There is nothing worse than wanting something sweet after dinner and realizing there is absolutely nothing good in the house.

I wanted a cheaper alternative to a box mix that I could keep in the pantry for those days when we wanted a quick sweet treat. The best part about this recipe is that I can make a big batch at one time. One of these batches of the dry mix makes about six 8×8 pans of brownies, so I can scoop out what I need, add a few ingredients that we almost always have on hand, and have brownies in the oven without starting completely from scratch.

It gives me the convenience of boxed brownie mix while using simple ingredients I can buy in larger quantities.

Homemade Brownie Mix

For the big batch of dry mix:

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 cups unsweetened baking cocoa powder
• 8 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix very well until everything is evenly combined.

Transfer the brownie mix to a large airtight container and store it in a cool, dry place.

To Make One Pan of Brownies:

When you're ready for something sweet, measure out:

• 2½ cups homemade brownie mix
• ¼ cup neutral oil
• ¼ cup water
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons melted butter

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan.
3. Add 2½ cups of brownie mix to a bowl. Stir in the oil, water, eggs, and melted butter until everything is combined.
4. Spread the batter evenly into your prepared pan.
5. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until the brownies are baked to your liking. Let them cool slightly before cutting.

Tip: Write the wet ingredients and baking directions directly on your storage container. Then anyone in the house can make a batch without having to hunt down the recipe.

A Few Fun Add-Ins

You can also change up each pan without changing the master mix. Try adding chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, chopped nuts, crushed cookies, mini marshmallows, or a swirl of peanut butter.

That way, one container of homemade brownie mix can turn into something a little different every time.

Why I Love Keeping This in the Pantry

For me, this recipe is really about convenience and saving a little money.

Instead of keeping several boxes of brownie mix in the pantry—each with a long list of ingredients—I can make one big batch using simple ingredients I already have on hand.

It also makes those last-minute “Mom, can we make something?” moments a whole lot easier!

And since one batch makes around six pans, I don't have to remake the dry mix every time we want a treat.