Try using milk or cream in place of water when mixing the batter.

This will still check the liquid off the ingredient list while creating a richer, fudgier, moister brownie.

A plain brownie batter is calling for mix-ins, and the possibilities are endless. Consider adding chocolate chips or dark-chocolate chunks.

Crushed Oreo cookies, M&M's, Reese's Pieces, chopped walnuts or hazelnuts are excellent options as well.

Fold them in once the batter is prepped, and then transfer to the baking pan to bake as directed.

Switch up the flavor of boxed brownies with just a few drops of an extract. Even just a teaspoon of vanilla extract can go a long way in enhancing the flavor of this treat.

You can also play around — adding peppermint extract will offer a chocolate-mint combo that's wonderful for the holiday season.

Coconut extract is another great pairing to try, maybe even paired with shredded coconut folded into the batter.

Most brownie mixes call for a few tablespoons of water on the back of the box. To enhance your brownies, swap that water out for strong brewed coffee. This can add a more complex depth of flavor.

For an even more pronounced coffee flavor, add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the dry ingredients as well.

Once the brownies are baked, the sky's the limit.

You could serve them as-is, or dress them up further. Consider adding frosting to the top, whether you want double-chocolate brownies with mint frosting or peanut-butter icing.

Chocolate ganache or salted-caramel sauce are excellent toppers, too.

To upgrade your brownies and curb their sweetness, try adding some of your other favorite snack foods to them.

Opt for salty mix-ins, like crushed pretzels or salted peanuts. You can also crumble up ridged potato chips or kettle chips and sprinkle them over the batter before baking.

Combine two beloved desserts in one with this trick.

Make the brownie batter according to the instructions on the box. Then, combine one block of softened cream cheese, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, one egg, and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. For best results, use a hand mixer or stand mixer.

Dollop the cream-cheese mixture over the brownie butter and use the back of a spoon or a butter knife to swirl the top. Bake the brownies as directed, and you'll end up with dreamy cheesecake brownies.

This sounds wildly simple, but it can make a huge difference. Just a touch of flaky sea salt will not make brownies look pretty and enhance their flavor tenfold.

Before the brownies go into the oven, sprinkle flaked sea salt on top. Then, bake as directed.

Adding one more egg than what your boxed mix calls for will make the batter slightly thicker, making it sturdy enough to withstand the heat of a waffle iron. 

Whether you decide to dress up your chocolaty waffles with whipped cream, fruit, or more chocolate, bookmark this easy recipe from the Food Network as a reference.

S'mores are delicious on their own, but they're even better when you add brownies in between layers of graham crackers and marshmallows.

According to a simple recipe on Delish, you don't even need a campfire to make this decadent snack. You just need a box of brownie mix (and the ingredients it calls for), chocolate bars, marshmallows, and graham crackers. 

Think outside the box with your brownie mix by turning it into the crust for a build-your-own dessert pizza. As for toppings, you can make your favorite cream-cheese or whipped-cream frosting and pile it high with fruit, candy, sprinkles, or nuts.

All you need for this crust recipe from Taste of Home is the prepared brownie-mix batter, some almonds, and almond extract.

Not in the mood to cut a dozen slices of cake at your next party? Serve this brownie brittle from Tablespoon instead.

All you need is the mix, an egg, some melted butter, and a large baking pan to spread the batter extra thin.

If you want to make it an adults-only treat, you can also add some cake-flavored vodka.

It's hard to decide between cookies and brownies, but with this recipe from food blogger Lindsay Ostrom, you won't have to.

Dollop some homemade or store-bought cookie dough on top of your prepared brownie batter mix before baking. 

This hack combines an entire box of brownie mix with marshmallows and rice cereal, plus, cooked brownies are folded in to give the dessert some extra decadence. 

The recipe from the food blog Cookies and Cups with Shelly Jaronsky is a little more involved than others on the list, but all you'll need in addition to the brownie mix is mini marshmallows, rice cereal, and butter.

You can either make your own brownie pieces with the rest of the mix or buy some store-bought brownies to fold through the treat.

