InCheap Trickswe’ll help you make the most out of everyday supermarket staples. Next up: Give your boxed brownies the star treatment.
Brownies invite a lot of opinions:Fudgy or cakey? Crispy edge orgooey,chewy center? Naked or topped withice cream? But if there’s something we can all agree on (at least, here at BA HQ), it’s that boxed brownies—be itBetty Crocker orGhirardelli—are good.Homemade brownie recipes have their place, but there’s something extra (maybe it’s the nostalgia, or maybe it’s the artificial vanillin) that makes boxed brownies tough to beat.
But you’re an overachiever, aren’t you? Determined to add your own spin to a verifiably perfect product. You are looking to make them even morechocolaty, want added crunch, or are seeking a memorable riff on a classic. Thesebrownie hacks, swaps, andmix-ins take a comforting treat from good to great, without much addedprep time.
Make smart swaps in the batter.
Abox of brownie mix usually calls for the addition of oil, water, and eggs in thebrownie batter. That gives you plenty of opportunity to add layers of flavor, richness, and oomph through easy one-to-one swaps.
In yourmixing bowl, instead of using canola orvegetable oil, trymelted butter or even nutty brown butter if you’ve got the time. Pastry expert and food editor Shilpa Uskokovic recommends swapping in high-quality extra-virgin olive oil for some peppery, fruity nuance.
When the back-of-box instructions call for water, try someinstant espresso or strong-brewed coffee for roasty, toasty notes that pair impeccably with chocolate. Oruse milk or half-and-half for even more richness. And for cakey instead offudgy brownies, add anextra egg for more lift and spring.
Scope out your kitchen foradd-ins.
Boxed brownies can be their own blank slate for just about any snacks, sweets, or baking scraps you’ve got in your pantry or fridge. Add a teaspoon ofinstant coffee orespresso powder. Throw in a handful of nuts—pecans, walnuts, macadamia, whatever you have on hand. Scoop in a palmful of dried or frozen fruit. Add an extra splash of the top-shelfvanilla extract, or a dab of vanillapaste, ora dash of vanilla powder, to the batter.
Got a lingering collection ofchocolate chips from previous baking projects? Stir insemisweet chocolate chips,white chocolate chips,dark chocolate chunks, and shards off the block for achocolate brownie that’s even morechocolaty. If you have leftover holiday treats, crumble incandy bars,peppermints, chopped candied ginger, or crushed cookies.
Once you pour thebrownie batter into aprepared pan, experiment with swirling in a few spoonfuls ofpeanut butter,Nutella,cream cheese, raspberry jam, orMarshmallow Fluff through thetop of the brownies just prior to baking. (If your spread is too thick to swirl, microwave it for 10–20 seconds to loosen it up.) It doesn’t add much to thetotal time, but is a tasty way to customize to what you’re craving.
Lean into the savory.
Many boxed brownies can lean pretty one-note in sweetness. The best way to beat it: Add salt. You can add kosher salt directly to thebrownie batter—Uskokovic suggests adding ½ to 1 tsp.—but it can also be all about themix-ins. Crushed potato chips, pretzels, and salted nuts stirred in or sprinkled on before baking can add textural interest, plus a little savoriness that can make the richchocolate flavor more pronounced. A shower ofsea salt orflaky salt like Maldon overbaked brownies before slicing makes for a dramatic, sparkly finish.
Now on to cakes:
However you look atboxed cake mix—a desperate measure for desperate times or a jumping-off point for an infinite number of delicious desserts—here are our best strategies to makeit taste better than you ever imagined.
