When we asked six bakers which boxed brownie mix was the best, they all named the same brand.

This is the only boxed brownie worth taking up space in your pantry to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Brownies are the Meryl Streep of desserts. Like the actor who refuses to settle in a niche and instead applies her skills to a variety of roles, brownies transcend every dessert category. They’re bars, cookies and fudge. Dark or blonde. Spacey or earthy. And they’re award-winning in every category.

Simply Recipes has a ton of brownie recipes to choose from, but if you don’t have the energy, time, or ingredients to make them all at once, boxed brownie mixes can be a lifesaver. Before you disparage boxed mixes, we asked six professional bakers and pastry chefs what their favorite brands of boxed brownie mix are, and the names quickly came up: Commercially available brownie mixes are just as chocolatey, fudgy, and delicious as homemade.

When I asked the pros, they all had the same answer: Which brands are worth having in your pantry to satisfy your sweet tooth? (There’s one option for those on gluten-free diets.)

We asked professional bakers and pastry chefs

• Ozereith Bellamy: Founder of Blondrie, a high-end bakery that specializes in the art of fine baking.

• Milo Uskokovic: (@mirouskokovic) James Beard Award-nominated pastry chef and former executive pastry chef at Gramercy Tavern

• Yoshi Arefi: Cookbook author Snacks, Snack Cakeand Sweetness from the vinerecipe developer, photographer, food stylist

• Mark BeamFormer baker, recipe developer, and photographer at Hjem Kensington, London, England, and Two Fat Cats Bakery, Portland, Maine

• Megan Sprown: (@meghan_splawn) The food editor who chose a degree in baking and pastry over cooking to gain a deeper understanding of the science of cooking. Now, in 2024, she’s baking a cake a week.

• Laurel Randolph: Senior Recipe Editor at Simply Recipes and Award-Winning Baker

The best boxed brownie mix, as chosen by professional bakers and pastry chefs

Mark said, “My favorite brownie mix is Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie MixIn high school, my friends and I dreamed of making homemade brownies that tasted just as good as Ghirardelli’s mix, but nothing beats it.”

Auzeret is a blonde (she owns a bakery that specializes in blonde cakes), but she’s also a Ghirardelli fan: “This cake stands out to me because it’s more luxurious and tastes better than the others,” she says.

Laurel adds, “The Girdari Mix has the strongest chocolate flavor and bakes up perfectly every time,” and both she and Megan recommend buying in bulk at Costco: “It’s a cheap price per box, so it’s handy to always have one or two on hand.”

With an extra box in the pantry, you (or your kids!) can whip up brownies any time. “I’m obsessed with Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix, and now my teenage daughter can bake them herself from memory. They’re the perfect sweet and savory texture with a fine crust and a fudge-like texture,” says Megan.

While these brownies are perfect as is, the pros can’t help but take them to the next level. Here are three upgrades Auzerais recommends:

“I like to customize them with little tweaks and extra ingredients. First, I use melted unsalted Prada butter instead of oil for extra texture and flavor. Second, I use oat milk, whole milk, or sometimes heavy cream instead of water for an extra indulgent taste. Finally, I like to savor the taste of melted chocolate in every bite, so I throw in a handful (or several) of chocolate chips.”

Need gluten-free options?

Milo has been experimenting with gluten-free baking for years to help manage her Crohn’s disease.

“I recently tried RENEWAL MILL’s dark chocolate brownie mix, which is gluten-free, vegan, and made with recycled soy pulp. The directions said to add oil and water, which was fine, but I tried making a version with butter and eggs and it was even better! It’s a good option for anyone who is gluten-free, vegan, or sustainability-conscious,” recommends Milo.

Okara flour is a tofu by-product made from leftover soybean pulp. It does contain soybeans.

Read the original article on Simply Recipes.