10 of the Best Ingredients to Upgrade Brownies From a Box

Fresh or frozen raspberries can add gooey, jammy pools of sweetness to your brownies. Simply push whole raspberries down into the batter after pouring it into the pan, and watch them melt down and bubble to make every bite that much sweeter.

Peanut butter, or any nut or seed butter, is a classic way to give your brownies a boost. After pouring in your batter, just add the nut or seed butter on top and use a toothpick or knife to swirl it around before baking.

If you love the tropical taste of coconut, try adding some coconut flakes into your mix. You can either mix it into the batter before baking, add it in the middle of baking for a toasted coconut flavor, or top your finished brownies off with coconut for a fresh flavor.

Spices and chocolate are a real treat for the tastebuds. If you can handle a little heat, try adding a bit of chili powder to your brownie batter to give it just a kick of something unique and flavorful.

For a sweet-and-savory profile, try mixing some of your favorite salty snacks to your brownie batter. Pretzels are a classic and will pair well with other ingredients, like caramel or peanut butter. Add salted nuts for a simple take, or surprise yourself with potato chips or cheese crackers for a truly unique dessert.

Ooey, gooey caramel is an excellent addition to brownie batter. Like nut butter, you can swirl this ingredient into the batter. Or, try pouring half the batter into the pan, adding dollops of caramel over this portion of batter, then covering the caramel with more brownie batter. This creates a soft, caramel-y center in every brownie.

Who can resist some Oreos inside their brownies? Again, this ingredient is great on its own in brownies or paired with other ingredients, like peanut butter or caramel. Add crushed sandwich cookies to your batter or top the batter off with cookie pieces. You can even put whole cookies in the middle of the batter by pouring in half the batter, adding the cookies, then covering the cookies with batter for brownies with a surprise inside.

A little acidity is a great option to cut through rich, chocolatey brownies, especially if you’re making dark chocolate brownies. Mix fresh citrus zest into your brownies before baking, or you could add candied citrus zest on top as a garnish.

Adding a little bit of espresso powder, about a teaspoon, will make your brownies taste even more chocolatey. If you really love coffee, add about half a tablespoon of espresso powder to make your brownies have a mocha latte flavor.

Marshmallows add an extra-chewy and sweet component to your brownies. Add mini, regular, or even jumbo marshmallows on top of your brownies, allowing them to roast until golden brown. You could also add marshmallow fluff after baking the brownies, and let it sit under the broiler for a minute or two for that delicious roasted marshmallow flavor.