DIY Brownie Mix

Everywhere in the world there are tensions – economic, political, religious. So we need chocolate. ~Alain Ducasse

I have three kids who like to bake, and while I think it’s important for children to learn their way around the kitchen, I’m not always thrilled by the mess that sometimes follows.

The rule is “You cook it, you clean up after it”, but the exact definition of ‘clean’ seems to be variable.

Mixes are a good solution. The kids get to bake on a whim, and there is less chaos.

Store-bought mixes, however, often have a lot of unnecessary additives, and aren’t actually all that time or cost-saving in many instances.

It’s rare to find a good brownie mix in my area for under $2 a box,  and I can make a batch of this homemade mix for well under half of that.

The only time investment in a DIY Brownie Mix is measuring the dry ingredients into a bowl and sifting them together – less than the time it takes to go to the store.

You can double or triple this recipe easily to make multiple batches. 2-1/3 cups / 580 ml will equal one batch of mix. (This is a good math exercise for younger kids: get them to figure out the amount of dry ingredients needed for the multiplied batches.)

You can make them just like you would with a store-bought mix: dump your wet ingredients in and stir.

The resulting brownies are dense, fudgey and very chocolaty.

A batch of this mix in a Mason jar with a pretty ribbon makes a quick and easy gift for the chocolate lovers in your life.

The kids can mix it up for school sales, holiday gifts, or home-baked treats.

Quick, easy and cheaper than store-bought.

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DIY Brownie Mix

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

35 mins

 

This brownie mix is fast and easy to mix up and great to have on hand for when you want something sweet. It's cheaper than store-bought, and has a great dense, fudgey texture. It's easy to mix up a few batches at a time, so you can have some for you or as a quick gift from your kitchen.

Servings: 25 brownies

Author: Mary Gillespie

Ingredients

Dry mix:

• 3/4 cup / 187.5 ml all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml brown sugar
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons / 7.5 ml instant coffee powder
• 1/2 teaspoon / 2.5 ml salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons / 7.5 ml baking powder

Wet ingredients:

• 1/2 cup / 125 ml oil or melted butter
• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml water
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon / 5 ml vanilla
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml add-ins: nuts chocolate chips, etc (optional)

Instructions

To make mix:

1. In medium bowl, sift together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, coffee powder, salt, and baking powder.
2. Make sure all ingredients are well mixed and all there are no lumps.
3. Transfer mix to a storage container and store in a dry cupboard until you are ready to use it.

To make brownies:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F / 180 degrees C if you are using a metal pan, and to 325 degrees F / 170 degrees C if you are using a glass pan.
2. Lightly grease 9 x 9-inch / 23 x 23-cm pan, and line with parchment paper.
3. Dump dry brownie mix into a medium size bowl.
4. Add oil or melted butter, water, eggs and vanilla. Stir until all the wet ingredients are incorporated into the dry ingredients. The batter will be very stiff. (If you prefer, you can beat eggs with oil, water and vanilla before adding to the dry mix.)
5. Spread brownie mixture into prepared pan. Smooth top. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until brownies are set in middle, but aren't hard. You can underbake them slightly because they will continue to cook a bit when they are removed from the oven. The brownies will not rise significantly during baking.
6. Remove brownies from oven and set pan on a cooling rack.
7. When brownies are cool, remove from pan using parchment paper to lift them. Cut for serving.

Recipe Notes

If you prefer a slightly lighter brownie, you can use 1/3 cup / 80 ml oil or melted butter + 1/3 cup / 80 ml water in place of the 1/2 cup of oil listed in the recipe.