- Dark Chocolate: Studded with bittersweet chocolate chips.
- Chocolate Supreme: A chip-free version that’s infused with chocolate syrup.
- Double Chocolate: With semisweet and bittersweet chips sprinkled throughout.
- Triple Chocolate: Featuring semisweet, bittersweet, and milk chocolate chips.
- Triple Fudge: Containing semisweet chocolate chips and a pouch of fudge to mix in.
- Caramel Walnut Turtle: Studded with walnuts and sold with a packet of caramel to swirl into the batter.
- Salted Caramel: Packaged with a pouch of salted caramel, half of which they recommend folding into the batter and half to drizzle on top of the baked brownies.
- Ultimate Chocolate: With chocolate syrup and semisweet chips.
- Brownie Cookie Bar: With a layer of chocolate chip cookie dough on top.
As for the specific rendition the chefs prefer, Leslie Rohland, chef-owner of The Cottage Cafe, digs the mix of chips in the Triple Chocolate (Bonus: You can get a six-pack at Costco.). Jess Robertson, executive pastry chef at Oak Park restaurant, is sweet on the Salted Caramel.
Regardless of the flavor you choose, Ghirardelli’s boxed brownie mix “has a naturally rich chocolate flavor without needing to jazz it up,” Buhrman says. “Still, I don’t think I’ve ever stuck to directions in my life!”
How To Upgrade Boxed Brownie Mix, According to Chefs
You have permission from all four chefs to go ahead and break the rules. “I always amend store-bought mixes! Slight additions will make it superb, rather than ‘just another boxed mix,'” Rohland confirms. Consider trying one of these five chef-approved upgrades to a Ghirardelli boxed brownie mix.
Opt for a different pan. “Baking the mix in a cast iron skillet is a fun presentation and cuts down on the baking time,” Robertson says. To do so, preheat the skillet in the oven, then add a couple of tablespoons of butter to the hot pan, using an oven mitt to lift up the skillet and swirl it around to coat the bottom and edges with melted butter. Pour in the batter, then bake for about eight minutes less than instructed on the box, she suggests, or until the brownies are done to your liking.
Try another liquid instead of water. To lend even more richness, Robertson recommends replacing some of the water with buttermilk. Or follow Rohland’s lead and try a splash of coffee or espresso in place of some of the water. Our recipe developers are also wild about replacing all of the water called for in a boxed brownie mix with red wine.
