Add eight new-level modifications to your brownie mix box. This post will teach you how to add brownie toppings. You’ll also learn where to begin with the quantities and what modifications to make to bake times.
What’s on your mind now that we’ve made it through the holidays? It seems like there is never enough time to get everything done.
You may not be able to complete all of the tasks on your list. You may have to put things on hold for a couple of days, weeks, or even months.
Even though I love to bake from scratch, I sometimes need a single-box solution for a potluck, book group, or an impromptu gathering with friends.
While it’s not a bad idea to bring a box of brownies, you may want something a bit more.
There is a middle ground between the two extremes of making something from scratch or straight out of a box.
FIRST MAKE THE BROWNIE BATTER AS DIRECTED ON THE BOX.
You can now follow the instructions provided on the package to prepare the brownie base. Preheat the oven according to the instructions on the package and pour the brownie batter into the pan lined with parchment paper.
THIRD, TRY ANY OF THE BROWNIE TOPPINGS ABOVE.
No matter which toppings or ingredients you decide to use, add them after you pour the batter into your pan. We’ll explain more below.
8 WAYS TO UPGRADE YOUR MIX
This post will guide you through seven different brownie toppings.
You’ll receive both suggestions on how much to use of each ingredient AND see it in action as part of a unique recipe.
These recipes may include a single ingredient that will show you how to make the topping shine, or they might have multiple ingredients that demonstrate how these can be combined.
Please take note that the following measurements are for a complete batch of brownies. You’ll need to adjust the measurements if you are making a half batch or using a box mix for a family-sized brownie.
FRUIT
I use a mixture of jam and fresh fruit pieces to add fruit flavor to brownies. Use up to 1/4 cup jam and 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped fruit pieces for a full batch. This is what I did with the raspberry brownies shown above.
You may only need 1/2 cup, depending on how wet the fruit was.
Brownies are enhanced by thick sauces such as caramel, dulce de Leche, and butterscotch.
You can use as many thick sauces as you like for a batch of brownies. You’ll need to swirl them into the batter, as they will not solidify in the same way that the batter does.
For the salted caramel cheesecake brownies shown below, I swirled 1/4 cup of caramel sauce into the brownie batter. I added the cheesecake batter (which is described in the paragraph below: (4 oz. cream cheese + 1, e.g., + 1/4 cup powdered sugar + 1 teaspoon vanilla) to the top. After they came out of the oven, I sprinkled 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt on top.
CHEESECAKE
It couldn’t get any easier to add cheesecake to brownies! For the cheesecake batter, whisk together four ounces of cream cheese at room temperature with one egg until the batter is smooth. Add 1/4 cup powdered icing sugar and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.
Spread a large amount of cheesecake over your brownie batter, and then swirl it with a butter knife.
COOKIES, CANDY PIECES AND NUTS
You can add a cup of finely chopped nuts, candies, cookies, or other dry ingredients to make a full batch of brownies.
Before baking, I sprinkled a full cup of candy on top of the brownies.
ESPRESSO EXTRACTS, SPICES AND EXTRACTS
You can add up to 1 1/2 teaspoons of the spice to a batch of brownies, depending on its potency.
Start with one teaspoon of extracts.
For espresso, you can add one to two teaspoons, depending on the strength of flavor that you prefer.
In order to make the brownies shown above in the picture, I added two tablespoons of espresso and one teaspoon of peppermint extract. After removing the brownies from the oven, I sprinkled 1/4 cup crushed peppermint candy over the brownies.
ALCOHOL
The addition of alcohol can give brownies a boozy flavor.
Pour drinks with lower alcohol levels, such as wine and beer. You can add up to 1/2 cup of batter. Try up to 1/4 cup for stronger spirits.
I added half a cup of stout to the brownie mix, whisking gently with the other ingredients. Before baking, I sprinkled 2/3 cup of crushed pretzels on top of the batter.
APPETIZERS (LIKE NUTELLA, PEANUT BUTTER, OR MARSHMALLOW FLUFF)
You can add as much as 2/3 cup to your brownies. If you want to have more than one flavor, you can use different spreads.
Spreads can be added easily when heated to slightly above room temperature (about 15 seconds in the micro).
Before baking, I added about 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped Nutter Butter cookies to the brownie batter. The top was then topped with 1/3 cup of peanut butter and 1/3 cup of marshmallow.
FROSTING
Add any frosting to your brownies, whether homemade or bought in a store. I would recommend using about one cup of frosting for a whole batch.
To ensure your brownies are a success, start with a brownie mix of high quality.
Ingredients at room temperature will mix into the batter more easily than cold ingredients, especially when it comes to brownie toppings.
Insert a toothpick about 2 inches away from the edge of the brownies to test for doneness. The toothpick should only come out with crumbs and no liquid batter.
How to store frosted brownies. You can store brownies in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