Don't be afraid to experiment with flavor combinations with your boxed brownie mix.

The Andes brownies from the lifestyle blog Making Lemonade combine the chocolatey dessert with the refreshing taste of mint. 

To make them, all you'll need is a prepared box of brownie mix batter and a package of Andes chocolate mints. 

Delight both sweet and savory cravings by making use of that half-eaten bag of chips or pretzels in your cabinet. 

This recipe from Tablespoon can help you get started, but really the possibilities are endless if you're looking to clear out your pantry.

Dark stout beer has so much savory depth, which makes it the perfect addition to chocolaty brownies.

Elevate your mix's flavor profile by adding your favorite stout brew to the boxed brownies. 

According to a recipe on Tip Hero, in addition to the beer, you'll need some extra dark chocolate to round out the flavors. 

This easy boxed-mix hack from the food blog Chelsea's Messy Apron marries brownies, cookies, and ice cream to create a tasty cake.

Bake the brownies as instructed, layer them with ice cream and Oreos (or your favorite store-bought cookies), and top everything with whipped topping for an easy, delicious, ice-cream cake. 

This story was originally published in September 2018 and most recently updated on December 12, 2024. 

Read More:

• 14 hacks to make your boxed cake taste better
• I made brownies using 3 different celebrity-chef recipes, and the best one was also the most fun to bake
• 12 easy baking hacks that professionals swear by
• 10 hacks to trick people into thinking your store-bought cookie dough is homemade

Professional baker and winner of TLC's "Cake Boss: Next Great Baker" Dana Herbert told Business Insider that he recommends adding an herbed caramel sauce to ready-made pies.

"Add some cinnamon, rosemary, thyme, ginger, or cardamom to warm caramel sauce and serve it with the pie," Herbert said. "Even traditionally savory herbs can complement sweet desserts." 

If you're not sure whether a particular herb would pair well with your pie, Herbert recommended closing your eyes and smelling the herb or spice — if you can detect something sweet in the scent, it's probably OK to use.

Alexandra Lourdes, co-owner of Saint Honoré Doughnuts and Beignets, told BI that the easiest way to elevate a store-bought pie is to simply remove it from its original packaging. 

"Make sure you take it out of the box it came in," Lourdes said. "If you place it in a new box, add a ribbon, or arrange it on a beautiful cake stand, no one will ever know it's not homemade."

Introducing some lemon flavor can add complexity to and elevate the taste of a premade berry pie. 

"Make a super tangy lemon curd with lemon juice and plenty of zest," Herbert said. "The sourness will cut through some of the excessive sweetness found in store-bought blueberry and cherry pies." 

If you don't have time to make your own lemon curd, you can buy some from the grocery store and stir in a bit of fresh lemon juice and rind.

Kevin Cabrera, corporate executive chef at The Save Mart Companies, told BI that melting a bit of butter on top of a ready-made pie can help give it a homemade richness.  

"Halfway through warming your pie, directly insert thin slices of butter into the venting slits of the pie," Cabrera said. "This will give it a nice, moist flavor."

Adding too much butter might oversaturate the pie and lead to a soggy crust, so start with a tablespoon or two, and add more if necessary.

Carlo Lamagna, chef and owner of Magna PDX, told BI that a dose of salt can help tone down the sweetness in syrupy pies. 

"Salt helps accentuate flavors and balances out often overly sweet items," Lamagna said. 

If you don't want to sprinkle pure salt on your dessert, you can opt for crushed salted nuts, like peanuts or cashews, which will still do the trick and add extra texture.

If you feel like taking some culinary risks, Lamagna suggested mixing up a classic store-bought apple pie by adding some sliced or shredded cheese.

"I grew up in the Midwest, so we would always melt a slice of cheddar on the top of apple pies," Lamagna said. "Don't be afraid to experiment with unconventional pairings."

Moderation is key to pulling off cheesy apple pie — don't layer on too much cheese, or you'll end up with an oily, salty crust.

Chef and sommelier Melissa Smith told BI that serving a premade pie with fresh whipped cream is a great way to make the dessert taste and look gourmet.

