With only two steps, this Cake Mix Brownies recipe is the easiest brownies recipe ever! They’re super fudgy brownies made with just 5 simple ingredients. You’ll want to make these any chance you get!
Chocolatey Cake Mix Brownie Recipe
When time is of the essence, nothing rivals this recipe for decadent cake mix brownies!
These easy homemade brownies are the ultimate “in a pinch” chocolate dessert. Of course, you could always use brownie mix. But then you wouldn’t experience the sheer fudginess and moist, gooey chocolate crumb that comes from cake mix!
Cake mix brownies are quick to make in only two steps, with 5 ingredients and one bowl. When it comes to an easy dessert to make for potlucks, cookouts, or just because, you really can’t go wrong with a batch of these rich and chocolatey brownies.
What You’ll Need
The batter for these brownies is super simple. Just 5 ingredients, including your chocolate cake mix. And those ginormous chunks of chocolate in the brownies? Hershey’s Baking Melts. You can thank me later!
- Chocolate Cake Mix: I used a box of Dark Chocolate Cake Mix, but you can use any boxed chocolate cake you like!
- Oil: Vegetable oil, or another neutral oil like canola.
- Milk: Whole milk or your preferred alternative. Note that different types of milk may give different results in the texture of the brownies.
- Egg: A single egg is enough to bind the ingredients together for these brownies.
- Chocolate Chunks: I used Hershey’s Baking Melts. If you can’t find melts, you can definitely stir some good quality, semi-sweet chocolate chips instead!
How to Make Brownies with Cake Mix
Here’s how to make moist, fudgy brownies in just two easy steps:
Combine the Ingredients: Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Next, stir in your chocolate chunks of choice.
Bake: Spread the brownie batter into a greased baking pan. Bake the brownies for about 20 minutes, and then leave them to cool before cutting them into squares.
Tips & Tricks
- Use the Right Pan: This recipe calls for an 8×8 inch baking pan. For best results, I wouldn’t recommend making these in any other size. Also note the kind of pan you use: a metal pan will lead to brownies with more crispy edges, while a clear dish may need a few minutes of extra baking time. Keep an eye while you’re baking!
- Let the Brownies Cool Completely: The center of the brownies may seem a bit underdone when the pan comes out of the oven. However, the brownies will set up as they cool down! Make sure to allow enough time for the brownies to cool completely before you cut them.
Add-In Ideas
Like many brownie recipes, this version leaves loads of room for customizing! Here are just some possibilities for add-in ideas:
- Crushed nuts like peanuts, roasted hazelnuts, pecans, or walnuts
- Mini marshmallows
- Toffee pieces
- Dried fruit like cranberries, apricots, or pineapple chunks
- Peanut butter chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
- M&Ms, Reese’s Pieces, or another bite-sized candy (or chop up your favorite candy bars to add in!)
- Crushed candy canes
Serving Suggestions
These cake mix brownies are amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Plus, you can add a dollop of whipped cream or drizzle of Hot Fudge Sauce to really take things over the top. Here are some other ideas for how to serve them:
- Dusted with powdered sugar
- Drizzled with Caramel Sauce
- Topped with berry coulis or Easy Homemade Strawberry Syrup
- Frosted with Chocolate Frosting or a simple Buttercream Frosting
- Smothered with Instant Pot Dulce De Leche
Storage Instructions
Store your cake mix brownies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days.
Do Cake Mix Brownies Freeze Well?
Yes! These brownies can be kept frozen for up to 3 months. Once they’ve cooled completely, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag (I like to use parchment paper to separate the layers) and place them in the freezer for safekeeping.
Thaw the brownies at room temperature before serving. You can even pop them in the microwave once they’ve defrosted, for an exceptionally gooey chocolate treat!
