Back in my primary school teaching days, I made these Brownies in a Jar every year for my parent helpers. They were my go-to thank you gift - a beautiful layered jar that bakes into the most fudgy, rich and chocolatey brownies. And trust me, they were always a huge hit! 🍫✨
If you love a good homemade gift, my Cookies in a Jar is just as easy and gorgeous, and this Chocolate Rocky Road is another classic that always goes down a treat.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Brownies in a Jar
🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes (no baking required!)
🍫 Makes: 1 jar (bakes into 16 brownies)
🎁 Perfect For: Teachers, parent helpers, neighbours, Christmas gifts, birthdays, hampers
🥣 Main Ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, sugars, chocolate chips, walnuts
📖 Dietary Info: Easily made gluten-free and nut-free
⭐ Why You'll Love It: 10 minutes to make, looks stunning, and bakes into seriously fudgy brownies.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
I had this jar as a Christmas present, loved it!!!! Easy to make and delicious, enjoyed the time making them with my granddaughter.
- Cristina
These brownies in a jar aren't just cute - they're genuinely delicious. The layered dry ingredients create a foolproof brownie mix that anyone can bake at home by simply adding butter and eggs. It's the perfect combination of practical and personal.
I make them year-round - for teacher gifts, end of year presents, birthdays, or just a "thinking of you" surprise. Building a homemade hamper? They pair beautifully with my easy Caramel Fudge, a batch of 3 Ingredient Shortbread or some Bounty Balls.
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Perfect homemade gift - thoughtful, affordable and looks absolutely stunning.
- Ready in 10 minutes - no baking required on your end. Just layer and gift.
- Foolproof brownie mix - rich, chocolatey and nearly impossible to mess up.
- Easy to customise - swap in your favourite chocolate chips or add-ins.
- Great for any occasion - Christmas, teachers, neighbours, parent helpers or just because.
Jump to:
Brownies In A Jar Ingredients
Just a handful of pantry staples - here are the key things to know:
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Cocoa powder - use a good-quality cocoa for the richest chocolate flavour. Dutch-process or regular both work.
- Brown sugar - this is the secret to fudgy brownies. It adds moisture and that classic chewy texture, so don't swap it out for more caster sugar.
- Chocolate chips - I love using a mix of milk and white for contrast, but use whatever you prefer. Dark chocolate chips give a richer, less sweet result.
- Walnuts - totally optional but they add a lovely crunch. Leave them out if you're gifting to someone nut-free.
Variations
- Nut-free - simply leave out the walnuts or replace with extra chocolate chips.
- Gluten-free - swap the plain flour for a good quality gluten-free plain flour blend.
- Triple chocolate - add dark chocolate chips or chunks alongside the milk and white for extra richness.
- Festive twist - swap the walnuts for M&Ms or roughly chopped candy canes for a Christmas version.
How To Make Brownies In A Jar
It is SO easy. Grab a clean jar, layer in the dry ingredients, print the tag - and that's literally it!
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Prepare the jar and dry base: Use a clean 1-litre glass jar. Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl and mix well.
- Start layering: Add half the flour mixture to the jar and level it out. Spoon the cocoa powder evenly over the top.
- Add the remaining flour: Gently spoon the rest of the flour mixture over the cocoa and smooth it out.
- Continue layering: Add the brown sugar, then caster sugar, then chocolate chips, then walnuts on top.
- Seal and decorate: Close the lid tightly and attach your printable gift tag with a ribbon. Done!
- Baking instructions for the tag: Empty jar contents into a bowl, add 150g melted butter and 3 eggs, mix well, then bake in a lined slice tin at 170°C for 25-30 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Use a wide-mouth jar - so much easier to layer neatly, and they look better too.
- Making multiple jars? Scale up your dry ingredients and line the jars up in a row. Add one layer to all the jars at a time - a little production-line-style. So satisfying.
- Gently tap the jar on the bench between each layer to keep everything level and defined.
- Wipe the inside of the jar between layers with a dry paper towel to keep the layers crisp and clean.
- Don't skip the brown sugar - it's the key to fudgy (not cakey) brownies.
