Gathering with friends and family has never been tastier than with this homemade Skillet Brownie! We've included instructions on how to make the best-ever fudgy jarred brownie mix for gifting during the holidays, or for housewarming gifts. This recipe can be made gluten-free or regular, so you make one for everyone on your list!
Who doesn't love a delicious brownie? From our s'mores brownies, to these red velvet brownies, these loaded brownies, and these chocolate cherry brownies, they're definitely one of our favorite desserts - and always a hit for gatherings!
We wanted to make a simplified version of our regular base brownie recipe that was easy to mix up for last-minute gatherings! This recipe is so easy to make that we found a way to jar up the dry ingredients to give away as gifts to friends and family. 😍
Just add a few wet ingredients, add the dry jarred mix, combine in one bowl, transfer to a greased skillet (or baking pan), and then bake! Now, you have an incredibly rich and fudgy brownie that's perfect for any occasion!
The best part about this recipe is it can be made both gluten-free and regular just by swapping the flour, so you can mix up jars for folks with and without dietary restrictions!
While we're not gluten-free ourselves, the fall and holiday season is full of get-togethers that require a dessert, so we thought it would be fun to make something that everyone can enjoy!
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❤️Why We Love This Recipe
- Decadent, fudgy brownies. If you're craving something rich, chocolatey, and fudgy, you're in for a treat. This recipe is incredible, especially considering it skips some steps that our traditional brownie recipes use and yields INCREDIBLE results!
- Crowd pleaser, and can be made for multiple diets! Our taste testers absolutely loved both the gluten-free and traditional versions of this brownie skillet - mentioning that no one would ever know the gluten-free version was gluten-free! 😂 That's saying something, because these folks love gluten everything!
- Great for gifting. Everyone loves a homemade gift! Bring a jar of this fudgy brownie mix to friends and family to make them feel special! It's an easy way to show someone you care.
- Super easy! This recipe is so easy to make, you only need one bowl, and no mixer. You may not get quite the same shiny top as some of our other brownie recipes, but you'll definitely get all the amazing flavor and fudgy texture with very little effort.
🍫Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.
- Chocolate chunks. We like to chop up dark chocolate or a bittersweet chocolate bar to melt with butter for this brownie. It helps give the brownie incredible fudgy flavor, and texture. Don't skip it!
- Cocoa powder. We recommend using Dutch-processed cocoa powder for the more rich, chocolatey flavor. With that said, any cocoa powder you want will work for this recipe!
- Espresso powder. Optional, but recommended, and will really enhance the chocolate flavor of the brownie. Don't worry, it won't make the brownie taste like coffee!
- Powdered sugar. This is really important! Because this recipe was designed to be quick and easy, powdered sugar is necessary here, as it dissolves much quicker and easier than other sugars.
- Brown sugar. This adds a lot of moisture to the brownies as well as a rich flavor.
- Eggs + an egg yolk. Just save the extra egg white for your morning breakfast scramble! We promise the added extra yolk makes these brownies so dense and fudgy. Be sure the egg yolks are room temperature.
- Butter. We recommend using unsalted butter.
- Flour. This recipe has been tested with both all-purpose flour, and Bob's Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour and we're proud to say they are exactly that - a one-to-one swap!
Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.
✨Substitutions & Variations
Here are a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this recipe.
- Dairy-free. To make this recipe dairy-free, just swap the regular butter for your favorite vegan version, and use your favorite plant-based milk instead of regular milk.
- To make these in an 8x8 brownie pan, make sure to grease the pan well, line it with parchment paper, and bake for 30-40 minutes. It will need longer to bake if the pan is deeper.
- Brown the butter for even more flavor!
- Add some homemade salted caramel for extra decadence!
- Try adding candy like M&Ms, Oreo cookies, or Reese's peanut butter cups for even more delicious flavor.
This recipe hasn't been tested with any other substitutions or variations, so we can't guarantee any results. If you make a change, let us know how it goes in the comments below!
🔪Prep Work
- Allow the eggs and milk to sit out at room temperature for about an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 10-inch skillet.
- Chop a chocolate bar into small pieces.
- Measure out the rest of the ingredients using a food scale.
📋Instructions
Wet ingredients
In a microwave-safe bowl, add the chopped chocolate and butter and melt. (Image 1)
Allow the mixture to cool down slightly (it can be warm, just not hot!) and whisk to combine until smooth.
Then, add in the vanilla, milk, eggs, and egg yolk. (Image 2)
Add dry ingredients
Whisk until combined and smooth, then add in the brown sugar, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, optional espresso powder, flour, kosher salt, and optional chocolate chunks or chips. (Image 3)
Mix to combine until smooth, and there are no lumps. (Image 4)
⭑Pro tip: If you are making a version with regular all purpose flour, be careful not to overmix once the dry ingredients are added. Mix until combined and smooth, but not more than that! Otherwise, you risk the brownies becoming dense and tough. If you're making the gluten-free version, you don't need to worry about overmixing! 🙂
Bake
Add the batter to the greased skillet, and smooth the top. (Image 5)
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. (Image 6)
Allow the brownie to cool for at least 20 minutes before digging in.
⭑Pro tip: We recommend underbaking slightly for the fudgiest brownies, because the brownies will continue to bake in the hot pan as they cool!
Serve this tasty brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the center and enjoy while warm!
🎁To Make The Brownie Mix Jars
Here's What You'll Need:
- Quart-sized or 32-ounce jars
- Kitchen twine or any ribbon for attaching bags & tags to the jars
- Treat bags for the chopped chocolate
- Written recipe tag
Recipe Tags:
On the bag, attach a written tag or card that states:
"Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the attached chopped chocolate and 2 sticks of unsalted butter to a microwave safe bowl, and melt. Stir to combine, then let cool briefly to avoid cooking and scrambling the egg.
