Lazy Girl Brownies (AKA…PWWB Secrets for How to Make Box Brownies Better!)
As a complete chocoholic, brownies are my absolute favorite dessert. There’s truly nothing better than an intensely fudgy, irresistibly chocolatey brownie that’s still a little bit warm & gooey from the oven. *DROOL.*
And even though I’d never turn down a homemade brownie (especially if it’s one of Ina’s Outrageous Brownies, which are outrageously good, indeed – this brownie lover’s FAVE brownie recipe!), the truth is brownies are the one dessert that I hardly ever make from scratch.
IMHO, brownies are the one dessert where easy store-bought options are just as good as homemade. With brands like Ghirardelli creating high-quality box mixes these days, why not just let them do the heavy lifting?
That’s exactly how this box brownie recipe came to be. With your favorite brownie mix & some smart box brownie hacks, you can make the most chewy, fudgy, bakery-quality brownies without the hassle of measuring cups & mixing bowls. I affectionately call them my Lazy Girl Brownies, & I’m pretty sure you’re going to be just as obsessed with them as I am.
Lazy Girl Brownie Recipe Highlights
These easy brownies are…
- SO SIMPLE. Rather than starting from scratch, Lazy Girl Brownies zhuzh the box brownie recipe up with a few smart + simple swaps to create even richer flavor & better texture.
- EXTRA FUDGY, MOIST, & DECADENTLY CHOCOLATEY. They taste like real-deal, homemade brownies without the effort. What’s not to love about that?!
- A GO-TO DESSERT. Fast & simple, they’re perfect for a movie night, girl’s night or just as an indulgent treat after a long day.
Lazy desserts do not get better than that! ♡ Read on to learn more about these Lazy Girl Brownies, or jump straight to the recipe & get baking!
Take your box brownies to the next level! Lazy Girl Brownies Key Ingredients.
Here’s the deal. A good box brownie mix provides a great base of dry ingredients, but there are a few simple box brownie hacks you can use to enhance the flavor & texture of your brownies, yielding seriously fudgy, chewy, moist, bakery-style brownies every single time!
Here’s what you’ll need…
- Your favorite box brownie mix – Since it’s the base of the entire recipe, opt for a brownie mix you really love. More thoughts on this below!
- Unsalted melted butter – Most box brownie recipes call for vegetable oil, but swapping it out with with melted butter helps create chewy, fudgy texture with rich bakery-style flavor.
- Egg – Since its moisture prevents brownies from becoming dry & crumbly, an egg also helps create the perfect fudgy texture.
- Coffee – Most box brownie recipes call for water, but swapping it out with coffee enhances the natural bittersweet flavor of chocolate. Your brownies won’t taste like coffee, the coffee simply deepens the rich chocolatey flavor.
- Instant espresso – An amazing box brownie hack! Similar to swapping water for coffee, instant espresso or instant coffee brings out the flavor of the chocolate even more! Be sure to use instant espresso or instant coffee, which dissolves into brownie batter (unlike regular coffee or espresso grounds). DeLallo Instant Espresso is my favorite!
- Pure vanilla extract – Whereas coffee enhances the natural bittersweet flavor of chocolate, a splash of pure vanilla provides balances out the bittersweet notes of chocolate with beautiful, rounded sweetness.
- Flaky sea salt – Lastly, finishing your brownies with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt adds crave-worthy salty sweetness to every bite – YUM! Maldon is my favorite!
Lazy Girl Brownies FAQ: What’s the BEST Box Brownie Mix?
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When it comes to anything chocolatey, I turn to Ghirardelli first. IMHO they make the BEST box brownie mix. My absolute favorite box brownie mix is Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix. It has the best rich, chocolatey flavor & includes chocolate chips, which melt into gooey pools of chocolate throughout the brownies. SO GOOD!
How to Make Lazy Girl Brownies:
There’s a reason I call them my Lazy Girl Brownies – they’re seriously easy to make. Since they use box brownie mix as their base, prepping a batch making them doesn’t stray far from the box brownie recipe instructions! Despite the simple process, the result is always bakery-quality brownies without the time & effort it takes to make them completely from scratch.
