Homemade Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Brownie Mix: Your Ultimate Allergy-Friendly Dessert Solution

Imagine the joy of having rich, fudgy brownies ready to bake at a moment’s notice, without the hassle of gathering a dozen ingredients or worrying about allergens. This homemade brownie mix is designed to be the perfect gift—whether for a loved one with dietary restrictions or a delightful treat for yourself. Crafted to be gluten-free and featuring a simple dairy-free option, it offers a quick and effortless way to satisfy even the most intense chocolate cravings. Starting with this thoughtfully prepared mix, creating thick, deeply chocolatey brownies becomes an absolute breeze.

What makes this mix truly exceptional is its comprehensive allergy-friendly profile. It’s meticulously prepared to be free of wheat, gluten, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame. This means it avoids seven of the nine top allergens, with additional options readily available to make it soy-free and dairy-free as well. This versatility ensures that nearly everyone can enjoy a decadent brownie experience, making it an inclusive and thoughtful choice for any occasion.

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Why This Homemade Brownie Mix Stands Out

Our homemade brownie mix isn’t just another baking product; it’s a game-changer for anyone seeking convenience, quality, and allergen safety in their kitchen. Here’s why this mix truly “rocks” and should be your go-to for delicious brownies:

• Unparalleled Ingredient Control: When you craft your own mix, you gain complete authority over every single ingredient that goes into it. This means no hidden preservatives, unnecessary fillers, or artificial flavors often found in store-bought alternatives. You know exactly what you’re eating, ensuring a wholesome and trustworthy dessert. This is especially crucial for managing various food allergies and sensitivities, giving you peace of mind with every bite.
• Effortless Preparation: This mix simplifies baking to its core. When a chocolate craving hits, you only need to add three common wet ingredients: butter (or a dairy-free alternative), eggs, and a splash of vanilla extract. The dry ingredients are already perfectly proportioned and combined, drastically cutting down on prep time and making baking accessible for everyone, even novice bakers.
• Generous Yield: Unlike many gluten-free baking mixes that result in smaller portions, this recipe is designed to produce a full 13×9 inch pan of brownies. This generous size is perfect for family gatherings, parties, or simply ensuring you have enough delicious brownies to last a few days (if they don’t disappear sooner!). It’s a rarity in the world of specialty baking goods to get such a substantial yield.
• Flexible Gifting Options: The mix can be easily divided in half to make two 8×8 inch square pans of brownies. This flexibility makes it an ideal gift. You can either give a large batch to one lucky recipient or split it into two smaller, thoughtful gifts for different friends or neighbors. It’s perfect for customizing your baking and gifting needs.
• The Ultimate Thoughtful Gift: This homemade brownie mix makes an exceptional present for a variety of occasions. Consider it for holiday gifts, birthday surprises, or simply a “just because” gesture to show you care. It’s particularly wonderful for grandparents who love to bake with their grandkids but might be unfamiliar with gluten-free baking. It takes the guesswork out of allergy-friendly treats, allowing them to focus on making cherished memories.
• Convenience for Your Own Kitchen: Beyond gifting, preparing this mix ahead of time for your own pantry is a smart move. When the urge to bake strikes, you won’t be starting from scratch, measuring out multiple dry ingredients. Everything will be pre-measured and ready, making spontaneous baking sessions quick and stress-free.
• Decadent Texture and Flavor: These brownies are celebrated for their thick, substantive, and wonderfully fudgy texture. This richness comes from a combination of high-quality cocoa powder and luscious melted chocolate chips, creating a deep, complex chocolate flavor. Even my mother, who has no food allergies, raved about them, declaring, “It was one of the best brownies I’ve had in a long time.” This speaks volumes about their universal appeal.
• Enhanced Moisture and Tenderness: The recipe uniquely incorporates both white granulated sugar and brown sugar. This blend is key to achieving exceptional moisture and tenderness in the final brownies. Brown sugar adds a subtle caramel note and helps retain moisture, while white sugar provides the necessary sweetness and structure, resulting in a perfectly balanced and delightful treat.

How is This Brownie Mix Gluten-Free?

Achieving a truly gluten-free brownie mix relies primarily on one crucial ingredient: certified gluten-free flour. This mix is explicitly formulated using a high-quality certified gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. While this is the main component that makes the mix safe for those avoiding gluten, it’s imperative to maintain vigilance with all other ingredients. Although common baking staples like cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and chocolate chips typically don’t contain gluten, product formulations can change. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to read every single label for every ingredient you use, every time you purchase them. This diligent practice helps prevent accidental gluten contamination, ensuring that no manufacturer has unexpectedly “snuck” a gluten- or wheat-containing ingredient into their product.

