Quickie Mix Brownie

Six ingredients and one bowl. These brownies use biscuit baking mix as a shortcut for flour, leavening, and salt all at once, so there’s almost nothing to measure. Brown sugar and cocoa powder handle the sweetness and chocolate flavor.

The texture lands somewhere between cakey and fudgy. Vegetable oil instead of butter keeps them moist, and a full cup of chopped walnuts adds crunch in every bite. Mix the dry ingredients first, then stir in the beaten eggs and oil until just combined. Overmixing develops gluten and makes brownies tough.

Cut them while still warm. They slice cleaner when the inside is still slightly soft, and the edges hold their shape better than if you wait until they’re fully cool and try to pry them out.

Kitchen Tips

• Use unsweetened cocoa powder. Dutch-process or natural both work, but natural cocoa gives a slightly more intense chocolate flavor with this recipe.
• Pack the brown sugar firmly. Loose-packed brown sugar means less sweetness and less moisture. Press it into the measuring cup.
• Don’t overbake. Pull at 25 minutes even if the center looks slightly underdone. They firm up as they cool in the pan.
• Bisquick or any baking mix works if you don’t have a homemade quickie mix on hand.

Variations

• Chocolate chip add-in: Fold in ½ cup chocolate chips for melty pockets of chocolate throughout.
• Peanut butter swirl: Drop spoonfuls of peanut butter on top of the batter and drag a knife through for a marbled effect.
• Pecan swap: Replace walnuts with pecans for a sweeter, more buttery nut flavor.