10 Tasty Ways to Doctor Brownie Mix
I love making brownies from scratch but, I’ll freely admit, sometimes I don’t have the time to do so. Those are the moments when I reach for a box of basic brownie mix at the store and doctor it up with a quick, easy fix so that the finished products tastes better than the sum of its parts. Here ares some of the favorite ways I’ve doctored up brownie mix recently. All of these are meant to be simple, fun fixes to take the basic boxed brownie recipe to a whole new level!
10 Tasty Ways to Doctor Brownie Mix (all recipes for a regular brownie mix made in a 13 x 9 pan)
1. Espresso: For Chocolate-Espresso Brownies add 1 tablespoons instant espresso powder to the dry brownie mix before proceeding to mix the batter.
2. Peanut Butter: For a peanut butter cup flavor melt 4 tablespoons butter with 3/4 cup peanut butter, add 1/2 cup confectioners sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix well. Swirl into the unbaked brownie batter once it has been poured into the baking pan.
3. Peppermint: For Peppermint Brownies add three to four drops of peppermint extract to the brownie batter after you’ve stirred in the eggs and oil.
4. Jam Swirl: For Jam Swirl brownies stir 1/3 cup of melted jam into the unbaked brownie mix once it has been pour into the pan.
5. Orange: For Chocolate Orange Brownies add 1 tablespoon of freshly grated orange zest to the batter before adding the oil and eggs.
6. Mexican Chocolate: For Mexican Chocolate brownies at 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 pinch chili powder to the dry mix before adding the eggs and oil.
7. Almonds: For a nutty almond brownie at 3 to 4 drops almond extract to the batter after the eggs and oil have been stirred into. Scatter 1/2 cup sliced almonds on top of the brownie batter before baking.
8. Nutella: For Nutella Brownies stir 1/3 cup nutella into the batter after adding the eggs and oil.
9. Hazelnut: For Hazelnut Crunch Brownies add two drops of hazelnut extract to the batter after the eggs and oil have been stirred in. Scatter 1/2 cup of toasted, chopped hazelnuts over the brownies before baking.
10. Sugar Crust: For sugar crusted brownies generously butter the baking dish and coat the butter with raw sugar. Pour the batter into the pan and scatter 1/2 cup or more raw sugar on top before baking.
I make the box brownies by following the cake like recipe. When cooled frost with caramel frosting and top with mini semi sweet chocolate chips and chopped pecans. Always a favorite and always requested by others.
That is a GREAT recipe Alecia!!
These are great tips! But wow.. Alecia’s tip in the comment wins my attention. I am writing this down and I am going to try that this week. I bet if you made them with a cream cheese swirl like black bottom cup cakes that would take it to another level and make them even more similar to a turtle cheesecake!
After I pour the brownie batter into the pan, I shuirt caramal ice cream topping all over in the batter in crazy swirl patterns… a family fav around here… A second fav is to melt mini marshmallows on top of the baked brownies, fully cool, then top with chocolate frosting… I use a secret old family recipe, but frosting from a can will do. Braownies just work no matter what you do, really… Yum!
By the way, on #2 – Peanut Butter – 1/2 ?what? of confectioner’s sugar? Are we talking Tablespoons or cups? Just curious….
Oh! And you could try stirring a small jar of marichino cherries into the batter before pouring into the pan… that’d be yummy too! Think Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream (could be served with the Cherry Brownies as a dessert).
By the way, in my earlier post, it should read “squirting” and “Brownies”… I type too fast sometimes and forget to spellcheck… LOL!
Hi Lynda – I corrected it to 1/2 cup confectioners sugar – thanks for pointing out. I LOVE the cherry suggestion. I can’t wait to try ti, thanks for sharing!!
Really? NOBODY went there yet?