Crazy Brownies

By Cdreamgirl

Ingredients

• 1 box Chocolate Cake Mix
• 1/3 cup Evaporated Milk
• 1 stick Butter, Melted
• 9 whole Peanut Butter Cups
• 12 whole Rolo Candies
• 1/2 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
• 1/3 cup M&Ms
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• Powdered Sugar (for Sprinkling)

Preparation

Step 1

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recipe, which uses a—gasp, ack, no!—cake mix.

Also: You do not have to use Duncan Hines cake mix. Duncan Hines was just the first cake mix I saw in the store yesterday. Please, if the spirit moves you, use Betty Crocker. Or Pillsbury. Or whatever dang brand you want.

Also: If you are fundamentally and spiritually averse to things like cake mixes, you might want to avert your eyes. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, just try the brownies! You might get the surprise of your life.

Pour the dry mix into a bowl. Throw away the box, which might allow you to somewhat forget the fact that you’re using a box mix.

Per the original Knock You Naked Brownie recipe, add 1/3 cup evaporated milk…

And stir to combine. It will still be really dry…

Stir it really gently…

Until it just barely comes together. The key here is to stir slowly—don’t beat the heck out of it!

I’m definitely going to have to answer for this someday. Peanut butter cups on top of brownie dough made out of cake mix?

In hindsight, I could have added much more than this. I was experimenting!

At the end, after I determined the gaps were sufficiently filled, I sprinkled some salt all over the mix. I was afraid it would all be overwhelmingly sweet if I didn’t.

And then comes the hard part: You really need to let the brownies cool in the pan completely, and then—if at all possible—refrigerate them for a couple of hours. The refrigerating isn’t absolutely necessary (I didn’t for the purposes of this post) but it will make slicing a little easier and less messy. Up to you!

(Oh, and I should have taken the brownies out of the pan first! Makes slicing much easier. Just run a knife all along the edge and turn the pan upside down, catching the brownies with the palm of your other hand. If the brownies are chilled, they’ll hold together just fine.)

Have fun with these. And add any toppings you can come up with!

Chocolate Cake Mix

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put the dry cake mix in a large bowl and stir in the evaporated milk. (Mixture will still be dry.) Next, pour in the melted butter, stirring gently until the mix just comes together (don't overmix.)

Divide the mixture in half and press half of it in the bottom of a greased 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Lay the peanut butter cups over the top. Peel the Rolos and place them in the spaces between. Sprinkle nuts into the cracks, followed by M&M's. Finally, sprinkle the salt all over.

Put the other half of the batter on a cutting board and press it into a square a little smaller than the pan. (It will be very sticky.) Transfer it to the pan and lightly press it to cover all the ingredients. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the batter is fully baked. Allow to cool completely, then place the pan in the fridge, covered in foil, for a couple of hours.

OMGosh!!!!! I am recovering from a foot surgery and won’t be able to exercise for many weeks….. and what am I looking and drooling over!!!! These brownies look incredible!!!! I may have to make a batch….

Terry, I love your idea! I was thinking of how these brownies would make a special boy that has a birthday soon, very happy. Perhaps first with your cake idea!!

I bake every week for our church BINGO games and the ladies will love these. If I make them for home I’m doomed! They look amazingly good. Don’t let using a cake mix give you guilt. Who doesn’t need to take a shortcut from time to time. Looks like another winner to me:)

OMG these look great. I have not had breakfast yet and your photos want to make me eat my monitor. Can’t wait to make these.

Look Delish! And I love your placemat/tea towel.

especially a beautiful floral mixers! I figure if I can’t win one I can buy one, I have already started my mixer savings account

Have done something similar and placed York peppermint patties as the inside layer. This post made me remember that and now I want to make them!

My daughter’s 23rd birthday is Wednsday, I was going to make brownies for her birthday dessert…well thank you Ree! This well be perfect for her (and me) who LOVE brownies and Reese’s and M&M’s!!! Thank you for a great idea at a perfect time!

These would make a great birthday cake/birthday treat. Definitely not an every day dessert!

What an amazing and ingenious idea! For those who may want to get all sugared-up you could even add a dollop of Vanilla Ice Cream to accompany this Decadent Delight! You’re the greatest, Ree! Have a beautiful Spring morning in Oklahoma.

interesting that there are no eggs in this. Would be fun to make with the grandkids!

Those look absolutely delicious!!! I’m going to make them this weekend!

Oh – you are so bad!! And so wonderful!! The decadence of those fillings!! I have to make these now. This will go into my file for easy-to-make-recipes-for-potluck dinners.

No guilt using cake mix in my world! Or even brownie mix…you just have to top it correctly and people don’t even notice! I think you managed it quite nicely here! These are now slated for baking Memorial Day (I’m making black and white brownies on Friday and raspberry shortbread cheese cake squares on Saturday and cornflake, marshmallow, chocolate chip cookies on Sunday). Of course, they’re all scheduled to leave my house…at least in part!

Be careful about taking anything to school with nuts – peanut butter or pecans – because of nut allergies which can be life threatening. However, in MY house ain’t no one allergic to any food so I gotta make these this weekend! (Pardon my stupid English – I do know better – LOL.)

Now, you know, Reese’s peanut butter cups and Rolos both come in miniature forms. And they have the “baking” M&Ms which are smaller. I’m thinking, dump those three in a bowl, give it a good mix and spread out on the pseudo-brownie batter. Voila, no gaps at all!

Oh my! These look so yummy! I have made brownies that have a cream cheese mixture swirled on top and they are addictive. These give me an excuse to buy m&m’s, peanut butter cups, and rolos!!! Perfect to take to work an share the calories.

Are those Oklahoma themed placemats? Super cute! Where can I find them?

So…if I were being “that type of person”….any issue why I couldn’t just use a favorite “from scratch” brownie recipe rather than the brownie mix? Don’t hate me for asking!! : ) ~Kathy

The brownies look delicious, but what caught my eye is the tablecloth/placemat/kitchen towel that the plate is resting on–I can tell it’s all about Oklahoma, but what is it, and where can you get one?

I love you Pioneer Woman, you just make my day with your crazy sweetness! Thank-you for being the mid morning break in my inbox! ♥

Best. Brownie. Ever! I can’t stand it, I have to make these tonight.

I REALLY needed this recipe this morning, Ree. I will stop at the store later and get all I need to make these darlings. Many, many hugs to one and all.

I’m loving this!! One tiny addition due to a personal addiction – crunched up heath bars. More is more!!

Thanks for bringing to light that sometimes a box cake mix is good enough to make a yummy delish dish.

This speaks to me. It’s actually yelling really loudly. I. Must. Make. Them.

Yum! I’m going to make this one! Our family makes something similar with cookie dough on the bottom and brownie on top of the peanut butter cups. We call them Slutty Brownies, since they are sinful! lol

But, with this being made with a Cake Mix, and Butter,

I would love to hear if anyone tries this with a gluten free cake mix. If I get to it first, I will share here. Thanks!

That looks like sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated. Which would make it super yummy and chewy. I am sure either is delicious!

Evil woman!!!! I had no idea you were into mind control! “Must make brownies, must make brownies!”

O MY GOODNESS, you got me at Peanut Butter cups, but then add M&M’s, and Rolo’s and nuts, Wow!! My son would love these. Ree you must have a really Big sweet tooth!lol!

Oh my… what a delicious treat to satisfy that chocolate craving! It is almost like a garbage brownie as you can add whatever you have/or like. I bet the kids and MM loved them! and you of course! We are sisters in chocolate!

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