Choosing the Right Gluten-Free Flour for Your Brownie Mix

The success of your gluten-free brownie mix hinges significantly on the quality and type of gluten-free flour you select. Based on extensive testing, I highly recommend using Walmart’s Great Value All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour. I’ve found it to be an excellent and more budget-friendly alternative to King Arthur’s 1:1 baking blend. Both of these brands are formulated to work well in recipes designed for traditional wheat flour, often including xanthan gum, which is essential for providing structure and elasticity in gluten-free baking. It’s crucial to stick to these types of well-balanced, all-purpose gluten-free blends. Venturing outside of these trusted brands can be risky, as other manufacturers often use different grain compositions and ratios in their blends, which can drastically alter the texture, moisture, and overall success of your brownies. For consistent, delicious results, rely on a blend that has proven its reliability.

Making Your Brownie Mix Dairy-Free

Converting this brownie mix into a dairy-free delight is incredibly straightforward and largely depends on the wet ingredients added during baking. The dry mix itself is already dairy-free, so the dairy-free component will be entirely up to you or the lucky recipient of the mix. For a full recipe, you will need 2.5 sticks of dairy-free butter, or 10 tablespoons if you’re making a halved batch. Both regular butter and various dairy-free butter alternatives perform exceptionally well in this recipe. I personally favor Country Crock Plant-Based Butter with Olive Oil for its flavor and consistency, but most high-quality dairy-free butter brands should yield excellent results.

The other critical element for a truly dairy-free brownie is the choice of chocolate chips. You have the option to use standard semi-sweet chocolate chips if dairy isn’t a concern, but for a dairy-free version, several excellent brands offer delicious alternatives. Look for Enjoy Life, Ghirardelli, or Endangered Species Chocolate Premium Oat Milk Baking Chips (55% Cocoa). Any of these options will integrate beautifully into the mix, ensuring a rich, chocolatey flavor without any dairy. Currently, I am enjoying baking with Endangered Species chocolate chips. For those seeking even more indulgent dairy-free desserts, don’t miss this easy dairy-free chocolate mousse—it’s a fan favorite for satisfying chocolate cravings without the dairy.

*Please note that some dairy-free chocolate chips may contain soy. If you also need to avoid soy, always check the ingredient label carefully to ensure it meets your dietary needs.

Ensuring Your Brownie Mix is Soy-Free

Making this brownie mix entirely soy-free requires careful attention, particularly concerning the type of soy allergy involved. Many individuals with soy allergies can tolerate soy lecithin, a common emulsifier found in many chocolate products and dairy-free butter alternatives. It is vital to consult with your individual healthcare provider or allergist to determine if soy lecithin is safe for your specific dietary needs. If you can tolerate soy lecithin, this significantly broadens your options for both dairy-free chocolate chips and dairy-free butter, making ingredient sourcing much easier.

However, if you cannot tolerate any form of soy, including soy lecithin, then specific ingredient choices are necessary. For a completely soy-free baking experience, I highly recommend using Earth Balance’s Soy-Free Sticks as your butter alternative. For chocolate chips, Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips are an excellent choice, as they are certified soy-free. You can choose between their rice milk chocolate or dark chocolate varieties, depending on your preference for the richness and depth of your brownies. Always double-check all labels to ensure complete soy avoidance.

Directions for Baking Your Homemade Brownies

When preparing this brownie mix as a gift, it’s absolutely essential to include clear, detailed baking instructions. The last thing you want is for the recipient to lose the directions or struggle with the baking process. You can easily print the instructions on a decorative card, punch a hole, and tie it with a string to a charming jar, or create a custom sticker to attach to a bag or container. For a more personalized touch, consider using design software like Canva to create a festive and attractive instruction card. Here are the directions you’ll want to provide:

Directions for a Full Recipe (13×9 inch pan):

Additional ingredients you’ll need:

• 20 Tablespoons (2.5 sticks) of butter (dairy-free or regular)
• 4 large eggs + 2 egg yolks
• 1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175°C). Lightly grease a 13×9 inch rectangular baking pan with non-stick spray and set it aside.
2. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, combine the 20 Tablespoons of butter (dairy-free or regular) with the enclosed chocolate chips. Melt them in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring thoroughly after each interval, until the chocolate chips are completely melted and smooth.
3. Add the 4 large eggs and 2 egg yolks to the melted chocolate mixture and whisk vigorously until well combined.
4. Stir in the 1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract.
5. Pour the prepared dry brownie mix into the wet ingredients. Stir thoroughly until all ingredients are fully incorporated. The batter will be quite thick, so be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure no dry pockets remain.
6. Spread the thick batter evenly into your greased 13×9 inch pan.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Baking time may vary depending on your oven and desired fudginess. The edges should appear set, and the center should be done to your liking (some prefer a slightly gooier center, while others prefer it firmer).
8. Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan before attempting to cut them. This ensures clean cuts and a perfect fudgy texture.
9. Store any leftover brownies at room temperature in an airtight container, ensuring they are tightly covered to maintain freshness.

