Brownie Mix

Make rich, indulgent cocoa brownies whenever a craving hits with this easy brownie recipe. Make the simple brownie mix ahead of time for an even faster treat!

Years ago, when we first started eating real food, we tried to learn what all the ingredients were on a label. After much frustration and too many research rabbit trails (thank you Google), we decided that anything with hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup wasn’t allowed in the house.

I was a couponer at the time, and that meant throwing away the 20+ boxes of cake mix and brownie mix I had bought for mere pennies a piece.

Fast forward and I now have a Homemade Yellow Cake Mix Recipe and a Homemade Chocolate Cake Mix Recipe that I turn to any time I want to make a dessert that calls for “one box of _” (like my favorite dump dessert, Slow Cooker Peach Cobbler).

And whenever I want brownies, I have a homemade brownie mix recipe too!

WHY MAKE HOMEMADE BROWNIE MIX

Brownies are one of my husband’s weaknesses. That’s why I have several brownie recipes on the blog already…

• My famous Black Bean Brownies (where you literally CANNOT taste the beans)
• Pumpkin Swirl Brownies (my holiday spin on the classic)
• Cast Iron Skillet Blondies (think big chocolate chip cookie bars, but for camping!)
• White Bean Blondies (for the non-cocoa people)
• One-Bowl Triple Fudgy Paleo Brownies (where my gluten-free peeps at?!)

But none of those can be stored in a jar in your pantry for months until you’re in a pinch and need to bring something at the last minute to a church potluck.

And none of those can be made ahead of time, wrapped in a pretty bow and tucked into a cute bag, and given to teachers or neighbors or hostesses as a fun gift.

And none of those are quite as customizable as the boxes “with pecans” or “with chocolate chunks” or “with caramel” or “with fudge swirls” we see on grocery store shelves.

While many of those are allergy-friendly, none are 100% customizable without seriously changing the resulting brownie (which may or may not be a good thing…).

And quite possibly most importantly, none of those can satisfy your chocolate craving as fast as having a box of homemade brownie mix READY TO BE BAKED AT A MOMENT’S NOTICE in the pantry.

That my friends, is why you need to make this homemade brownie mix recipe and keep it in your pantry.

Because you never know when you need to bring a dessert, give a last-minute gift, accommodate food allergies, or satisfy a dark chocolate with walnuts and caramel craving!

HOMEMADE BROWNIE RECIPE INGREDIENTS

You’re going to be SHOCKED at how easy it is to make this homemade brownie recipe. You probably have everything already in your pantry!

You only need 5 ingredients to make brownie mix homemade:

• Flour
• Sugar
• Cocoa powder
• Salt
• Baking powder

Flour

As with many of my baking recipes (i.e. Pumpkin Bread or Molasses Breakfast Cookies or Zucchini Apple Muffins or Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies), you can use your choice of flour here.

Choose all-purpose or whole grain, wheat or spelt or einkorn (my personal preference) or use your favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you grind your own flour, store your jars of brownie mix in the freezer rather than at room temperature.

If you’re still taking baby steps towards clean eating, unbleached and unenriched all-purpose flour is a great first step!

The type of flour you pick doesn’t matter much because brownies don’t rise much like bread or biscuits do. They bake, but they’re dense by nature, and this gives you flexibility in your ingredients.

The only exception here would be to not use oat flour. Oat flour is made from rolled oats (here’s how you make it) and there aren’t enough ingredients here to overcome the density of oats.

If you use oats, you’re basically going to get chocolate baked oatmeal. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not what we’re going for here. Instead, I recommend this Leftover Oatmeal Chocolate Cake that is written specifically to use up leftover oatmeal and gives you a cakey brownie texture.

Sugar

I’m a HUGE advocate for using natural sweeteners like maple syrup or honey whenever possible, but the whole point of this recipe is to make it shelf-stable… and mixing liquid sweeteners with the dry ingredients will pretty much make that point null and void. So, let’s not do that.

Instead, I use raw sugar in this recipe (a.k.a. Turbinado or Sucanat or Demerara). It’s one step better than typical white granulated sugar. If you’re avoiding cane sugar altogether, maple sugar would be a great option! (Here’s how we started cutting back on sugar.)

If you only have white granulated sugar on hand, then feel free to use it! That’s not a deal breaker in this recipe by any means. In fact, if you’re going to be making several jars of homemade brownie mix recipe and you’re looking to keep costs low, white granulated sugar would be the route to go.

Cocoa

I used natural cocoa powder (the kind you find at the grocery store) for YEARS so you can certainly use that here too. It would give the same fudgy chocolate flavor you’re probably used to eating in brownies.

However, we switched to raw cacao a while back and OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS – it is SO GOOD!

Using cacao instead of cocoa makes every chocolate treat richer, darker, and more indulgent. It’s like upgrading from milk chocolate to dark chocolate. In fact, I’d dare to say it’s the grown-up, more sophisticated version of cocoa.

And it’s amazing!

With that said, the flavor is more pronounced, so those who are just switching over to a whole foods diet may find it a bit strong for their liking. If that’s the case, use the unsweetened cocoa powder you have in the pantry. Dutch-process cocoa powder is also just a bit more rich without going all the way to cacao.

