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

For consistency, I scaled all ingredients with identical measuring cups and used an 8-by-8-inch nonstick pan greased with baking spray and lined with parchment paper for each mix. All the brownies were baked on the center rack of my oven, and I used a cake tester to check for doneness.

Finally, I cooled each batch of brownies in the pan for 20 minutes and then transferred them to a wire rack and allowed them to sit for another 20.

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.

I baked the brownies for 50 minutes, which allowed them to rise significantly and dome in the center, which cracked it a bit.

When completely cooled, they deflated a little, and the crack wasn't as obvious. They also had the classic shiny crackled brownie top.

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.

This mix also called for two large eggs and ¼ cup of water but only ½ cup of oil.

I mixed all the ingredients together and, similar to Pillsbury's directions, was instructed to incorporate everything with about 50 strokes.

Instead of counting, I made sure all the ingredients were evenly distributed. I then spread the batter, which was noticeably thicker than Pillsbury's, into my pan.

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.

When baked through, the brownies were shiny with a crackled top.

They were chewier than the others, and the edges were slightly dry, but they were solid fudgy brownies overall.

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.

When baked, the brownies had a glossy chocolate exterior with the classic crackled top.

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."

This brownie mix called for only one egg, ¼ cup of water, and ½ a cup of oil. Eggs tend to make brownies cakier, so the smaller number of this ingredient immediately indicated a fudgier desired result.

I preheated my oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, per box instructions. Similar to the Pillsbury directions, this brand said to combine the wet ingredients together separately before adding them to the dry mix.

Once the wet and dry were thoroughly blended, I spread the mixture in the pan, noting how much darker in color this batter was compared with the previous mixes. Chocolate chips were also scattered throughout this batter.

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

They had the most intense flavor of the bunch, which I think came from the chocolate chips and the darker chocolate used in the batter.

These were also fudgy, which is my personal preference for a brownie.

But the edges were quite dry and a little tough.

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.

I baked these for 22 minutes and noticed that they came out with little bumps on top instead of the characteristic crackle that the other brownies had. The mini chocolate chips I spotted while mixing also seemed to have disappeared. 

Tastewise, these brownies were the cakiest of the bunch, despite having "fudge" in their name. They were a little dry, even though I baked them for the shortest amount of time suggested.

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.