Hebba Gouda
Boxed brownie mixes are what the kids might call “clutch.” Most require just a little oil, an egg or two, and some water. That’s a small price to pay considering that your kitchen is just ~20 minutes away from being filled with the intoxicating scent of warm chocolate and sugar. This ease and accessibility is dangerous.
I used to grab the first boxed brownie mix I saw. Brownies are brownies, right? Wrong! I can tell you this because I’ve tested a whole lot of boxed brownie mixes. Like, so many boxed brownie mixes. While few of them were bad—yes, I learned brownies can be bad—some were spectacular.
How I tested boxed brownie mixes
To conduct my taste test, I baked each brownie according to package instructions and ate an edge piece from each pan at room temp. I personally believe that life is too short for anything other than warm, almost-raw middle pieces covered in whipped cream, but I’m writing for the masses, and I make the sacrifices I need to make. #NotAllHeroesWearCapes. I tasted these all brownies blind, took merciless notes, and went back for more of my favorites to reward myself for a job well done.
What I looked for in the best brownie mix
When tasting each brownie, I looked for a few overall things:
- Taste: Duh. Do they taste good? We can’t assume they do.
- Texture: An ideal brownie is a fudgy brownie. I will not yield on this. I didn’t want something so dense that it made me sick to my stomach or hurt my teeth, and I certainly didn’t want something light and fluffy. That’s what chocolate cake is for. I want a slight chew around the edge, a crispy top, and a melt-in-the-mouth gooeyness towards the middle.
- Chocolateyness: I think brownies can be tasty without being chocolatey, and vice versa. But the best boxed brownie mix should make undeniably chocolatey brownies. If it can be mistaken for a blondie, it’s failed as a brownie.
Best Boxed Brownie Mixes, Ranked
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- Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix
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This mix is on the cakey end of the spectrum, but even as someone who prefers a fudgy brownie, I enjoyed it. The crust is pleasantly chewy, and the brownie is lighter in both texture and chocolate flavor than its competitors. If you’re not in the market for a solid block of fudgy goodness, this is for you. It’s definitely the best brownie mix brand if you love a cakey brownie.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Betty Crocker Lower Sugar Brownie Mix
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I’ve tried a lot of good gluten-free and vegan variations of things (brownies included), but so many lower-sugar products have left me wanting more. But hey, Betty Crocker, way to restore my hope in the category! While the brownies are missing the delightful, crinkly top that I love, the texture is more than passable and pretty fudgy—if a little sticky. There’s an ever-so-slight aftertaste, but you’ve gotta really look for it. And, honestly, if you’re actively looking for fault in a brownie, you might be an a-hole.
Credit: Liv Averett / Betty Crocker
- Ghiradelli Chocolate Supreme
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You ever want to drink from Wonka’s chocolate river? Eat this brownie instead. I love sweets more than almost anyone I know, and this was intense even for me. It tastes like drinking hot fudge, but there’s a reason that hot fudge is usually accompanied by some dairy to mellow it out. You might want to pair these brownies with ice cream to temper the sweetness. The texture is dense and fudgy and physically heavy and decadent. This is some of the best boxed brownie mix, but just be prepared—it is shockingly sweet.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate
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This brownie mix makes brownies that genuinely taste like chocolate—they even have that bit of bitterness. They have a bold, sophisticated flavor. This brownie mix would be fantastic if you added some ground coffee or instant espresso to the mix to lean even harder into the depth and bitterness. These brownies would be at home on a steakhouse dessert menu for $14 under a scoop of Tahitian vanilla ice cream. If you’re looking for a real chocolate brownie, this is the best boxed brownie mix for you.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Betty Crocker Supreme Chocolate Chunk
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As a jack-of-all trades mix, this brownie mix has earned a spot in my favorites. Does it taste the most like chocolate? No, but it has lots of balanced, genuine chocolate flavor. Does it have the absolute best texture? Almost! It’s chewy and dense, but doesn’t sit like a rock in my stomach. It’s as good at bite one as it is at bite 10, approachable for all audiences, and an all-around enjoyable dessert.
