- 18 hours ago
Think boxed brownie mix is just for brownies? Think again! We’re turning this pantry staple into 10 clever, decadent, and totally delicious desserts that go way beyond the brownie pan. From creamy brownie dip and an easy brownie trifle to crispy brownie brittle, waffles, cookies, truffles, and even a brownie pizza, these genius brownie-mix hacks make dessert easier—and a lot more fun. Whether you need a quick chocolate fix, a crowd-pleasing party dessert, or a creative way to transform a box of brownie mix, these easy ideas will have you looking at boxed brownies in a whole new way.
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00:01Grab a box of brownie mix and be prepared to be amazed.
00:03Here are 10 fun, easy, and chocolatey treats
00:05with just one pantry staple.
00:07Starting strong by turning this box of brownie mix into dip.
00:11It's a no cook dip, but we have to treat the brownie mix
00:16by cooking it for a little while
00:18just to cook any potential bacteria out of it.
00:21It's like raw flour.
00:23You're not supposed to eat raw flour.
00:24And then I'm just gonna pop it into the oven
00:26for about 10 minutes.
00:27I've softened some cream cheese,
00:30and we know this is the base for every good dip.
00:32I'm gonna whip this up and whip it good.
00:35Okay, we've got our heat-treated brownie mix.
00:38Gonna add in a little at a time, whip that into there.
00:41This is also going to make a lot of dip.
00:44This is a perfect party situation.
00:46It's a little thick, so I'm gonna add in
00:48a couple tablespoons of milk that will look like that.
00:52Kinda like the consistency of a thinner peanut butter.
00:55Then you just mix in your tub of Cool Whip.
00:58You could also do fresh whipped cream here.
01:00Today feels like a cheat day.
01:02This is a big batch of dip for about five bucks.
01:05You could serve it with just one item or an array like this.
01:09A little bit sweet, a little bit salty.
01:11Something juicy, something crunchy.
01:14Top it with some little chocolate chips if you want to.
01:17Cute.
01:18The strawberry is calling my name.
01:26How haven't we done this before?
01:27What I love about it most is A, it's like thick texture,
01:30and B, the fact that it's not overly sweet.
01:34Despite the fact that we used a whole box of brownie mix,
01:37it's just like the right amount of sweetness balanced out
01:39by that cream cheese.
01:40And then lightened up with the Cool Whip.
01:42We are starting off strong, as I said, with an A++ 100.
01:48Turning the next box of brownies into my friend Jana's favorite dessert,
01:52a trifle known as death by chocolate.
01:55Doesn't get much better than that.
01:56You can make this in a bowl.
01:57You can make it in a casserole dish.
01:59I don't care, but I'm going to do the traditional trifle.
02:02So you want to prepare your box of brownie mix according to package directions.
02:06And then you're going to kind of cube it up.
02:08And we're going to put half of our brownie cubes in the bottom.
02:12This is one of those desserts where it doesn't matter
02:13that you started with a box of brownie mix, okay?
02:16You went beyond that.
02:17And then the second component of chocolate,
02:19just good ol' instant chocolate pudding mix.
02:22I'm going to put half of that in there.
02:24You want to be able to see the layers.
02:28It's all about the presentation.
02:30You got a little aggressive with the chocolate dollop.
02:33Third chocolate component, chopped up heath bars.
02:37You could also do your favorite chocolate candy bar or cookies.
02:42You just want to add something with a little bit of crunch here.
02:44I like to make sure that each layer gets on the edges so that you'll be able to see it.
02:49Next layer, again, our favorite sheet or shortcut.
02:53And guess what?
02:54You do it all again.
02:56This is definitely a good way to stretch a pan of brownies.
02:59This is one that is good to eat now or tomorrow.
03:03It'll give the brownies time to absorb some of that pudding.
03:07Or if you're like me, you probably don't have that kind of time to wait.
03:10As Clark Griswold would say, she's a beaut.
03:14You wouldn't know or care that this started from a box of brownie mix.
03:18If you go down and come straight up, you get a little bit of everything.
03:22If you do let this sit in the refrigerator for a while, it'll firm up slightly.
03:27I mean, you can just, you just know that's the perfect bite right there.
03:34The crunchy candy bar with the brownie with the creamy pudding and Cool Whip.
03:40I just love it so much.
03:41It might not be the most gourmet treat, but it is a 12 out of 10 delicious.
03:46One of my favorite desserts to make with a box brownie or cake mix is a dump cake.
