RECIPE: Boxed Brownies 4 Ways

Sure, you can make brownies from scratch. And I do sometimes. But there is something about boxed brownies that is just so easy, satisfying and perfect. In fact, my grandfather who was a food chemist used to say that boxed brownie mix was one of the few things science had perfected.

Boxed brownies come in every variety these days including fudge-y, chewy, with frosting, non-dairy and even gluten-free. So, pick your poison and then have fun dressing them up with my suggestions below, or whatever you’ve got hanging around in the pantry. Or, add nothing at all because we already know they will be perfect.

Special thanks to fellow Kveller staff member Jennifer Modlinger for her gluten-free expertise and recipe testing.

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Crunchy Salty Peanut Butter Brownies
1 box brownie mix

1/3 cup chopped salted peanuts

¼ cup peanut butter chips

¼ cup chopped peanut m&ms

Prepare brownies according to box directions. Mix in potato chips and caramel candies. Top with mini pretzels. Bake according to box directions.

Allow to cool before cutting into squares.

PMS Emergency Brownies
1 box brownie mix

½ cup crushed potato chips

¼ cup mini pretzels

5 wrapped soft caramel candies, cut in half

Prepare brownies according to box directions. Mix in potato chips and caramel candies. Top with mini pretzels. Bake according to box directions.

Allow to cool before cutting into squares.

S’mores Brownies

1 box brownie mix

1 cup mini marshamallows

1/3 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs

1 Hershey’s milk chocolate bar, broken into pieces

Prepare brownies according to box directions. Add half batter to pan and spread out evenly. Add half the graham cracker crumbs and half the mini marshmallows. Add remaining batter on top.

Place the other half of mini marshmallow package on top and sprinkle other half of graham cracker crumbs. Half way through baking, remove pan and place pieces of Hershey’s chocolate on top. Finish baking according to box directions.

Allow to cool before cutting into squares.

Gluten Free Brownies

1 box GF brownie mix (we like Betty Crocker)

¾ cup marshmallow fluff

½ cup dark chocolate chips

sprinkles

Prepare brownies according to box directions. Mix in dark chocolate chips. Add marshmallow fluff on top and swirl into batter. Add sprinkles on top if desired.

Bake according to box directions.

Allow to cool before cutting into squares.

Shannon Sarna

Shannon Sarna is Editor of The Nosher. Born to an Italian mother who loved to bake, a Jewish father who loved to experiment, and a food chemist grandfather, loving and experimenting with diverse foods is simply in her blood. Her writing and recipes have been featured in Tablet Magazine, JTA News, New Jersey Monthly Magazine, The Jewish Week, Joy of Kosher Magazine, Vinepair, Modern Loss and Buzzfeed. She graduated from Smith College in Northampton, MA with a degree in Comparative Government and Spanish Language and Literature and lives in South Orange, NJ with her husband, daughters and rescue dogs. To see what Shannon is cooking and eating, follow her on Twitter and Instagram.