A Boxed-Mix Shortcut Recipe Inspired by Ina Garten
If you love brownies that are thick, fudgy, and meant to be scooped, this recipe is for you. It takes inspiration from the style of Ina Garten’s well-known brownie pudding recipe that’s rich, molten, and indulgent, but reworks it using my viral better boxed brownies method to make it vegan, simpler, and far more approachable.
This isn’t about recreating her recipe ingredient for ingredient. It’s about borrowing the idea, a brownie that’s baked until the top sets, the edges hold, and the center stays gooey underneath. The boxed mix does the heavy lifting, and a few intentional upgrades turn it into something that feels special without being fussy.
Why This Is Brownie Pudding (Not Just Brownies)
Classic brownies are baked all the way through so they can be sliced cleanly. Brownie pudding is different. It’s baked just long enough for the top and edges to set, while the center stays soft, rich, and spoonable somewhere between a fudgy brownie and a molten cake.
My version leans into that texture on purpose. Baking it in a small ceramic dish keeps it thick, and the higher moisture from yogurt and melted chocolate ensures the middle never fully firms up.
It’s not meant to be cut. It’s meant to be scooped warm.
Why a Boxed Brownie Mix Works
A good boxed brownie mix already has a good balance of cocoa, sugar, and structure. Instead of starting from scratch, I use that as a base and focus on improving texture and depth, which is exactly what made my better boxed brownies go viral in the first place.
Here’s what changes it from “box brownies” to brownie pudding:
• Extra vegan butter + melted dark chocolate for richness
• Nut or seed butter for fudginess and depth
• A full container of non-dairy yogurt for moisture and softness
• Baking it thick, not spread thin
It’s faster, more consistent, and great when you want to make something delicious quickly.
The original brownie pudding gets its thicker crust largely from eggs. This vegan version doesn’t replicate that exact egg-based structure, but it does develop a real, noticeable crust.
Because my recipe uses:
- More vegan butter than my brownie recipe plus non-dairy yogurt added for richness.
- A boxed mix with sugar already built in.
- A hot oven and a ceramic dish.
- The top sets, firms up, and lightly crackles as it cools, while the center stays molten underneath. It won’t be glossy like an egg-based version, but it will break cleanly with a spoon, which is exactly what you want here.
Letting it rest for 5–10 minutes after baking is key as the crust finishes setting as it sits.
Optional Mix-Ins and Flavors
This recipe is great as written, but it’s also flexible. Keep add-ins restrained so the center stays molten.
Flavor Boosts
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract rounds out the chocolate and adds depth of flavor.
- 1–2 tablespoons framboise or raspberry liqueur is subtle, classic, and great with dark chocolate and is what Ina Garten uses in her recipe.
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder deepens chocolate flavor without tasting like coffee.
Chocolate Add-Ins
- Chocolate chips for melty pockets.
- Chocolate chunks for visible puddles.
- A mix of semisweet and bittersweet for balance.
Nut Add-Ins
- Chopped walnuts or pecans (1/4 – 1/3 cup).
- Hazelnuts for a more classic, dark-chocolate feel.
- Coarsely chopped almonds for texture.
For the Top
- A few extra chocolate chunks pressed into the surface.
- A light sprinkle of coarse sugar before baking.
- Flaky salt after baking to sharpen the flavor.
Tip: Keep total mix-ins under about 3/4 cup so the pudding stays soft and scoopable.
Serving, Storing and Reheating
This brownie pudding is best served warm, scooped straight from the dish. It’s great on its own, or with vegan ice cream, whipped cream, or a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
Leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for 4–5 days. To reheat, microwave individual portions for 10–15 seconds, or warm the entire dish in a 325°F oven for 5–10 minutes until the center loosens again.
This isn’t just another boxed brownie hack, it’s thick, fudgy, molten, and totally vegan. The edges set just enough to give you that satisfying bite, while the center stays soft, gooey, and spoonable. With a few simple upgrades like non-dairy yogurt, melted chocolate, and nut butter, you get rich, indulgent flavor without any fuss.
Whether you keep it classic, add chocolate chunks, a handful of nuts, or a splash of raspberry liqueur, it’s the kind of dessert everyone will swoon over. It’s quick, reliable, and perfect for weeknights, dinner parties, or any time you want something comforting, chocolatey, and utterly decadent.
Grab a spoon, dig in, and enjoy the pudding that made my boxed brownie hack go viral as this one’s all about fun, flavor, and indulgence, without the stress.
Check out my other easy boxed brownie recipes below!
- The recipe that started it all, my better boxed vegan brownies!
- Vegan s’mores brownies.
- Better boxed peanut butter Oreo brownies.
- Easy vegan cosmic brownies.
- Vegan German chocolate brownies.
- Vegan copycat Costco brownie pie.
Easy Vegan Brownie Pudding
12
servings10
minutes24
minutesThis vegan brownie pudding is thick, fudgy, and molten, made easy with a boxed mix and a few simple upgrades for ultimate spoonable indulgence.
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
1 box vegan brownie mix (16–18 oz, vegan by ingredients), see notes
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup vegan butter + 2 oz vegan chocolate, melted together
1/4 cup nut or seed butter, see notes
1 full container (5.3 oz / about 2/3 cup) non-dairy plain yogurt
1/4 cup unsweetened plant milk
Optional mix-ins (see main post for ideas)
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a small ceramic baking dish. I used a 10×7 smaller sized ceramic baking dish. A smaller, deeper pan makes the pudding thicker and more molten, you just need to add a few extra minutes to the bake time and check for a jiggly center but set edges.
- Melt the vegan butter and chocolate together. I use a microwave in a heat safe bowl and in bursts of 30 seconds and stop before it’s all melted as the residual heat will finish melting it as you stir. You could use a double boiler to melt as well. In a medium sized bowl, add all ingredients. Mix thoroughly (you can use an hand mixer or just a large spoon) until all dry pockets are fully incorporated and the batter is smooth and glossy. It should be a little looser than regular brownie batter but not liquid. If you feel it’s too thick, add more plant milk a tablespoon at a time until it’s a little looser. Mixes will vary so it’s good to judge as you’re making it. Boxed mixes need to be well mixed, but just try not to whip in excess air by aggressively mixing.
- Fold in any mix-ins if using.
- Bake anywhere from 18–24 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still jiggles slightly. This will vary with everyone’s oven. Convection heat bakes faster so watch carefully if using a convection oven.
- Let rest for 5–10 minutes, then scoop and serve warm.
Recipe Video
Notes
- I prefer Duncan Hines brand brownie mixes but have tested many for my better boxed brownie recipe and most have worked well.
- You can use chips, chunks or bar chocolate for the recipe to add in with the vegan butter. I prefer dark bittersweet chocolate but semisweet will work as well or a mixture of both.
- I prefer almond butter for these but you could use another type of butter butter or even peanut butter. Sunflower seed or even cookie butter like speculoos would work but I would advise against tahini as it has bitter notes and I felt it was overpowering when I tested it.
- I used Silk plain yogurt but use your favorite just nothing too sweet.
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