03:52It doesn't get any easier than this.
03:54And this dinner, this dinner, and this dessert always reminds me of my grandmother.
03:59This was like her signature move.
04:01So this is a Black Forest dump cake, cherries and chocolate, a classic combo.
04:07Of course, you can do this with whatever pie filling you like, but I think with chocolate,
04:12cherries is the best.
04:13You could also do the strawberry pie filling.
04:15It's a little harder to find.
04:17Typically, these dump cakes are done with boxed cake mix.
04:21But just, you know, a happy accident one time was I didn't have cake mix,
04:25but we had brownie mix.
04:26So I had to see if it worked.
04:28And it does.
04:29It is a little bit thicker and a little bit drier than cake mix.
04:34So you have to add a little water on top of your fruit
04:37instead of just pouring the mix directly on.
04:39This kind of absorbs that extra, you know, bulk that's in here.
04:44Then you just dump, hence the word dump cake, your topping on.
04:49And you don't mix it.
04:50You just let it sit on top.
04:51My pan's a little bit smaller than a nine by 13.
04:53So I'm not going to use quite the whole box.
04:56Final step is butter on the top.
04:58One thing I like to do to get it an even layer of butter is you can freeze your butter
05:02and then
05:02just grate it on top, or you can just do it the old-fashioned way by topping it with
05:08in little pats of butter.
05:09See, these desserts are so good because it's a little bit sweet, a little bit salty.
05:13Okay, and then this goes into the oven at 350 degrees
05:16till it's all hot and bubbly, about 35 to 40 minutes.
05:22A little topping gets a little toasty, a little slightly crisp.
05:27It's going to be buttery, a little salty, a little sweet, really rich,
05:31but it has to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes before we can dig in.
05:35Oh, yeah.
05:36And a little cold to go with the hot.
05:38A little scoop of vanilla ice cream.
05:41Let it do its thing.
05:46This is a good combo.
05:49Nobody thinks to ever do the chocolate in the dump cake,
05:51but the brownie mix with the cherries.
05:53See, Maumau knew what she was doing when she put all this together.
05:57This one almost has me speechless because it is just
06:00simplicity at its finest.
06:02What is this?
06:03Like a three-ingredient dessert that you could make anytime
06:06keeping these ingredients on hand.
06:07You can whip up a delicious dessert with brownie mix
06:11whenever the time goes, which could be every day.
06:14The crust.
06:16I don't know how I'm going to do this all day.
06:17Definitely going to be on a sugar high and up all night.
06:20Turn your box of brownie mix into cookies.
06:23I've done this with cake mix before, but never brownie mix,
06:25but I hear it makes delicious chocolate cookies.
06:28You don't follow the measurements that's on the brownie box
06:30because we're not making brownies.
06:32We're making cookies.
06:33You want like a thicker batter.
06:35So we've got our box of brownie mix.
06:37I'm adding half the amount of oil, two eggs,
06:40a little splash of vanilla and a little bit of salt.
06:43I'm going to mix this up and then the recipe calls for flour,
06:46a few tablespoons or as needed.
06:48And that's again, just to kind of thicken this up to make it where you can
06:51get like balls of cookie dough.
06:53Okay. And then you fold in your chocolate chips.
06:55Easy as that.
06:57Now they go onto a baking sheet, scoop them on a couple inches apart.
07:02And then we're going to bake these until they're just set
07:04because we want it to be like a soft and chewy cookie,
07:07or at least that's what I want into the oven.
07:10Just about 10 minutes.
07:12These look so good.
07:14I love how it gets a little crackly on the top and you can tell they're going
07:18to be like slightly chewy, slightly crisper on the edges,
07:22but really soft on the inside. That's my perfect cookie,
07:26but I need to let them cool. If I go to take them off right now,
07:29they're just going to fall apart.
07:30Look at these double, triple, extra chocolatey cookies.
07:34Let's see what they look like inside.
07:37That's the way I like it.
07:46That is good. It's kind of like you're getting the edge of the brownie pan on the outside,
07:53but the inside, it's almost like you're getting a slightly underdone brownie,
07:59which is on purpose because it's extra fudgy in the middle,
08:02but that's because of those chocolate chips in there.
08:03This is a dead gum good cookie that you would make if you were having people over.
08:09It's impressive.
08:09No one would know it started with a box of brownie mix,
08:12and you definitely need the ice cold milk because it is rich, but in a good way.