Here’s what you’ll do:
- Mix the brownie batter: Whisk all of the wet ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add in the box brownie mix & fold it all together, just until combined. Why? ⇢ As you mix the batter together, air mixes into the batter & the glutens in the flour develop. By mixing the batter just until it’s combined, we develop the glutens & aerate the batter as minimally as possible, resulting in decadently fudgy brownies.
- Bake the brownies: Transfer the brownie batter to a parchment-lined pan. Bake according to package directions, checking for doneness 3-5 minutes ahead of the bake time indicated in the box directions. Why? ⇢ Fresh-baked brownies appear underbaked straight out of the oven, but they reach the perfect level of doneness as they cool.
Lazy Girl Brownies FAQ: What type of pan should you use to bake brownies? Metal vs. Glass
All-star bakers recommend using a metal pan for most of your baked goods. Using a metal pan for brownies help achieve a consistent chewy texture throughout – aka delicious brownies that won’t fall apart! Why? ⇢ Since metal is a great conductor of heat, metal pans heat evenly + quickly & also cool rapidly. Glass baking dishes, on the other hand, heat up slower & retain their heat for longer. If you only have a glass baking dish, don’t worry – just be sure to follow the recommended bake time on the boxed brownie mix & adjust accordingly.
Other Box Brownie Hacks to Customize Your Boxed Brownies!
A few more ideas to take your Lazy Girl Brownies to the next level!
- Add nuts ⇢ This can be controversial, but if nuts in brownies is your thing – by all means go for it! Add chopped walnuts or sliced almonds to the brownie batter for fabulous crunchy, hearty texture.
- Top with crushed candies or chocolate ⇢ Mix in bits of toffee, peanut butter chips, marshmallows, or whatever else your Lazy Girl Brownie lovin’ heart desires!
- Frost them ⇢ If you want an even more luxurious brownie experience, just add frosting! Double down on chocolate with a layer of creamy chocolate fudge frosting or use whatever kind you love most!
- My ideal brownie dessert? ⇢ Easy. Lazy Girl Brownies à la mode, served warm with a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt & add a drizzle of salted caramel – it’s pure heaven!
I can’t wait for you to try these Lazy Girl Brownies! They are decadent, SO chocolatey, & totally bakery-worthy. I know you’ll love them as much as we do! If you do give them a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your PWWB creations! Happy baking! ♡
More Recipes Like This:
Easy Shareable Sweets
Lazy Girl Brownies (How to Make Box Brownies Better!)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 9–12 brownies 1x
- Category: Bars & Brownies, Dessert Recipes
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
Lazy Girl Brownies are my secret for turning store-bought boxed brownies into the most decadent, fudgy, & moist brownies – without the hassle of making them from scratch! By adding just a few simple pantry ingredients you can make box brownies taste like they are homemade & straight from the bakery every single time.
Ingredients
- nonstick cooking spray
- 1 (one) 20-ounce box Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Premium Brownie Mix or boxed brownie mix of choice (see Recipe Notes)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup coffee
- 1 large egg
- optional: 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional: Maldon flaky sea salt, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8×8 or 9×9 (metal) pan with parchment paper for easy clean up. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Mix the brownie batter: Add the melted butter, coffee, egg, instant espresso (if using), & vanilla extract to a medium mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, stir until fully combined. Add in the brownie mix. Stir until just combined. Transfer the brownie batter to the prepared baking pan, spreading into a uniform layer.
- Bake the brownies for 40 minutes, or just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out relatively free of crumbs. Do not overbake – per our friends at Ghirardelli: fresh-baked brownies appear underbaked but cool to doneness. (If using another box mix, a good rule of thumb is to check the brownies for doneness 3-5 minutes ahead of the bake time indicated in the box directions.)
- Serve: Allow to cool in the pan completely before cutting into 9 or 12 squares. Finish with a generous sprinkling of flaky Maldon sea salt, as desired. Enjoy!
Equipment
DeLallo Instant Espresso Powder
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Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Premium Brownie Mix
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Buy Now → Notes
- Storage: Store cooled brownies covered at room temperature for up to 5 days (…as if they’ll last that long – HA!).
- Different brownie mixes: This brownie recipe was developed using Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Premium Brownie Mix specifically. Feel free to use whatever boxed brownie mix you love most for this recipe. Measurements will vary based on the box mix you use. Simply swap the amount of water & oil called for on the box 1:1 with coffee & melted butter respectively (i.e. if the box calls for 1/4 cup oil & 1/3 cup water, you’d use 1/4 cup melted butter & 1/3 cup coffee for your Lazy Girl Brownies).