All you need is a whisk, heavy cream, and powdered sugar. Consider using a piping bag to add the whipped cream to your pie for an elevated look. 

Smith said doing so will make your pie look "modern and classy, like something straight out of a magazine."

For bonus points, she recommended garnishing the piped cream with a few flakes of edible gold or a smattering of citrus zest.

Instead of making your own fresh whipped cream, you could also just grab a spoonful of powdered sugar. 

"A simple dusting of powdered sugar can really make your pie look more appetizing than if you simply served it bare and straight out of the container," Smith said. 

For flawless presentation, use a sieve to ensure an even coating of sugar and a stencil if you want to use the sugar to create clean and clear designs.

Just because your pie came straight from the grocery store doesn't mean it needs to look generic. 

"I'd add homemade lettering to the pie to make it your own," Lourdes said. "You can also add gold flakes or edible food glitter to make a statement." 

You can simply add your chosen phrase using frosting or make chocolate letters at home with silicone molds.

If you're serving a pie that's meant to be enjoyed warm, adding a scoop of high-quality ice cream can enhance the taste.

"Hot and cold foods are a dynamic pair," Cabrera said. "After warming it up, serve the pie with a generous scoop of slow-churned ice cream for a delectable dessert." 

Cabrera noted that you can't go wrong with vanilla ice cream, but you can also pick a rich chocolate or a fruity sorbet.

If you love marrying salty and sweet, adding a light dusting of bacon pieces to your pie might be a mouthwatering move. 

"The perfect way to improve an apple or peach pie is to grab your favorite bacon, cook it up, and toss it on the pie," Herbert said. 

For a Southern-inspired dessert, Herbert suggested using bourbon-flavored bacon on a pecan pie. 

Liven up drab cream pies by topping them with chopped fresh fruit for added texture and color. 

"Find a fruit that would complement the type of cream pie you purchased," Lamagna said. "Cherries tend to go well with chocolate cream, and coconut works with banana cream."

Other tasty combos include peaches with vanilla cream, raspberries with lime cream, and banana with peanut-butter cream.

This story was originally published on November 3, 2020, and most recently updated on November 25, 2024.

Apple pie is delicious any time of year, but it's especially tasty in the fall.

Baking a pie from scratch can require a lot of effort, and sometimes, you may need to take a shortcut.

So I tried options from Kroger, Whole Foods, and Safeway to find the best grocery-store apple pie you can pick up in a pinch.

Kroger's bakery offered a toffee apple pie, and the label said it was freshly baked in the store.

Surprisingly, I didn't see any typical lattice apple pies. The only other option was flavored like brown sugar and maple, so I went with the toffee one.

The golden apple pie from Kroger looked very good, but cutting into it was incredibly difficult. It was soft and mushy, and it started to fall apart as I removed a slice.

The bottom crust on this pie seemed underbaked, and the streusel topping was doughy. It certainly needed more time to cook. That said, it could've just been that someone took my particular pie out of the oven too soon. 

The outer crust was good, but the rest of the pie's flavor fell flat for me. I thought the apple filling had an odd artificial taste, and the soft texture was unappetizing.

When I arrived at Whole Foods, the only options were half pies. A bakery employee told me that the pies are baked in the morning, then are typically cut in half.

If you're looking for a whole pie, it's apparently best to call ahead in the morning and ask that one be set aside. I asked for two halves to be put in a box so I could take home an entire pie.

The flavor of Whole Foods' apple pie absolutely blew me away. It tasted homemade.

The crust was flaky and buttery. Even though the center wasn't quite fully baked, the filling still tasted fresh and flavorful with a slight crunch.

The apples tasted fresh and had just a touch of sugar and cinnamon to enhance their flavor.

Other than the middle of the crust being a bit soft, it was a very good pie. Maybe the one I got was just taken out of the oven too soon. 

Safeway sells much larger pies, and I found both lattice and Dutch options. The raw pies apparently come to the store frozen and are then baked on-site.

I bought an 11-inch lattice pie.

