Strawberry Brownies (Using Cake Mix)
Strawberry Brownies are a cute and colorful twist on brownies. Made with Cake Mix, these Brownies come together with just 4 ingredients and then have a lovely Strawberry Glaze on top.

Everyone loves brownies… and rightfully so, as they are so easy to love! They are chewy, moist, and easy to cut and share, especially this Fudgy Brownie Recipe.
This Strawberry Brownie Recipe takes an old classic and puts a new spin on it… Using a simple box of strawberry cake mix, these brownies take no time at all to prep and deliver a pop of color and burst of strawberry flavor you will love!
The cute pink color makes these brownies perfect for Galentine’s Day, baby showers, bridal showers, or Valentine’s Day celebrations. The ease with which these come together makes them perfect for everyday snacking!
If you’re ready for a chewy sweet treat, give these strawberry cake mix brownies a try!
Why Make This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: Using a box cake mix for this strawberry brownie recipe makes them beyond easy. Just a few simple additions and you’ve got yourself something new to enjoy!
- Easy Assembly: Strawberry lovers can’t go wrong with this delicious dessert. Just dump, mix, and bake for the perfect moist brownie!
- Beautiful Presentation: The pop of color these chewy pink brownies deliver make them perfect for any dessert spread. You can’t go wrong adding a little bit of pink to the table!
What Do I Need to Make This Recipe?
Ingredients
Strawberry Brownie Ingredients
- Strawberry Cake Mix: I used Pillsbury but any boxed cake mix will work. Make sure you choose one that is 15.25 oz or the measurements for the rest of the recipe might be off.
- Eggs: Use room temperature eggs so that the cold eggs don’t harden your melted butter.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt in your recipe. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly before using so that it doesn’t scramble your eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: Measure with your heart 😉
Frosting Ingredients
- Strawberry Preserves: You can use preserves, jam, or jelly. All of them will have the same effect!
- Cream Cheese: Make sure you soften this ahead of time. It adds a nice level of tanginess to the glaze that complements the Strawberry Brownies Recipe nicely. Feel free to omit if you do not want the tanginess or add more cream cheese if you’d prefer more!
- Powdered Sugar: This will be the base of your glaze! Add more or less powdered sugar depending on how thick you want your glaze to be.
- Salt: Don’t skip this ingredient as it adjusts the sweetness of the strawberry brownies to just the right level.
- Milk: Used to thin out the glaze. Again, feel free to add more or less depending on taste.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries: I love using these as decoration. If you do not like the taste of them, feel free to omit them from the recipe. If you are going to be eating your Strawberry Brownies with Cake Mix rather quickly, you can add fresh strawberries instead. I would not recommend adding fresh strawberries on top unless you do not plan to eat leftovers.
Tools
- Mixing Bowl(S)
- 9×9” Baking Dish
- Parchment Paper
- Rubber Spatula
How to Make This Recipe
Step One: Mix Your Batter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9×9” pan with parchment paper, spray with nonstick spray, and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, mix strawberry cake mix, eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract using a whisk or rubber spatula. The strawberry brownie batter will be thick.
Step Two: Bake
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly with a rubber spatula. Place the brownies into the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Step Three: Frost
While the brownies are cooling, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, use a whisk to combine the strawberry preserves and cream cheese until combined.
Add the powdered sugar, salt, and milk into the bowl with the cream cheese and whisk again until fully combined.
Use a rubber spatula to spread this frosting over the top of the cooled brownies, then sprinkle with freeze-dried strawberries if desired.
Cut and serve. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- The batter for brownies is very thick–much thicker than your normal cake batter. That is OKAY! Make sure you mix to the bottom so you don’t end up with any dry portions. You will also need to spread the batter into all the corners of your pan as it won’t spread too far on its own.
- If you prefer thicker brownies you can use an 8×8 pan instead of a 9×9.
- Make sure your delicious strawberry brownies have had time to cool completely before frosting or cutting. This will make them cut much nicer. You could even make the brownies ahead of time and frost the next day. If you’re in a rush, put the brownies into the refrigerator to cool.
- If you want your glaze to be less sweet, add some lemon juice to it.
How to Know If Your Brownies Are Done
Toothpick Test: Different ovens may bake differently. Keep an eye on your brownies while baking and check doneness with the toothpick test. If a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, your brownies are done.
Internal Temperature: If you want to get fancy, check to make sure that the internal temperature of your brownies reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit internally. This means your eggs are cooked and the Strawberry Brownies are done.
The longer you cook the brownies, the less the middle will sink but the more dry they will be. I think the 22-25 minute mark is the perfect balance of those two elements.