Directions for a Halved Recipe (8×8 inch pan):

Additional ingredients you’ll need:

• 10 Tablespoons of butter (dairy-free or regular)
• 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 Tablespoon of vanilla extract

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175°C). Lightly grease an 8×8 inch rectangular baking pan with non-stick spray and set it aside.
2. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, combine the 10 Tablespoons of butter (dairy-free or regular) with the enclosed chocolate chips. Melt them in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring thoroughly after each interval, until the chocolate chips are completely melted and smooth.
3. Add the 2 large eggs and 1 egg yolk to the melted chocolate mixture and whisk vigorously until well combined.
4. Stir in the 1/2 Tablespoon of vanilla extract.
5. Pour the prepared dry brownie mix into the wet ingredients. Stir thoroughly until all ingredients are fully incorporated. The batter will be quite thick, so be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure no dry pockets remain.
6. Spread the thick batter evenly into your greased 8×8 inch pan.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Baking time may vary depending on your oven and desired fudginess. The edges should appear set, and the center should be done to your liking (some prefer a slightly gooier center, while others prefer it firmer).
8. Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan before attempting to cut them. This ensures clean cuts and a perfect fudgy texture.
9. Store any leftover brownies at room temperature in an airtight container, ensuring they are tightly covered to maintain freshness.

How to Package or Store Your Homemade Mix

Proper packaging is key, especially if you’re gifting the brownie mix. If you opt for a large Ziploc bag, I recommend placing the chocolate chips in a separate, smaller baggie and enclosing it within the larger mix. This prevents the chocolate chips from getting lost or crushed among the dry ingredients, and it makes it much easier for the baker to retrieve them when it’s time to melt them. If you choose a glass jar for a more aesthetic presentation, arrange the chocolate chips on the very top layer, ensuring they are easily accessible and visible, just as you see in the accompanying photos.

When using a glass jar, make sure it’s generously sized. The full brownie mix weighs a little over 27 ounces, so a standard quart-sized jar might be too small. A gallon-sized Ziploc bag is often a more practical and accommodating option for the full recipe. Alternatively, you could divide the recipe in half to create two smaller mixes, which would fit perfectly into smaller jars or bags, making them ideal for individual gifts. Regardless of your chosen packaging, always remember to include the detailed baking directions mentioned above. They are crucial for a successful and enjoyable baking experience for the recipient!

!! AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT GIFTING ALLERGY-FRIENDLY ITEMS !!

If you’re considering gifting this gluten-free and dairy-free brownie mix to someone who requires this type of diet, please know that your thoughtfulness is truly commendable. It’s an amazing gesture to go out of your way to find something suitable for a friend or family member with special dietary needs. Bravo to you for searching the internet and putting in the effort to accommodate their diet.

However, it’s vital to understand that individuals with food allergies often feel a natural apprehension about eating homemade items prepared by others. This isn’t a reflection of distrust in you, but rather a deeply ingrained need to verify ingredients and cooking environments. They might feel uncomfortable consuming it because they weren’t personally present to verify the exact brands of ingredients you used or to assess the potential for cross-contact with allergens in your kitchen. Even for those of us who navigate food allergies daily, mistakes can happen, and we recognize that someone unfamiliar with allergen protocols might accidentally miss something.

To help ease their minds and build trust, here are a few suggestions:

• Document Ingredients: Take clear pictures of the ingredient labels for every single product you used. This allows the recipient to personally review each component and ensure it aligns with their specific dietary restrictions.
• List Brands: Provide a precise list of the brands of ingredients you purchased. This enables them to research the products themselves if they wish.
• Communicate Openly: Most importantly, engage in open and honest communication. Explain your preparation process and, if possible, ask them how they prefer such items to be prepared. Inquire about their specific rules for cross-contamination avoidance and what you can do to make them feel safe and comfortable. They will undoubtedly appreciate your transparency and willingness to receive feedback.

Remember, this caution stems from a need to protect their health, not from a lack of trust in you. Your eyes might not be trained to spot subtle allergen warnings on labels, and they simply want to safeguard their well-being. It has absolutely nothing to do with your feelings, and they never want to hurt them. Thank you for your understanding and for being so considerate!

