The Best Boxed Dessert Mixes That Aren't Cake, According To Online Reviews

Looking for an easy dessert mix that won't require dragging out the stand mixer, but still delivers on the promise of a decadent flavor and show-stopping flair? (And, for the love of all things measured by cups and spoons, please — not another cake mix.) Well, sugar addicts and brownieholics, have I got the shopping list for you.

With no ill will intended toward the usual go-to birthday flavor, if I see one more box of Funfetti, confetti, or party rainbow-whatever cake mix, I'm gonna go ham on the edible glitter display. There's more to a satisfied sweet tooth than the moistest mix on the market. Plus, once you bookmark these decadent treats, you'll never have to search to find your new favorite.

For ride or die fans, dessert can be anything, anywhere, at any time of day. So I took to the Internet to scoop up the brands with the best customer reviews and booked a one-way ticket to Sugartown. Prepare to indulge in boxed dessert mixes that hit so right, you'll forget cake mix was ever a thing.

It's the quintessential dessert of New Orleans, but you can beignet your way to deep-fried heaven at home no matter where you live with this boxed mix. From the French Quarter coffee stand-turned restaurant that popularized the pastry, comes Cafe Du Monde's beignet mix. A box serves up four dozen of these French doughnuts; all you have to do is add water and a finishing flurry of powdered sugar.

The classic version of these yeast-risen doughnuts bakes up pillowy and hole-free and should be dusted in a snow day's worth of confectioners' sugar (okay, maybe not quite that much). A crispy crust gives way to a warm, chewy middle that melts in your mouth.

The delightfully retro-feeling packaging offers simple directions to walk you through mixing, frying, plating, and enjoying. TikTok fans heap plenty of praise (and sugar) on these beignets and Amazon reviewers note the authentic flavor, with reviewer posting, "This is hands down the best boxed mix of ANYTHING, even cakes, on the market." Please collect your well-deserved bonus points (it's Mardi Gras beads, though) for serving your beignets warm from the fryer with a cozy cup of coffee or hot chocolate.

You could hack a homemade banana bread with bananas, eggs, and cake mix, or you could pick up a box of GoNanas' original banana bread mix and leave the portioning to GoNanas co-founders Morgan Lerner and Annie Slabotsky. This mix is vegan, gluten-free, and anti-diet — what more could you want? 

Each loaf, which requires the addition of just three ripe bananas, honey or maple syrup, and yogurt or milk, comes out of the oven with luxurious sweetness and a get-out-of-town moist and springy texture. The brand offers 10 flavors, running the gamut from s'mores to salted caramel, cinnamon roll, and every banana bread in between — all of which are vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free.

Reviewers love the allergy-friendly roster of ingredients, which seems to be a hit with every member of the family — even those without food sensitivities. Plus, over on a Celiac thread on Reddit, even bakers who had previously enjoyed standard banana bread still peg GoNanas as their household favorite. One user confessed, "[It's probably the best banana bread I've ever had — even before Celiac." If you love it so much you could marry it, GoNanas offers a subscription that lets you bake banana bread (and limited editions like chocolate chip cookie mix) on the regular.

If you have not yet been introduced to the celebrity mash-up of desserts, meet the "brookie" — which you can make at home with Betty Crocker Delights' cookie brownie bars mix.The concept of swirling fudgy brownie batter and sweet cookie dough together went mainstream in 2014, thanks to Jovon English and her company, milk + brookies. But you don't have to start a company — because you have Betty Crocker. Just add vegetable oil, water, and an egg to the brownie mix and butter and water to the cookie dough. Then drop the cookie dough into a pan with the brownie mix. In less than 40 minutes, bite into sweet, succulent morsels — and never go back to regular brownies again.

Target shoppers rave about the bake turning out like the photo on the box and being a runaway hit with family and coworkers. The product has received more than 5,000 reviews on Amazon, with fans noting that they love the quick prep, moist texture, and customizable nature of the brownie-cookie combo. One home baker posted, "You can follow the directions on portioning ... or go off on your own and put [the cookie dough] across the top of the brownie mix however you wish." (Does straight into your mouth count as an option?)

You could make a sous vide cheesecake in just 90 minutes, or you can whip up a creamy cheesecake in less time with Jell-O's no-bake strawberry cheesecake mix. All you need is a little butter, sugar, and milk. And you know what's even better? You don't need any extra strawberries, since the strawberry topping comes in the box!

This classic cheesecake features a rich, velvety filling with a sweet and crunchy graham cracker crust. Add a little tartness from the fruit-forward topping, and you've got a mouthwatering combo in every bite. While a typical cheesecake recipe features an oven bake in a water bath to achieve that signature texture, the Jell-O no-bake strawberry cheesecake works its magic with zero heat.

YouTubers point to a classic presentation that's a breeze to put together and a flavor that tastes more like a slice from an upscale coffee shop than a box mix. Walmart shoppers give this designated "popular pick" the thumbs up, calling the mix one of the best they've ever had and one that they always keep in the cupboard. One person posted, "Great ingredients. Great taste. Great ease of preparation. Great value. Strawberry topping top-notch. What more can I say?" How about, "Who wants another slice?"

