Cake Mix Brownies {Fudgy}

Easy, chewy and fudgy cake mix brownies recipe, requiring simple ingredients. Topped off with chocolate ganache and salty pretzels. Loaded with chocolate chips. It tastes homemade and is a quick dessert or snack for parties.

This recipe was a very pleasant mistake. Normally, I make these Fudgy Brownies With Crackly Tops but one night, I wanted to eat brownies and unfortunately, I didn't have all the ingredients in my pantry. However, I had a chocolate cake mix and I decided to tweak the recipe on the back of the box and voila!

These turned out so rich and fudgy that I just had to share the recipe with all of you. I love Easy Cake Mix Recipes (Desserts) that taste homemade. If you are fond of them too, you really need to check out one of my most popular posts ever: How to Make Box Cake Better (Taste Homemade).

Jump to:

• Key ingredients
• Variations
• How to make easy fudgy brownies recipe with cake mix?
• Brownie add-ins and toppings
• Tips and techniques
• Recipe FAQs
• Storage
• More easy brownie recipes
• Recipe

Key ingredients

• Cake mix- For this recipe, purchase Devil's Food cake.
• Butter- Be sure it is unsalted.
• Milk- Best results come from using whole milk.
• Egg- At room temperature, it helps things mix together smoothly.
• Chocolate chips- Used for a batter add-in and for the chocolate ganache.
• Heavy cream- This is used alongside chocolate to make the perfect, easy ganache.

Variations

• Use different flavored box cake mixes- Such as red velvet, lemon, yellow or funfetti.
• Pair with another frosting flavor- Such as Easy Mint Frosting, Caramel Frosting (3 Ingredients), Marshmallow Frosting Recipe, or Best Cream Cheese Frosting.
• Mix in some additional ingredients to the batter- Like shredded coconut, chopped nuts, Oreos, M&Ms, or candy bars.
• You can also add swirls- Of Caramel Sauce or Homemade Dulce De Leche, peanut butter, Nutella, or Homemade Strawberry Jam on top of the batter, prior to baking.
• Try adding spices- Like cinnamon or pumpkin spice the compliment the chocolate flavor.
• Add zests- Try using orange, lemon, or lime zest to switch things up.
• Add extracts- Use about 1 teaspoon of vanilla, almond, or mint extract for different flavor profiles.
• Gluten free version- Simply purchase a gluten free cake mix.

How to make easy fudgy brownies recipe with cake mix?

1. Mix together- The cake mix powder, egg, butter, and milk (Image 1 and 2).
2. Stir in- The chocolate chips (Image 3).
3. Spread batter- In a greased pan and bake (Images 4 and 5).
4. Pour ganache- Over the top and spread it out (Images 6 and 7).
5. Add a topping- Chill, then cut into slices. (Image 8).

Brownie add-ins and toppings

• Nuts- Such as roughly chopped pecans, almonds, peanuts, walnuts.
• Dried fruits- You can try roughly chopped dried cherries, cranberries, apricots.
• Chocolate- You can never have too much chocolate! More chocolate chips, more chocolate candy, you name it.
• Candy bars- You can use all kinds including Snickers, Kit Kat, Hershey's Cookies and Cream, and more.
• Coconut- Shredded or desiccated. Toast it for even more flavor.
• Cookies- Like Oreos, Biscoff cookies, Nutter butters. Just be sure to chop them up roughly first.
• Pretzels- Be sure they get roughly chopped up to make it easier to eat.
• Potato chips- This will give a salty, crispy addition.
• Jams and preserves- Bring in some fruity flavor and health benefits.
• Frosting- You can use it on top or sandwich in between two brownies.
• Sprinkles- Use various kinds and implement a holiday theme for fun.
• Sea salt- To give a savory balance to the treat.
• Nutella- Use this chocolatey hazelnut butter to drizzle on top or marble into the batter.
• Peanut butter- Chocolate and peanut butter are one of the most classic, tasty pairs.
• Biscoff cookie butter- In my opinion just about any dessert tastes better with Biscoff.
• Caramel sauce or Dulce de leche- The combination of chocolate and caramel is unparalleled. You can drizzle on top or swirl it in the batter before baking.

Tips and techniques

• I used Devil's Food cake mix- Because it gives the best intense chocolate flavor but you can also use chocolate cake mix too.
• All ingredients must be at room temperature- Because they blend together better this way.
• You can use any brand of cake mix you like- But it must be a 15.25 oz. box.
• Don't replace butter with oil- Because butter is needed for that fudgy brownie texture.
• Use whole milk- Since it has higher fat content and will give the brownies more flavor and a better texture.
• This recipe can easily be doubled- If you want to make a bigger batch. Make sure to use a bigger pan too. The pictures in this post show a bigger batch because I wanted "taller, thicker" brownies.
• Pretzel toppings are entirely optional- But if you add them, make sure to add them just prior to serving or else they will become soggy.
• Don't over-bake brownies- Or else they will become dry. I prefer my brownies under-baked because they are so fudgy this way. A good rule of thumb is to insert a toothpick in the center and if it comes out with some sticky crumbs, it's ready to be removed from the oven. If it comes out with batter that's dripping, it's not ready yet and still raw.
• You can replace ganache with your favorite Chocolate Buttercream Frosting or even Chocolate Ganache Frosting (2 Ingredients). But suggest not skipping the ganache, because it really takes these brownies over the top.
• Don't over-mix batter- A few lumps are okay and too much mixing can alter the texture.

Recipe FAQs

Storage

• Refrigerate- Place in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
• Freeze- Place in a sealed container for up to 1 month.
• Room temperature- Don't leave out more than 2-3 days. If you have certain frostings and toppings be sure to refrigerate within 2-3 hours to prevent melting or spoiling dairy products.
• Make ahead- These can be made 3 days in advance if kept in a sealed container in the fridge, or for up to 1 month if kept in the freezer. Thaw in the fridge and serve. You can also heat them in the microwave for 10 seconds to get warm and gooey again.

More easy brownie recipes

• Nutella Brownies (3 Ingredients)
• Fudgy Vegan Eggless Brownies
• Chocolate Orange Brownies
• Fudgy Black Bean Brownies
• Easy Brownie Bowls
• Gooey Brownies (Chocolate Cherry Brownies)

Recipe