Cake Mix Strawberry Brownies made easy with a handful of simple ingredients! Fantastic strawberry flavor in these fudgy strawberry bars topped with berry icing!
Soft, chewy, thick and fudgy, strawberry brownies, made simply with Strawberry Cake Mix and a few other ingredients. Topped with a sweet and gooey strawberry glaze.
Cake Mix Brownies
I love using cake mixes for a variety of uses! There’s always cake, of course, but there are classic cake mix cookies and now, brownies! It’s a common ingredient that just simplifies dessert recipes and I am here for it! Using a strawberry cake mix adds a lovely twist on the classic cake mix brownies. Be sure to top them with fresh strawberries!
Why You’ll LOVE these Strawberry Brownies
Simple reasons why you need to try this recipe:
- Bright, fresh strawberry flavor! Not only did we top these brownies with fresh strawberries, but we used strawberry emulsion, which has a much better flavor than extract! You’ll love it!
- Easy brownies that come together fast due to using cake mix! Just mix 4 ingredients and these brownies are in the oven. Simple!
- They’re pretty! Slice them into smaller squares and they’ll be the perfect addition to baby showers, Mother’s Day brunch or Valentine’s Day. If you chill them an hour or so prior to slicing, they’ll slice even cleaner!
Strawberry Cake Mix Brownie Ingredients
— OIL: These brownies call for ⅓ c vegetable oil, but you could use light olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil or canola instead.
— SOUR CREAM: We add ⅓ cup sour cream for moisture in the brownies. You can use Greek yogurt in its place; strawberry yogurt or vanilla is fantastic.
— EGGS: We use 1 egg + 2 yolks for this recipe. I like to save the extra egg whites and make an omelet!
— CAKE MIX: You’ll need one 15.25 oz box of strawberry cake mix. These are pretty common nowadays, but if you’re having a hard time finding strawberry flavor, you can use vanilla, then add 2 tsp strawberry extract or emulsion and red food coloring.
— GLAZE: For the Berry Glaze you’ll need 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tsp hot water, 1 tsp strawberry extract and 1 tsp milk. You can also add 2-3 drops of red food coloring if you’d like.
How to Make Cake Mix Strawberry Brownies
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9” baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
Strawberry Brownies
In a large mixing bowl combine oil, sour cream and eggs. Whisk together until combined.
Add in the cake mix and mix until just incorporated.
Transfer the batter into the prepared baking dish, then place into the preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a wire cooling rack to cool.
Easy Berry Glaze
In a small mixing bowl combine powdered sugar, hot water, strawberry extract and milk. Whisk until well combined. Add in drops of food coloring until the desired color is reached. Pour the glaze over the cooled brownies. Allow the glaze to set before slicing.
Top brownies with fresh strawberries just before serving. Enjoy!
Storage: Brownies may be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Best Pan for Baking Brownies
I’ve baked a lot of brownies and the pan you use matters! I like to use a heavier, more durable pan made from stainless steel, glass or ceramic. I like to use one that has handles for easy oven transfers. If you opt for non-stick, make sure you use a high quality non-stick like ceramic pans as they hold up better over the years. Heavier pans will bake brownies at a more even temperature, although don’t worry, the sides will still get a bit chewier than the rest! Who else likes brownie corners as much as I do?! (Did you know there’s even a pan for baking ALL corner brownies?!)
Cake Mix Strawberry Brownies
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 15.25 oz strawberry cake mix
Berry Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp hot water
- 1 tsp strawberry emulsion or extract
- 1 tsp milk
- Pink food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9” baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine oil, sour cream and eggs. Mix until combined.
- Add in the cake mix and mix until just incorporated.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared baking dish, then place into the preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a wire cooling rack to cool.
- Glaze: In a small mixing bowl combine powdered sugar, hot water, strawberry extract and milk. Whisk until well combined. Add in drops of food coloring until the desired color is reached.
- Pour the glaze over the cooled brownies. Allow the glaze to set before slicing. Top brownies with fresh strawberries just before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
How do you Measure Wet Ingredients?
Wet ingredients are generally measured out using glass measuring cups. Despite having the same name as dry ingredient measuring cups, wet ingredient cups have a handle and pour spout. To measure water, you’ll fill the measuring cup, first estimating the amount you’ll need. Then, stoop down to eye level so that you can accurately gauge how much water is in the cup. Pour out or add water as needed, waiting for the water to settle, then check at eye level the amount in the cup until you have the exact amount needed.
Extracts VS Emulsions
A few years ago I discovered bakery emulsions and haven’t used many extracts since! Emulsions differ from extracts in that extracts combine the flavor with alcohol, whereas emulsions use a water-based emulsifier. Emulsions tend to have a more pronounced, purer flavor. They’re also thicker. You can use a 1:1 ratio; simply use emulsions in place of extracts. You can find all sorts of amazing emulsions too- everything from blueberry, maple and even cream cheese!
Can I Use a Flavor other than Strawberry?
You can absolutely switch out the strawberry and use a different cake mix to make other flavors of brownies! I think banana brownies sound incredible, as do caramel, butter pecan or even lemon!
Don’t limit yourself to what cake mixes you can find either! Get a vanilla cake mix and simply add 2 tsp flavor emulsion or extract to the brownie batter and bake as directed. Swap out the strawberry extract in the glaze and of course, top whatever flavor you’ve made with the corresponding topping!
More Incredible Strawberry Recipes:
- STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE COBBLER
- NO-BAKE STRAWBERRY JELLO PIE
- STRAWBERRY FLUFF SALAD
- STRAWBERRY COOL WHIP COOKIES
- MARSHMALLOW STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
- STRAWBERRY CAKE MIX COOKIES
- STRAWBERRY TRES LECHES CAKE
- STRAWBERRY MOUSSE
- STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE
- NO-BAKE STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE
- STRAWBERRY CRESCENT ROLLS
Cake Mix Strawberry Brownies made with only 4 simple ingredients! Fantastic strawberry flavor in these fudgy strawberry bars topped with an easy icing everyone loves!
Emma Murphy says
Jessica, I was looking for the recipe for strawberry brownies because my dog loves them! I will sure try them soon. Thank you!
Jessica says
So glad to hear!
Debbie says
Jessica,
Love your recipes. One suggestion, if I may- please list what each recipe is, rather than titling them “recipe #1, etc. Please??
It’s more appealing to your followers. Thank you for taking my suggestion into consideration.
Debbie
Jessica says
Trying to figure out what works on all fronts, Debbie!