Brownie Mix in a Jar makes for a perfect teacher or neighbor gift.

Not only is this gift perfect for teachers but it’s a good idea keep a few on hand for hostess gifts when you’re in a rush. This homemade gift in a jar recipe is easy to make and is a budget-friendly way to give a tasty gift.
This giftable recipe will give the receiver some moist, chewy, and rich brownies that they will enjoy. You could even pair it with reindeer hot chocolate cones so they could enjoy a hot beverage with their brownies.
Jump to:
- Why Should you Give Gift Jars for Christmas?
- SAVE THIS RECIPE!
- ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 🥘 Ingredients
- 🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins
- 🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools
- 🔪 How to Make Brownie Mix in a Jar
- Free Printable Labels and Instructions
- ❓ Recipe FAQs
- 🙏 Pairing
- SAVE THIS RECIPE!
- 📋 Recipe
- Recipe FAQs
Why Should you Give Gift Jars for Christmas?
Giving gift jars for Christmas can be a thoughtful way to show you care and express the spirit of the holiday. Here are some other reasons why you might want to give a jar gift for Christmas:
- It’s a great last-minute gift since it’s so quick and easy to put together.
- You can save money since this is an inexpensive gift
- Handmade gifts are one-of-a-kind since they’re made by you
- Personalize the gift by adding embellishments you know your friend/family member will like
- The recipient can use the jar again once they’ve made the brownies for whatever they want (storing food, as a vase, making a craft project in it for a decoration, etc.)
- Christmas crafting is a tradition that you can carry on when you make this gift (see, and you thought you weren’t crafty)
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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Brownie Mix in a jar is simple to make but provides a great budget-friendly gift idea for teachers, neighbors, and friends:
- Ready in 5 minutes: It only takes 5 minutes to put layer all of the ingredients in a jar, so you can make a whole bunch of gifts in a short amount of time.
- Fun to make: Your kids will have fun helping you make these gifts. They’ll love that they were able to help make gifts for their teachers, neighbors and family.
- Looks pretty: This gift is so pretty with the label and embellishments, and seeing all of the ingredients layered in the clear jar.
If you love edible gifts like this one you may also like this One Smart Teacher Gift.
🥘 Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this Brownie Mix in a Jar recipe. Gather these staple ingredients from your pantry and you are ready to assemble.

- Chopped nuts (optional): You can use whatever kind of nuts you want in this recipe. However, if you know if someone has nut allergies, or if you’re not sure, it’s best to leave them out.
- Semisweet chocolate chips: If you’re wondering how the chocolate chips end up when the brownies are baked — the chips may soften or melt a bit, but they won’t fully dissolve into the batter, providing little bursts of chocolate within the brownies.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar: You need both types of sugar. Brown sugar contributes to a chewier, fudgier texture, while granulated sugar helps create that slightly crisp, crackly top and helps keep the brownies from becoming too dense.
- Cocoa powder: Besides providing the chocolate flavor, cocoa powder gives the brownies that rich, dark appearance that makes them look even more decadent.
- All-purpose flour: The flour is essential for holding the ingredients together when the brownies are baking, all while maintaining that chewy, fudgy texture brownies are known for.
See recipe card for complete list of ingredients and quantities
🌈 Variations / Options / Add-Ins
Want to give your brownie mix in a jar a little pop of festive color? Use these tips to take the brownie mix up a notch.
Mint: Tie on a candy cane or two to be chopped up and added to the brownie mix for a peppermint flavor.
Candy Bars: Add a small bag of candy bars like Snickers or Twix for an additional fun ingredient for the brownies.
Sprinkles: Include a festive container of sprinkles for a holiday brownie flare.
🥄 Equipment Needed / Helpful Tools
You only need three tools to help you make this homemade gift. One quick trip to the local box store and you will be ready to make this brownie mix in a jar recipe.
- 1 quart mason jar: This is where you’ll layer the ingredients.
- Measuring cups: The ingredients will need to be measured out before you add them to the jar.
- Printable labels: Scroll down to sign up to get these free printable labels.
🔪 How to Make Brownie Mix in a Jar
There are only two steps to make this easy Brownie Mix in a jar recipe.
Step 1: Assemble Jars
To assemble the jars, layer the ingredients in the following order: nuts if using, chocolate chips, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and then all-purpose flour.

