On all the social media groups I am in, one of the most asked questions I see is “How to Replace the Eggs in a Box Brownie Mix”?
Sadly the most offered answer is: “Just use flax or applesauce or a banana!”
My reaction to those answers is always a cringe worthy: “No please don’t!”
While yes, technically those home pantry items will work, but my question to you is, “are they the best options?”
You already know my answer.
It is “No, they are not!”
Unless you want a gooey, falling apart, dense and rubbery brownie, you will want to ditch those suggestions and follow my instructions for how to properly replace the eggs in a box brownie mix!
Many people berated me for using a store bought egg replacer as the fix it.
They just really wanted me to continue advocating for those other handy items like the can of soda as the ultimate fixer upper for a veganized box cakes and brownies.
But I just can’t do it!
I cannot advocate for something that while yes technically it works, but the result is quite awful in my opinion!
So yes I did use a store bought proprietary blend egg replacer for this hack with the ultimate of ultimate results!
Specifically The Plant Based Egg by Freely Vegan.
While I do love that egg replacer the best, I am biased since I did have a hand in developing it for the wheat line for my friend Deborah who created it.
I did not receive any monetary benefit for developing this product so there is no nefarious intent behind promoting it.
Other egg replacers have also worked for me such as Bob’s Red Mill in same quantity as listed as well as the tried and true “flax egg”.
So again while I love The Plant Based Egg by Freely Vegan in 90% of my recipes since it’s advent, I do understand that not everyone can get or may want to buy it.
You can use another proprietary blend egg replacer of your choice here and I am confident you will get equally great results as long as you follow the other ingredient adjustments!
It is necessary to add a few more ingredients more than just “an egg replacer” since when we take eggs out of a traditional recipe some other things get thrown off.
First it is important to know what the egg is actually doing in the traditional recipe in the first place to properly know how to replace it.
- binding (which the additional flour corrects)
- leavening (which the additional baking powder corrects)
- moisture (which the additional water corrects)
So if you have those extras then you are on your way to perfect, egg free, boxed brownies that no one will ever know are egg free, vegan or boxed for that matter!
With an icing of chocolate ganache & homemade vegan sprinkles your fudge brownie life just got a little easier!
For those who prefer to make brownies from scratch I have several recipes here: VEGAN BROWNIES FROM SCRATCH
And by the way I have also hacked the BOX CAKE MIX TOO! CLICK HERE
Box Cake Hack
FOR THE FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO TUTORIAL AND VISUAL EXPLANATION CLICK HERE
- 1 Box Duncan Hines Fudge Brownie Mix (18.3 ounce box)
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder *optional
- All Purpose Flour ¾ cup *reduce to ½ cup for a super fudgy brownie!
- 2 teaspoons The Plant Based Egg - egg replacer by Freely Vegan
- ½ Recipe Vegan ganache *optional
- Homemade Vegan Sprinkles *optional
- Sift all the dry ingredients together with the box mix.
- Add the water & vegetable oil and mix smooth
- Bake in a preheated 350°F oven according to the box instructions.
- Cool brownie comletely before icing with vegan ganache & decorate with vegan sprinkles!
For longer storage refrigerate for up to 9 days, wrapped tightly for freshness.
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C and H sugar packages have a multi digit code on them. The first number indicates which processing factory it came from. C and H uses both bone char and non bone char factories. If the first number of the multi digit code is either 1, 4 or 6, this indicates the package of sugar was processed at a factory that DOES NOT USE BONE CHAR. Therefore it is vegan. Plus, unlike some sugars that claim “vegan” but which use GMO sugar beets, C and H uses sugar cane only and is non GMO. I got this info from calling customer service at C and H. Hope they’re not lying.
What is C and H?? This seems like helpful info but can’t find where C and H are mentioned so not sure what they represent.
I am not sure what you are referring to? I am not seeing anything that says ” C & H” in my blog post
Such great tips! And the cake looks absolutely gorgeous!
Wow! Since being vegan for almost 5 years and always feeling dissatisfied with the result of various egg replacements in my Duncan Hines Brownie mix, this is finally the one that worked!!! We were all so happy with the taste and texture. Actually, I think it was even better than when we used to use eggs. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Can’t wait to try your cake replacement recipe for an upcoming birthday this weekend. 😊. So happy to have found your site.
YAY thanks for the feedback! I have gotten some negative comments on the video (YouTube) for this recipe from people automatically saying “Just use flax, applesauce, SODA!” etc.. even though my video clearly says in the beginning all about those options! But, well… you know how people want to always be right LOL SO THANK YOU for verifying that I AM RIGHT! LOLOL
I have tried recipe after recipe to veganize box brownies over the years. This recipe will now be my all time favorite! They stayed soft after leaving them out overnight. They were fluffy (I used the cakey version) the top had crispy texture. I added wal uts to my brownies. Even though I added powdered cocoa, I think added vegan chocolate chips would be an amazing addition. I cannot rave enough! Thank you! This recipe has ended a long hunt for the best recipe. On another note- my family, thatis not vegan would not stop raving about them!
My go-to recipe! So fudgy and indulgent! Thanks Gretchen, I can always count on you.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I have tried over and over to veganize brownies and the results have always been horrid! I haven’t had a brownie in YEARS! This was so simple and they turned out perfectly fudgy, even my non vegan family loved them!
YAY! awesome! If you feel like trying a scratch recipe I recommend these CLICK HERE!
I have made this recipe so many times, it is wonderful! I have substituted and added so many things to this recipe and it always turns out great! I prefer using apple sauce or pumpkin purée as the egg substitute I found out it makes the brownies super moist, and if you want some untraditional brownies add dried cherries it will be worth your while! Keep baking! 🙂
Hi Thanks! Just in time as I have JUST NOW transformed this into Black Forest Brownies! CHECK IT OUT HERE!
Perfect brownie recipe!
Could this article get any longer, with a few more ads? Geez. And to find out it’s flaxseed, which doesn’t work.