Brownies are hit-and-miss, and let’s just make it clear: box-mix brownies are on a whole other level. They’re fudgy, chewy, and have a great crackly crust that most from-scratch brownies just don’t have, that is, until now. Enter the Crinkle Top Brownie. All of the elements of a box mix brownie but with a deeper chocolatey taste.

There is much debate as to what makes a box-mix brownie so great. Maybe it’s the fat or the amount of sugar or cocoa used. But the main thing that makes these Crinkle Top Brownies similar to the box mix variety is the eggs. Or more precisely, how the eggs are prepared.

Most brownie recipes call for hand whisking the eggs until just incorporated in the batter. Here with these Crinkle Top Brownies, the eggs are whipped with the sugar, making a billowy, fluffy mixture of yolks and whites.

When combined with the other wet and dry ingredients, the batter is still way more fluffy and billowy than your average batter.

As the brownies bake, the whipped egg mixture creates a meringue-like formation on the top of the brownie, which, when cooled, makes a crisp crackle on the top. 

To keep crackling from falling off of the brownies, allow the brownies to cool completely. Refrigerating the brownies before slicing them will give you nice, clean cuts as well.

Portioned out into rectangular or square portions, these brownies are as simple as a box mix but have the deep complexity of a homemade chocolatey brownie all in one.

The top has a nice meringue topping followed by a fudgy chewy, molten chocolatey texture below.

Dark chocolate in the batter tones down the sugar, creating a balance of bitterness and sweetness in every bite. It’s simple; it uses the same amount of eggs as a normal box mix but packs a deeper and more satisfying punch of flavor.