Dr Pepper Brownie Remix
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Brownies made with a boxed mix, eggs, oil, Dr Pepper soda swapped partially with root beer, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Oven at 345°F instead of 350°F. Baking time tweaked to 28-34 minutes. Parchment paper for easy removal. Mix until just combined. Look for crackly top, edges pulling from pan, slight jiggle in center. Toothpick with moist crumbs, no raw batter means done. Cool fully before slicing. Salted butter swap for oil suggested if creamier bites needed. Expect rich dark chocolates, fizzy caramel notes mingled with sweet vanilla. Slightly lighter texture than straight fudge brownies due to soda lift. Great when chilled. Avoid overmixing or drying out by watching visual clues. Common fail point caught if too dense or underbaked. Taste test with warm corner piece for gooey middle confirmation.
Prep:
7 min
Cook:
32 min
Total:
39 min
Servings:
9 servings
#brownies
#baking
#American dessert
#chocolate
#soda baking
Never been one to trust baking strictly by timers. Brownies made with soda? Curious trial and error says sodas add lift, fizz bubbles working magic but tricky to nail perfectly moist crumb without turning cakey. Swapped half Dr Pepper for root beer—sometimes the flavors clash, sometimes they pop. Always watch for visual cues over numbers. Parchment over greasing alone saves mornings wiping stuck corners from pans. Chocolate chips folded in bring spots of molten chocolate promises. Baking at 345 rather than strict 350 lets edges set slower, avoids dry crunch bottom right—a misstep I battled routinely. The aroma fills the kitchen with sugary caramel notes—a good sign. Warm crackling tops signal readiness more than any timer or toothpick luck. Learned from past burnt batches: slow that heat, watch that jiggle. Cooling is critical; cut too soon, you lose that soft chewy joy. Brownies improve chilled, flavors settle. Lab rat kitchen vibes here, but worth every stick and bite.
Ingredients
- 1 box brownie mix (about 18 ounces)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (olive oil sub optional)
- 1/2 cup Dr Pepper soda
- 1/4 cup root beer soda (replace part of Dr Pepper for twist)
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
About the ingredients
Boxed brownie mix is base for speed and reliable chocolate flavor. Eggs essential to bind; oil can be swapped with melted salted butter for creamier texture—adds depth but shortens fridge life. Soda is real game-changer; Dr Pepper’s caramel and cherry hints soften the chocolate bite alongside bubbles that lighten dense batter. Mixing root beer partly introduces bolder vanilla and spice notes—tread carefully, too much changes the moistness. Semi-sweet chocolate chips fold in melted pockets of softness; other additions could be white chips or nuts for texture contrast. Vanilla extract isn’t negotiable—it rounds flavors and cuts sharpness from soda acidity. Parchment paper is practical for clean removal—no scraping or breakage. If pan isn’t prep’d well, expect stuck or crumbled edges. Quick tip: don’t overmix once liquids join dry mix or brownies turn cakey and dry. Balance and timing crucial here.
Method
- Preheat oven to 345°F. Grease a 9x9-inch pan thoroughly and line with parchment paper allowing some overhang; this trick saves knife dulling and cracking edges when cutting.
- In a generous bowl, toss together brownie mix, eggs, oil substitute, Dr Pepper and root beer sodas, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Stir by hand or low speed mixer just till uniform; overmixing makes these cakier and tougher—brownie purists cringe at that.
- Pour batter with some resistance into pan. Level with spatula but don’t smooth obsessively; air bubbles help texture.
- Bake 28-34 minutes. Look closely: crackly top crust, edges slightly pulling away, and center just wobbly but no raw batter. Toothpick test — expect moist crumbs sticking, never dry or wet batter.
- Let cool fully at room temperature—resist urge to cut hot. The heat continues setting texture; fudge-like centers firm up.
- Lift brownies out by parchment edges. Slice with sharp serrated knife, clean between cuts. Serve warm or chilled, depending on craving for gooey or firmer bites.
