Next-Level Boxed Brownies Are Easy With One Secret Ingredient

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Rich and chocolaty, buttery with a hint of salt, there are flavors we expect when biting into the perfect brownie. That being said, there's nothing wrong with adding flavor to even the best boxed brownie mix you can buy. There are lots of ways to take boxed brownies from basic to gourmet, from substituting melted butter for oil, adding chopped nuts or butterscotch chips, or even using baby food prunes for a stellar brownie upgrade. But with less than ½ teaspoon of MSG (monosodium glutamate) you can unleash the power of umami for a more well-rounded brownie flavor than you ever thought possible.

We're all accustomed to adding a pinch of flaky sea salt to the tops of brownies or chocolate chip cookies, because of the moreish appeal of that sweet and salty combo. MSG elevates those flavors even further, adding umami to the sweet, buttery taste of chocolate brownies. Also, like salt, MSG has the ability to decrease bitterness, enhance sweetness, and boost the flavors and aromas of other ingredients, in this case intensifying the rich buttery, chocolaty flavor of a great brownie.

Thankfully, the stigma around MSG is ending and more cooks, both professional and amateur, are learning how to incorporate this formidable seasoning into their recipes. While we may be comfortable adding MSG to stir fry or for adding an umami boost to steak, we're all still wrapping our heads around incorporating the fifth taste into sweets.

But if you stop to really think about it, there are lots of foods that contain MSG, including ingredients we already add to brownies such as eggs and walnuts. Despite years of bad press surrounding MSG, it certainly can't hurt to try.

Finding MSG is easy; it's available on Amazon — and adding it to boxed brownie mix is also simple, but it needs to be adjusted to your own personal preferences. Try adding ¼ to ½ teaspoon to your next batch and see how it tastes. Conversely, if you want a ratio for wider application, some experts suggest adding 1 teaspoon for every 1 cup of sugar in a recipe. Keep in mind that if you usually add a pinch of salt to a boxed brownie mix, you can skip that step when using MSG — it won't be necessary.