Hi friends, hope you all had a wonderful summer. I'm back from India after almost 2 months of vacation. We went to celebrate the little one's first birthday. Fortunately everything went on very smoothly this time unlike the last visit where my eldest fell sick and it was very scary especially with the swine flu scare at that time. After this visit my eldest has picked up a lot of Tamil and these days he is easily switching between Telugu and Tamil. Initially I had planned to post recipes from there regularly but with a busy schedule I wasn't able to do that even though I had a couple of recipes lined up.
I baked these brownies long back for a get together here in Canada. I bought the brownie mix in Costco. It's the huge pack. The instructions in the package were given for two 9x13 inch pan and three 8 inch pans. Since I wanted lot more brownies I used a bigger pan which I got from a restaurant supply store.
My very first attempt to bake brownies during the initial days of starting this blog was using a brownie mix. I used flax egg as egg substitute for that brownie mix brownies recipe. So for this recipe I wanted to try a different egg substitute. I have had success using yogurt as egg substitute in cake mixes to make perfect eggless cakes hence decided to use yogurt while baking these brownies.
If you tried this Big Batch Brownies recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
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Recipe
Big Batch Brownies
Ingredients
- 4 Pouches Ghirardelli Brownie Mix
- 1 And ⅓ Cups Water
- 1 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 Cup Yogurt (¼ cup for each egg to be replaced)
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Cups Chopped Walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 325F/160C for 15 minutes. Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil (leaving enough sheet around the edges so that you can lift it off easily once the brownie is cooled enough) and grease it lightly with non stick cooking spray. I used a very big cookie tray. It measured to 21x15 inches.
- Empty the contents of the brownie mix in a large bowl. Then add the rest of the ingredients one by one and mix it using a big wooden spoon.
- Pour the batter onto the prepared pan and spread it out with a spatula. Bake it for about 30-40 minutes. Doing the toothpick test for doneness in this case could be tricky because it has a lot of chocolate chips in it and the toothpick might get in the melted chocolate chips and it would be difficult to say whether it is done or not. So see if the brownie is pulling away from the sides of the pan and you should be fine.
- Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and leave it for 15-20 minutes to cool. Then slowly lift off the sheet and let it cool for another hour or so before you can slice the brownies.
My Notes
- Any type of yogurt can be used, meaning dairy or non-dairy. I have used unsweetened plain yogurt. If using Greek yogurt you might need to add a bit more water because it's very thick. The general rule of thumb for using yogurt as egg substitute is replacing each egg with ¼ cup of yogurt. Also irrespective of the brand of brownie mix or cake mix you are using this yogurt trick should work. I have tried in many brands and haven't faced any issue.
- I did not grease the aluminum foil, so it was a bit difficult to remove the brownies from the sheet. So do not forget to grease it with non-stick cooking spray or shortening.
Taste & Texture
- These big batch brownies are incredibly rich and fudgy, with a perfectly moist texture, making each bite deliciously satisfying. Also it sliced very well. It was a huge hit at the party.
Valerie says
Can this Big Batch Brownie recipe be made vegan by leaving out the yoghurt and replacing it with something else? What do you suggest?
Madhuram says
First make sure that the brownie mix is vegan, Valerie. If so you can either use equal measure of non-dairy yogurt, unsweetened applesauce or pureed silken tofu. I have used all these in various brownie recipes so pretty sure that it will work in this recipe too. Flax eggs could also be another alternative.
Sowmya says
Hi Madhu
I am going to bake the brownies for a big gathering of about 200 people. How many days in advance can I bake them and how to store them ? Do they have to be refrigerated?
Thanks
Madhuram says
I'm thinking maybe 2-3 days in advance if you don't want to freeze it and definitely refrigerate it. You can remove it from the fridge maybe on the day of the event for it to come to room temperature. But if you want to bake it well in advance maybe you can follow the tips mentioned here from freezing brownies. I have not done it so far.