Plus, raw cacao is pricier than natural cocoa (here is the cacao I use). That’s not a big factor for us now since we’ve been using my system for eating real food on a budget for several years now, but it might be a factor if you’re just starting out. And it should be a factor if you’re giving these out as gifts.

The whole purpose of homemade gifts is to save money while giving from the heart. You don’t want to blow whatever you could have saved on cacao!

Salt / Baking Powder

Two simple yet important ingredients for flavor and leavening.

Psst! Not all salts are made the same! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!).

ADD-INS FOR COCOA BROWNIES

Want to take your cocoa brownies to the next level? You need add-ins! Top off your brownie mix brownies jar with these before you pop it on the pantry shelf:

• Chopped walnuts
• Chopped pecans
• Slivered almonds
• Chocolate chips: milk chocolate chips will be the sweetest, followed by semisweet chocolate chips, and then dark chocolate chips
• Peanut butter chips
• Butterscotch chips
• White chocolate chips
• Candy pieces like M&Ms or mini peanut butter cups

When you bake a batch of brownies, you can also add any of these, which aren’t as shelf-stable when unpackaged:

• Salted Caramel drizzle
• Melted peanut butter (swirl it into the brownie batter)
• Mini marshmallows
• Crushed toffee bits
• Chopped candy canes or other peppermint candies
• Chopped candies like Reese’s peanut butter cups or Andes mints

Stocking up on chocolate chips?

• Start by looking at your local stores. Compare price per ounce and don’t rule out chocolate bars! I’ve found good prices on chocolate at Costco, ALDI, and Trader Joe’s. Sam’s Club, Kroger, and Walmart may have good prices too!
• If you need an allergy-friendly option, Enjoy Life chocolate chips are great! You can find the best prices at Amazon, Thrive Market, or Vitacost.
• Organic, Fair Trade dark chocolate can be found at Healthy Traditions (same place I get coconut oil!), Thrive Market, and Vitacost (check your local stores too).

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BROWNIE MIX

Step 1. Combine all dry ingredients except add-ins in a 16oz glass jar. Fill to the top with add-ins, if using.

Step 2. Label the jar with the list of wet ingredients and the instructions below for mixing up the brownies.

Step 3. Store the brownie mix in your pantry for up to 6 months.

Each dry ingredient on its own is self-stable for much longer than 6 months, but I capped it at 6 months because I don’t know what type of add-ins you’re using… which may or may not affect the shelf-life of the mix as a whole.

If you want the brownie mix to be shelf-stable for longer than 6 months, prepare the dry ingredients and leave out the add-ins. Then incorporate the add-ins when you’re ready to bake brownies.

HOMEMADE BROWNIE MIX BROWNIES

To take this homemade brownie mix recipe and make a batch of brownie mix brownies, you need:

• One batch of homemade brownie mix (recipe below)
• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), soft
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (homemade or a vanilla substitute)

Don’t feel like mixing up a brownie mix ahead of time? Simply measure the dry brownie mix ingredients into the mixing bowl instead of dumping them from a jar and use this brownie recipe when a craving hits – it’s still quick, easy, and delicious!

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Prepare an 8”x8” baking pan by spraying with cooking spray, rubbing with butter wrappers, or lining with parchment paper.

Step 2. In a mug, melt the butter and set it aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the two eggs with the vanilla. Add in the entire jar of brownie mix and stir gently. Pour in the melted butter and mix just until everything is combined. The batter will be very thick.

Step 3. Spread the batter in a prepared pan with a spatula and bake for 20-22 minutes. Bake just until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with just a small amount of batter. The brownies will continue to firm up as they cool. (Psst – slightly underdone brownies are THE BEST!)

Cool completely before slicing. Homemade brownies are amazing on their own, but you can also enjoy them with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, top them with Peanut Butter Frosting, or add a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream for a truly decadent dessert.

Store leftover cocoa brownies in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Wrap the brownies separately so it’s easy to grab a frozen treat whenever you want!

RECIPES – BROWNIES FAQS

CAN REAL FOODIES EAT BROWNIES?

Of course! When you’re including a treat like brownies in your day, keep these tips in mind:

• Accurately track what you’re eating. That means figuring out the nutrition information for the brownies AND knowing that the portion size you’re writing down is actually the portion you ate.
• Licks, bites, and tastes count! As you’re assembling these yummy homemade brownie mixes, be mindful of any mix-ins you sample as you go.
• Keep your goals on track for the day as a whole. Include plenty of produce and lean protein and adjust your meals so that your macros for the whole day make sense.
• Don’t fret over one snack! Consistency is key to hitting your nutrition goals, and one snack is not going to change that. What you do consistently day after day is what matters.

MORE REAL FOOD RECIPES FOR BOXED MIXES

• Homemade Lemon Cake Mix
• Homemade Yellow Cake Mix
• Chocolate Cake Mix From Scratch
• Homemade Bisquick
• Ultimate Guide to Homemade Oatmeal Packets