08:20And now it's time to turn brownie mix into a full-blown chocolate cake.
08:26So this is a devil's food brownie cake because we are using a box of brownie mix
08:31and a box of devil's food cake mix.
08:35So a box of each going in.
08:37Do y'all remember when like devil's food was considered like healthy?
08:40Because it like wasn't fattening.
08:42To that, some oil, four eggs, and then to really heighten the chocolate flavor
08:49and just kind of elevate the whole flavor in general, instead of water, cold, coffee.
08:55Coffee that has been brewed and then chilled.
08:57Coffee just brings out the flavors of chocolate a little better.
09:00And then we mix.
09:01At the end of the day, the box brownie mix and cake mix, it's just pre-measured.
09:06Flour, leavening, cocoa powder.
09:09So it just makes the process easier instead of you having to measure everything out.
09:13Okay, and then this goes into a buck pan.
09:16You want to make sure it's greased, ready for your batter.
09:20Now this goes into the oven 350 degrees for about an hour.
09:24You don't want to overdo it.
09:25Check it with a toothpick just until it comes clean.
09:28And then after it cools, the most delicious topping goes on top.
09:33My beautiful cake.
09:35Now for the topping, we're just going to make a simple ganache.
09:37So I've microwaved some heavy cream just until it's scalding.
09:42Pour it over chocolate chips, let it sit for a second, and then mix.
09:48Then you have fancy chocolate ganache.
09:51You know, ganache has that fancy name and you think it's hard to make.
09:55You just saw how easy that was.
09:57The cream will slowly melt those chocolate chips.
10:00And you just want to stir it until it's smooth.
10:02And then I'm going to pour it over the cake.
10:05And then it'll kind of set up a little bit as it cools.
10:08We look so fancy.
10:11I'm sure you've got it on something to catch the drippage.
10:14Nobody has to know.
10:16Let's dig into our masterpiece.
10:18Ooh, I like that ganache.
10:21It kind of makes like a fudgy topping.
10:23That's a good-looking slice of cake.
10:25I mean, you can just tell by looking at it that it's moist.
10:28This is not a really dry cake.
10:30It's one of those recipes you're just going to want to remember.
10:32It's like pulling out one of your little tricks.
10:39Not 1% of this tastes like it came from a box.
10:43And that right there should be all you need to know.
10:46I got another fun one for you.
10:48Turn your box brownie mix into brownie brittle.
10:51You can buy brownie brittle, but it is quite expensive.
10:54A box of brownie mix, not so much.
10:56This is going to make for a fun treat that can feed a crowd.
10:59But also, holidays coming up could be a fun food gift.
11:03Keep it in mind.
11:04Just remember it.
11:05So, to a bowl, we're going to go in with one egg white.
11:10Just the white.
11:12A little bit of water and vegetable oil.
11:15And a little bit of melted butter.
11:17That mix, and then in goes your brownie mix.
11:19And you're just going to mix it until it's just combined.
11:21Okay, then you spread it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
11:25Obviously, it's going to be a really thin layer of brownie.
11:29So that it'll get crisp.
11:31I'm going to do some mini chocolate chips.
11:33Some crushed pretzels.
11:35And then a little bit of chopped walnuts.
11:37Because I'm going for, you know, that sweet and salty.
11:40But also that little bit of crunch.
11:42Then this goes into the oven at 325 degrees.
11:45For about 20 to 25 minutes.
11:46When it has cooled, you're going to pull it out of the pan.
11:50It's okay if it breaks.
11:51Because we're about to break it anyway.
11:54Kind of loosen it with the parchment that's underneath.
11:56Slide it onto your cutting board.
11:58Then you can cut it into triangles or squares.
12:02I kind of like imperfect pieces.
12:05I feel like that's what looks like brittle.
12:07Because they're still a little bit, you can see, a little bit chewy in the middle.
12:12But I kind of like this idea.
12:14You really get a lot of pieces out of it.
12:16It's usually I like a thick and fudgy brownie.
12:18But I kind of like where we're going here.
12:20Okay, then you put these back onto your baking sheet.
12:24Because then they're going to go back in the oven at a lower temperature.
12:27Just to kind of crisp up a little bit.
12:30And in we go for just about five minutes or so.
12:33All right, let's check out my double toasted brittle.
12:36Let's see if it's snappy.
12:39And it is.
12:45I'll be doing this again.
12:46You could just leave it like this.
12:48If I was at home, I probably would.