Durga says
Extremely successful outcome. Made for 1/4 recipe and followed to the T on the baking instructions. Thank You so much for this recipe.
Madhuram says
You're most welcome, Durga.
Sejal says
Any yogurt is okay? Such as plain fat free or whole fat. Any preferences? What about greek yogurt?
Madhuram says
Greek yogurt is too thick so you might have to add some water to the batter but other than that any yogurt is ok, plain or low fat or fat free.
Sejal says
Thank you!
Madhuram says
You're welcome.
Sangee says
Are these measuremwnts for 1 pouch of mix or 4 packets. Please let me know. How much will it yield if we are using only one packet. TIA
Madhuram says
I think for one pack you might get about 16-24 pieces depending upon the size you cut. The simple measurement is 1/4 cup yogurt for each egg to be replaced.
Ja Sta says
Will Greek yogurt work?
Madhuram says
Greek yogurt is pretty thick, so I think adding some water should be fine or just use regular yogurt.
Christelle says
I just tried it and loved it. I am staying in school for the holidays, and wanted some brownies and realized i didn't have eggs, luckily i had yogurt. After trying this recipe,I don't think i will go back to making brownies with eggs. They are so good
Madhuram says
Thanks a lot Chirstelle.
bhavani says
hi madhuram, I am a first time baker and am sooooo nervous to try this one!!!! I have to make a big batch of egless and nut-free brownies or muffins. this recipe of urs looks simple enough. what can I substitute instead of walnuts? also, I just have a 9x13 tray, can I bake it in batches? wont the batter change consistency by the time I come to bake the last batch..... also, shud I put it in the bottom, middle or top rack?? sorry for soooo many questions, as I said, I am a first time baker!
regards, bhavani.
Madhuram says
If I remember right I think the pack comes with instructions for a 9x13 inch pan. Put the batter in the fridge while one portion of it is baking. Baking in the middle rack is ideal for almost everything like cookies, cake, brownies, muffins etc.
Vidya says
Is store bought yogurt good for this?
Madhuram says
Yes. I have tried it with store bought yogurt only.
Deepa says
Turned out really well!! Tried it today.
Madhuram says
That's great Deepa.
Vaishali says
how many ounces is one pouch
Madhuram says
I don't remember Vaishali.
Vaishali says
was it a box or pouch? is it the same size as other brownie boxes
Madhuram says
As far as I recollect, it was a big box and had 3 pouches in it. Whatever the size it maybe, read the instructions in the box and subsitute 1/4 cup yogurt for every egg mentioned in the recipe.
Samata says
Hi Madhuram,
Those brownies look fudgy and delicious. The brownie mix you mentioned, can you specify what kind it is.Because I looked for it but there are 4 or more kinds of Costco mixes . Also is it a vegan friendly mix ?
Madhuram says
The brand was Ghirardelli-Triple Chocolate, Samata. I don't remember if it is vegan. You should be fine with any mix though. Just use (soy)yogurt instead of the eggs mentioned in the recipe and proceed as usual.
Maggie says
The Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie mix is vegan. The Triple Chocolate is not.
Madhuram says
Thanks for the infor Maggie.
Priya says
Wonderful to see u back with a bang after ur India's trip, thanks god everything went well for u..Mine was somewat hectic there..
Btw brownies looks super delicious and addictive..
Neela says
Few weeks ago I tried a ready made box approximately 18 oz and added only one can of 15 oz Libby's pure pumkin mixture. Just these two ingredients and nothing else, not even water is needed. Just keep stirring and mixture will come out right. Than bake. It was so delicious, and moist too. You have to buy a box that says moist on it. If anyone wants to try.
Madhuram says
That's true Neela. I too have heard about this recipe.
vani sudarshan says
It looks really great! Will definitely try this out. but if i need to used just one box how many pouches do i get and what will be the measurements of the ingredients? Pleass let me know.
Thanks, Vani
Madhuram says
Thanks Vani. All that information is available on the pack.