Furthermore, when preparing the mix, ensure all spatulas, whisks, measuring cups, bowls, and spoons are freshly washed with hot soap and water. Never use utensils or bowls that have previously touched unsafe ingredients. Some highly sensitive individuals even avoid porous materials like wooden cutting boards or spoons, as they worry that allergens might linger in pores and cracks despite washing. When it comes to allergies, over-communication and extreme caution are always better than not enough.

Looking for Egg-Free or Vegan Brownies?

Absolutely! If your dietary needs extend beyond gluten and dairy to include egg-free brownies, or if you’re seeking a completely vegan option, I’ve got you covered. You don’t have to miss out on the rich, chocolatey goodness. Be sure to check out this amazing brownie recipe here, which is designed to be gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free for a truly inclusive dessert experience.

Is There a Video Guide for This Brownie Mix?

Yes, there is! I’ve created a helpful video tutorial demonstrating exactly how to prepare this gluten-free brownie mix. The video should auto-populate and start playing on this page. If, for any reason, it doesn’t appear, you can always find it embedded at the bottom of the recipe card section below. As a last resort, or if you prefer to browse my collection, feel free to visit my YouTube channel directly. While you’re there, please consider subscribing for more allergy-friendly recipes and tips!

Explore More Gluten-Free Chocolate Baked Goods!

Indeed I do! In my opinion, chocolate is truly the fountain of life, and my recipe collection proudly reflects that sentiment. I have a wide array of incredibly delicious chocolate recipes that are all gluten-free, ensuring that no one has to miss out on their favorite decadent treats. You can view the full selection of delightful options on my recipe index. In the meantime, allow me to tempt you with a few personal favorites from my collection of chocolatey wonders. You absolutely must try my triple chocolate pie, a rich and luxurious dessert. For something elegant and intensely chocolatey, my flourless chocolate torte is a must-make. If you’re looking for a treat that requires no baking at all, my no-bake vegan chocolate cheesecake is surprisingly easy and incredibly satisfying. And for those who love classic cookies, don’t miss my Oreo cupcakes, S’mores brownie bars, and my double chocolate chip cookies. There’s a chocolate indulgence for every taste and occasion!

Homemade Gluten-free Brownie Mix (with dairy free option)

Yield:
13×9 pan of brownies

Prep Time:
15 minutes

Total Time:
15 minutes

One of the best presents you can either give to someone, or yourself, is a pre-made brownie mix to use when the craving strikes. Gluten-free, with a dairy-free option too, this brownie mix is a quick and easy way to satisfy that chocolate craving. Rich, thick brownies are a breeze when you start with this homemade mix. This homemade brownie mix is free of: wheat, gluten, dairy, SOY??, fish, shellfish, peanut, tree nuts and sesame, making it free of 8/9 top allergens.

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 and 1/2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour, with xanthan included (above)
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (dairy-free if needed)

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk brown sugar, white sugar, salt and cocoa powder.
2. Pour the gluten-free flour into your measuring cup and level off with a knife. Do not drag or scoop the measuring cup into the flour, as that can compact it and it will end up with too much flour. Add measured gluten-free flour to the mixing bowl and whisk until combined and no lumps.
3. If pouring the mix into a jar, pour the mix and add the chocolate chips on top. (A rolled up piece of paper or a funnel is helpful for this.)
4. Or, if putting the mix in a bag, place the contents of the bowl in a bag, and then put the chocolate chips inside a smaller bag, so that they’re easy to get out when it’s time to bake.
5. Keep in an airtight container for up to 6 months in a cool, dry place.
6. When ready to bake, use the directions listed above the recipe card.
7. *Note that this recipe makes a 13×9, so if you’d like, you can split this into two mixes that will make two 8×8 pans.

Notes

*Our allergies, while severe and that get re-tested frequently, are such that we can go strictly by what’s on the label. I do not call companies to see what things are derived from, or call manufacturers to see about potential cross contact. If your allergies require you to do so, please do your own homework. I cannot assure you of any ingredient’s safety, only you can do that. I simply share what works for our family

**If you are going to feed this to someone with food allergies, and you yourself do not have food allergies, I HIGHLY recommend having them check every single brand and ingredient you are using, to ensure they’re OK with each part of the recipe. And, to make sure you’ve talked to them about how to avoid cross contamination in your kitchen.

Taken from my gluten-free brownie recipe.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 20
Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 118Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 109mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 19gProtein: 1g

Note this is calculated for the dry mix, and not the completed brownies.