Skip the store-bought boxed mixes and create your own DIY brownie mix of my fan-favorite better-than-box fudgy brownies anytime the craving hits.
Reader review ★★★★★
Oh my goodness! These brownies are amazing! I've been searching for a mix to give in a basket for Christmas, and this is the best recipe. I made it in a 9x13 pan, and cut into 24 squares. Yum! Boxed brownie mix has gotten so expensive. I will make this in bags to have on hand, too. Thanks for the gift tag! You rock! - Sue
A stock-your-pantry life hack 💪
After testing this recipe nearly 20 times a few years ago, I can can confidently that it's the easiest brownie mix that rivals my favorite Ghirardelli one. It even made it's way into my cookbook.
Here's why I love it:
- Saves time & cleanup: Having everything pre-measured prevents you from having to get out all the ingredients & dirty dishes every time you're craving a batch of brownies!
- Tastier than premade! With this easy homemade brownie mix you get all the convenience of a boxed mix but with the taste of homemade brownies!
- Easy to personalize: Making your own brownie mix allows you to customize your brownies according to your taste preferences, whether it's adding extra chocolate chips, nuts, marshmallows or other ingredients like gluten-free flour.
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Watch me make this on Instagram!
Watch me make this on Instagram! You'll see how easy it is to make this homemade brownie mix vs. store bought.
what you need
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Granulated Sugar: Don't cut back on the sugar, as it is crucial for the correct texture and balanced flavor.
- Powdered Sugar: Don't skip this, either! Adding powdered sugar is essential to getting a shiny tops.
- All-purpose flour: You can also use your favorite gluten-free flour to make this gluten-free. My favorite brand is Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. Just note, if using gluten-free flour, your brownies may need a few additional minutes to bake.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: You can use your favorite unsweetened cocoa powder. I tested these with Hershey's, Scharffen Berger, and Target's Good & Gather (which I love, and it's a good price!).
- Baking powder: Not baking soda! Also, make sure your baking powder is fresh (especially if you don't plan on using your mix for a while!)
- Cornstarch: This adds an extra chewy texture.
- Chocolate chips: Other than adding flavor and texture, the chocolate chips in the batter actually help give them a shiny crust. I don't recommend skipping them! You can make these with any chocolate chips, but I've been liking them with dark chocolate chunks.
- Espresso powder: Totally optional but the espresso powder is my secret ingredient that helps enhance the chocolate flavor! I love adding this when using the Target brand Good & Gather, as it adds an extra punch, especially if using a more subtle cocoa powder.
- To bake mix, you'll need: Vegetable oil, egg, warm water and vanilla extract.
How to Make This Brownie Mix
Making your homemade brownie mix couldn't be easier to put together! Below are my tips & tricks for whipping it up.
Mix Dry Ingredients
If doing a single batch, mix all the dry ingredients (with the chocolate chips) together.
If you're making a bulk batch that you're planning to split into separate bags, I recommend waiting to add the chocolate chips so that you can make sure each bag has enough.
Portion into Bags
Each batch of brownie mix will fit in quart-sized ziplock bags. You can also use a quart-sized jar or get fancy with these resealable dry mix pouches.
Write or Attach Instructions on Bag
If you're making these for yourself, you can use a sharpie to write the ingredients & instructions on each bag!
✂️ If you're looking to gift them or if you're making a bunch, the printable labels shown below are inside my Crafty Baker's Club and are designed and ready to print.
How Long Does Homemade Brownie Mix Last?
gift it!
How to Gift Homemade Brownie Mix
I love food gifts so much I wrote a book about it called One Crafty Pan! Here are some easy ways to gift a DIY brownie mix.
Gift in Quart-Sized Jars
Add to a Care Package
Add to a Gift Basket
Gift in Foil pans
melissa's tips
Tips & Variations
- Make gluten-free: Sub the all-purpose flour for gluten-free flour to make these brownie gluten-free.
- Mix-ins: You can totally get creative with mix-ins for these brownies. Add various flavors of chocolate chips (dark, milk, or white), baking chips (peanut butter, butterscotch, toffee), chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, peanuts), marshmallows or peanut butter cups.
