How To Make Duncan Hines Brownies Better: Full Guide

Last Updated on September 18, 2024 by Lori Walker

Duncan Hines Brownies taste **amazing** and everyone loves them for a reason. Keeping these boxed mixes **in your pantry** makes baking brownies **super easy**.

However, it’s totally possible to take Duncan Hines Brownies to the next level. Here are some ways we’ve tried to make Duncan Hines Brownies better. 

Top 10 Amazing Ways To Make Duncan Hines Brownies Better 

1. Replace Water With Milk

Boxed brownies always require adding a liquid element to mix with the dry ingredients. In Duncan Hines Brownies’ case, it’s water. 

However, you can make the brownies better by replacing water with milk. Whole milk contains 3.5 percent fat, and fat is crucial to rich and creamy brownies.

A rule of thumb to remember is the more fat there is, the fudgier and creamier your brownies will be. 

“Elevate the ordinary to extraordinary, turning Duncan Hines brownies into a decadent delight that tantalizes your senses and leaves you craving for more.”

Leonelli Bakery

Speaking of fat, if you want more than 3.5 percent in your brownies, you can opt for full cream instead. Full cream has a whopping 36 percent fat, which (obviously) translates to an uber-rich, fudgy, and gooey brownie.

If that sounds good, go ahead and use your favorite full cream. [1] 

You can also opt to use half cream and half milk. You will end up with a brownie between fudgy and creamy. 

2. Add One More Egg

Aside from the liquid ingredient, Duncan Hines Brownies require you to add two eggs. The eggs act as an emulsifier to combine the ingredients properly. If you’ve ever forgotten to add eggs, you probably have noticed that the brownies don’t set properly. 

The eggs also work to make the brownies moist and gooey. If you want more moist and gooey brownies, add one more egg to the mix. This extra egg will keep the center of the brownies nice and gooey. 

Check out these tips on making your Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix to the next level here.

3. Add Some Vanilla Extract

Vanilla extract adds a sweet caramel element to whatever it’s added to. 

When you add some vanilla extract to Duncan Hines Brownies, you can expect it to have an added caramel sweetness that will be impossible to resist. 

4. Nuts Can Be A Good Idea

Nuts can add an irresistible crunch to Duncan Hines Brownies. Walnuts and almonds are the best for desserts because they have a fine, gentle taste that won’t clash with other flavors. They’re really good for you, too. 

“A small handful [of nuts] can pack your diet with filling protein, fiber, unsaturated fats, and important vitamins and minerals.”

– Joy Bauer, RDN

Pan-toast the nuts first before adding them to the brownie batter. This will give them a slightly smoky flavor that will complement the chocolatey goodness of the brownies. 

However, not everyone wants nuts in their brownies. You can do a half-and-half thing instead.  

5. Mix Some Coffee

Chocolate and coffee — what could be a better flavor combination? Believe it or not, you can add some coffee to Duncan Hines Brownies to level up their flavor. 

The bitterness of the coffee will enhance its chocolate flavor even more. You can add coffee in one of two ways: mixing ground coffee or espresso powder with the other dry ingredients or pouring hot, brewed coffee into the brownie batter. 

Just make sure that you mix everything well, so the coffee doesn’t end up too overpowering. 

6. Replace Oil with Butter

Duncan Hines Brownies require you to add oil to the batter to keep everything nice and moist. You can replace oil with melted butter instead. 

In this case, butter acts similarly to milk and cream: it adds more fat to the batter, which results in fudgier and creamier brownies. Butter has a whopping 80 percent fat content. 

Melt the butter first by heating it on the stovetop or microwave. Let it cool to room temperature before adding it to the brownie batter. 

But how do you bake the Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie better?

7. Add Cocoa Powder

You can add some cocoa powder to make Duncan Hines Brownies taste better. Cocoa powder is dubbed “the secret to superior brownies,” and we couldn’t agree more. 

Cocoa powder is the straightest path to intense chocolate flavor, and if that sounds good to you, go ahead and add a bit of it to your basic brownie batter. 

8. Chocolate Chips Will Be Nice

Chocolate chips make everything better, even Duncan Hines Brownies. Trust us. 

Chocolate chips will give more variation to the gooey texture of Duncan Hines Brownies and enhance their chocolate notes. 

9. Add Some Flour & Brown Sugar

You can add flour and brown sugar to Duncan Hines Brownies. This is especially nice for people who like a cakier, fluffier brownie than the fudgy and gooey kind. 

Just take care not to add too much flour because you might end up with chocolate cake instead. 

10. Give Buttermilk A Try

Like milk, adding buttermilk to Duncan Hines Brownies makes them taste more homemade. Buttermilk will give them more fluffiness and a slight tang. 

However, the acid in the buttermilk can affect the leavening of the brownie. You can offset this by adding baking soda to the batter. [2] 

Duncan Hines Brownies Level Up Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes 

Total Time: 45 minutes 

Ingredients: 

• 1 pack Duncan Hines Brownie Mix 
• 3 eggs 
• ⅔ cup melted butter 
• ½ tsp vanilla extract 
• ¾ cup hot coffee 
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour 
• Chocolate chips 
• Almond slivers 

Instructions: 

1. Brush the insides of a baking tray with a bit of butter. You can also line it with a baking sheet. 
2. Put the brownie mix into a large bowl, followed by the eggs and melted butter. Whisk until everything is combined. 
3. Add the brewed coffee, flour, and vanilla extract, and mix everything until you have a nice, thick consistency. 
4. Fold in some chocolate chips and almond slivers for that extra crunch. 
5. Pour the batter into the lined baking tray. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 30 minutes. 
6. Serve hot, and enjoy! 

Serving: 20 

Also Read: How Can You Make A Cake With Betty Crocker Brownie Mix?

FAQs 

Final Thoughts

It’s super simple to make Duncan Hines Brownies better. You can transform ordinary brownies into extraordinary, “homemade” brownies with a few simple additions and tweaks. 

You can add milk, cream, and butter to add richness and creaminess to the brownies. These ingredients amp up the fat content in the brownies and make them super fudgy and gooey. 

You can add chocolate chips and nuts if you want something to break up the fudgy texture. These will add a bit of crunch to the bite and make for an enjoyable snack. 

References: 

1. https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy/articles/is-skim-milk-better-than-whole-milk
2. https://www.countryliving.com/food-drinks/a30273717/what-is-buttermilk/