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!
Thanks Susan! Glad they liked them.
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!