12:49But I'm going to show you another little way to fancy it up.
12:52Maybe for the holidays.
12:53A little white chocolate.
12:54And I'm just going to kind of zigzag it all over.
12:57And then let that cool.
12:59But you see how you could customize this for whatever occasion.
13:03You could do your team's colors for a sports event.
13:06Again, the holidays.
13:08You can do a little peppermint.
13:09Despite however many bites of brownie I have had already,
13:12I'm kind of excited about this one.
13:14I've only had that red wine.
13:18Mmm.
13:20This is better than what comes in the bag.
13:23Mmm.
13:25We nailed that.
13:26This is that perfect bite of something sweet that's not too heavy
13:29because it's light and airy.
13:31It's a little bit salty.
13:32A little bit sweet, but not overly rich.
13:35To me, this is the perfect after dinner treat or afternoon,
13:38like pick-me-up snack when you don't want anything too heavy,
13:40but you want to kind of satisfy that sweet tooth.
13:44A plus plus 5,000.
13:47A million percent will be making this again.
13:50Will it waffle?
13:51I bet it can.
13:52Brownie waffles.
13:53I feel like you might have even seen this one before.
13:55Is it breakfast or dessert?
13:57I'm really going to say this is a dessert.
13:59Lord, y'all don't come after me for saying I should not be advertising a brownie for breakfast.
14:04However, I eat cake for breakfast, so I don't think there's anything wrong with it.
14:06You just prepare your brownie mix according to package directions.
14:11Lightly grease your waffle maker, heat it up, and down we go.
14:14Here it goes.
14:16Should we just wait?
14:17It will waffle, indeed.
14:19Or this could just be a really fast way to make some brownies.
14:23Be gentle, just like as if the pan was just coming out of the oven.
14:27A shareable portion.
14:28To make it feel more like breakfast, I'll add on some fresh strawberries.
14:33Like IHOP, breakfast is served.
14:36It is a really easy way to bake up a brownie, I can tell you that.
14:40Not that we don't know what this tastes like, but if you want me to see if it tastes like
14:45a waffle,
14:46okay, I'll do the job.
14:48If you tell yourself it's breakfast, it'll taste like breakfast.
14:55Somehow, someway, this tastes different than just a regular brownie.
14:59The texture is sturdy, but it's also very tender inside, and I guess because it's such a thin layer,
15:05it's not overwhelmingly rich.
15:09It's a fun way to serve up a brownie or a waffle.
15:11Another cake coming out of this box, and it is ice cream cake.
15:15Because why pay $40 for an ice cream cake when you can make one yourself for a fraction of the
15:20price?
15:20So you're going to make your brownie mix according to package directions,
15:24and bake it into two 8-inch round brownie pans, or 9-inch.
15:29And then you're going to build the cake in the springform pan so that you can kind of create the
15:33shape.
15:33So put one of them in there, then the ice cream.
15:37We're going for mint chocolate chip vibes.
15:42I'm just going to hack into it to get me a layer of ice cream.
15:45Okay, I think that's a good little trick.
15:47I think we just discovered a new hack.
15:50I think, because look, then you could just be like, boop.
15:57I got to do a TikTok on that.
15:59Next layer is sort of like a version of a ganache.
16:03This is just sweetened condensed milk with chocolate chips.
16:06All melted together.
16:08Then we're just going to pour half of it in.
16:11This is going to help that brownie stick.
16:14And now your other brownie.
16:16I'm going to go upside down just to give you a nice smooth topping.
16:20Oh, and I just broke it.
16:22This is your frosting.
16:25So this is another little fancy dessert.
16:28No one has to know.
16:29It's all about the box of brownie mix.
16:31And then to the freezer to sit.
16:35This is like special occasion worthy right here.
16:38Let's see.
16:40That's pretty cute, if you ask me.
16:42I'm going to put it on a little platter.
16:44Our ice cream cake is a little hot in the kitchen after all these brownie recipes.
16:48So we are melting fast.
16:50You got to work fast.
16:51Okay, creamy.
16:54Mmm, that topping.
16:56I'm okay about this.
17:01The mint chocolate makes for a surprising, fun little, cool bite.
17:06It's brownie a la mode in cake form.
17:08You got your brownie.
17:09You've got your ice cream.
17:11And you have this little special ganache treat on top.
17:14The brownie box just can't be stopped.
17:17Any guesses as to what we're using that brownie mix for next?
17:20Dessert pizza.
