I love baking from scratch! But I also like to purchase prepackaged box cakes, brownies, and cookies and make them my own. There’s no shame in doing so and believe it or not, most of your favorite bakers use them too. Over the years, I’ve learned different brownie mix hacks to make the best brownies. Boxed brownies are easy to use and can be customized to suit your tastes. And I’m going to share with you how. In this article, you’re going to learn about “brownie mix hacks,” which you can use to make your boxed brownies taste better.
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Before you can start doing any type of brownie mix hacks, you’re going to need your favorite boxed brownie mix. If you don’t have a favorite, no worries! I don’t have one either, store brand box brownies are my go-to because it’s cheaper. I prefer to buy the brownie mixes that have nothing added to it because I’m going to be adding the additional ingredients myself.
Use butter instead of oil
My first recommendation for brownie mix hacks is to replace your oil with butter. Butter has a higher melting point than oil, which means that your brownies will stay moist and chewy longer. The best thing about using butter in brownie mixes is that you can use regular salted or unsalted–it’s up to you!
You’ll want to make sure to use melted butter which can be done in 10-second increments in the microwave or else it may cause a mess if it’s in there for too long.
I use milk in just about all my baking recipes which makes it one of my favorite brownie mix hacks to use. Replacing water with milk is a simple hack that can make your brownies taste even better. Milk adds a richer flavor, which makes your brownies taste more chocolatey. It also makes them more moist, thanks to their high-fat content–the same reason why cakes are often made with dairy products.
Add an extra egg
If you want to get a little more creative with your brownie mix hacks, add an extra egg to the batter. The extra protein will help thicken up the batter and make it fluffier, creating a more decadent, fudgy texture. You can also add the yolk by itself in addition to the 2 eggs a box brownie mix typically calls for.
Try a bit of vanilla extract
Adding vanilla extract is also one of my favorite brownie mix hacks. This will enhance the flavor and make your brownies taste even better! It doesn’t take much either, one teaspoon will do to make a difference in any baked good. Its best to add it to your brownies when you’re making the batter.
Espresso powder or instant coffee
If you’re a coffee lover like me or just looking for an excuse to buy a fancy new coffee maker, then this will be one of your favorite brownie mix hacks. Instead of using water in your brownie mix, use about 1-2 teaspoons of espresso powder or instant coffee instead. The result will be fudgy brownies with tons of flavor and just the right amount of caffeine kick.
Add peanut butter to the batter
If you’re looking for something to kick your brownies up a notch, adding peanut butter is absolutely the way to go. The creamy goodness of peanut butter makes the batter richer and fudgier than it would be otherwise. It also gives these treats an extra boost of protein, fiber and vitamins, and minerals (and maybe just a little bit more). And the best part is that you can use just about any butter spread like Biscoff Cookie Butter or Nutella hazelnut spread (both are addicting by the way).
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed reading “Brownie Mix Hacks.”Brownies are a classic dessert that can be made in so many different ways. There’s nothing wrong with a simple basic chocolate brownie, but It’s fun to experiment with different flavors and toppings. That’s where these brownie mix hacks come in! They’re all easy tricks that anyone can do at home without spending too much time or money on ingredients.
One change is to use milk or heavy cream instead of water. This change will make brownies more moist and gooey since milk is more fatty and flavorful than water. A second change is to use butter instead of oil. For similar reasons to using milk, butter adds a rich and more decadent quality to the batter.
When the back-of-box instructions call for water, try some instant espresso or strong-brewed coffee for roasty, toasty notes that pair impeccably with chocolate. Or use milk or half-and-half for even more richness. And for cakey instead of fudgy brownies, add an extra egg for more lift and spring.
If you want to get a little more creative with your brownie mix hacks, add an extra egg to the batter. The extra protein will help thicken up the batter and make it fluffier, creating a more decadent, fudgy texture. You can also add the yolk by itself in addition to the 2 eggs a box brownie mix typically calls for.
Add nuts – Add a handful of finely chopped pecans or walnuts if you love brownies with nuts. Add mix ins – Jazz up a basic brownie mix with chopped mini peanut butter cups, white chocolate chunks, or your favorite chopped up candy bar. Add a swirl – Swirl in spoonfuls of peanut butter or Nutella before baking.
In brownies, both butter and oil will offer a moist, tender texture, but only butter will give the dish the aeration needed for rising brownies well. If you use a cake brownie, butter is a better option because it helps rise the batter. For denser, fudge type brownies, oil is permissable.
Most brownie recipes call for some kind of oil — usually vegetable oil or canola oil. This oil acts as the primary fat in brownie batter, giving it that delicious, fudgy texture we all know and love.
Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones. So add more fat—in this case, butter and chocolate. A cakey batch has more flour and relies on baking powder for leavening. The amount of sugar and eggs does not change whether you're going fudgy or cakey.
Baking Powder and Oil: 1 teaspoon vegetable oil + 2 tablespoons water + 2 teaspoons baking powder = 1 large egg. This works great as a substitute in a recipe that uses the egg as a leavening agent and it is made from simple and easy pantry staples.
The trick: Replace the water with coffee. You don't need much, generally ¼ to ⅓ cup. We already know that adding espresso and coffee flavor to chocolate desserts supercharges chocolate flavor, and the same principle applies here. Using coffee in your brownie mix will result in better, more chocolaty brownies.
Recently, as I was reading through the comments on all our brownie recipes, one suggestion in particular stood out: Refrigerate the batter overnight for a richer, chewier brownie.
To do this, there's one ingredient that's more important than anything else: baking powder. Baking powder is a leavening agent, which means that it is responsible for lifting up the batter to create that lighter consistency — making it absolutely essential for fluffy brownies.
The fat and lactose in milk help with tenderizing the crumb of the bread making it softer and sweeter. The crust of the bread also gets more caramelization. Be aware that bread made with milk should not be baked at too high of a temperature to prevent it from browning too much too soon.
Most box cake recipes will tell you to add water to the mix. Instead, try adding milk using the same proportions. This will make the cake richer and creamier because it ups the fat content. You can even use buttermilk here for a pleasant tang.
If you've added to much oil or water to your mix then you'll need to compensate with extra dry ingredients. You'll need to add some additional flour to even out your mix. About a tablespoon per unit of flour you added should do. Check the consistency to make sure it's not too runny and then bake them.
Introduction: My name is Francesca Jacobs Ret, I am a innocent, super, beautiful, charming, lucky, gentle, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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