Upgrade Your Boxed Brownie Mix With Some Help From An Unexpected Tool

The humble waffle iron is one of the most underrated kitchen tools. You can use a waffle iron to reheat pizza, press sandwiches, repurpose leftover mashed potatoes, and even make quick and easy brownies. Yes, brownies.

A post on Reddit shares how using brownie batter in a waffle maker makes delectable, waffle-shaped brownies that can then be topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. The original poster says this hack creates the perfect texture. "The waffle iron made the brownie crunchy on the outside, but it maintained a chewy interior," they shared, adding that when paired with a healthy dollop of vanilla ice cream, "the chewy-crunchy texture with the cold, creamy ice cream complemented the waffle very well."

There's nothing quite like biting into a freshly baked brownie that's still warm from the oven. When the craving hits, you want to satisfy it as quickly as possible. What makes this hack great is it substantially reduces baking time. Instead of waiting 20 minutes to an hour for your brownies to finish baking in the oven, you can make a brownie in your waffle iron in as little as two to three minutes.

If you're ready to try this hack at home, we suggest choosing a good premade mix, like Betty Crocker's Fudge Brownie mix, which won our store-bought brownie mix blind taste test. You may want to add an extra egg though, to make the texture of the batter more waffle-like.

Heat your waffle iron and spray it with oil if it isn't non-stick. How much batter you put on the grill of your waffle maker will depend on its size. You may want to experiment, as these measurements can differ depending on the texture of your batter. Pour over the batter, then close the lid and set it to cook.

Cooking time will vary depending on your waffle iron, though like making canned cinnamon rolls in a waffle maker, your brownie will likely take only two to three minutes to cook. When the steam has stopped escaping the sides of the iron and you can easily remove the lid, your brownie should be done. If you can't easily lift the lid, give it another 30 seconds. 

While the Reddit post shows the brownie waffles topped with ice cream and chocolate sauce, you don't have to stop there. You could top the ice cream with chocolate chips, sprinkles, and fresh berries, or experiment with different syrups to create a hot brownie sundae. You could also do a Black Forest cake-inspired dish and top the brownie with whipped cream and cherries. The sky truly is the limit!