Just before Mother’s Day, I taught a Baking with Kids workshop and we made these easy one-bowl brownies. Unlike my go-to brownie recipe, these don’t ask you to melt chocolate.
Just unsweetened cocoa powder. And no special mixing directions either. {Yes, of course, you can make them gluten-free!}
I realized that the recipe would make the perfect DIY brownie mix for all of the occasions when I need an instant dessert.
I guessed I’m not alone, so with Father’s Day, graduation parties and Fourth of July coming up, I want to share this super-easy brownie mix recipe with you. Plus a festive way to serve them.
DIY Brownie Mix & COcoa Powder
Believe it or not, brownie mix is not rocket science. It’s true that there are terrific boxed brownie mixes on the market, but why do we need all those extra ingredients and cost?
This homemade brownie mix has just 5 ingredients you whisk together–plus chocolate chips. So it’s just one step from brownie mix to oven once you add the wet ingredients.
The key ingredient is good cocoa powder. And the best news is that you can use any type of unsweetened cocoa powder you have for this brownie mix.
Why?
Dutch process cocoa powder is treated with an alkali to neutralize the acids that are naturally present in chocolate. Recipes that specify Dutch process cocoa powder use baking soda for leavening.
But this brownie recipe uses neither baking soda nor baking powder, so you don’t have to worry. Just use the type of cocoa powder you like best. Some people prefer the deeper, fruitier taste of Dutch process. For me, any good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder does the trick.
BrowniE Mix + Wet Ingredients & Bake
Once you’ve whisked the dry ingredients together, you can store this brownie mix for up to 6 months. But I doubt it will make it that long on the shelf.
When the occasion arises to whip up some brownies, you’ll just melt a stick of butter, add some oil, whisk in the eggs with vanilla and mix it all together.
And you can mix it up by varying the chocolate chips you choose: milk chocolate or dark chocolate? How about white chocolate chips, mint chocolate chips or peanut butter chips? How about a combination?
What makes this recipe to kid friendly and accessible for everyone is that it doesn’t matter how you mix the ingredients. It’s unfussy in the best possible way.
No fail brownie mix!
You’ll know the brownies are done when the tops crack and rise while the center stays moist. When you insert a skewer to test them, it will not come out clean. And because these are very fudgy, they need to cool before serving.
Bake & Serve Brownies
Another way to make these brownies stand out at a party are to bake them in these adorable muffin cups.
Truth be told, their not really a muffin or a cupcake but single-serving brownies. I love how there’s no cutting required.
I also love these decorative baking cups I get at my scrap booking supply store. They come in many designs and look like an instant party.
There are lots of reasons to keep this brownie mix on hand. It’s a head start on making up a batch of brownies with your kids to celebrate the end of school–even if, like me, you’re still getting adjusted to the idea of summer break.
What party shortcuts do you have up your sleeve? Let me know in the comments below or tag a photo #lynnesforage on Instagram or Facebook.
DIY Brownie Mix Chocolate Chip Muffins
Keep this mix on hand for last-minute desserts all season long. This recipe is based on the quick and easy brownie recipe from King Arthur Flour. I like to bake them in muffin cups–especially decorative ones like these–because they bake quicker and they come out of the oven ready to serve. You can also bake them in an 8 x 8 baking dish instead, and I’ve included those instructions in the recipe.
Brownie mix:
- 1 cup (4.5 ounces) all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
- 3/4 cup (2.25 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch process)
- 1 1/2 cups (10.5 ounces) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup chocolate chips, dark, milk or white (or peanut butter or mint chips)
Wet ingredients:
- 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted (pastured)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (or coconut oil)
- 3 large eggs, beaten (pastured)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, instant coffee, salt and chocolate chips in a mixing bowl. Transfer to a quart-sized air-tight container, such as a mason jar, and store at room temperature until ready to use. Or, proceed with the recipe.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and have either muffin-sized cups or a lined muffin tin on hand. (Or, lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking dish.)
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Whisk the melted butter with the oil, eggs and vanilla in a measuring cup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat with a rubber spatula until very blended. The batter will be very thick.
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Portion the batter into the muffin cups. Top with additional chocolate chips, if desired. (Or, transfer all of the batter into the baking dish and smooth the top.)
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Bake the brownie muffins just a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few crumbs on them, 16-18 minutes. For larger muffin cups, increasing the baking time in 8-minute increments until the edges are set but the center is still fudgy,. Do not over bake. (Or, for the baking dish, 28-30 minutes.)
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Transfer to a cooling rack to cool. Because of the fudgy center, these brownies are best served after they are completely cooled.
While developing this recipe, I used Hershey’s and Ghiradelli, both 100% unsweetened natural cocoa. Because this recipe contains no leavening (baking soda or powder), you can use any type of cocoa powder, including Dutch process or dark chocolate blends.
The post No-Fail, Homemade Brownie Mix for Fast & Festive Brownies appeared first on Lynne Curry.