Cooking tips
Oven temp slightly lowered to 345°F from typical 350°F avoids drying out edges too quickly; edges that burn ruin experience. Preparing pan with parchment over just grease helps lift brownies painlessly. Mixing ingredients just until wet strands form preserves fudgy texture; overmix and it tightens into sponge. Pouring with spatula helps control batter thickness and even baking. Keep an eagle eye 28-minutes in; look for classic crackly surface and slightly pulling sides—a telltale fudge brownie sign. Jiggle center is good, means still tender inside. Insert toothpick later; expect moist crumbs, never batter. Cool fully—cutting hot makes crumb stick and squish. Serrated knife preferred; cleans slices and avoids drag pulling crumbs. Leftovers store well chilled, flavors deepen. Experience shows that forcing timing > watching texture messes results. Trust senses, not clocks.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Lower oven temp to 345°F slows edge drying, prevents burnt bottoms. Parchment over just grease for easy lift, no broken edges. Don’t overmix batter once wet joins dry; strands of batter signal just right. Overmix leads cakey texture, dense crumb. Watch air bubbles in batter; helps texture, no smoothing obsessively. Pour with spatula for even spread, thickness control. Jiggle center means moist inside, look for crackly top surface and slightly pulling edges when close. Toothpick must show moist crumbs, never raw batter or dry stub.
- 💡 Swap veggie oil with melted salted butter for taste depth and creamier mouthfeel but fridge time shortens. Using fresh boxed mix keeps brownies tender; old mixes invite fail: dense, rubbery. Root beer melts vanilla and spice notes into Dr Pepper’s caramel cherry. Too much root beer shifts moistness oddly, adjust carefully. Vanilla extract isn’t optional here; cuts soda sharp acidity, rounds flavor balance. Chocolate chips fold in molten pockets; chunk swap changes gooeyness, test as per preference. If batter thickens oddly, splash more soda slowly to loosen but no flood.
- 💡 Cooling matters; cut while hot ruins texture, crumb sticks, slices tear. Let brownies rest fully at room temp, fudge centers settle. Using serrated knife cleans cuts better, no dragging crumbs. If edges brown too quick, tent foil midway through baking but don’t cover whole time or crust softens. Watch pan prep; parchment with some grease best, no corner stick. Baking time is range; trust visual cues more than timer. Crackly top with popping sound means sugars caramelized, indicator of doneness. Don’t freeze brownies; texture suffers, slice and airtight container in fridge best alternative keeps chew.
- 💡 If Dr Pepper missing, cola or cream soda are stand-ins but flavor changes—cola gives sharper bite, cream soda rounds sweeter. Mixing soda mix and root beer needs steady folding, avoid air overloss. Pan size changes bake time; too small thickens batter, bake longer lowers temps to avoid edges burning. Edge pulling slightly, crackly surface, and jiggle center where eyes focus. Overbaked brownies = dry chewy no fudge; fix by less time or lowering heat next bake. Store leftovers chilled; flavors deepen and texture firms but can lose gooey middle. Room temp eggs speed emulsifying; cold eggs slow binding, denser batter.
- 💡 Watch batter closely—too thick, add soda carefully to loosen. Pour slowly with spatula pair for even texture. Egg size varies bake texture; large eggs usual but medium’s ok with little moisture shift. Overmix dampens fudginess. Parchment paper over grease prevents sticking but is pre-step many skip, causing crumble. Chocolate choice matters; semi-sweet chips melt in. Nuts or white chocolate chips can add contrast; test batter moisture after addition, adjust soda if thickens. Bake heats slowly reduce cracking edges. Sharp serrated knife cuts clean slices; serrated better than chef’s knife. Cool fully before slicing or edges tear.
Common questions
Can I use regular cola instead of Dr Pepper?
Yeah, works but flavor differs. Cola sharper bite, less caramel cherry notes. Cream soda gives sweeter touch. Substitutions affect moistness and spice so watch jiggle and texture cues for doneness.
Why are my brownies dry or cakey?
Most likely overmixing after adding liquids. Mixing just till combined is key. Also baking temp too high or baking too long ruins fudginess. Fresh brownie mix helps. Butter swap can moisten but shortens fridge life. Parchment helps keep moisture edge to edge.
How do I tell when brownies done without timer?
Crackly top is a big giveaway, edges pull slightly. Center jiggle still moist but no raw batter. Toothpick should catch moist crumbs never wet batter. Opening oven too early cools top messing texture. Feel aroma caramelizing sugar—that’s a sign too.
Best way to store leftovers?
Keep in airtight container at room temp few days, best chilled for firmer bites and deeper flavor settling. Avoid freezing; ruins texture. Parchment lined pan lifts help prevent stuck edges when reheating. Slice only after cooling fully to avoid crumble and crumbs.
