Easy Chocolate Cake Mix Brownies (Make brownies from a Cake Mix)

Make brownies out of a cake mix with this easy chocolate cake mix brownies recipe. These brownies are delicious, chewy, full of chocolate flavor and super fast to make.

Cut cake mix brownies on a wooden board.

This post is all about how to make easy brownies from a cake mix. Sometimes you don’t have a brownie mix on hand, or you just don’t have the time to gather tons of ingredients and measure them all out.

Hey there! Before you scroll, there are lots of helpful things in this post…including an FAQ section, which may answer any questions you might have about this recipe. Enjoy!

Table of Contents:

Maybe you have a chocolate cake mix laying around and really that’s all you need to make these cake mix brownies.

You’ll love just how simple these are to make and there are so many options for flavor additions like different types of chocolate chips, nuts, sprinkles and more.

Chocolate cake mix brownies top view with text image.

Ingredient Notes:

Let’s talk a little bit about just some of the ingredients in this recipe The full list of ingredients will be in the recipe card below. Also, check out the FAQ section to see other tips and substitution questions.

Chocolate cake mix: You’ll obviously need a chocolate cake mix for these cake mix brownies. My favorite brands for cake mixes are Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines.

For these brownies, I used a Betty Crocker dark chocolate cake mix.

Vegetable oil and butter: This recipe calls for both oil and butter. I love butter for the flavor and oil because it adds moisture.

Vanilla extract: Adding vanilla extract to anything you’re baking, especially if it’s a cake mix based recipe, really helps give it that homemade taste.

Mini chocolate chips: Adding these to the brownie batter and sprinkling on top, just raises the level of chocolaty goodness.

Stacked cake mix brownies on a wooden board.

Preparation & Mixing Notes:

Here’s a summary of preparing and mixing the carrot cake cookie dough. The full instructions will be in the recipe card below.

These are literally the easiest brownies to mix together. You’ll basically just add all the ingredients (except for the chocolate chips) to a mixing bowl, then mix with a large spoon.

Adding brownie batter ingredients to bowl.

Once it’s mixed, add in 1/2 of the chocolate chips and stir again.

Mixing chocolate chips into brownie batter.

Add the brownie batter to an 8×8 inch pan that’s been sprayed with non-stick spray and make sure you smooth it out.

Spreading brownie batter into pan.

Then sprinkle on the remaining chocolate chips and bake.

Sprinkle chocolate chips onto brownies.

Once baked, make sure to allow the brownies to cool completely before cutting.

Top down view of brownies from a cake mix.
Cut cake mix brownies on a wooden board.

Easy Chocolate Cake Mix Brownies (Make Brownies from a Cake Mix)

Make brownies out of a cake mix with this easy chocolate cake mix brownies recipe. These brownies are delicious, chewy, full of chocolate flavor and super fast to make.
4.34 from 3 votes
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake mix brownies
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 154kcal
Author: Kara @ Quick and Easy Baking

Ingredients

  • 1 15 oz box chocolate cake mix (I used Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate, but any chocolate cake mix will do)
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips (optional)
Have questions?Make sure to check out the Tips & FAQ section in the post!

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray or grease an 8×8 inch pan. (If you want to use a 9×13 inch pan, double the recipe.)
  • Add the cake mix, oil, melted butter, eggs and vanilla extract to a large bowl. Mix well with a wooden spoon or a silicone spatula until well combined.
  • Add 1/2 cup of the mini chocolate chips and mix with a spoon.
  • Add the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle on the remaining 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips.
  • Bake the brownies at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes. Pull these brownies out of the oven when the baking time is up. Be careful not to overbake as that will dry them out. These brownies will still feel a little jiggly in the middle when they're pulled out of the oven, but will firm up as they cool.
  • Once baked, take the brownies out of the oven and set the pan on a cooling rack to cool completely. As they cool, the brownies will sink down in the middle, which is normal. Make sure to let them cool completely before cutting.

Notes

Cover well and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Nutritional values are an estimate.
Make sure to check out the TIPS & FAQs for this recipe in the blog post, which may answer questions you may have.
*This recipe card may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition

Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 93mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 131IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
Baking at higher elevation?You’ll need to make adjustments for high elevations. This website does not specialize in that type of baking. Please take time to research high elevation baking websites for adjustments that should be made.
DislaimersTo see food safety, allergy & nutrition disclaimers, go here: Disclaimers!

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Tips & FAQs:

How do you turn a chocolate cake mix into brownies?

It’s very easy and quick to make brownies out of a cake mix. For this recipe, you’ll use a dry chocolate cake mix and add in just a few extra ingredients to it, then spread into an 8×8 inch pan and bake.

What brand of cake mix should I use?

You can most likely use any brand, but I used Betty Crocker dark chocolate cake mix.

Should I prepare the cake mix by adding in the other ingredients listed on the cake mix box or just use the mix dry?

No, you want to use the cake mix dry. Do not add the other ingredients called for on the back of the box.

Do I have to add the mini chocolate chips? Can I use regular chocolate chips instead?

The chocolate chips are optional and you can add regular chocolate chips instead if that’s what you have.

Important baking tip:

Be very careful not to overbake these brownies as they can dry out quickly if overbaked even a little.

How should these brownies be stored and how long do they last?

Cover these brownies well and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.

What’s the best way to eat/serve these brownies?

These brownies are best served at room temperature or warmed up. You can really go over the top by warming up a brownie or two and topping with ice cream. Yum!

What can be added to these brownies?

I love adding mini chocolate chips to these brownies, but you could also add in any flavor of chocolate chips like white chocolate, etc. You could also add in peanut butter chips or butterscotch chips. Feel free to also add in nuts like chopped peanuts or walnuts.

How to tell when these brownies are done?

Pull these brownies out of the oven when the baking time is up. Be careful not to overbake as that will dry them out. These brownies will still feel a little jiggly in the middle when they’re pulled out of the oven but will firm up as they cool. Also note that as they cool, the brownies will sink down in the middle, which is normal.

Close up view of brownies on a wooden board.

Supplies used for these cookies:

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Collage of baked brownies with text overlay pin.
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