- Got extra room at the top? Just add more walnuts or a few extra chocolate chips to fill it out.
- Pairing ideas: Bundle the jar in a hamper with my Caramel Fudge or 3 Ingredient Shortbread for an impressive gift basket.
- Store the sealed jar in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.
- Once baked, brownies keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze baked brownies for up to 3 months - slice them first for easy grab-and-go portions.
Free Printable Gift Tag For 'Brownies In A Jar'
Click here to download your free printable gift tags - or just write your own on a cute card and tie it on with ribbon. Both work perfectly!
Brownies In A Jar FAQs
The dry mix will keep for up to 3 months stored in a cool, dry place with the lid tightly sealed. Just make sure there's no moisture getting in and it'll be good to go whenever the recipient is ready to bake.
A 1-litre clear glass jar is perfect - it fits all the layers neatly and shows them off beautifully. Wide-mouth jars are the easiest to fill. You'll find them at Kmart, Big W or most discount stores for just a few dollars.
Absolutely! Just leave the walnuts out entirely or replace them with extra chocolate chips. Great option if you're gifting to a nut-free household or a school.
So many options! My Caramel Fudge and 3 Ingredient Shortbread are both easy to make and look gorgeous alongside the jar. Add some nice tea, a wooden spoon, a tea towel and you've got yourself a beautiful homemade hamper.
More Homemade Gift Ideas
Looking for more easy, thoughtful treats to gift? Here are some of my all-time favourites that are just as simple and always impress.
WANT EVEN MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Facebook or Instagram. And if you love baking, then please come and join my Facebook cooking club group or subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Brownies in a Jar
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups plain flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- ¾ cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
- ¾ cup caster sugar
- ¾ cup milk chocolate chips
- ¾ cup white chocolate chips
- 100 g walnuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- To make 'brownies in a jar' you'll need a 1 litre glass jar.
- In a small bowl, mix the plain flour, salt and baking powder together.
- Carefully spoon half of the flour mixture into the bottom of the glass jar. Gently move the flour around so that you have an even layer.
- Spoon the cocoa powder on top of the plain flour in the jar and spread around to create another even layer.
- Spoon the remaining flour mixture over the top.
- Continue to create the layers in the following order - brown sugar, caster sugar, milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and finally walnuts.
- Close the lid of the glass jar (if you have any extra space at the top of the jar, simply top up with extra walnuts).
- Print out our free recipe gift tag and attach to the jar with a ribbon (see notes). I
Notes
- Use a wide-mouth jar for easier layering and better presentation.
- If you're making a few jars at once, it's easiest to scale up your dry ingredients (double, triple or more), then line the jars up and add each layer to all of them one ingredient at a time - just like a little production line.
- Gently tap the jar on the bench between layers to keep them even.
- Wipe the inside of the jar with a paper towel for clean, defined layers.
- Don't skip the brown sugar - it's key for fudgy brownies!
- If you have a bit of room at the top of the jar, simply add in some extra walnuts.
- Store the jar in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.
- Once baked, brownies keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze baked brownies for up to 3 months (slice first for convenience).
- Click here to download your free printable gift tags
- Or add a handwritten tag for a more personal touch. Here are the instructions:
Jennifer says
Made 17 of these jars for extra gifts this year. Looked fabulous and so easy! Went well in baking baskets, with Christmas tea towel, platter and servers, or mixing cups and bowls. Some clear cellophane, Christmas greenery sprigs and pretty ribbon, these looked like super expensive gifts.
Jenna says
I can't find the free printable link for this
Lucy says
Hey Jenna, if you click the jump to recipe button, the print button will be in the recipe card 🙂
Cristina says
I had this jar as a Christmas present, loved it!!!!
Easy to make and delicious, enjoyed the time making them with my grandaughter
Lucy says
Fantastic!!!
Brielle Turner says
Hi, I was wondering if a one quart jar would work?
Aiya Pehlic says
For one serving, do you know what size jar i'll need?
Jacinta says
It's a 1 ltr jar Aiya.