liveGfree Gluten Free Brownie Mix

I grew up in a brownie-loving household. The fudgy gooey dessert is one of my mom’s favorites, and when I was a kid, mom often had a box or two of brownie mix stashed in the pantry for whenever a chocolaty craving hit.

Brownie mix is good to keep around. It’s easy to whip up, and the house smells delicious while the brownies are baking. Brownies are also great any time of year, whether you serve them warm with a little powdered sugar during the winter or you serve them with some fresh berries and whipped cream during a summer cookout. My personal favorite is to serve them slightly warm and topped with rich vanilla ice cream.

But not all of my friends can eat traditional brownies, and because brownies are made with wheat flour, they are especially out for people who don’t eat gluten. Thankfully, there are gluten free brownie mixes out there so I can still bake up brownies even if I’m hosting friends who eat a gluten free diet.

Aldi sells its own version of gluten free brownie mix under its liveGfree house brand. The liveGfree private label at Aldi includes limited-edition specials such as egg rolls, donuts, and stuffing mix as well as year-round products like bread, General Tso’s Chicken, chicken breast bites, pancake and baking mix, cheddar cheese biscuit mix, mac and cheese, and cornbread mix.

I picked up a box of Aldi gluten free brownie mix to see how it compares to regular brownies.

liveGfree Gluten Free Brownie Mix cost $2.59 for a 16-ounce box at the time of publication. That’s more than any other boxed brownie mix at Aldi, with Baker’s Corner Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix and Specially Selected Double Chocolate Premium Brownie Mix both going for well under $2 at the time of writing. However, if you need brownies without gluten, this product may be worth the extra cost.

This is a Regular Buy, so it’s at Aldi all year.

The box describes this as “rich, delicious & moist with 100% real cocoa.” This is certified gluten free by the Gluten Intolerance Group. The package has a seal indicating this product was named a winner in The Gluten Free Buyers Guide. It’s also kosher.

Nutrition information and ingredients. (Click to enlarge.)

Ingredients are sugar, cocoa powder, tapioca starch, white rice flour, baking powder, natural vanilla flavor, and salt.

One box contains about 16 servings, and one serving of prepared brownies has 160 calories, 7 grams of total fat (9% DV), 4 grams of saturated fat (20% DV), 65 mg of sodium (3% DV), 24 grams of total carbohydrates (9% DV), and 16 grams of added sugars (30% DV).

Brownies after baking.

The back of the box has a recipe for brownies and a recipe for chocolate chip brownie cookies. I made the brownies. The brownie batter is thicker than I’m accustomed to with brownie mixes, but these turned out delicious. I baked them in a roughly 8″x8″ metal pan for about 28 minutes, until a toothpick came out mostly but not completely clean.

I’ve never baked gluten free brownies before, but I think the idea that it’s better to err on the side of underbaking rather than overbaking applies to gluten free brownies just like it applies to traditional brownies. You generally want brownies to turn out soft and fudgy in the middle, and only slightly hard on the edges.

Delicious!

These brownies came out perfect. They were chewy, soft, and fudgy on the inside, and the top was lightly crisp. I think the top was crispier than traditional brownies, but I liked the texture. These brownies also have great chocolate flavor, more so than some other boxed brownie mixes I’ve had. I served these with generous scoops of vanilla ice cream on top and everyone in my household approved of them, even the people who are more skeptical about trying different foods. I’ve almost never had gluten free food from Aldi that wasn’t good, and these brownies are very good.

Below are the recipes for the brownies and for the chocolate chip brownie cookies.

Brownie Recipe:

Ingredients 

• 16-oz. package of liveGfree brownie mix
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 2 large eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees for a metal pan, or 325 degrees for a dark or nonstick pan.
2. Stir melted butter, water, and eggs with a whisk until combined. Add brownie mix and blend until moistened.
3. Pour into a greased pan and bake for 29-32 minutes in an 8″x8″ pan, 27-31 minutes in a 9″x9″ pan, 24-27 minutes in an 11″x7″ pan, or 22-24 minutes in two mini loaf pans. Or bake until brownies start to pull away form pans. Cool and cut into squares.

Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies Recipe:

Ingredients

• 16-oz. package of liveGfree brownie mix
• 5 Tbsp. melted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease.
2. Stir chocolate baking mix, melted butter, and eggs in a large bowl until dough forms. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Drop by rounded tablespoons, three inches apart, on baking sheets.
4. Bake 12-14 minutes or until centers are set but still soft. Cool on sheets for four minutes. Remove to wire racks and cool completely. Makes 20 cookies.

The Verdict:

liveGfree Gluten Free Brownie Mix is part of the line of gluten free products at Aldi. You can make either brownies or chocolate chip brownie cookies with this mix. We made the brownies and they turned out fantastic. They are rich, chewy, and fudgy and are great on their own or served with toppings such as ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, cherries, etc. If you are avoiding gluten but have a craving for brownies, these will hit the spot.