• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Tara Teaspoon logo

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
  • Cookbook
  • Easy Dinners
    • Salads
    • Seafood
    • Vegetarian
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegetables
    • Chicken
    • Healthy + Diet
    • Soups + Stews + Chili
  • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Ask Tara
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Statement
  • Shop
    • Checkout
    • Cart
  • Free Baking Tips
go to homepage
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
  • Cookbook
  • Easy Dinners
    • Salads
    • Seafood
    • Vegetarian
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegetables
    • Chicken
    • Healthy + Diet
    • Soups + Stews + Chili
  • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Ask Tara
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Statement
  • Shop
    • Checkout
    • Cart
  • Free Baking Tips
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    TaraTeaspoon » Baking + Desserts » Homemade Brownies or Brownie Mix - What's Your Vote?

    This page contains affiliate and sponsored links. See my full disclosure.

    Homemade Brownies or Brownie Mix - What's Your Vote?


    The debate is between Homemade Brownies and Brownie Mix. You might have a favorite, and I talk about why.


    Brownies are one of my favorite desserts to try out new variations of - well, actually, they are one of my favorite desserts, period! Naturally, I have a favorite homemade recipe that makes chocolatey, fudgy, heavenly-tasting brownies.

    Make my favorite Homemade Brownies

    Boxed Brownies:

    They're the ones you find at school bake sales and potluck dessert tables, and they're delicious! Surprise, I love brownies from a mix sometimes, too.

    Boxed Brownies in all flavors

    Box brownie mixes call for vegetable oil as the shortening, which makes them nice and chewy.

    The chocolate comes from cocoa powder, which gives box brownies a lighter, less rich chocolate flavor than the homemade variety. Most people say brownies from a mix remind them of childhood.

    Of course mixes vary, and some include packets of chocolate sauce that give the brownies a denser, richer taste. Or you can add an extra egg to the mix for a cake-like consistency.

    The ultimate cookie stuffed brownies squares stacked on pink surface

    Homemade Brownies:

    The main ingredients of homemade brownies are chocolate, butter, sugar and eggs. But there are lots of different variations! Homemade recipes that call for cocoa powder make brownies with the softest texture in the middle, because all of the fat in the recipe comes from butter.

    Try my Cookie Stuffed Brownies with a homemade brownie layer!

    Other people like the deep chocolatey taste of bar chocolate, which contains cocoa butter and melts at a higher temperature than butter. A high percentage of cocoa butter gives the brownies a slightly harder, more crackly texture. It all depends on your favorite kind of brownie.

    Chocolate chips are not a great source of chocolate for brownies. They can be a fun addition, but they have wax mixed in to help keep their shape while baking. The wax keeps the brownies from getting the smooth, even texture everyone loves.

    The difference between Homemade Brownies and Brownie Mix

    Now, I've heard that the real reason box brownies are chewier than homemade is their ratio of saturated fat to unsaturated fat. The butter in homemade brownies makes their ratio around 64% saturated to 36% unsaturated fat. Box brownies, made with vegetable oil, score about 28% saturated fat to 72% unsaturated fat. This is good news if you want to make your homemade brownies a little chewier. Try swapping oil for a little bit of the butter.

    Let me know what your vote is in the brownie debate!

    Previous Post: « Golden Potato and Carrot Gratin
    Next Post: Microbiome Cleanse For Gut Health - I Did It! »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mia says

      January 06, 2021 at 11:19 pm

      Homemade Brownies are my vote!

      Reply

    Let us know how it went! Cancel reply

    You have to agree to the comment policy.
    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    search this website

    I’ve been sharing my original ideas for years. What began as a passion, turned into a career as magazine Food Editor at Martha Stewart and then Entertaining Director at Ladies’ Home Journal. All in all, I’ve shared recipes, cooking tips, and DIY ideas with more than 24 MILLION people. Make that 24 million and one. Thanks for stopping by Tara Teaspoon!

    Live Life Deliciously - Order from Amazon!

    Live Life Deliciously cookbook with cutting boards on table

    follow on social

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Live Life Deliciously Recipe Sharing Group!

    In this group, we share dinner, dessert, snack, and lunch recipes. Any and all recipes are welcome (with a few rules). Let's make cooking and baking at home fun!

    Join Our Group

    Media Kit

    • facebook
    • instagram
    • pinterest
    • youtube

    Footer

    Helpful Links

    • New Posts
      • Recipe Index
    • Cookbook
    • Shop
      • Cart
      • Checkout
    • About Me
      • Ask Tara
      • Videos
      • Contact Me
        • Privacy Policy
        • Tara Teaspoon Disclosure Statement

    Popular Recipes

    • Cookbook
    • Easy Dinners
    • Grilling
    • Chicken
    • Baking

    Recent Posts

    • Moroccan Lamb Meatballs With Apricot Glaze
    • Delicious Sides To Go With Ham Dinner
    • Eggs in Purgatory with Chorizo
    • Crunchy Chicken Noodle Salad
    • Skillet Green Beans with Charred Artichokes

    Copyright © 2021 Tara Teaspoon on the Brunch Pro Theme