The Best Boxed Brownie Mix

A handful of brownie squares in rows.

As a new immigrant to the US in the 1990s, my mom was eager to sample the convenience-food wonders of US supermarkets. One by one, these products made their rounds in our kitchen as exciting novelties: Bisquick, frozen OJ concentrate, Nesquik chocolate powder, Strawberry Pop-Tarts. And the one that made the most lasting impression: Betty Crocker Brownie Mix.

Brownies from a mix were the “special treat” dessert of my childhood. My first memory of them was learning how to crack eggs into a massive steel mixing bowl at age 4. As I recall them, these brownies were gooey and chocolatey, and they paired well with a glass of milk and an episode of Barney after school.

Chances are good you have similarly nostalgic memories of brownies made from a mix: your first sleepover, potluck dinners, an after-school comfort, your mom’s shoot-I-forgot-to-make-something-for-the-bake-sale savior.

We tested 22 different boxed brownie mixes, including seven gluten-free options, to find the ones with the chewiest corners, the crinkliest tops, and most deeply satisfying fudgy flavor. There were plenty of just-good-enough mixes (like my beloved Betty Crocker, sadly) but only four clear winners. While some of our picks fulfilled our more grown-up tastes for dark chocolate and high-quality vanilla, they all evoked the warm, fuzzy, childhood excitement of brownies baking in the oven.



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