Triple Fudge Brownies

Three ingredients. That’s it. Triple fudge brownies are the pantry-shortcut brownie recipe that delivers proper fudge density without a stick of butter, a single egg, or a measuring cup of flour. The trick is leaning on three boxed building blocks that stack chocolate three ways: pudding for moisture and richness, cake mix for structure, and chocolate chips for melted pockets in every bite.

Mixing the prepared instant pudding straight into the dry cake mix gives you a thick, glossy batter that bakes up dense and fudgy instead of cakey. The pudding’s cornstarch and milk solids replace the butter and eggs you’d normally need, doing the same chemistry without the work.

A dusting of powdered sugar over the top before serving is all the finish these need, the contrast against the dark crumb is everything.

Pro Tips

• Use a 15×10×1-inch sheet pan, not a smaller one. Crowding the batter into a smaller pan gives you cake-thick brownies instead of the proper fudgy slab.
• Don’t overbake. Pull when the top springs back lightly to touch, not when a toothpick comes out clean. Slightly underdone center is what makes them fudgy.
• Let cool completely before cutting. Warm fudge brownies tear instead of slicing clean, and the chocolate chips need time to set.
• Use a hot knife wiped between cuts for clean square edges. Cold knives drag chocolate across each cut.

Variations

• Swap semi-sweet chips for white chocolate chips for sweet-against-rich contrast.
• Stir in 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch.
• Top warm brownies with a layer of mini marshmallows in the last 5 minutes of baking for s’mores style.