That’s right. You’d think it’d be easy, but more often than not you end up with an oily pile of brownie goo instead of delicious fudgey brownies. You’d think making something from a box wouldn’t be that hard, but think again! I recently discovered this trick after several failures in the past. The trick is simple…baking soda!

Of course, making your own brownies is much tastier, but sometimes I’m lazy. Or in this case, the boxed one’s were so cheap! Thank you Deals & Steals!

How to Veganize Boxed Brownies

– 1 box brownie mix (make sure ingredients are vegan)
– 1 tbsp. ground flax seed + 3 tbsp. warm water for every egg called for on the box
– vegetable, canola, etc. oil
– baking soda

Prepare the brownie mix according to the box. For each egg called for use 1 tablespoon ground flax seed to 3 tablespoons warm water. Mix this well beforehand and stir quickly and well until it thickens some. Set aside. For example, if the box says to add 2 eggs, you’ll put two tablespoons ground flax seed and 6 tablespoons warm water in a bowl and stir or whisk rapidly until combined. Add whatever other ingredients the box calls for as directed, usually just water and oil.

Now the trick, for each flax egg you use…add 1/4 tsp. baking soda. So if you used two flax eggs (like mine), then you’ll add a 1/2 tsp. baking soda. Throw it in when you add the brownie mix and stir until combined. I don’t know why or how this works, but it officially solved my box brownie problem! Perhaps because eggs also help things rise, or because the baking soda in some boxed brownies may have sat on the shelf so long it stopped working.

That, my friends, is how I turned this:


Into this!

Magic! My life is forever altered. Although, I still prefer my go-to brownie recipe as far as taste is concerned…

Note: Based on the comments below it seems your mileage may vary depending on the brownie mix you use. I used Marie Callender’s All Natural Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix (you can buy a pack of 5 online on Amazon for about $20) and I’ve always had luck with it. I haven’t tested many other brands as that brand was always on sale at my local store for 99 cents.

Really Lazy? Here’s some totally vegan boxed brownie mixes so you can stock up for future cravings: