Taste Test: The BEST Gluten Free Brownie Mix

We put 10 popular Gluten Free Brownie Mixes to the test–here are the winners! Find out which brand makes the best gluten free brownie mix below…

I often get asked for products recommendations for gluten free mixes and products. When you’re just starting out gluten free (or cooking for a friend or family member) it can be a bit overwhelming. Sometimes, it’s just easier to have a mix on hand. (We get it!)

I thought it might be fun to post some taste tests of different gluten & dairy free products over the next few months and brownies seemed like the perfect place to start.

Brownies are one of our top favorite desserts–I love a good brownie! I tend to look for something fudgy in the middle with a crackly top and lots of intense chocolate flavor. There are a LOT of gluten free mixes on the market and we recently put 10 popular brands to a taste test. (Eating this many brownies is hard work, but someone’s got to do it!)

PSST! Want to make your own instead of buying a mix? These are the PERFECT homemade gluten free brownies. 

Whether you’re a long-time gluten free eater, a newbie, or are baking for a friend who is, we’ve made it easy to choose a delicious gluten free brownie mix without worrying about buying a dud or wasting your money.

Let’s count down to the BEST gluten free brownie mix…

10. Namaste Gluten Free Brownie Mix

A big plus of this mix is it comes with a double batch (enough to make a 9×13 pan instead of an 8×8″ pan of brownies). I also like that the ingredient list is short and sweet with recognizable ingredients. However, the texture and flavor just didn’t deliver for us. There was a very strong flour taste and they really didn’t come across as chocolatey. We didn’t finish them, and neither of our kids wanted to finish theirs.

Overall score: 3/10

• Price: $5.34-7.19
• Where to Buy: Walmart, Natural Grocers, Amazon
• Additional Ingredients Needed: Eggs, oil or butter, water
• Taste: Sweet, but not chocolatey. Very strong flour taste. They tasted like they were made with chocolate flavoring but no actual chocolate. Could probably be improved with some mix-ins.
• Texture: A bit dense, but decidedly cake-y. No crackly top.
• Certifications: Certified gluten free, kosher, Non-GMO verified
• Allergy Information: Free from the top 8 allergens + 6 additional common allergens

9. Enjoy Life Gluten Free Brownie Mix

I LOVE Enjoy Life brand. Their allergy-friendly chocolate chips are TOP notch, and their pristine allergy-friendly ingredients and production methods are beyond admirable. Their brownie mix is made with teff (a whole grain flour) and includes probiotics, which is an interesting selling point. I love that it’s allergy friendly and pretty widely available. That said, the flavor didn’t quite come through for me. I found they weren’t very chocolatey, and they had a strong flour taste (I think it was from the teff flour). My kids didn’t want to finish their square.

Overall score: 3/10

• Price: $5.79-$9.99
• Where to Buy: Kroger, Sprouts, Amazon, Walmart, Thrive Market, Natural Grocers
• Additional Ingredients Needed: Oil, water
• Taste: Sweet, but not very chocolatey. Very strong flour taste (presumably from the teff).
• Texture: Very cakey and moist, and a bit dense. No crackly top.
• Certifications: Certified Gluten Free, Non-GMO, Certified Vegan, Kosher Pareve, Allergy Friendly (free from 14 of the top allergens).
• Allergy Information: Allergy Friendly (free from 14 of the top allergens)

8. Glutino Gluten Free Brownie Mix

We LOVE(!!!) Glutino brand products–bread, crackers, cookies, bars, etc. They tend to nail their packaged items, so I was excited to try this mix. The box is labeled with the catchphrase “Entirely too chocolatey.” I also appreciated that this mix is vegan friendly (has vegan directions), and also comes with low-fat directions (we didn’t try them). But, we just didn’t care for the texture or flavor. We still *love* Glutino, but don’t think their brownie mix is their strongest product.

Overall score: 3/10

• Price: $5.49
• Where to Buy: Kroger, Amazon,
• Additional Ingredients Needed: Eggs or egg whites, vegan butter or butter, nuts (optional).
• Taste: Not especially chocolatey. Had a strong flour taste.
• Texture: No crackly top. These were a bit dense and cakey. Very moist. If you like a cakey brownie, you could probably amp up the flavor with more chocolate chips and some vanilla.
• Certifications: Certified gluten free, Kosher Pareve, Non-GMO verified.
• Allergy Information: Contains soy.

7. Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free Brownie Mix

Arrowhead Mills has some GREAT gluten free products. They tend to be on the more affordable end, and the quality of everything we’d tried up to this point was tip-top. This was my first time buying one of their mixes. I like that their brownie mix ingredient list was very straightforward and that it has chocolate chips in the mix. Ultimately, this one lost points for running a bit too far on the cake-y side for our family’s preference. If you like cakey brownies, though, this might be just the right mix for you! (I’ll also say, the texture and flavor improved after we’d chilled them overnight. We enjoyed them more the second day than we did the first!). It’s a solid choice, and a great one if you like cakey brownies.

Overall score: 6/10

• Price: $3.88-11.90
• Where to Buy: Natural Grocers, Walmart, Thrive Market, Amazon, Sprouts
• Additional Ingredients Needed: water, eggs, oil
• Taste: I cannot place exactly what is is (the ingredient list is very straightforward), but these have a very subtle aftertaste when they’re fresh. It went away after chilling them overnight.
• Texture: No crackly top. Instead these were quite soft and cakelike. With 3 eggs in the mix, these rose and puffed quite a bit and felt a bit more like cake than brownie. (Which was a bummer for me, but might be just right if you prefer cake-y brownies!) It had a great distribution of the little mini chocolate chips that came in the mix.
• Certifications: Certified gluten free, kosher, Non-GMO verified, made with organic ingredients
• Allergy Information: Contains soy. Additionally, the chocolate liquor in the chocolate chips isn’t suitable if you have a dairy allergy. Michael’s severely dairy intolerant, and he didn’t have an issue with these brownies.

6. Pamela’s Gluten Free Brownie Mix

Pamela’s has some GREAT gluten free products. Their brownie mix was pretty good, but didn’t hit it out of the park for us. One thing that makes this mix unique is that it provides 5(!!!) different ways to make the mix, from more cake-y, to extra fudgy, and a few other variations. I debated about which to go with, but ultimately, we went for the extra fudgy option, which required only oil and water. The tops weren’t super crackly, and the the texture was dense, but a bit gritty. We also found the chocolate flavor lacking and while the mix included chocolate chunks, they were pretty sparse.

However, they really improved when they were chilled. The interior felt more fudgy, and the grittiness seemed to dissolve more with time. I’m also curious about the other preparation methods and think we might have some luck playing with the mix next time.

Overall score: 6/10

• Price: $5.49-6.29
• Where to Buy: Thrive Market, Walmart, Sprouts, Kroger, Amazon, Natural Grocers
• Additional Ingredients Needed: Oil/butter, eggs, water
• Taste: Sub-par. It tasted generally sweet, but the chocolate flavor was pretty lacking.
• Texture: Although we made these according to the “extra fudgy” directions, they still sort of felt more cakey than truly fudgy. The tops got moderately crackly, and while the texture was pretty dense, it wasn’t super cohesive (read: crumbly). It was also a bit gritty. The mix contained chocolate chunks, but we each only had 2-3 in our brownies. However, the brownies improved significantly upon chilling.
• Certifications: Certified gluten free, kosher
• Allergy Information: Gluten free, dairy free.

5. Pillsbury Gluten Free Brownie Mix

I loved that this mix had TONS of chocolate chips. It’s also the most affordable, and it wasn’t too difficult for me to track down.

One thing I didn’t realize when I ordered it online was that the chocolate chips in the mix contain milk fat. We have dairy intolerance but not dairy allergies at our house, so we simply sifted out the chocolate chips and added some of our own that were dairy free. (This would not be a suitable solution for those with dairy allergies).

These had a more subtle chocolate flavor (most of the flavor came from the chocolate chips rather than the brownies themselves), and were a bit on the thin side. But overall, a good mix!

Overall score: 6/10

• Price: $2.36-2.59
• Where to Buy: Target, Walmart, Amazon
• Additional Ingredients Needed: oil, water, egg
• Taste: Not super strongly chocolatey, but had plenty of chocolate chips
• Texture: Not a decidedly crackly top. Moderately fudgy. Lots of chocolate chips.
• Certifications: gluten free
• Allergy Information: Contains milk and soy ingredients (in the chocolate chips. See my notes above for how we handled this)

4. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Brownie Mix

Bob’s Red Mill is consistently one of my go-to gluten free brands. They’ve been on the forefront of gluten free foods for years and years, and their commitment to quality is commendable. These brownies didn’t disappoint!

They were some of the thickest brownies we tried, and come with lots of mix-in ideas on the package (peanut butter, chocolate chips, walnuts, cinnamon, etc.). We decided to add chocolate chips (since most of our brownies have them and we wanted to give an accurate review). Overall, they were a strong mix we’d feel good recommending! The only marks off were for texture concerns (and they were great–just read the texture notes below so you know what we mean!)

Overall score: 7/10

• Price: $3.99-5.48
• Where to Buy: Natural Grocers, Target, Walmart, Amazon, Sprouts
• Additional Ingredients Needed: water, eggs, oil
• Taste: Good! Moderately chocolatey. Mix-ins made them better.
• Texture: Decidedly fudgy! So much so, in fact, I debated whether or not they were cooked through and ended up giving them an extra few minutes in the oven. They completely set as they cooled (don’t give up!). These didn’t really have a crackly top, but they do get a top “crust.” The contrast between the crispy crust on top and the SUPER fudgy centers was really nice, especially when they had time to completely cool. We found we liked them even better chilled the next day!
• Certifications: Certified gluten free, kosher, Non-GMO verified, made with organic ingredients
• Allergy Information: All Bob’s Red Mill products labeled gluten free are produced in a dedicated gluten free facility and batch tested to comply and pass the ELISA Gluten Assay test. (Personal note: Bob’s is AMAZING at testing & quality!)

3. Stonewall Kitchen Gluten Free Brownie Mix

Stonewall Kitchen is an upscale brand that tends to have an artisan feel. I love their jams (try the Peach Amaretto if you ever find it!), but I almost didn’t buy this mix because it’s SO expensive ($12 for ONE mix!). After hemming and hawing, I decided to go for it. It rounded out my 10 brownie mixes, and I was just so curious–would it live up to the $12 hype?

Ultimately, while the flavor and texture were great, this mix lost points because of the price + quality of ingredients. I’d be willing to pay more for sustainable, organic, or fair-trade ingredients, but this mix included lots of shortcuts and lower quality ingredients–things like caramel coloring, “Vanilla Type Flavoring” instead of actual vanilla, and GMOs. In short: no, I don’t think it’s worth $12.

Overall score: 8/10

• Price: $11.99
• Where to Buy: Amazon, Stonewall Kitchen
• Additional Ingredients Needed: eggs, butter (or vegan butter)
• Taste: Pretty chocolatey! It also included mini chocolate chips, which melted into the batter to increase the fudgy factor.
• Texture: Crackly tops, fudgy center, and plenty of chocolate throughout.
• Certifications: Certified Gluten free
• Allergy Information: Contains traces of dairy (shared equipment), and has soy ingredients. Contains ingredients produced with genetic engineering (GMOs).

2. Krusteaz Gluten Free Brownie Mix

A great, solid choice! I like that this mix is on the less expensive end. It came with chocolate chips in the mix and cooked up a lot like traditional boxed brownies. They had a crackly top, good chocolatey flavor, and pretty fudgy texture.

While I’d give them a 9/10 for flavor, I bumped them down to 8/10 because of the baking directions. The box said to bake them at 325 degrees F for 48-52 minutes (+5 minutes if you use a glass pan), and I found mine were completely cooked through at the 25 minutes.

I think you’d overcook them and possibly even burn them if baked as directed. I have an oven thermometer to verify my oven temp, and baked them in the same white ceramic pan I used for all the other brownies, but think the baking directions were off on the box. If I’d baked them twice as long (as the box directed), I think they’d have been crunchy and dry.

Ps – This mix also comes with high altitude directions

Overall score: 8/10

• Price: $3.07-4.99
• Where to Buy: Kroger, Walmart, Amazon
• Additional Ingredients Needed: water, oil, egg
• Taste: Nice and chocolatey. A moderate amount of chocolate chips.
• Texture: Fudgy with a crackly top. Exactly what I’d expect from a good boxed brownie mix.
• Fudgey or Cakey: Fudgey. 
• Certifications: Certified gluten free, kosher
• Allergy Information: Contains soy. May contain milk & eggs (shared equipment, but no milk or egg ingredients)

1. King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Brownie Mix

These are the ones pictured at the top of the post. They’re our favorite gluten free brownies by a landslide! If I could only recommend one gluten free brownie mix, this would be it. Pricewise, they can be one of the most affordable mixes (at around $4), and the flavor and texture are both phenomenal. The flavor is VERY chocolatey, and I love the texture. They bake consistently and they’re only a tiny hair below my homemade brownies for me.

Overall score: 10/10

• Price: $3.99-7.99
• Where to Buy: Target, Walmart, Kroger, Amazon, Thrive Market, Natural Grocers
• Additional Ingredients Needed: Eggs, butter/oil, chocolate chips or nuts
• Taste: VERY chocolatey. Really rich and decadent in a great way. The mix suggests adding chocolate chips (which we did), which really adds to the overall effect.
• Texture: Crackly tops, chewy edges, fudgy centers. Lots of chocolate chips throughout (if made as directed).
• Certifications:
• Allergy Information:

There’s our fave! Have you tried a great gluten free brownie mix we missed? What’s your favorite? 

PS – Anything you want us to taste test next? Shout it out below! 

LOVE BROWNIES? YOU MIGHT LOVE:

• The BEST Gluten-Free Brownies (Homemade!)
• Gluten-Free Mint Brownies
• Gluten Free Brownie Pops – Eat At Our Table