Turn a box of chocolate cake mix into delicious fudgy caramel brownies! These Cake Mix Brownies are rich and decadent, and they’re so easy to make! Make them in a pinch with your favorite add-ons and everyone will love them.
As much as I love baking from scratch, taking shortcuts is always a great idea! It saves a lot of time, and to be honest, there are so many yummy things that you can make with a box of cake mix.
Cake mix can be used to make much more than just cake! I use it to make cake mix cookies, cupcakes, and brownies. I’m also going to show you how to add an incredible caramel layer to these brownies, and finish it off with crushed walnuts and a chocolate drizzle!
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Incredibly Easy: If you skip the caramel layers, you can literally prep this in 5 minutes! With the caramel layer, it’s more like 10-15 minutes tops!
- Customizable: Use a box of dark chocolate cake mix to make chocolate brownies, and a box of strawberry cake for strawberry brownies. Want to make blondies, red velvet or lemon brownies? You get the point!
The Ingredients
Complete list of ingredients with quantities and instructions is located in the recipe card below
- Cake Mix: I’m using a box of Betty Crocker Milk Chocolate cake mix (Duncan Hines triple chocolate is also great), but you can use any other brand. Do NOT follow the package instructions, I mean, you don’t need to add any milk or oil as indicated on the cake mix box.
- Butter: Melt a stick of unsalted butter to make these brownies extra rich. If you don’t want to use butter, you can use vegetable oil instead but the texture will be a little different (super fudgy). Butter creates aeration and makes the brownies a little cakey.
- Evaporated Milk: This ingredient is divided, a part of it will be mixed with the cake mix and the other part will go into the caramel layer.
- Walnuts: The crushed walnuts are totally optional, but they add a nice flavor and crunch to your brownies. You may substitute them with pecans if you prefer.
- Caramels: I’m using Werther’s Originals Chewy Caramels. These will be melted with evaporated milk to create that irresistible caramel layer!
- Chocolate Chips: Totally optional, but everyone is going to love the chocolate drizzle on top.
How To Make Cake Mix Brownies
- Prep and Combine: Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, and line an 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a large mixing bowl using a rubber spatula, combine the cake mix, ⅓ cup evaporated milk, the melted butter, and ¾ cup chopped walnuts. Reserve about ¼ cup of chopped walnuts to use later for the topping.
- Press into Pan: Use your spatula to divide the brownie dough in half. Press the first half into the bottom of your lined baking pan and spread it out evenly. Then place in the oven to bake for 10 minutes.
- For the Second Half: Meanwhile, take the other half of the brownie dough and place it on a sheet of parchment paper. Flatten it out into a square about the size of your baking pan then set it aside for later.
- Make the Caramel Filling: Place the unwrapped caramels into a microwave-safe bowl with a fourth cup of evaporated milk. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring with a spoon in between each time, until fully melted. It should be a silky smooth consistency with no lumps.
- Assemble the Rest: Once the first brownie layer has finished baking, top it with the melted caramel. Carefully place the second brownie layer on top by slowly flipping it on the caramel then peel off the parchment paper.
- Bake: Sprinkle on the semisweet chocolate chips and the remaining walnuts. Then bake for an additional 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted two inches from the edge of the pan comes out mostly clean. It should not have wet streaks of chocolate.
- Cool and Serve: Once it has finished baking, let it cool in the pan over a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then transfer it to the refrigerator to allow the caramel to set for at least one hour before cutting. Once it has cooled and set, cut into squares and drizzle with melted chocolate. Serve with a glass of milk or top with vanilla ice cream and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Batter: As you make the brownies, you will notice that the brownie batter is very thick. This is totally normal, so don’t worry! Just make sure that you line the pan with parchment paper otherwise you might have a problem getting them out of the pan.
- Texture: The brownies may look a little crumbly on top, but they hold their shape very well when picked up for a bite. They’re so fudgy and moist on the inside and the caramel is gooey and rich.
- Caramel: These brownies were made with Werther’s Originals Chewy Caramels. We tested the recipe using Kraft caramels, but preferred Wether’s version as the caramel turned out smoother and creamier.
- Cake Mix: The instructions provided in the recipe card below are specific to cake mix, not brownie mix. If you’re using brownie mix, then follow the package instructions and just add the caramel layer and the walnuts.
Storing Tips
These cake mix brownies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to one week. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months, just make sure that the brownies have cooled completely then slice them into individual pieces and freeze.
If you love brownies, check out these delicious Buckeye Cookies, and my favorite M&M Brownie Mix Cookies!
Get your kids to help you make these easy cake mix brownies, they will love these, even more, when they help! Pin the recipe to refer back to later.
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