BROWNIE MIXES — CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE®

Information updated June 2023

If you’re like most Americans and me, you like brownies, too! And if you like brownies, you’ve probably tried a packaged Brownie Mix.

So, how do some of the most popular packaged Brownie Mixes compare to homemade and then what are some of the brands of Classic brownie mixes which are Closest To Homemade including some Gluten Free and Nut-Free options?

As usual, let’s begin with looking at the homemade version so we have something with which to compare the ingredients in the packaged mixes . . .

WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS FOR HOMEMADE BROWNIES? Brownie recipes are actually pretty simple: they generally include these basic items >> Flour, Sugar, Butter or Oil, Semi-Sweet Chocolate, Cocoa, Vanilla Extract, Eggs, Baking Soda and Salt.

Q: Why do the leading brownie mixes contain ingredients we would never use at home, a.k.a. ingredients which are Not In Kitchen ?

WHAT’S IN SOME OF THE LEADING BROWNIE MIXES? The three largest players in the packaged brownie mix category are Duncan Hines, Betty Crocker and Pillsbury, so let’s take a look at some of the offerings from these brands. (Source for Brand data: Statista 2023)

DUNCAN HINES MILK CHOCOLATE BROWNIE MIX CONTAINS THREE INGREDIENTS BANNED AT WHOLE FOODS: BLEACHED FLOUR, VANILLIN WITH AN ‘IN’, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS (Source for ingredients: Conagra Duncan Hines Web site 6/23; Source for banned ingredients: Amazon Whole Foods Web site 6/23)

Q: Do you have Palm Oil in your kitchen? It’s in this Conagra Duncan Hines Brownie Mix

See more Duncan Hines Brownie Mix ingredients:

DUNCAN HINES BROWNIE MIXES

Q: Did you know Mr. Duncan Hines was a real man born in 1880? Consider for a moment >> what would he think of the ingredient changes which have happened to the baking mixes which bear his name including the use of Palm Oil, Artificial Flavors and Bleached Flour?

Ingredient Inspector Mr. Duncan Hines was a real man.jpg

BETTY CROCKER IS A BRAND OWNED BY GENERAL MILLS and, according to Statista 2023, Betty Crocker Original Supreme is the most popular brownie mix in the U.S.

Let’s take a look below at the Supreme Original Brownie Mix from Betty Crocker >> it contains five instances of ingredients which are banned at Whole Foods Market including Bleached Flour, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Potassium Sorbate — an FDA-recognized Chemical Preservative — and Artificial Flavor x2. (Source for ingredients: Betty Crocker Web site 6/23; Source for banned ingredients: Amazon Whole Foods Web site 6/23; Source: U.S. FDA 2023)

PILLSBURY IS ALSO OWNED BY GENERAL MILLS and the Pillsbury Funfetti Brownie Mix below contains 10 ingredients which are banned at Whole Foods including Bleached Flour, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Artificial Flavor and seven Artificial Colors. (Source for ingredients: General Mills Pillsbury Web site 6/23)

Although there may be a small amount of Artificial Colors and Flavor in these brownies, the issue facing most of us is the Cumulative or Total consumption we may be making on a daily basis when many of the things we may eat every day contain these types of artificial ingredients.

Seen below, LINDT & SPRüNGLI’S GHIRARDELLI BRAND CARAMEL WALNUT TURTLE BROWNIE MIX IS BANNED AT WHOLE FOODS MARKET: This Ghirardelli Brownie Mix contains 6 ingredients which Whole Foods cites as “Unacceptable in food” including Bleached Flour, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Artificial Flavors, Added Color and the Chemical Preservative, Potassium Sorbate. (Source for Ghirardelli ingredients: Amazon Web site 6/23; Source for banned ingredients: Amazon Whole Foods Web site 6/23)

On the Ghirardelli Web site, it states, “We have a passion for what we do, strive for excellence, and never compromise on quality.”

Below are some manufactured Brownie Mixes which contain Artificial Flavor and Bleached Flour and are all banned at Whole Foods (Sources: Brand Web sites and packages on Amazon Web site 6/23)

Now, on to the good news in packaged Brownie Mixes . . .

Seen below, CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE BROWNIE MIXES: Packaged Brownie Mixes whose ingredients are closest to those we would use at home to make brownies include Classic, Gluten-Free and also Gluten’Free/Nut-Free options. (Sources: Brand Web sites 6/23)

CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE GLUTEN-FREE BROWNIE MIXES

Certified Kosher and Gluten-Free and Non-GMO Project Verified Simple Mills Almond Flour Brownie Mix with Organic Coconut Sugar; Bob’s Red Mill Grain Free and Gluten-Free Brownie Mix with Blanched Almond Flour and Organic Coconut Sugar, and Organic and Non-GMO Project verified Julie’s Real Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix which is certified Gluten-Free and Kosher with Organic Almond Flour and Organic Coconut Sugar.

*Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list*

CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE GLUTEN-FREE AND NUT-FREE BROWNIE MIXES

These include certified Kosher, Gluten-Free and Non-GMO Project verified Otto’s Naturals Organic Grain-Free Classic Brownie Mix with Organic Cassava Flour and Organic Cane Sugar, and certified Gluten-Free, Vegan and Kosher Snacktivist Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix which is also Non-GMO Project verified made with regeneratively-grown Gluten Free Ancient Grains, Fair Trade Cocoa and Organic Sugars.

CLOSEST TO HOMEMADE CLASSIC BROWNIE MIXES

Shown below, Non-GMO Project Verified and Organic Wholesome Dark Chocolate Chunk Brownie Mix with Fair Trade Organic Chocolate and Organic Coconut Sugar; USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified Miss Jones Baking Co. with Organic Cane Sugar, and One Mighty Mill with Organic Stone-Ground Wheat Flour.

CLOSE TO HOMEMADE BUT NOT THE CLOSEST: There are three Brownie Mixes which contain two ingredients which keep them from being CTH >> General Mills Annie’s Organic Double Chocolate Brownie Mix which contains added Organic Natural Flavor and Organic Palm Oil, and Amazon Whole Foods 365 Fudge Brownie Mix and Gluten-Free Fudge Brownie Mix which contain added Natural Flavor and Expeller Pressed Canola Oil. (Sources: General Mills Annie’s and Amazon Whole Foods Web sites 6/23)

Natural Flavor — Organic and not — are Not In Kitchen ingredients >> Natural Flavor is a commercial item created by huge Flavor Houses and bought in mass bulk. Similarly, Palm Oil, Organic and not, are Not In Kitchen ingredients because we don’t find Palm Oils in our home kitchens.

We leave you with some Brownie memories . . .

Betty Crocker of General Mills Snowdrift Can.jpg

Discover more food + beverages whose ingredients are Closest To Homemade in 275+ categories. Neither money nor products are ever accepted to appear on the Closest To Homemade list.

Closest To Homemade® Master List

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