BETTER BUYING
Cake and Brownie Mixes
Cake and brownies from a box can be so tasty that many people wouldn’t know if they were made from scratch or a mix. Most box mixes call for add-ins such as eggs, oil, milk, or even butter, but you can make substitutions to reduce the fat and calories. Examples include egg substitute for whole eggs, unsweetened applesauce for oil, and fat-free milk or nonfat vanilla or plain yogurt for whole milk. Here are some shopping tips:
- Choose cake or brownie mixes that list the substitutions for the high-fat ingredients.
- Look for mixes with “reduced sugar” or “low fat” on the front of the box.
- Read ingredient labels and note the difference between the fat and calories before and after preparation.
Going by the Numbers
The following chart displays calories, fat, percent calories from fat, and sugar for a variety of cake and brownie mixes, unprepared (boxed ingredients only). Serving sizes vary.
Cake and Brownie Mixes
(serving sizes vary) |
CALS |
FAT (g) |
% CALS
FROM FAT |
SUGAR (g) |
| Arrowhead Mills Brownie Mix (1/20 pkg.) |
90 |
1.5 |
15 |
14 |
| No Pudge Fudge Brownie (1/12 pkg.) 110 0 0 22 |
|
|
|
|
| Pillsbury Reduced Sugar Chocolate Fudge Cake (1/12 pkg.) |
110 |
2.5 |
20 |
8 |
| Pillsbury Mint Chocolate Brownie Mix (1/15 pkg.) |
110 |
2.5 |
20 |
16 |
| Betty Crocker Low Fat Fudge Brownie (1/18 pkg.) |
130 |
2 |
14 |
20 |
| Duncan Hines Family-Style Brownies, Dark Chocolate Fudge (1/18 pkg.) |
130 |
2.5 |
17 |
17 |
| Dr. Oetker Organics, Organic Cake Mix, Lemon (1/12 pkg.) |
140 |
0 |
0 |
18 |
| Cherrybrook Kitchen Yellow Cake Mix (1/12 pkg.) |
140 |
0 |
0 |
21 |
| Duncan Hines Tres Leches Cake (1/12 pkg.) |
140 |
3 |
19 |
17 |
| Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix (2-inch brownie) |
140 |
3.5 |
23 |
18 |
| Simply Organic Carrot Cake Mix (1/8 pkg.) |
150 |
0 |
0 |
24 |
| Pillsbury Reduced Sugar Devil’s Food Cake (1/12 pkg.) |
150 |
2 |
12 |
9 |
| Arrowhead Mills Organic Vanilla Cake Mix (1/12 pkg.) |
160 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
| Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cake Mix, Devil’s Food (1/10 pkg.) |
160 |
1 |
6 |
20 |
| Dr. Oetker Organics, Organic Brownie Mix (1/9 pkg.) |
160 |
1 |
6 |
26 |
| Betty Crocker Super Moist Butter Recipe Chocolate Cake (1/12 pkg.) |
170 |
3.5 |
19 |
18 |
| Pillsbury Chocolate Caramel Turtle Delight (1/8 pkg.) |
190 |
4 |
19 |
25 |
Sources: Product packaging
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