Upon his passing in July 2024, Chef Roberto Linguanotto — the Italian patissier most widely credited for inventing tiramisu — left behind a fluffy, creamy, coffee-soaked legacy, with monstrous ladyfingers to fill. But you don't need a culinary degree to celebrate the dish that made him famous, thanks to the Forno Bonomi tiramisu dessert kit. It's even made in Italy — buon appetito!

This kit goes from zero to tiramisu in under 10 minutes (plus a rest in the fridge, if you'd like). Even more convenient is the fact that everything from the ladyfingers to the filling to the serving tray is included in this kit, with no cooking required. Add a little milk and dessert is practically served.

According to World Market fans, this boxed mix is priced reasonably, especially considering how expensive it would be to purchase a pre-assembled tiramisu from the store. While reviewers note the absence of alcohol in the kit, some subbed in rum or wine where water was originally called for. Saluti! 

On Amazon, bakers noted ease in preparation and a surprisingly decadent flavor. One person gave it a 10 out of 10 and wrote, "As a tiramisu lover this was perfect ... Simpler than making brownies, except now it's tiramisu. I was skeptical when I bought the box but it's totally worth it ... Especially for a BOX dessert."

It's a popular Mexican street food with global roots, but warm, crunchy, doughy churros could be your new go-to favorite thanks to Sonora Kitchen's keto churro mix. It comes with a piping bag and reusable pastry tip so all you have to do is add water (and a sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar). It's official, amigos; you're getting your churros on.

Not only will fans of the keto diet enjoy a lighter take on the traditional treat, but lovers of the standard deep-fried, sugar-and-cinnamon-studded pastry will dig it, too. Don't be afraid to be a little extra and serve your churros with a caramel dipping sauce on the side.

Amazon fans who tried this lower-carb alternative love the nostalgic spin on a treat they often miss, while others have no regrets about indulging their sweet tooth with these churros. Over on TikTok, one user got creative by piping Sonora keto churro dough into twirls and building a low-carb ice cream sandwich. If you're looking for a churro mix with no added sugar (it's sweetened with stevia) that one user described as "extremely buttery tasting ... which I'm not altogether mad at," this churro mix might be your new dessert jam.

Yuzu bars may be a shiny upgrade on this classic dessert, but lemon bars maintain their lip-smackingly tart timelessness for a reason. Betty Crocker Delights' supreme lemon bars mix require just water and three eggs — plus a little powdered sugar for that sweet, signature topping.

While lemon curd and shortbread cookies have been hanging around since the Renaissance, no one officially put them together and printed a recipe for lemon bars until the 1960s. This mix captures that quintessentially buttery cookie crust and bright citrus filling with real lemon juice as part of the ingredients.

More than a few Amazon fans say they add extra lemon juice and zest to the box mix to tip the scales in favor of DIY flavor, while others note that the original recipe is just as good — if not better — than a scratch-made version. One customer reported that the bars "Taste just like homemade and [are] much easier to make." A Walmart shopper concurred, posting, "[I] will never go back to made from scratch."

Before everybody gets their fried dough in a knot, I admit that this one does have the word "cake" in the name — and I said I wasn't doing cake. But still, it's not really a cakey-cake, right? So, now that we cleared that up, please immediately acquire a box of Krusteaz Professional's funnel cake mix and get easy-bakin'.

After using just water to bring this mix to life, you'll enter your "Charlotte's Web"-era to create a chicken-fried spider web of doughy delight. Simply pour the batter into the hot oil in a circle shape, then fill in the middle as you please. Flip, brown, drain, and dust with enough powdered sugar to pop the red nose off a carnival clown.

Amazon customers warn that the 5-pound box mix makes a whole bunch of (delicious) funnel cakes, with one new fan sharing that they whipped up a batch for Easter family dinner. On Webstaurant.com, professionals share how they customize the popular mix, noting how well the lightly sweet flavor of the funnel cake works for making desserts like fried Oreos. While Krusteaz fans have also repurposed the brand's buttermilk pancake mix into DIY funnel cakes, why not pick up a box of the recipe that was born to hit the fryer?

If you're jonesing (ahem) for a cinnamon and caramel fix, look no further than the Miss Jones Baking Co.'s gluten-free snickerdoodle toffee blondie bar mix. With just an added egg, milk, and butter, the snickerdoodle-toffee-blondie life can be your new reality.

Representing the lighter side of the brownie extended family, these bars source real cinnamon, with no fake coloring or flavors. You can even make this gluten-free recipe a dairy-free one, too, by adding oil and subbing in a plant-based option for the milk and butter. However you bake them, you'll taste plenty of toffee sweetness topped with the cinnamon and sugar streusel included in the box.

"I have to do gluten-free and struggle to find good desserts, but this Miss Jones has figured it out," wrote one 5-star Amazon reviewer. Others cite simple, easy preparation and lots of flavor. Over on Reddit, one gluten-free baker said even people who eat gluten loved the gluten-free blondies with another calling them "amazingly good."

