How to Make Duncan Hines Brownies Better? 10 Ways

Duncan Hines provides a variety of brownies, each having a distinguishing feature that sets it apart from the others. However, no matter what flavor you pick or how expertly you prepare them, commercial brownies always seem to fall short of handmade brownies. So, how can you make a package of Duncan Hines Brownies taste better?

To improve Duncan Hines brownie mix, replace the water with milk and the vegetable oil with melted butter. To enhance the chocolate taste, add a tablespoon of espresso powder or coffee granules. Use toasted almonds, rice cereal, coconuts, and other ingredients to add depth.

Given that boxed confections are appealing because they are fast and easy, you may believe that upgrading them would be too difficult. However, these basic baking tricks will take up very little of your time while providing you with a considerably improved experience. This post will cover all of this and more.

How to Improve Duncan Hines Brownies?

As previously said, Duncan Hines offers a variety of brownie flavors to choose from. Each contains at least one element that distinguishes it. However, the methods we’ll go over today are quite general. That is, you may use them on any of their brownie-related sweets and see a significant improvement.

So, here are some fast and simple baking tips to boost the flavor of your Duncan Hines brownies and make them taste more like home:

Start by Replacing the Water With Milk

Any packaged brownie recipe will tell you how much water to use based on the quantity of batter. Water serves as a framework for all of the components to properly blend. However, since water lacks flavor, it does not contribute much to the taste or texture of the combination.

Milk, on the other hand, has a milkfat content of 3.5%. And this fat is essential for your brownies to taste rich and creamy. The more fat in your brownies, the fudgier and creamier they will be, which complements the rich chocolate taste nicely. So, by using milk instead of water, you quickly improve the taste of your brownies.

If you want an extra fudgy brownie, use heavy cream instead of the heavy cream. According to the USDA, heavy cream must have a minimum fat level of 36%. This is 10 times more than what is found in milk. Obviously, this will have a huge influence on the texture of your brownies.

So, depending on how gooey and rich you want your brownies, you may add either milk or cream. If you want something in between, replace half of the water with milk and the other half with cream.

Use One More Egg

The eggs are the next element we’ll look at. The majority of brownie recipes, including those by Duncan Hines, call for two eggs.

Eggs have two functions in brownies. To be more specific, the eggs or egg yolk serve as an emulsifier, binding all of the other components together. They also help to keep the brownies moist and gooey. Without the eggs to gel the other ingredients, you will have a runny brownie that will not set correctly.

You can make your brownies richer and creamier by simply adding an extra egg or just the egg yolk. As long as the brownies are not overcooked, the additional egg will contribute to a gooey core. If you want a lighter and fluffier brownie, use just the egg whites.

Replace Vegetable Oil with Melted Butter

The next thing we’re going to improve is the vegetable oil. In this situation, melted butter will be used instead of canola or sunflower oil. The oil moistens the brownies, keeping them soft and tasty even after baking at a high temperature. However, vegetable oil, like water, does not offer much taste.

However, the impact of butter is comparable to that of adding milk or cream. It significantly increases the fat level of the brownies, making them moister, heavier, and more delicious. In truth, butter is primarily fat; at least 80% is required to be labeled as such. This is much greater than the fat content of heavy cream.

Of course, the butter must be melted before being added to the batter. This is simple to do with the use of a microwave oven. You may alternatively gently melt the butter in a pot. Be cautious not to burn it, since this will impair the flavor of the brownies. Allow the butter to cool to room temperature before incorporating it into the batter.

Brownie Cakes

So far, we’ve just spoken about how to make Duncan Hines brownies thick and fudgy. However, many individuals will want their brownies to be on the lighter side. As a result, the brownie must resemble cake rather than fudge.

Begin by adding a little more flour and brown sugar to the batter to get the consistency of cakes. Because both the wheat and the sugar absorb water, there is less free water in the batter. This makes the dessert less gooey and more cakier. Flour also helps to balance out the fat. The greater the proportion of flour to fat in your baked items, the cakier they will be.

So, by adding a little more flour and sugar, you can soak up a lot of the moisture. This will make brownies airy and light, similar to cakes. You may also add an additional egg to make the batter more cake-like. Incorporating baking powder or baking soda also adds air to the batter, making it more cake-like.

Complement the Chocolate with Coffee

Chocolate and coffee are more than simply a tasty beverage pairing. They also work well together in baked products, such as cakes, cookies, and brownies. A tablespoon of finely ground coffee granules added to the batter will dramatically improve the bittersweet flavor of the chocolate in your brownies. As a result, the chocolate will be clearly visible.

You may also use espresso powder to get the same result. One tablespoon of espresso powder will enhance the chocolate taste.

Another approach to use this technique is to add hot, freshly brewed coffee into the batter and thoroughly mix it in. And don’t worry, your brownies won’t taste like bitter coffee.

Add a Dash of Vanilla Extract

While coffee emphasizes the bittersweet taste of chocolate, vanilla extract complements it differently. The sweetness of pure vanilla extract is more rounded. This will complement the chocolate’s subtle bitterness well.

 Try Making S’Mores Brownies

Previous hacks have focused on substituting normal brownie components with enhanced products that may result in better brownies. So, let’s talk about some of the many ways you may use Duncan Hines packaged brownies to create whatever kind of dessert you desire.

Smores are often associated with camping and marshmallows. However, brownies are an intriguing and delectable addition to that traditional delicacy. You don’t even need a campfire to enjoy it.

All you need are graham crackers, marshmallows, and a packaged Duncan Hines brownie mix (plus the brownie ingredients). Make the brownie batter according to your preferences. Then spread the brownie batter over the graham crackers. Cook for 30 minutes in a preheated oven.

After that, remove the dish from the oven and add marshmallows on top of each cracker. Return the tray to the oven and cook for another 15 minutes.

Another option is to bake the brownies as usual, but remove them from the oven 15 minutes sooner. Then, sprinkle with marshmallows and return the mixture to the oven until the brownies are done. Sprinkle chocolate drops and crackers on top of the dessert.

Brownie Brittles

If you’re sick of fudgy and cakey brownies and want to try something different, brownie brittles are the way to go. This crunchy but rich sweet delicacy will tantalize your taste senses and you something new to chew on.

You’ll need the same ingredients as you would for a regular brownie to make this recipe. Instead of putting it thickly on the baking pan, you will distribute it thinly. When the brownies come out of the oven, they will be crispy and chewy. Of course, a big baking pan is required for this to work. Alternatively, continue the processes until the whole combination has been used.

Add Nuts to the Brownies

You can make crispy brownies by including roasted nuts into the batter. Almonds and walnuts are the greatest options, although plain peanuts would suffice.

In a separate saucepan, roast the nuts. Then, just before putting them in the oven, mix them into the batter. Not only will they give complexity to the texture, but they will also provide nutritional advantages.

Ice Cream Brownie Sandwiches

Make an ice cream sandwich out of your Duncan Hines brownie mix. Make a batch of brownies and bake them in the oven first. Then, while the brownie is still on the dish, top it with generous scoops of ice cream. Now, sprinkle crumbled Oreos over top and cut a piece.

How to Make Two Boxes of Duncan Hines Brownies?

It’s just as simple to make two Duncan Hines Brownie Mix boxes as it is to make one. If you have Betty Crockers Brownie Mix and wish to create a double batch, the directions are somewhat different.

Ingredients

• 2 Duncan Hines Fudge Brownie Mix
• 4 eggs
• cups water (or equal part milk)
• cups vegetable oi (or equal part melted butter)
• A pinch of salt
• Vanilla Extract
• Roasted Almonds

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large mixing basin, combine all of the ingredients except the nuts. Sprinkle the nuts on top after whisking.
• Grease a big enough baking pan liberally with butter. Put the mixture in the oven to bake.
• 30-40 minutes in the oven. Check the middle with a toothpick to determine whether it is done.
• Remove it. Allow the brownie to cool. After that, cut into slices and serve.

How to Make Brownies From Cake Mix Duncan Hines?

Brownies and cakes are two very different things. They do, however, have remarkable similarities due to numerous shared elements. So much so that you can even make brownies from a cake mix!

The distinction between cakes and brownies is straightforward. Cakes have additional leavening agents (flour, baking powder, extra egg), which aids in rising and making them fluffy and tender. Brownies, on the other hand, have a larger fat-to-flour ratio, making them thicker, richer, and creamier. They also contain additional sugar for added crunch or chewiness.

To make brownies from a cake mix, the main goal is to increase the quantity of fat in the mixture. You may make it creamier, heavier, and fudgier by adding extra fat.

This is simply accomplished by combining chocolate chunks, melted butter, and heavy cream. All of these components have a high fat level, which makes the cake more fudgy. For a richer brownie, use just the egg yolk and leave out the egg white.

• RELATED: How to Turn Boxed Brownie Mix Into Cake?

To summarize, a box of Duncan Hines brownies can be elevated to the next level with only a few easy methods. You may even fool your unwary friends and family into thinking they are handmade rather than packaged.