The apple pie from Safeway was beautiful, with a nice lattice topping. But it was tricky to cut — the slice fell apart as I removed it from the pie dish.

The crust was underbaked and quite soggy in the middle, even though the outer portions had a nice golden look and crispy texture. I wondered if my specific pie was just not left in the oven long enough or not baked at an ideal temperature.

I also thought it tasted fairly bland and was not very flaky. Plus the filling tasted incredibly sweet to me, with an overwhelming cinnamon flavor.

It was easy to head into each store and find an apple pie when I visited in September. It was a bit trickier to get a whole one at Whole Foods, but the bakery employee I spoke to was incredibly helpful.

For each store, it's also possible to call ahead of time and ask the bakery to put a pie aside for you.

But I was disappointed that all three seemed to have an underbaked crust. It takes a lot of patience to bake an apple pie — at home, it can take close to an hour — but it seemed like each grocery story didn't leave the dessert in the oven long enough. 

I thought Kroger and Safeway's pies tasted a bit too artificial, and their crusts did not impress me. 

If I needed to purchase a grocery-store apple pie again, I'd only consider Whole Foods' option because the flavor was so incredible. But in general, I'd probably just carve out the time to bake my own dessert at home. 

This story was originally published on October 5, 2022, and most recently updated on November 25, 2024.

First, I tried the beloved berry Chantilly cake.

This treat has had a longtime cult following and is probably the most popular bakery item at Whole Foods.

According to its ingredients list, it consists of vanilla cake, Chantilly icing and frosting, cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, raspberry syrup and puree, and a mixture of fresh berries — including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.

I got a 6-inch round of it for $30.

I've tried this cake before, and now for a second time, I still don't feel like it lives up to the hype.

Is it better than many other grocery-store-bakery cakes? Yes. It's also wonderful that there is real, fresh fruit in the cake. But I was still longing for something a bit more for it to live up to its fame.

The cake layers are pretty dry. However, the addition of the smooth Chantilly cream helps to make up for that. Though the ingredients list mentions raspberry syrup and puree, I couldn't seem to taste or find any of it.

A few berries were added to the layers, with a thin layer of cream between each. Before owning my own bakery, I was a grocery-store cake decorator, and I can certainly understand how tricky these layers would be to stack with chunks of fresh fruit.

Overall, the flavor is excellent, without the cake being too sweet — I just wish the texture of the actual cake layers were a bit more moist.

Whole Foods sells whole New York cheesecakes in its bakery case, but individual slices are also available in the cold case.

I grabbed a slice for $5.

To me, a good cheesecake should have a flavorful, textured crust balanced by a smooth, rich filling.

This cheesecake slice was almost there but had a few shortcomings. The crust was soggy and reminded me of a sugar cookie. I'm a graham-cracker-crust fan, so this was a bit of a drawback for me.

The texture of the cheesecake filling was wonderfully smooth and rich, and the flavor wasn't too sweet. However, it was pretty overwhelming. It had a very robust cheese flavor, and I wished for a bit more balance.

I only tried one bite because I found it too overpowering, but I could see it being an excellent choice paired with a fruit sauce or fresh berries.

A store employee told me that the chocolate-eruption cake is another customer-favorite dessert (alongside the berry Chantilly cake, of course).

I had a 6-inch cake boxed up from the bakery display cake for $27.

I'm still thinking of this chocolate cake, which means it was a top winner for me.

The cake itself was stunning with a ganache drip, piped details, and chocolate curls to spruce it up even further. The three layers of chocolate cake were wonderfully moist and tender — and pairing them with a chocolate-mousse filling made it even much better.

As the name suggests, it was incredibly chocolaty, but it wasn't too rich. It was well-balanced for a chocolate lover to enjoy every bite.

Packaged up and ready to grab out of the cold case, the family pack of tres leches looked quite unassuming.

The plain-looking piece cost me $14.

What this dessert lacks in appearance, it certainly makes up for in flavor. Talk about finding a hidden gem!