Recipe and Food Styling by Jess Larson, Plays Well With Butter | Photography by Rachel Cook, Half Acre House.
Follow along with Plays Well With Butter on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest for more unfussy recipes that pack a big punch of flavor!
This recipe is perfect for moist, fudgy brownies with crispy edges. I followed directions almost exactly, except I didn’t feel like brewing coffee so I used the same amount of coffee liqueur instead. Worked great! 40 minutes at 3:25 worked perfectly in a countertop toaster oven, using an 8×8” square foil pan. I’ll be using this method again for sure!
Hi D, so happy to hear you loved these brownies as much as we do!! Thanks so much for the comment 🙂
The brownies came out so good. Everyone at the party loved them. I cut them in bite size because they are rich. I wanted everyone to enjoy the different mix ins. I will be using this recipe always. Thank you.
Hi Lisa! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review! We are SO glad you & everyone you shared them with loved these brownies. 🙂
Follow this method for brownies and you will not regret it. I often don’t have vegetable oil on hand. But I always have butter! I keep instant coffee tea bags on hand (for camping) that work perfectly for this so I don’t have to brew a pot of coffee at 7 p.m. when I’m baking these. Don’t skip the espresso powder either. Overall these came out well balanced in flavor and fudgy. I’m a heavy baker and likely won’t make brownies “from scratch” again, especially since you can get Ghirardelli mix at Costco.
Hi Whitney! Love to hear that you loved this brownie add-ins 🙂 With quality brownie mixes like Ghirardelli, delicious store-bought brownies are totally within reach!
Getting ready to make this recipe. Question I have is the box mix asks for two eggs but do I skip that and only add 1?
Hey Lisa! You should use the number of eggs directed on your box mix. The butter & coffee are 1:1 subs for the amount of oil & water directed by the box. Hope this helps – let me know how you like them!
These were the best brownies I’ve ever eaten! My husband, who is not a brownie/sweets guy said multiple times how delicious these were while eating them. Will definitely be making box brownies this way every time.
Aww thanks Caitlyn! It’s amazing what a few little tweaks can do – so glad you loved them!
Replacing the water with coffee is seriously brilliant! I’m jealous I didn’t think of it first! Ghiradelli is also my favorite, I almost always have a box on hand and figures I don’t right now- I might have to make a stop at the store on my way home from work, I’m jonesing to try this after seeing your post!
Hi Neena! We couldn’t agree more, the coffee makes such a difference! Hope you gave it a try & loved it!! 💜
When you say add 1/4 cup of instant coffee, does that mean “the beverage” or the instant grounds from the jar?
Hey David – The recipe calls for 1/4 cup coffee (brewed beverage, not grounds) to replace the 1/4 water typically required by box directions. If you’d like, you can also add in 2 teaspoons of instant espresso or coffee granules to help intensify the flavor of the chocolate further – this is optional, but this is the line item in the Ingredients List that would be granules. Let me know if that helps.
I would love to have the recipe to the lazy girls brownies please thank you
Hi Gary! The recipe can be found in the recipe card above – try refreshing your page or the jump to recipe button – thanks!
I like to add an extra spoonful of unsweetened baking cocoa to boxed brownie mixes.
Hi Leanna! There’s so many small additions you can make to personalize box brownies, it’s so fun to hear what others add to theirs – thanks for sharing!
I made these for my husbands birthday. So good!! I used the Ghiradelli Chocolate Supreme mix. That mix has chocolate syrup in it! I also added pb chips and choc chips. The coffee is such a great swap!!
Swapping coffee for water is geniussss!! Can’t wait to try these this weekend!
🤓 I like to think so! Be sure to let me know if you try them, Stephanie! I can’t wait to hear what you think!!!
I made these for breakfast this morning! I skipped the espresso but followed the rest of the recipe. I’m not a coffee drinker but added it and can’t taste it. Mine were a perfect thickness using an 8×8 metal pan lined with parchment-I don’t even have to wash the pan, now that’s a lazy girl! Thank you.
That’s our kind of breakfast!😉 SO glad you enjoyed & yes the coffee really works to enhance the chocolate flavor without making the brownies taste like coffee – thank you for sharing!