If you want a boxed dessert mix you can trust, look to the company that's been doing it for over 200 years. When it comes to high-quality baking mixes, you won't go wrong with the much-loved King Arthur Baking Company buttermilk doughnut mix.

All you need to do is add eggs, butter or oil, and milk or water, and supply your own donut tray — since these are baked and not fried. You'll be on your way to pillowy, buttery rounds after just 10 minutes in the oven. Then, gloriously drizzle your fresh-baked doughnuts in a luscious vanilla glaze, thanks to the simple recipe printed on the back of the box.

Reviewers share customizations that include adding pumpkin spice or orange zest to the batter, or topping the doughnuts with cinnamon, sugar, and chocolate sprinkles. For grandparents, baking King Arthur's buttermilk mini doughnuts is a winning activity for the grandkids. A loyal fan, named Nonna, posted, "I don't even have to frost them, they're so good" (Believe the Nonna).

There are blondie people, and then there are those who live for the rich, fudgy goodness of a slightly-underbaked brownie. For serious chocolate lovers, the Ghirardelli double chocolate brownie mix answers the cry of your insatiable sweet tooth.

All you need is water, oil, and an egg and you've got dessert in 45 minutes. Actual Ghirardelli chocolate chips are even featured in the mix. These brownies are designed to be anything but basic; they're chewy, moist, impossible to resist, and perfect to snack on at any time.

Target reviewers claim it's the only brownie mix they buy, with one 5-star reviewer adding, "If [you're] going to indulge ... this is the brownie ... bakery style and quality." Over on Amazon, it's the same story; bakers love the high quality and decadent feel of this mix. "Allow me to add the 26th-in-a-row 5-star review for this brownie mix," quipped yet another happy customer.

Plant-based protein cookies get a serious upgrade with the PB2 chocolate chip cookie mix. The brand launched in 2007 with powdered peanut butter and a mission to bring plant-based power to the people. Its lineup now includes protein powders, baking mixes, and pantry staples.

All you need to add is an egg and a little oil (or make it vegan with oil and banana) to bake cookies that each pack 4 grams of protein each. Eating carbs alongside protein helps the body digest those carbs more slowly, which balances glucose, so you can get your snack on without the accompanying sugar rush.

But most importantly, these cookies do the job. Amazon fans love this simple-to-make recipe and some kick it up a notch with extra chocolate chips. Other reviewers across the Internet hailed the recipe as "tasty," vowing to purchase it on repeat. As one Walmart shopper noted, "I'm amazed at 1. Healthy ingredients and 2. HOW DELICIOUS! ... I'm not a baker and don't have the baker's touch and these came out [to be the] best cookies I've ever made."

Along with bannock bread, Mounties, and Molson Ice, another iconic treasure from our neighbors up north is the Nanaimo bar. Born in Nanaimo, British Columbia, this Canadian treat can be delivered to your doorstep in the form of the President's Choice Nanaimo bar mix — though some assembly is required.

This bar, which calls for butter, one egg, and a little milk, contains three layers: a coconut cookie crust, creamy custard, and rich chocolate topping. The bars also last for several days in the fridge so you can make them ahead of time. Canadians will indulge in this easy-to-make mix from time to time. 

One Canadian baker on TikTok used the box version, even though she could have baked the bars from scratch. And a family of Canadian ex-pats posted to Amazon, "We hadn't had a Nanaimo bar in years! These were super easy to make ... The whole pan was gone in less than 24 hours."

Get hygge with this Scandinavian favorite and stick a spoon into the Junket Danish dessert mix. This mix gives you the option to use it as a pie filling, pudding, or glaze; all you need are fresh berries and a dollop of whipped cream to finesse your final plate.

Junket Danish dessert is a riff on rødgrød: a sweet, berry-based pudding from Denmark. You can use this mix to recreate the treat you loved as a kid or easily whip up a new favorite. Whatever you're craving, there's a recipe on the box for that — including the ruby whipped cream cheese pie pictured on the front.

This dessert mix, which is available in strawberry and raspberry, tugs on Amazon bakers' heartstrings and reminds some of mom's home cooking. One reviewer claimed it tasted just like it did in the 1950s, writing, "My mother [used] to make this pudding for us when I was a kid ... SO GOOD!" For anyone unfamiliar with Junket topping, a Walmart fan shared, "This is the BEST stuff for making any strawberry desserts ... Any recipe that calls for strawberry Jell-O, use this instead! You will not be disappointed!"

In sourcing customer reviews from all over the internet, I ignored any and all boxed cake mixes and went for the gold. I aimed for a wide variety of desserts and looked for products with high marks for ease, clear and simple instructions, an appealing final product, and — maybe more than anything — irresistible flavor (Plus, thousands of 5-star Amazon reviews certainly didn't hurt the case for Betty Crocker). Who knew there were so many amazing boxed dessert mixes out there? I'm adding everything to the cart and stocking up, stat.