Make Boxed Brownies Taste Gourmet By Adding One Condiment From Your Fridge

Are your boxed brownies feeling a bit blah? Are the tops dull and the center less than fudgy? Don't blame your box mix. You might just be missing one key ingredient that can seriously upgrade your next batch of semi-homemade brownies, and it's probably not what you're expecting. It's creamy, white, and found in the condiment aisle of the grocery store. We're talking, of course, about mayonnaise. Okay, please hear us out. We get it, the thought of incorporating mayonnaise into one of the most delicious desserts might sound a bit unappetizing. However, this baking hack isn't totally unheard of. 

Many bakers (home and otherwise) use mayonnaise to enhance the texture of chocolate cake. It also works beautifully in your brownies. More specifically, it's a great oil replacement. After all, mayonnaise is an emulsion of oil and eggs, both of which add a ton of moisture to baked goods. Mayonnaise also includes vinegar, which can also help to give your brownies a tender texture as it inhibits gluten development in your batter. And no, your brownies wont taste like mayonnaise, it'll just give them a boost of moisture and maybe the smallest bit of tang. Just a teensy bit. Simply add in the same amount of mayonnaise as you would oil and bake as usual. The result will be super soft with a perfectly flaky top. It might just become a go-to hack for your boxed brownies.

If you're mighty attached to the oil in your boxed brownies (hey, using brown butter in brownies is divine) but still want the benefits of a bit of mayonnaise, you can always swap your eggs for mayo instead. Simply add 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise per egg in your box recipe. This will give you your proper structure and moisture without coming out too overwhelmingly oily. This is also a great tip for anyone who is a bit hesitant about using a large amount of mayo in their recipe.

This swap out is pretty much fool-proof, but there are a few things to consider when baking with mayo. For starters, you'll want to avoid flavor infused mayonnaise (garlic mayo, for example), which can give your brownies an odd and unpleasant aftertaste. You can also use Miracle Whip instead of mayo, but just be aware that the dressing contains sugar that could impact your brownies' flavor. If you want to play it safe, though, reach for a brand like Duke's, which is often used in baking, or Hellmann's, which has a nice, not-too-punchy flavor.