photo of brownie box mix aisle at supermarket

How I Found The Best Brownie Box Mix

Here’s something about me that you probably didn’t know—I fell in love with baking because of brownie box mix. Brownie box mix was one of the first baked goods I ever made for myself (followed quickly by Funfetti cupcakes). I loved how easy it was to put together a delicious, decadent dessert with just one bowl.

I’ve since learned how to develop my own brownie recipes from scratch. But when I’m feeling nostalgic or in a pinch for time, I won’t shy away from reaching for a brownie box mix.

However, I recently found myself at the grocery store and was stunned by the variety of brownie box mix available. Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines, Ghirardelli, Pillsbury, and more! Each brand also had their own different flavors and twists. The choices were overwhelming, and I simply wanted to know which one was best.

So I set out to taste test some of the most popular brands. And here’s what I found:

Taste Testing “Mainstream” Brownie Box Mixes

@hummingbirdhigh tbh i’m a sucker for box mix brownies #browniemix #boxedbrownies #baking ♬ original sound – hummingbirdhigh

For this category, I wanted to sample the brownie box mixes that were readily available at conventional big grocery stores like Safeway, Target, and Walmart. The most common brands were Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines, Ghirardelli, and Pillsbury.

I decided to try the basic fudge or dark chocolate variation of each brand. Here’s a list of the exact flavor I sampled:

All were delicious, with their own pros and cons, which I discuss in the video above. But if you’re not a video person, here’s the TL/DR:

My favorite “mainstream” brownie box mix was a toss-up between Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix and Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix. I was no stranger to the quality of Ghirardelli brownie mixes; it’s what I relied on when I wanted an intensely chocolaty and almost homemade-tasting boxed mix brownie. However, I was pleasantly surprised by Duncan Hines—I plan on using this box mix more in the future!

Taste Testing Different Ghirardelli Brownie Box Mix Varieties

@hummingbirdhigh tasting all @Ghirardelli Chocolate Company #boxmixbrownies 2 forget about the loss of my reproductive freedom #baking #bakingtiktok #brownies ♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim

When I first shared my results from the “mainstream” brownie box mix taste test, several of you commented on both Instagram and TikTok that Ghirardelli reigned supreme in your kitchen.

I agreed (though like I said above, I was surprised to find that Duncan Hines gave Ghirardelli some serious competition!), but had a follow-up question:

Which of the different Ghirardelli brownie box mixes tasted best?

Ghirardelli offers a wide selection of brownie box mixes—with or without chocolate chips, others with chocolate and caramel syrup, and one with walnuts. I decided to stick to the classically chocolate flavors and ended up with these varieties:

Going into the test, I was convinced that there wouldn’t be much difference between the four. I was wrong! The four flavors were pretty distinct from one another. All of them had different quantities of chocolate chips, while two of them came with a chocolate sauce to mix into the batter.

Here’s what I found:

In general, I much preferred the mixes without the additional chocolate sauce (Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Premium Brownie Mix and Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Premium Brownie Mix). I found that the additional chocolate sauce didn’t add any additional moisture to the brownies. Instead, they added an artificial flavor to the brownies that I didn’t particularly like.

Taste Testing Ghirardelli Brownie Box Mix Hacks

@hummingbirdhigh #ghirardelli brownies, but better! wish i’d known about these #bakinghacks sooner tbh ☺️ #bakingtiktok ♬ The Great British Bake Off – Tom Howe

When I shared my results after taste testing the different Ghirardelli brownie box mix varieties, several of you asked me if I’d made my brownies with any of the popular hacks to make the brownies even better. “What hacks?” I naively asked.

Soon, I was flooded with advice. Swap the water in the recipe with coffee! Cream! Milk! Red wine (really)! Use browned butter or melted butter instead of oil! Try coconut or olive oil for a unique flavor. Add a teaspoon of ground coffee, espresso, vanilla! Mix in more chocolate chips! You get the drift.

I decided to try the two most popular hacks with my favorite Ghirardelli brownie box mix, Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Premium Brownie Mix. The original recipe instructs you to mix the packet of dry ingredients with ½ cup of a neutral oil and ¼ cup of water. Here’s what I compared:

  • Control: Dry Ingredients + ½ cup of a neutral oil + ¼ cup of water

  • Melted Butter and Milk: Dry Ingredients + ½ cup of melted unsalted butter + ¼ cup of whole milk

  • Melted Butter and Coffee: Dry Ingredients + ½ cup of melted unsalted butter + ¼ cup of brewed coffee

I was legitimately surprised to find that all three variations—the brownies that were made according to the box mix instructions, plus the brownies made with butter and milk or coffee—were really good. It was hard to pick a favorite, so I recommend reading my extensive pros and cons list of the different methods below!

Pros and Cons of the Ghirardelli Brownie Box Mix Hacks

Ghirardelli Brownie Box Mix Made With Oil And Water (Per the Manufacturer’s Instructions)

Pros:

  • Classic, nostalgic flavor
  • Good for those who like chewy, not-too-rich brownies
  • Fast, easy, unfussy—easy to put together with no need to prep any additional ingredients beyond measuring oil and water

Cons:

  • Definitely tasted bland when compared to the Ghirardelli brownies made with butter; however, I don’t think it would be noticeable if you didn’t eat them side-by-side!

HACK #1: Ghirardelli Brownie Box Mix Made With Melted Butter And Milk

Pros:

  • Noticeably more flavorful than the brownies made with just oil and water
  • Brownies’ appearance changes for the better—they are lighter in color, with a flakier, shinier sugar top
  • Brownie texture changes as well; softer instead of chewier (perhaps consider adding 1 to 3 minutes to the recommended Bake Time on the box for some more chewiness?)
  • Tasted even better the next day, especially when compared to the brownies made with just oil and water

Cons:

  • More prep required for the recipe
  • Made the brownie batter hard to work with; batter was the thickest of the three tests, and hard to spread in the pan

HACK #2: Ghirardelli Brownie Box Mix Made With Melted Butter And Brewed Coffee

Pros:

  • Noticeably more flavorful than the brownies made with just oil and water
  • Coffee adds a very subtle, bitterness that enhances the brownies’ chocolate flavor and makes them less sweet—if you like dark chocolate, you’ll love it!
  • Brownies’ appearance changes for the better—they are lighter in color, with a flakier, shinier sugar top
  • Softer than the brownies made with oil and water, but still with some chew (because they weren’t quite as soft as the butter and milk ones)
  • Tasted even better the next day, especially when compared to the brownies made with just oil and water

Cons:

  • More prep required for the recipe, but you can use a premade coffee (like bottled cold brew) or coffee made from instant coffee to save time

Quick Hot Takes

And here’s what I think your favorite brownie box mix says about you:

@hummingbirdhigh i know y’all are gonna come for me in the comments, i’m scared already #brownies #boxmix #boxmixbrownies ♬ what your favorite whatever says about you – Andria Moreira

Finally, if none of these brownie box mixes sound like your jam, make them from scratch! Here’s a list of my favorite brownie recipes on Hummingbird High:

Michelle holding Weeknight Baking cookbook covering her face.

buy the book
Weeknight Baking:
Recipes to Fit your Schedule

Over the past several years of running Hummingbird High, I kept a crucial aspect of my life hidden from my readers: I had a full-time, extremely demanding job in the tech world. In my debut cookbook, Weeknight Baking, I finally reveal the secrets to baking delicious desserts on a tight schedule.

Get your copy today >>