Give Boxed Brownies A Fudgy Upgrade By Adding This Breakfast Staple

Boxed brownies are a quick and easy hit with friends and family (or just yourself — no shame). Mix the ingredients from the box with oil, eggs, and water, then bake, and you have warm brownies. What could be better? Well, swapping out the oil for Greek yogurt can be better!

Our top-ranked boxed brownie mix, Ghirardelli's, calls for ⅓ cup of vegetable oil, which contains 642 calories and 73 grams of fat. ⅓ cup of Greek yogurt has 47 calories, 0.3 grams of fat, and 8 grams of protein. Using Greek yogurt in place of oil may sound like something an overly health-conscious parent would do to sneak in some protein benefits that ruin their kid's sweet treat, but it actually has taste benefits, too. 

Greek yogurt results in a creamy, moist brownie with more of a fudgy chew. There may be a little bit of a yogurt tang, depending on how much and what type you include, but dark chocolate will hide that.

Replacing oil with Greek yogurt can be done in many ways. Some prefer a straight one-to-one ratio. Others call for 1.25 cups of Greek yogurt for every cup of oil, while others go the other way with ¾ cup of yogurt for every cup of oil. To play it safe, start with ¾ the amount of oil as yogurt and add more if the batter is too dry. Some bakers simply cut down on the amount of oil with this tip and use mostly yogurt with a few tablespoons of oil for the flaky top that it brings. As for what brand of Greek yogurt to use, our guide to the best brands available will help you decide.

Plain, sugar-free Greek yogurt is the best option, as you can control all the other ingredients you wish to add. Using a presweetened yogurt in a boxed mix will make it overly sugary. If you're using your own recipe, make sure you lessen the amount of sugar you add by being mindful of what's in the yogurt. If you're looking for more ways to up your store-bought brownie mix game, take a look at our guide on how to make them more gourmet.