How to Ensure Your Brownies Don’t Stick
Brownies are notorious for sticking to the pan, making it frustrating to try to slice and serve. There are a few steps you can take to prevent this from happening to you!
The first is to use a good non-stick spray and a glass baking pan if you have one. Spray your entire pan well.
Next, you are going to add a piece of parchment paper on top of the spray. The spray holds the parchment paper in place so it doesn’t move while you spread the batter in the pan. You want your parchment paper long enough to hang over two sides of the pan just a bit.
When your brownies are done baking, let them cool completely. I know, the waiting is the worst. Put them in the refrigerator to cool to get them out of your sight!
When the brownies are fully cool, run a butter knife along the edge of the pan to separate the brownies from the pan. Once that is done you should be able to lift the parchment paper gently and pull the brownies in one piece from the pan. Place them on the counter or a cutting board to slice them evenly.
Recipe Variations
- Other Cake Mixes: This is a fun recipe to play around with. You can use a different type of cake mix for different flavors.
- Mixins: These Strawberry Cake Mix Brownies are delicious with white chocolate chips. You could also add dark chocolate chips, sliced strawberries, or cream cheese swirls.
- Toppings: You can also change up what you add to the top of the brownies. Try them with fresh strawberries, dark chocolate chips, sprinkles or whipped cream. Of course, just like fudgy brownies, these are delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
FAQs
This recipe is easy to double! Just make sure you use a larger pan, like a 9×13, to fit the extra batter. You will also need to cook for a few minutes longer. Keep an eye on your brownies to make sure you don’t overcook them. Use the tips above to check if your brownies are done.
These strawberry brownies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
You can also freeze these brownies, but I would recommend freezing in individual servings without the frosting.
Did you enjoy this recipe for Strawberry Brownies? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
Strawberry Brownies (Using Cake Mix)
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl(s)
- 9×9″ Baking Dish
- Parchment Paper
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
Strawberry Brownie Ingredients
- 15.25 oz Strawberry Cake Mix, Pillsbury
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 stick, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp strawberry preserves
- 1 Tbsp cream cheese, softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp milk
- 2 Tbsp Freeze dried strawberries, chopped into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 9×9” pan with parchment paper, spray with nonstick spray, and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the strawberry cake mix, 2 eggs, 1 stick butter and 1 tsp vanilla extract using a whisk or rubber spatula. The mixture will be thick.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly with a rubber spatula. Place the brownies into the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- While the brownies are cooling, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, use a whisk to combine the 2 tbsp strawberry preserves and 1 tbsp cream cheese until combined.
- Add the 3/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, and 1 tbsp milk into the bowl with the cream cheese and whisk again until fully combined.
- Use a rubber spatula to spread this frosting over the top of the cooled brownies, then sprinkle with 2 tbsp freeze dried strawberries if desired.
- Cut and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Strawberry Cake Mix: I used Pillsbury but any boxed cake mix will work. Make sure you choose one that is 15.25 oz or the measurements for the rest of the recipe might be off.
- Eggs: Use room temperature eggs so that the cold eggs don’t harden your melted butter.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt in your recipe. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly before using so that it doesn’t scramble your eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: Measure with your heart 😉
- Strawberry Preserves: You can use preserves, jam, or jelly. All of them will have the same effect!
- Cream Cheese: Make sure you soften this ahead of time. It adds a nice level of tanginess to the glaze that complements the Strawberry Brownies Recipe nicely. Feel free to omit if you do not want the tanginess or add more cream cheese if you’d prefer more!
- Powdered Sugar: This will be the base of your glaze! Add more or less powdered sugar depending on how thick you want your glaze to be.
- Salt: Don’t skip this ingredient as it adjusts the sweetness of the strawberry brownies to just the right level.
- Milk: Used to thin out the glaze. Again, feel free to add more or less depending on taste.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries: I love using these as decoration. If you do not like the taste of them, feel free to omit them from the recipe. If you are going to be eating your Strawberry Brownies with Cake Mix rather quickly, you can add fresh strawberries instead. I would not recommend adding fresh strawberries on top unless you do not plan to eat leftovers.
- Batter for brownies is very thick–much thicker than your normal cake batter. That is OKAY! Make sure you mix all the way to the bottom so you don’t end up with any dry portions. You will also need to spread the batter into all the corners of your pan as it won’t spread too far on its own.
- If you prefer thicker brownies you can use an 8×8 pan instead of a 9×9.
- Make sure your delicious strawberry brownies have had time to cool completely before frosting or cutting. This will make them cut much nicer. You could even make the brownies ahead of time and frost the next day. If you’re in a rush, put the brownies into the refrigerator to cool.
- If you want your glaze to be less sweet, add some lemon juice to it.