The simple cake-layer base is soaked in cream and sweetened condensed milk and finished with a whipped topping. The texture was incredible with an excellent balanced flavor.

Every bite contained subtle notes of coconut and caramel that weren't too sweet or overpowering.

It's perfect on its own, but there's certainly room to dress it up at home if you plan to serve it for a special occasion. A few sliced strawberries on top will go a long way.

There are plenty of cookie options in the Whole Foods bakery, but I chose something classic with a slightly elevated twist.

I picked up a pack of four brown-butter chocolate-chunk cookies for $7.50

Perfectly chewy and packed with flavor is the best way to describe these tasty cookies. I loved that they had chocolate chunks rather than chips — and there were plenty of them!

Thanks to the brown butter and vanilla extract, the flavor of this cookie was slightly enhanced compared to a typical chocolate-chip cookie.

Overall, excellent in every bite.

I found several flavors of Parisian macarons in the bakery display case. I chose one vanilla, one chocolate, and one salted caramel.

Each macaron was $2.

I will always get macarons if they're offered at a bakery. I'm a forever fan, and I had high hopes for these offerings.

I tried three different flavors, and although each tasted decent (especially salted caramel), their textures were a bit off.

The interiors of the macarons were chewy, but the exteriors were far too crunchy and dry to me.

Brownies are a classic, and every bakery should offer a great version of this treat.

Whole Foods sells brownies in packs of four, or you can grab individually-wrapped ones for $2.75 each.

It's hard for me to believe that a grocery-store bakery would produce a lackluster brownie, but I think Whole Foods has.

The top of the brownie was surprisingly dry and crackly, yet underneath there was actually a wonderful cakey-meets-fudgy balance.

Unfortunately, the dry top detracted from that.

In terms of flavor, I expected a wonderfully balanced, chocolaty brownie — but I thought it was relatively bland and disappointing.

The Whole Foods bakery had several flavors of pie, from pecan to four-berry to apple.

To get a taste for the crust and fruit filling, I chose a 9-inch cherry pie for $15.

Even for seasoned bakers, putting together a homemade pie can feel like a lot of work. For $15, this is a decent option if you aren't up to the task of making your own.

The not-too-sweet flavor was excellent. However, the crust wasn't one bit flaky or buttery and seemed a bit soggy, like it had been pulled out of the oven a few minutes too early. Still, I may have just gotten a dud.

Overall, I wished for a better pie crust, but it's a decent option in a pinch.

Among the bakery's cookie selection, I found shortbread shaped like little Scottie dogs that were partially dunked in a chocolate coating.

The cookie four-pack cost me $5.50.

I hoped for an adorable cookie that also tasted fantastic, but I ended up disappointed.

These were definitely an impulse buy based on the cute shape and design of the cookie, but biting into one let me down.

The texture was fine, but the flavor was oddly artificial to me. I don't think they tasted balanced or buttery, and the hint of vanilla I was expecting didn't come through.

Whole Foods sells tiramisu dessert cups, but there's also a whole tiramisu cake available in the bakery display case.

I got a pretty 6-inch tiramisu cake for $27.

Making tiramisu isn't necessarily difficult, but it requires a few steps. If you want to skip them and buy it premade as a cake, this one from Whole Foods is a worthy option.

The two-layer dessert had terrific flavor thanks to the vanilla cake paired with a creamy, coffee-flavored filling. The top was dressed up nicely with even more piped cream, a dusting of cocoa powder, and chocolate curls.

I think it's a bit pricey for what it is, but a good option if you need to pick up a showstopping dessert for a special occasion.

Every time I go to Costco, I glance wonderingly at the enormous muffins from the bakery.

For years, I've yearned from afar, but I decided to try them all for the first time and rank them from worst to best.

I purchased and sampled them plain, at room temperature, and on the same day. Half were baked that morning, and the other half were from the day prior.

The first thing that struck me about these muffins was how incredibly heavy they were. Squat with a nearly ideal, almost equal top-to-bottom ratio, they felt remarkably dense.

Enticed by the generous, visible toppings, I dug in.

