I’m a professional baker. I made 5 brands of boxed brownie mix to see which is the best.

This brownie mix called for two eggs, ⅔ cup of oil, and ¼ cup of water.  

I preheated my oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and combined the eggs, oil, and water. I added the brownie mix and stirred with a whisk until it was blended and no dry spots remained.

The box said to mix with about 50 strokes, but I didn’t count and instead made sure to scrape down any ingredients that clung to the sides and bottom of the bowl.

These brownies were fluffy and thick with a fudgy center that wasn’t overly dense and edges that weren’t dry at all.

They had a pleasant chocolate flavor and weren’t overly sweet, so I couldn’t fault them.

The instructions said to bake these brownies at a higher temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit but for only 34 to 37 minutes.

Mine took the full 37 minutes to bake.

This brownie mix called for two large eggs, ½ cup of oil, and ¼ cup of water. 

I preheated my oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and incorporated my wet ingredients into the dry mix.

These baked for 53 minutes, the longest amount of time out of any of the brownies.

The edges weren’t dry and the center was fudgy, but the flavor fell flat.

They tasted rather sweet, and the chocolate flavor wasn’t as pronounced as I would prefer, which is interesting since they were labeled as “dark chocolate.”

These brownies baked for 40 minutes and were still very dark in color and had the same crackled top as the others.

This brownie mix called for two eggs, ½ cup of melted butter, and 2 tablespoons each of oil and water.

I preheated my oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, per box instructions, and melted my butter and allowed some time for it to cool so the eggs wouldn’t scramble. I then combined all the wet ingredients with the dry mix.

The batter was noticeably thicker than all the previous mixes, so much so that I had to use an offset spatula to evenly smooth it into the pan. It also had a dull, grainy texture, and like the Ghirardelli brownies, this mix had chocolate chips in it — though these were miniature.

According to the box, this mix also uses whole-grain wheat flour, which may have contributed to the dryness and the coarser texture.

The “pro-tip” section on the back of the box said applesauce, Greek yogurt, or mashed bananas could be substituted for all or part of the butter — one of these ingredients might have helped make the brownies moister.

The graininess I noticed before was present after baking, and the brownies tasted a little bland, not sweet or chocolaty enough for me. I also noted an aftertaste, which I suspect was caused by the whey protein added to the mix.

When I’m making brownies, I aim for a result that’s fudgy, rather than cakey, with a noticeable chocolate flavor that isn’t overly sweet or dry.

Given my personal baking criteria, Pillsbury’s mix is my top pick because it yielded thick, fluffy brownies that were moist and had a nice chocolate flavor. They baked off evenly, weren’t overly sweet, and had a shiny crackled crust and tender edges that didn’t dry out.

Ghirardelli perhaps had a better chocolate flavor than Pillsbury but had dry edges. Otherwise, those brownies had an excellent texture with a fudgy center, and I thought that the addition of chocolate chips was a great touch. 

Duncan Hines and Betty Crocker fell in the middle of the pack — neither were bad, but Duncan Hines’ brownies were a little too chewy for my taste, and Betty Crocker’s were a bit too sweet. But I could see both mixes making many people happy.

I wasn’t super impressed by Kodiak Cakes, especially since it was the most expensive option at $7 a box. That said, each serving of these contains 8 grams of protein — significantly more than any other brownie I tried — so you might enjoy them more if you’re looking for a sweet protein boost instead of a decadent dessert.

This story was originally published on May 24, 2022, and most recently updated on October 4, 2024.