Add in 2 tablespoons of room temperature milk, 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, 2 room temperature eggs, and an egg yolk. Mix until combined and smooth.
Pour in the contents of this jar and mix until combined, smooth, and there are no lumps. Add the batter to a greased 10-inch skillet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or 30-40 minutes if baking in an 8x8-pan, underbake slightly. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting in and enjoy!"
To Make The Jars:
In a 32 ounce or 1 quart jar, start by adding the ingredients in this order:
- 125 grams (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) brown sugar
- 113 grams (1 cup) powdered sugar
- 30 grams ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
- 100 grams flour (¾ cup all purpose flour or ⅔ cup gluten free 1:1)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips or chunks (optional)
- Secure the lid, and attach a bag of 4 ounces chopped bittersweet or dark chocolate to it.
✨Top Tips
- Use a kitchen scale for best results. This is our top baking tip, every time! Using a kitchen scale can make a HUGE difference for accurate measurements, which can really make a huge difference for your brownies.
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Use room-temperature eggs. This helps them incorporate smoothly into the batter, instead of causing the batter to seize up.
- Use an oven thermometer. We love using an oven thermometer to verify the actual temperature of the oven, because some ovens actually run hotter or cooler than the dial states!
- Don't overbake and experiment with baking time. If you like gooier brownies, bake for a shorter time. For cake-like brownies, bake a bit longer. Personally, we always recommend underbaking a little bit, because we love an ooey-gooey brownie!
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💭Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5-6 days. If they were served with ice cream, then transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the fridge.
To freeze leftovers, wrap brownies tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You probably used too much flour or overbaked the brownies.
To avoid using too much flour, we always recommend using a digital food scale to measure ingredients accurately. (plus, fewer dishes!)
To avoid overbaking, place a toothpick in the center. It should have a few moist crumbs attached. Keep in mind that it will continue to bake as it cools in the hot pan!
You probably mixed the batter too much after adding all-purpose flour (if you're using all-purpose flour!) If you're not making the gluten-free version of these brownies, be careful not to mix the flour too much, because this will result in too much gluten production, making your brownies tough.
Just mix until everything is completely incorporated, then stop! We'd also recommend mixing with a rubber spatula to ensure you're gently folding the mixture and scraping the sides while you go, ensuring everything is incorporated without overmixing.
🍫More Brownie Recipes To Consider
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📖 Recipe
Skillet Brownie (with a Homemade Brownie Mix Recipe!)
Equipment
- 32-ounce or 1 quart sized jar (if making the brownie mix gift)
- kitchen twine (for attaching chocolate or the written card to the jar)
- treat bags for attaching chopped chocolate if making gift jars
Ingredients
Wet
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 4 ounces dark chocolate chopped if making this as a jar mix, place this in a small bag and attach it to the outside of the jar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 15 ml
- 2 tablespoons milk room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
Dry (and what would go in the jar!)
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar 125 grams
- 1 cup powdered sugar 113 grams
- ⅓ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder 30g
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 100 grams flour all purpose flour OR gluten free 1:1 flour! (this is about ⅔ cup of gluten free flour, and a little more than ¾ cup of all purpose which is why we suggest weighing everything)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chunks or chips 100 grams, optional
Instructions
Skillet instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and grease a 10-inch skillet with butter or baking spray.
- Add the chopped chocolate and unsalted butter to a microwave safe bowl, and melt. Stir to combine, then let cool briefly to avoid cooking and scrambling the egg. Add in milk, vanilla extract, eggs, and the egg yolk, and mix until combined and smooth.2 sticks unsalted butter, 4 ounces dark chocolate chopped, 2 large eggs, 1 egg yolk, 2 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add the brown sugar, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, flour, kosher salt, and optional chocolate chips or chunks and stir until smooth and there are no lumps.½ cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 cup powdered sugar, ⅓ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon espresso powder, 100 grams flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ cup dark chocolate chunks or chips
- Add the batter to a greased 10-inch skillet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or 30-40 minutes if baking in an 8x8-pan, underbake slightly. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting in and enjoy!
Jar mix instructions
- In a 32 ounce or 1 quart jar, start by adding the ingredients in this order: brown sugar on the bottom, followed by powdered sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder (optional), flour, kosher salt, and chocolate chips or chunks. Secure the lid, and attach a bag of chopped chocolate to it.
- For the instructions, write and attach the following instructions.
- When it's time to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Add the attached chopped chocolate and 2 sticks unsalted butter to a microwave safe bowl, and melt. Stir to combine, then let cool briefly to avoid cooking and scrambling the egg.
- Add in 2 tablespoons of room temperature milk, 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, 2 room temperature eggs, and an egg yolk. Mix until combined and smooth.
- Pour in the contents of this jar and mix until combined, smooth, and there are no lumps. Add the batter to a greased 10-inch skillet and bake for 20-25 minutes, or 30-40 minutes if baking in an 8x8-pan, underbake slightly. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting in and enjoy!
Notes
- Use a kitchen scale for best results. This is our top baking tip, every time! Using a kitchen scale can make a HUGE difference for accurate measurements, which can really make a huge difference for your brownies.
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Use room-temperature eggs. This helps them incorporate smoothly into the batter, instead of causing the batter to seize up.
- Use an oven thermometer. We love using an oven thermometer to verify the actual temperature of the oven, because some ovens actually run hotter or cooler than the dial states!
- Don't overbake and experiment with baking time. If you like gooier brownies, bake for a shorter time. For cake-like brownies, bake a bit longer. Personally, we always recommend underbaking a little bit, because we love an ooey-gooey brownie!
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