More Decadent Treats to Try
- Fudgy Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Ice Cream Cupcakes
- Brownie In A Mug
- Cheesecake Brownies
- Cookie Dough Brownie Truffles
Chocolate Cake Mix Brownies
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
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Cook Time: 20 minutes
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Total Time: 25 minutes
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Yield: 16 brownies 1x
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Category: Dessert
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Method: Oven
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Cuisine: American
Description:
With only two steps, this Chocolate Cake Mix Brownies recipe is the easiest brownies recipe ever! They’re super fudgy brownies made with just 5 simple ingredients. You’ll want to make these every week!
Ingredients:
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 10 oz chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Spray an 8×8 pan with baking spray, set aside.
- In a bowl, mix all ingredients with a spoon until combined.
- Stir in chocolate chunks.
- Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares. The center might seem underdone, but as the brownies set, they will be fine!
Nutrition Information:
Keywords: easy brownies recipe, fudgy brownies recipe, best homemade brownies
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©/® The J.M. Smucker Company. Pillsbury is a trademark of The Pillsbury Company, LLC, used under license.
I was compensated for this post by The J.M Smucker Company, but of course all opinions are expressly my own.
This was the brownie recipe I needed! Super easy! I did not have a square pan though so I used a round cake pan and baked for 22 minutes. They were amazing!
★★★★★
Hits the right spot! I added a spoonful of chia seeds and also used dark choco chips. Turned out crusty on top but fudgy and chewy inside. love it,
I LOVE THIS RECIPY turned out amazing and also helped me with an essay for school on how to make brownies.
★★★★★
I cooked them for 25 minutes. it was raw except for the edges. Had to toss it.
I made this with Duncan Hines chocolate cake mix followed instructions just added a teaspoon of mayo its soo moist i love it and my man said its cake not brownie to him well more for me I will make it again with different flavor cake ….thanks
★★★★★
Delicious. I added a bit of chili powder to mine. Tastes kind of like that Mexican hot chocolate you have to boil.
★★★★★
Just took them out of the oven…can’t wait to taste them!
Hey Shelly! My family and I absolutely loved this brownie recipe. It was so good my brother went into a diabetic coma and had to to be airlifted to the local hospital. He’s okay now though, but he does want another delicious bite of those brownies <3
★★★★★
Mine just turned into cake and not a brownie.
★★★★★
Check them often. If they start to rise, shake the pan a bit until they fall then let them finish cooking.
★★★★★
I added peppermint to mix great tast 4 holidays
★★★★★
Great idea!!
ive made this recipe twice and my family has said they’re the best brownies they’ve ever had!! thank you!
★★★★★
Oh that’s so great!!
These turned out really good! I wanted brownies but only had a chocolate fudge cake mix. I left out the extra chocolate chunks and ended up baking for about 25 minutes. Very moist and very good! Will definitely make again! They would even taste good with a cherry chip cake mix or some other flavor
★★★★★
Oh Lawdy these are great. I just took them out of the oven a bit ago and couldn’t wait for them to cool completely. I’ve only sampled the edge but dang they’re good! I MIGHT have put in more chocolate chips than the recipe calls for (which is pretty much what I do with every recipe…never enough chocolate chips for me). So good. I really want to try this with a yellow cake mix. I bet it would be amazing!
Edit: I didn’t have milk on hand so I had to use water. But they were still delicious!
★★★★★
Breanna… I Always keep a can of evaporated milk on hand, in case a recipe calls for milk/cream, and I haven’t Any.
★★★★★
Has anyone tried this? Did you go with the 8×8 or a different size? A regular cake mix makes a 9×13, so wondering how they turned out.
I did 8×8 and it was great! (Hey, that rhymed!)
★★★★★
Wow these were surprisingly really good! I had a just expired chocolate cake mix that I wanted to use up – didn’t want to make a cake w frosting etc & so googled & found this recipe. With ingredients I already had I whipped it up in a few & it was really good! I was a little worried after seeing some other comments saying it would not set which was strange as my batter was realllly thick – baked it 20 mins exact in my convection oven & it was prefect in the center , definitely cooked. I added… Read more »