Homemade Box Brownies

Everybody loves brownies! Am I right?! These homemade box brownies are fudgy and chewy with that crackling on top that just screams brownie. I’ve been working on this recipe for a while and I’ve finally nailed it!

Brownies, ugh, the nightmare of homemade brownies! They are so tricky to get just right! Our oven is not cooking evenly which I can manage 90% of the time but brownies are really tricky. Add on top that I’m obsessed with a crinkle top and these brownies have taken years to develop! They are Cade’s favorite dessert next to or equal to ice cream so the need to find perfection was big! And these are perfection!

These brownies are easy and fudgy and made totally from scratch! I’m not going to lie, the Ghirardelli brownies boxed mix that you can buy at Costco are my go-to when I’m in a rush, but this homemade brownie recipe rivals those Ghirardelli box brownies! There’s just something about homemade that feels and tastes so much better!

Ingredients for Homemade Box Brownies

There are some ingredients that are an absolute must for the best brownies. For a crinkle top and best flavor you have to use cocoa powder and chopped chocolate or chocolate chips. You also must use oil and butter. Here is a complete list of everything you need:

• Butter: use unsalted butter to control the salt in the brownies and you want it melted to get the right texture and the crackly shiny top on the brownies
• Vegetable Oil: helps the brownies be moist and fudgy
• Sugar: adds sweetness and balances the bitterness of the cocoa powder
• Brown Sugar: adds more sweetness and richness in flavor
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: adds all the chocolate flavor
• Eggs: adds structure to the brownies
• Vanilla Extract: adds flavor
• Espresso Powder: found in the baking section and is used to enhance the chocolate flavor. It can be skipped if you absolutely cannot find it or substitute with instant coffee.
• Salt: enhances all the flavors
• Flour: just regular all-purpose flour is all you need
• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: adds texture and more chocolate flavor

The measurements for all these ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Box Brownies at Home

These fudgy brownies are made in just about 30 minutes and they taste even better than your favorite boxed brownies. Here are the steps for making them:

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9×9 baking pan with foil (or parchment paper) and then cooking spray.
2. Stir: Combine the melted butter, oil, sugar, and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until well combine and shiny.
3. Whisk: In a small bowl, add the eggs and whisk until pale yellow. Add in the vanilla, espresso powder and salt. Add to chocolate mixtu

3 ingredient hot cocoa mix is a tasty, simple, convenient, and economical way to get your hot chocolate fix. Whip up a batch to keep on hand for after school, cold weather, and cravings!

3 Ingredient Hot Cocoa Mix

We’ve been making 3 ingredient cocoa for about as long as I can remember. Milk + Cocoa + Sugar add up to a terrific cup of hot chocolate.

However, my kids prefer to just grab the packets of cocoa and add hot water when they want cocoa. So, that led me back to this mix that my mom always had on hand when we were growing up. It works the same way – and tastes better by far!

It’s a budget friendly recipe, too. So grab your whisk and 3 simple ingredients and a delightful cup of cocoa is mere moments away!

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

To make this old-fashioned hot cocoa mix, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• powdered milk
• powdered sugar
• unsweetened cocoa powder
• Optional: mini marshmallows, candy canes, whipped cream, and shaved chocolate

It’s important to use unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe. Our family loves special dark or bittersweet cocoa powder for the mix. Use what you like best for baking, and you can’t go too far wrong.

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Give me a brownie and ice cream over pretty much any other baked good and ice cream combination. So, naturally, a bowl of chocolate ice cream generously filled with fudgy chunks of brownies calls my name – loudly.

Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream

There’s something I simply can’t resist in the classic combination of chewy, fudgy brownies topped with a scoop of melting ice cream. And before we get too far into this mouthwatering recipe for brownie-filled ice cream, let’s not confuse this with the original Brownie Ice Cream – that ice cream = a bowl full of brownies blended into smooth, creamy ice cream. (It’s delicious as well!)

This chocolate fudge brownie ice cream starts with a rich, deep chocolate ice cream that is then fully loaded with chunks of chocolatey, chewy, fudgy brownies. My favorite brownies to add to this ice cream are Cosmic Brownies (skip the candies on top) because the extra fudgy brownies (with or without the frosting on top) just add to the awesomeness of this ice cream.

And to make your chocolate brownie ice cream even more irresistible, drizzling some hot fudge sauce through the churned ice cream while layering it into a freezer container will deliver sweet swirls of fudge in every bite along with those fantastic bites of chewy fudge brownie.

Side note – PLEASE make sure that the hot fudge sauce is no warmer than room temperature when you drizzle it into the ice cream. We don’t want that lovely freshly-churned ice cream to start

You only need two ingredients and about five minutes to make this easy hot fudge sauce. Creamy, thick, rich, and chocolatey hot fudge is a dream (and often a “must have in the house at all times” requirement) for any ice cream lover! 

I have a well-known love for ice cream and while I rarely turn down a scoop in a cone, I can’t resist a fancy ice cream sundae whenever I have the chance to make one.

This weekend, I had a blast playing with several new brownie recipes and this hot fudge sauce was worthy of each one.

Brownie Hot Fudge Sundaes

My favorite combination was the Almond Joy Brownies topped with a scoop of Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream and then generously drizzled with this Hot Fudge Sauce.

Years ago, my sister worked as a waitress at Christy Mae’s restaurant in Albuquerque, NM. Known for serving the best comfort food in the area, they also made a brownie sundae that my friends and I could never resist.

Their hot fudge sundae became a favorite indulgence among our circle and recreating it at home is one of my favorite desserts.

This hot fudge sauce is perfect for serving warm, right off the stove. Because it only takes a few minutes to make, I like to make it right before I’m ready to make ice cream sundaes.

If you set the ice cream on the counter