Step 2: Label Jars
Print out the labels (these are the blank labels, if you want the printed ones and the instructions, sign up below) and either stick the label on the jars or tie them on with ribbon or string.

Include the following instructions with the gift:
- Empty jar ingredients into a large bowl. Add 2 eggs, 1/2 cup oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/2 cup water.
- Stir until ingredients are fully combined.
- Spread batter into a greased 8-inch square baking pan.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
If you like, you can use the prepared instruction labels (see below to sign up for them). Glue them to the back of the gift tag labels and attach to the jar with string.
Free Printable Labels and Instructions
Just fill in the form below to have a set of the brownie in a jar printable labels and instructions sent to your inbox.

❓ Recipe FAQs
The brownie mix can be stored for up to 6 months if kept in a cool, dry place. Make sure the jar is tightly sealed to keep out moisture.
Absolutely! You can swap the semisweet chocolate chips with milk, dark, or even white chocolate chips, depending on the taste preference of the recipient.
No, the brownies won’t come out flat, but they will be more dense and have a fudgy texture.
🙏 Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Brownie Mix in a Jar:
Ready to get cooking? Print off the recipe card below or toggle on Cook Mode to keep your screen from going dark while you follow along on your phone or tablet.
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Enter your email below and I’ll send it straight to your inbox.
Ready to get cooking? Print off the recipe card below or toggle on Cook Mode to keep your screen from going dark while you follow along on your phone or tablet.
📋 Recipe

Brownie Mix in a Jar
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Equipment
- 1 quart mason jar
- Measuring cups
- Printable labels
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup chopped nuts optional
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 – 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Instructions
- Layer ingredients in order in mason jar. Add attached lid toppers and ribbon.⅓ cup chopped nuts, ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips, ⅔ cup brown sugar, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ⅓ cup cocoa powder, 1 – 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- Print out the labels and either stick the label on the jars or tie them on with ribbon or string.
Notes
- Add 2 eggs, ½ cup oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ½ cup water and homemade brownie mix.
- Mix well and Spread into greased 8 inch square baking pan.
- Bake at 350 for 30 min.
- Cool on wire rack.
why are they cakey? im assuming by 1.5 cups u meant 1 1/2, right?
Yes, 1/5 cups is 1 1/2 cups. If you prefer a fudgier brownie, you can:
Reduce Flour: Try reducing the flour to ¾ cup or 1 cup.
Increase Fat: Consider increasing the oil to ¾ cup or adding melted butter for a richer flavor.
Add Chocolate: Including melted chocolate in the batter can also add to the fudginess.
How long will this recipe last in the pantry?
It depends on the expiration date of your ingredients, but otherwise, this mix can last up to a year stored in your pantry.
Good but needs salt! I’m glad so did a test batch before making and gifting for Christmas.
That’s the great thing about recipes, you can modify them to match your preferences. I’m glad you like the idea of gifting these for Christmas. Enjoy your Christmas!
How much salt did you add?
Just wondering there’s no baking powder in this recipe? Do the brownies come out flat?
No, the brownies won’t come out flat, but they will be more dense and have a fudgy texture.
100% recommend this recipe to give out to family and friends as a gift.
I’ve been on the hunt for a simple and easy brownie jar that can be easily made by non bakers and this one IS IT!
I tested them out and baked for about 35 or so mins (30 min mark was a little too gooey for my liking).
I’m so glad you like this recipe! That’s great that you tested them – thanks for letting us know that you liked the brownies baked a little longer. Some of my readers might want to try that too. Thanks for commenting.
Does this recipe use oil? It’s mentioned in the middle of the article, but in the directions it is not mentioned.
You do use oil when you make the brownies. The Ingredients and Instructions in the recipe card are for making the brownie mix that you put in the jar. Under the Instructions is a Notes section that says how to make the brownies. The oil is mentioned there.
This says to use a 16 oz jar, but the ingredients add up to 3.75 C (or more if you add nuts). Do you mean a quart jar? I’m thinking of making these as gifts for 8-10 people so I want to make sure I don’t buy the wrong size.
You’re right! Huge oversight on my part. Updating the post now.
Yum. This dessert looks amazing. I’ll have to make some for me and my son next week.
I hope you and your son enjoy the brownies. Thanks for commenting.