17:21And not just any dessert.
17:22One of my favorite desserts of all time.
17:23Banana split brownie pizza.
17:26Say no more.
17:27All this is prepared box of brownie mix spread out into a pizza pan.
17:31So it cooks nice and thin and even, but it's still soft in the middle.
17:36For the banana pudding effect.
17:38I've got banana cream pudding mix.
17:42And I'm going to whip that together with some cream cheese.
17:45Get that going.
17:46And then gradually add in some cold milk.
17:49We want this to be really thick.
17:51Not just like regular banana pudding.
17:54Fold in a little Cool Whip.
17:56We're going to spread this over the brownie.
17:59It's our pizza sauce.
18:00Some more whipped topping, which could be the cheese to your pizza.
18:04Freezing our imagination around here.
18:07Okay.
18:07Now for the toppings.
18:08If you want to make this whole thing ahead of time,
18:10you could put the bananas underneath the whipped cream.
18:12But you don't want to put them on top because they'll turn brown.
18:15This is the pepperoni to our pizza.
18:17You were already thinking it, weren't you?
18:19Okay.
18:19Our banana splits in my family have to have pineapple.
18:23Plus pineapple goes on pizza sometimes.
18:26Or does it?
18:27Can you just, I mean, see the perfect bites forming?
18:30Also got to have peanuts on there.
18:34A little salty, a little crunch.
18:36That is cute, isn't it?
18:37Forgotten all about the brownie.
18:39A little chocolate drizzle.
18:41And then for a pop of color, you got to have your maraschino cherry.
18:44If I had to guess, I bet you've never used your brownie mix like this before.
18:48Pretty cute.
18:49All right, let's get out that perfect slice.
18:53That is a fun dessert.
18:54Fine.
18:55I'll take another bite.
18:57It's just made for the perfect bite.
19:05Banana split.
19:06A retro dessert in a new package, in a very fun package if I do say so myself.
19:12This is a cool party trick you need to pull out at the next get together.
19:16For my final trick, a little sweet treat turning brownie mix into truffles.
19:22Perfect for that little after dinner bite of something sweet.
19:26Or a little hostess gift.
19:28Or a holiday gift.
19:29And it couldn't be any easier.
19:30We're talking three ingredients.
19:32Your brownies that you've already made.
19:34And while they're slightly warm, just go into a bowl.
19:38And you want them like fudgy like this in the middle.
19:41Slightly underdone.
19:42Might even leave the edges out.
19:44Save those for snacking.
19:45And you could just mash them together like this.
19:47I'm going to add in just a little bit of cream cheese to kind of help act as a little
19:51glue.
19:51And then you're just going to mash it all together.
19:53I like having that little crunchy top on there because it kind of adds a little texture to the
19:57inside of your truffle.
20:00Bring it together just until you can't really see that cream cheese anymore.
20:04Can you guess what's next?
20:05You just roll it up into little bite-sized balls.
20:09Once they're all rolled, you're going to melt some chocolate just over a double boiler.
20:14Which is just a little simmering water underneath.
20:17And dip, coat.
20:19Let the excess drip off.
20:21And place it on some wax paper or parchment paper to cool.
20:25And just keep going.
20:26You don't want the chocolate to be too thick on there.
20:28So you want to tap that excess off.
20:31You can just leave them as is.
20:32Or you can embellish at this point.
20:35You can add on some sprinkles.
20:36I'm going to do just like a hint of flaky salt.
20:39And then as they cool, the chocolate will harden.
20:41And we're good to go.
20:43Fun little activity for the kids.
20:45Bonbon, anyone?
20:47Cute, huh?
20:48Let's see how they are inside.
20:52Mmm.
20:54Mmm, that salt.
20:55Once again, you would never know this started with a box of brownie mix.
21:00That little salt on top is key.
21:02It kind of gives it that little homemade touch.
21:05A little something to balance out the sweet.
21:07And look how moist they are inside.
21:08A little chocolatey shell on the outside.
21:10I thought I'd had too much chocolate.
21:12But I was able to muster up one more bite.
21:14That box of brownie mix in your pantry can be a super ho.
21:17Super ho.
21:18Super ho.
21:19That box of brownie mix sitting in your pantry can be a true superhero in the kitchen.
21:24And I've given you 10 reasons why.
21:26So next time you're trying to come up with something sweet to add to your menu.
21:29And all you think you have is a box of brownies.
21:31You have way more than that.
21:33You're welcome.
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