Credit: Liv Averett / Betty Crocker
- Duncan Hines Dolly Parton’s Fabulously Fudgy Brownie Mix
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It is 0% surprising that queen Dolly ranked so high. The woman can sing, act, philanthropize, and apparently make some of the best brownies mix. Out of all the brownie mixes we tried, it tasted the most homemade. And if you’re looking for fudgy, this is the best brownie mix for you. Even the fully cooked brownie was like chewing brownie batter. And it doesn’t end there. This is also the best boxed brownie mix for those who love very precise cooking guidance. The mix includes a fudge pack and specific instructions to knead the fudge pack 15 times. I was skeptical at first, and frankly annoyed at the prospect of doing any amount of work, but when Dolly tells you to knead a fudge pack 15 times, you knead a fudge pack 15 times. Is there anything Dolly can’t do?!
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Pillsbury Milk Chocolate
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My first note was “hell yeah.” Milk chocolate gets a lot of hate from “real chocolate” enthusiasts, but it’s undue. Real milk chocolate is good, and this tastes like real milk chocolate. It has a concentrated, distinctly milk chocolate flavor, whereas the other milk chocolate brownies we tried just tasted like bland brownies. We need Pillsbury to teach the world that “milk chocolate” does not mean “mute the chocolate flavor,” because this is a redemption for milk chocolate. The brownies come out soft yet fudgy, they melt on the tongue, and are all-around delicious treats. If you’re a milk chocolate apologist, this is the best brownie mix for you.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Premium Brownie Mix
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Everybody was so sure that this would be the best box brownie mix, which is why I blind taste tested the brownies. I needed to find out if it lived up to the hype without the brand name behind it. And now I can confidently confirm that it is, indeed, one of the best brownie mixes. The brownie has a great chew—it’s moist without being gummy, rich without being overwhelming, and it’s packed with chocolate chips but not overwhelmed by them. A friend, tasting companion, and brilliant wordsmith described the brownie and chip combination as “the boba of brownies,” which is high praise that’s very well-deserved.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- King Arthur Baking Company Gluten Free Ultimate Fudge Brownie Mix
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Rocky. The Karate Kid. The Patriots in the 2017 Super Bowl. All of these underdog stories pale in comparison to King Arthur, who came out swinging with a gluten-free brownie mix that knocked Ghirardelli out of the top spot. These brownies are fudgy and chocolatey without sacrificing balance or being sweet for sweetness’s sake. They are melt-in-your-mouth without being gloopy or too heavy. It elicited a “WOW” as soon as I took a bite; the sound just escaped me before I even knew it was happening. This brownie transcended the control I have over my reactions, and is the ultimate mic-drop to anyone that doubts gluten-free can be delicious. A gluten-free brownie mix is the best brownie mix. If I could give it 11 sporks, I would.
Credit: Liv Averett / King Arthur
Best Cakey
Best Lower Sugar
Best Extra Sweet
Best Dark Chocolate
Best Betty Crocker Mix
Best Fudgy
Best Milk Chocolate
Best Extra Chocolatey
Best of the Best
Other boxed brownie mixes we tried:
Krusteaz Gluten Free Double Chocolate Brownie Mix, Ghirardelli Ultimate Chocolate, Ghirardelli Caramel Walnut Truffle, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Brownie Mix, Betty Crocker Reese’s Brownie Mix, Pillsbury Funfetti Brownie Mix, Duncan Hines Milk Chocolate Brownie Mix, Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate Brownie Mix, Betty Crocker Supreme Walnut Brownie Mix, Betty Crocker Supreme Triple Chunk Brownie Mix, Ghirardelli Chocolate Supreme Brownie Mix, Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix
Danny Palumbo
Justine Sterling
Ariana Losch
