I Tried 8 Popular Brownie Mixes & The Best Tasted Homemade
Few treats celebrate the taste of chocolate quite like a good 'ol brownie. When done right, those classic dessert squares are the perfect combination of delectable textures, sweetness, and rich chocolate flavor. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better snack for scratching a serious chocolate itch.
There are countless brownie recipes out there nowadays for those who prefer to make them from scratch. But let's face it: not everyone has the time or baking prowess to make a delicious homemade brownie. That's probably why brownie mixes have become such a staple on grocery store shelves nowadays. These will typically have you combine oil, eggs, and water with a pouch of dry mix to create a brownie batter, saving you the effort of having to measure out every single ingredient.
But is one brownie mix better than all the rest? I recently set out to answer that question by sampling eight different store-bought brands: Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Duncan Hines, Ghirardelli, Jiffy, Trader Joe's, Halo Top, and Specially Selected (a private label Aldi brand).
I prepared each mix according to the package instructions over the course of a few days and then judged each brand on taste, look, and texture. While I enjoyed certain aspects of most of these mixes, one brand was so delicious that it completely redefined my idea of just how good a store-bought box brownie could be.
Read on for my review of each brownie mix, ranked in descending order from my least favorite to my top pick!
8. Halo Top Light Brownie Mix
Nutrition: (Per Serving):
Calories: 90
Fat: 5 g (Saturated Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 90 mg
Carbs: 25 g (Fiber: 11 g, Sugar: 6 g)
Protein: 1 g
I had no idea that the light ice cream brand Halo Top sold brownie mixes until I happened upon this product at my local grocery store, but it gave me the perfect opportunity to incorporate a better-for-you option into this taste test. The packaging touts that these brownies have one-third fewer calories than the "leading prepared brownie mix." The 12.1-ounce box cost me $4.99, making it one of the pricier options I tried.
The look: This mix didn't yield quite as much batter as the other brands, and the brownies didn't rise at all during the baking process, resulting in a very flat treat. They were also lighter in color than the other brands and didn't have the shiny, crackly top that boxed brownies are known for.
The taste: Lacking in chocolate flavor. The taste and aroma of these brownies reminded me of a mug of Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate more than anything. It's a flavor that I find pleasant and nostalgic, but it just doesn't pack the oomph that I want in a brownie. I also had a pretty big issue with the texture. I want at least a little bit of a chew when I bite into a brownie, but these were slightly crumbly and more on the cakey side.
These weren't bad overall and actually sort of impressive for a lighter brownie mix, but Halo Top's lacking texture and taste couldn't hold a candle to the other mixes in this experiment.
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7. Specially Selected Double Chocolate Premium Brownie Mix
Nutrition: (Per Serving):
Calories: 180
Fat: 8 g (Saturated Fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 105 mg
Carbs: 26 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 18 g)
Protein: 2 g
This private-label Aldi brownie mix claims to provide a double dose of chocolate through a combination of chocolaty batter and chocolate chips. An 18-ounce box cost me $1.95.
The look: Like pretty much every other box brownie I've seen in my life. The top was super glossy and crackly, while the interior was moist and fudgy. Similar to Halo Top's iteration, these didn't seem to rise at all in the oven and ended up very dense.
The taste: Surprisingly bland. Sugar, rather than chocolate, was the dominant flavor in these brownies. They were crazy sweet and in desperate need of more cocoa and salt. The chocolate chips should have provided a much-needed boost of chocolate flavor, but they seemed to disappear into the batter during the baking process.
I ranked Specially Selected over Halo Top because the texture was much better—fudgy with a slight chew. However, the sugary, weak taste made it one of the more disappointing brownie mixes in this taste test.
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6. Jiffy Fudge Brownie Mix
Nutrition: (Per Serving):
Calories: 170
Fat: 8 g (Saturated Fat: 2.5 g)
Sodium: 140 mg
Carbs: 23 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 16 g)
Protein: 2 g
Jiffy sells a classic, bare-bones brownie mix with no chocolate chips or add-ins. However, it differed from the other brands because it came with much less mix (eight ounces) and had me bake the brownies in a loaf pan rather than in an eight-inch square pan. The box yielded a significantly smaller batch of brownies as a result. I couldn't find the Jiffy brand at any of my local grocery stores and ended up having to order a box on Amazon for $6.16, making it the priciest option in this experiment.
The look: Not particularly exciting, but definitely more enticing than the dry-looking brownies pictured on the box. These lacked the glossy, crackly effect I've come to expect in box brownies. However, the color was dark and rich and the texture looked moist and dense.
The taste: Tasty enough but sort of forgettable. Jiffy's brownies had a chocolate flavor that was stronger than Specially Selected's and therefore better, but it was all very one-note and too sweet. What stood out the most about these brownies was the texture, which was pleasantly fudgy and chewy yet soft.
These aren't bad by any means, but I wouldn't choose them over any of the higher-ranking mixes because a) they're somewhat boring and b) a really bad value.
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5. Pillsbury Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix
Nutrition: (Per Serving):
Calories: 170
Fat: 9 g (Saturated Fat: 1.5 g)
Sodium: 80 mg
Carbs: 25 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 16 g)
Protein: 2 g
Pillsbury sells a variety of brownie mixes, so I opted for what looked to be the most basic version: Chocolate Fudge. An 18.4-ounce box was very affordable at just $1.79.
