Cake Mix Brownies

Chocolate Cake Mix Brownies

Where are all my brownie fans? If you’re like me, they’re your go-to treat when you’re craving something deeply rich and chocolatey. Give me cosmic brownies, German chocolate brownies, or Oreo brownies and I’m in heaven!

Sure, you can make brownies from scratch, but maybe you don’t have time this week. So, you decide to make them from a boxed mix except you only have a box of chocolate cake mix in your cupboard. Does this mean no brownies for you?

No! It just means it’s time to whip up this recipe for cake mix brownies. Did you know you can make other things with a boxed mix besides cake? I use it all the time to make cake mix cookies, cookie bars, chocolate cupcakes, and my favorite chocolate dump cake!

I will show you how to make delicious fudgy brownies from a cake mix and once you see how easy it is, you’ll be making them all the time!

Recipe Ingredients

This cake mix brownie recipe only has 4 ingredients which is part of the reason why they’re so easy to make!

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

• Box devil’s food cake mix: Devil’s food flavor is richer and darker than regular chocolate cake, but feel free to use whatever chocolate cake mix you have in your pantry. Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines are the most popular brands easily found in most grocery stores.
• Salted butter: I use melted salted butter for its rich and delicious flavor. The saltiness of the butter works well with the chocolate, so if you’re using unsalted, you might want to add a pinch of salt. The melted butter also helps to give the brownies a chewy, fudgy texture. 
• Large eggs: If you’re baking a cake from a box, you’ll usually add 3 eggs, but we don’t want to make super cakey brownies, so I’ve reduced the number of eggs to 2.
• Chocolate chips: Adding chocolate chips gives the cake mix brownies a fudgier texture. I like to use a mix of semi-sweet and milk chocolate.

Variations

As I always say, I’m giving you the basic recipe, but go ahead and customize these cake mix brownies to your own preferences. This recipe will work with different cake flavors and mix-ins. 

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• M&M: Mix in 1 cup M&M’s or do half chocolate chips.
• Different chips: Think toffee bits, peanut butter chips, or butterscotch chips.
• Nuts: Add about 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, peanuts, or pecans. 
• Oreo: Add half the batter and press a layer of Oreos then spread the remaining batter on top. 
• Caramel: Add a layer of melted caramel as I do with my fudge caramel brownies
• Red velvet: Use a red velvet mix to make red velvet brownies and swap out chocolate chips for white chocolate chips. I also like making red velvet cake mix cookies.
• Blondies: Use a mix of yellow cake to make blondies.

How to Make Brownies Out of Cake Mix

This is a fool-proof one-bowl recipe that you can make in a matter of minutes. Grab a bowl and spoon and let me show you how it’s done!

1. Mix. Line a 9×9″ or 8×12″ pan with parchment paper and set it aside while you mix the brownie batter. Whisk the eggs then pour the mix and melted butter on top and stir together lightly until just combined. Over mixing the dough can result in dry brownies. Stir in the chocolate chips.
2. Spread the dough. Press the thick dough into your prepared pan until it covers the surface. Sprinkle over a few extra chocolate chips if you want your brownies to be extra chocolatey.
3. Bake. The brownies should bake at 350°F until a toothpick comes out clean. Keep an eye on them as they are baking as you don’t want them to brown.
4. Cool. Remove them from the oven and let your cake mix brownies cool for 15 minutes then remove them from the pan and slice them into 12 squares.

Expert Tips

• You can use a glass baking dish or metal baking pan to bake your cake mix brownies. Metal pans will give you slightly crispier edges.
• Lightly spray your hands or a rubber spatula with cooking spray to help spread the thick batter over the pan.
• Avoid over baking your brownies by checking them before the finish time. They should look baked around the edges with the center looking slightly undone. They’ll continue to bake with the residual heat in the pan after you bring them out of the oven.
• Let the brownies cool completely before slicing them into squares. Running your knife under hot water before making the slices will give you cleaner edges.

Storing

Store your cake mix brownies in a covered container to lock in the moisture. If you leave them exposed they’ll dry out too quickly. Keep them for up to 3 days at room temperature. 

You can also store them in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Once you’re ready to serve them, remove them from the freezer and thaw them at room temperature. 

I also like to warm them up for a few seconds in the microwave. It makes the middle even fudgier!