Frequently Asked Questions:
This dry homemade brownie mix will last 1-2 months stored in an airtight container, mason jar, or ziplock bag at room temperature. The dry ingredients themselves stay shelf-stable well beyond that, but the chocolate chips can go stale or develop fat bloom over time, which is the main reason for the 1-2 month recommendation. For longest shelf life, store in a cool, dark pantry away from heat and moisture.
One pre-measured bag of dry brownie mix will make about 12 brownies when baked in a 9x9" pan, or about 24 smaller brownies in a 9x13" pan. The large container recipe makes 7 batches of brownie mix - that's approximately 84 brownies total, making it a great option for holiday baking, gifting, or keeping a steady supply on hand.
To bake this brownie mix, you'll need to add the wet ingredients: 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ cup vegetable oil, and ¼ cup warm water. Whisk together in a large bowl until just combined, pour into a greased light-colored aluminum metal pan, top with an optional extra ¼ cup of chocolate chips, and bake at 325°F - 32-36 minutes for a 9x9" pan or 20-24 minutes for a 9x13" pan. Note: glass pans will take longer to bake.
Yes! Homemade brownie mix freezes well for up to 3 months. Store it in a freezer-safe ziplock bag or airtight container. When ready to use, let the mix come to room temperature before adding your wet ingredients and baking as usual. Freezing is especially handy if you're making a large batch and want to space out your baking over several months.
Yes, in most cases homemade brownie mix is significantly cheaper than store-bought, especially if you buy pantry staples like flour, sugar, and cocoa powder in bulk. A single batch costs roughly $1-2 in ingredients compared to $3-5 for a premium boxed mix like Ghirardelli. Making a large container batch multiplies those savings even further (and you get a better-tasting, customizable result).
The best containers for storing homemade brownie mix are quart-sized ziplock bags, wide-mouth mason jars, or resealable dry mix pouches. Ziplock bags or these pouches are ideal for gifting since they're easy to write on or attach a label to. Mason jars make a beautiful presentation for gifts in a jar. For a bulk batch you're keeping at home, any large airtight container works well (just make sure to leave a few inches of headspace so you can shake it to combine before each use).
Looking for more easy baking mixes?
DIY Brownie Mix
Ingredients
⭐️ Before you begin! If you make this, will you do me a huge favor afterwards and leave a review and rating letting me know how you liked this recipe? This helps my small business thrive so I can continue providing free recipes and high-quality content for you.
Instructions
- Measure out dry ingredients in each bag: 1¼ cups granulated sugar, ½ cup powdered sugar, ¾ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cups unsweetened cocoa powder , 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks, 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional).Tip: For easy filling, fold the top of the bag down a few inches, then add the sugars first as it holds down the bag. Close and shake bag to combine.
- On the quart-size bag, attach printable tag or write: "Add: 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ cup vegetable oil, and ¼ cup water. Pour batter into greased light-colored metal aluminum pan, top with an optional extra ¼ cup chocolate chips, and bake at 325°F according to pan size below:- 9x9": for 32-36 minutes- 9x13": for 20-24 minutes- Note: Glass pans will take longer to bake"
- Store in pantry for 1-2 months. Each bag makes about 12 brownies.
- Measure out dry ingredients into container: 8¾ cups granulated sugar, 3½ cups powdered sugar, 5¼ cups all-purpose flour, 5¼ cups unsweetened cocoa powder, 7 teaspoons kosher salt, 3½ teaspoon baking powder, 7 tablespoons cornstarch, 5¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks5¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks, 7 teaspoons espresso powder (optional).
- Close and shake bag or container to combine. If measuring directly into the storage container, leave 3-4" on top of extra space so that you can shake it to combine.
- On the container, attach printable tag or write: "Add: 3½ cups brownie mix (or 1 pre-measured bag), 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ cup vegetable oil, and ¼ cup water. Pour batter into greased light-colored metal aluminum pan, top with an optional extra ¼ cup chocolate chips, and bake at 325°F according to pan size below:- 9x9": for 32-36 minutes- 9x13": for 20-24 minutes- Thick 9x13": Double ingredients and bake for 32-36 minutes.- Note: Glass pans will take longer to bake
Notes from Melissa
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