The look: This mix called for more oil than any of the other brands, and the resulting batter was the runniest I saw during the taste test. The brownies developed the classic glossy, fragile top and rose higher than all of the other box brownies,
The taste: If this experiment has taught me anything, it's that store-bought brownie mixes really have a sweetness problem. Pillsbury was yet another brand that suffered from this issue. The sweetness levels in Pillbury's moist, slightly cakey brownies were pretty similar to Jiffy's overly sugary version. They were tasty enough, but the chocolate flavor was once again pretty humdrum and monotonous. Pillsbury is the better option because it produced more brownies and had better value than Jiffy, but there isn't anything particularly special about this option.
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4. Betty Crocker Supreme Original Brownie Mix
Nutrition: (Per Serving):
Calories: 160
Fat: 6 g (Saturated Fat: 1.5 g)
Sodium: 95 mg
Carbs: 24 g (Fiber: <1 g, Sugar: 16 g)
Protein: 1 g
Betty Crocker's Supreme Original Brownie Mix stood out from many of the other varieties on this list in that the box contained a separate chocolate syrup pouch meant to be mixed into the batter. The 16-ounce box cost me $3.49.
The look: Almost exactly like the brownies pictured on the box. The color was rich and enticing, the top was shiny, and the crumb was moist but not too dense.
The taste: This was one of my family's go-to brownie mixes as a kid, and I recall enjoying them immensely back then. But as an adult, my feelings are more mixed. The texture was exactly what I want in a brownie—fudgy, dense, chewy, and a little soft—and the taste was super nostalgic. However, it lacked the strong, complex chocolate flavor I crave in a brownie and was much too sugary for my palate. It's a very middle-of-the-pack brownie, not particularly great or bad.
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3. Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix
Nutrition: (Per Serving):
Calories: 170
Fat: 9 g (Saturated Fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 95 mg
Carbs: 22 g (Fiber: <1 g, Sugar: 15 g)
Protein: 2 g
This Duncan Hines product is a very standard fudge brownie mix with no chocolate chips or unique preparation instructions. The 18.3-ounce box cost me $1.69, making it one of the most affordable options in the taste test.
The look: Duncan Hines' mix produced some of the most aesthetically pleasing brownies with a slight rise, unblemished shiny top, and even thickness. However, the color wasn't quite as deep and rich as some of the other options.
The taste: There isn't much to say about these brownies that couldn't be said about Betty Crocker's brownies. Duncan Hines' version also boasted an enjoyable fudgy, chewy texture and about the same insufficient amount of chocolate flavor. The one aspect that pushed Duncan Hines into third place was that the overpowering sweetness is marginally toned down in these desserts. Overall, Duncan Hines sells a very classic brownie mix at a ridiculously affordable price point.
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2. Ghirardelli Chocolate Supreme Premium Brownie Mix
Nutrition: (Per Serving):
Calories: 140
Fat: 3.5 g (Saturated Fat: 1.5 g)
Sodium: 125 mg
Carbs: 26 g (Fiber: <1 g, Sugar: 18 g)
Protein: 1 g
I spotted several different Ghirardelli brownie mixes at my local grocery store, so once again, I chose the most classic version. The brand's Chocolate Supreme Premium Brownie Mix, like Betty Crocker's, comes with a chocolate syrup pouch to mix into the batter. The 18.75-ounce box cost me $3.59.
The look: Fudgy, dense, and moist to the max with that classic shiny sheen on top. The deep color and gooey texture of these brownies absolutely screamed "indulgence."
The taste: Ghirardelli's brownies had a quality that most of the other brownies lacked—balance. I definitely could have done with more salt and less sugar, but the sweetness levels weren't as overpowering in this batch because the cocoa flavor was much stronger. I also detected a little bitterness that added some much-needed complexity to the flavor. It would be hard to eat more than a small piece of these brownies because they're super rich and decadent, but the deep chocolate flavor puts them ahead of pretty much every other brand I tried. There was only one brownie mix that topped Ghirardelli in my ranking…
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1. Trader Joe's Brownie Truffle Baking Mix
Nutrition: (Per Serving):
Calories: 180
Fat: 9 g (Saturated Fat: 5 g)
Sodium: 120 mg
Carbs: 23 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 16 g)
Protein: 2 g
Trader Joe's brownie mix stood out in this taste test for a couple of reasons. For one, it's made with Dutch cocoa, which is known to have a smoother flavor and darker color. It also came with big chocolate chips and called for melted butter in lieu of oil to make the batter. The 16-ounce box cost me $3.49.
The look: Trader Joe's brownie mix produced an extremely thick batter that baked up super evenly. The color was dark and rich, while the chocolate chips created melty, gooey pockets throughout the brownies. These looked more like homemade brownies than box brownies.
The taste: Unlike any box brownie I've ever tried before, so much so that I could have mistaken them for homemade. The chocolate flavor was deep, rich, smooth, and complex, with a touch of salt and bitterness. The texture was fudgy and chewy without being too dense or rich. The big chocolate chips added some delectable bursts of chocolate throughout the already delicious brownies. And best of all, they weren't overly sweet!
It would be a serious understatement to say that I'm sick of brownies after sampling eight different brands over just a few days. But even as I write this, I'm still snacking on leftover pieces of those heavenly, chocolaty squares from Trader Joe's. They're that good.