Editor's Note: Availability may vary as some of the muffin flavors are limited-edition or have been discontinued.

This muffin looked promising with a rich-brown base studded with large chunks of chocolate. 

There was no discernible aroma once I opened the package, but a closer sniff revealed the scent of basic chocolate cake, which intensified when I cut the muffin open. 

The center rise seemed slightly liquidy, which was likely a batch-specific problem since the blueberry muffins also made that day were even more undercooked.

I still appreciated that the chocolate chunks were embedded throughout the muffin and not just tossed on top for visual appeal. These pieces were great for taste and texture, adding moisture and dimension to the otherwise somewhat dry and flat-tasting chocolate base.

They also melted down nicely in each bite, like inverse frosting.

On its own, this muffin reminded me of a Dutch-cocoa cupcake, with a shy hint of chocolate that wouldn't quite commit. It wasn't rich like Devil's food cake, but also wasn't fudgy or moist.

Typically, poppy seeds are paired with lemon in muffins, but in this case, they're combined with a lusciously aromatic almond flavor.

It was the only muffin that had an immediately discernible scent as soon as I opened the package. It also had the highest tops of them all, with a firm, dry surface. 

Slicing through it sounded like cutting a slightly wet sponge, which was a bit off-putting, but eating this muffin continued to be a sensory experience.

The seeds pleasantly popped in my mouth, cracking between my teeth even after I ate the base. If you like to savor your sweets, this flavor is the one for you.

A hybrid between a heavy pound cake and a white-almond wedding cake, it felt plush and tasted slightly nutty and sugary, with a sweetness that ramped up as I ate it. 

This was definitely the easiest to eat in a large quantity since it was consistent from bite to bite, each of which was predictably good.

Some hybrid baked goods — like the double-chocolate muffin — lack an identity. But this flavor really went for it, tying together three delectable breakfast treats in one powerful package.

It had the shape and density of a muffin, the hit-you-over-the-head flavor of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and the texture of coffee cake, all topped with a crispy crumb streusel. 

This muffin didn't smell like much when I opened the container, so I didn't expect it to pack such a sugary wallop.

As I cut into it, I was greeted with a visual of ribbons of cinnamon layers, swirling like a galaxy.

Once I bit into the muffin, the crumb topping remained crisp, but the dense center melted into a moist, airy mouthful.

I was first hit with the cinnamon and sugar, and I loved that the toppings weren't excessive since the batter itself was a flavor bomb. It had an intense sweetness that settled and lingered. 

I adore blueberry muffins, so the mere sight of the plentiful, baked berries tumbling down the crests of these tops was enough to cause a Pavlovian reaction.

I tempered my excitement, though, because the surfaces looked dry, and unless I held them close to my face, these treats barely smelled like anything. However, I could feel through the knife that this muffin was outrageously moist.

Baked the same day as the double-chocolate muffins, this batch also felt a bit underdone — what I thought might be custard was likely batter. 

But this muffin was excellent enough that I still ranked it first. Despite the appearance of the outer crumb and the flaw in its technical execution, it went above and beyond in nearly every way.

It was really well-balanced since the taste was subtly sweet, and the texture was dense and heavy without feeling like a pound cake. Plus the dry-looking top was actually quite soft, and the bottom edges easily melted away.

The cascades of blueberries were everything I'd hoped they'd be — naturally sweet and juicy.

Pairing this muffin with milk or coffee would also nicely bring out the vanilla finish.

Between dry textures and disproportionate toppings, many commercial and supermarket muffins often fall flat, but Costco's suffered no such issues.

Tasting them was easy. Not a single one needed additional toppings or adjustments to shine.

Despite there only being four muffin flavors to rank, this taste test was an excellent example of good curation. You don't need to have a million varieties of something to excel in it — just a few exceptionally well-done options.

There was no worst flavor, and handing out the blue ribbon was a challenge since the options were diverse enough to make it subjective. 

So I can say with certainty that there isn't a wrong choice, and I can't wait to try the seasonal flavors.

This story was originally published on August 30, 2021, and most recently updated on November 20, 2024.