Skip the boxed brownie mix and make The BEST Cocoa Fudge Brownies instead! This recipe calls for everyday ingredients like butter, oil, eggs, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, all purpose flour, and salt. These super fudgy brownies are best served with a cold glass of milk!
Our Favorite Brownies
Recently a reader (Hi, Linda!) emailed me with a request. She asked if I’d consider creating a new brownie recipe that used ALL cocoa powder as its base.
The reason for this request, she explained, is that her husband – who’s a doctor and is working overtime right now – LOVES brownies! And she’s been baking him 3 batches a week to bring to bring to work to share with co-workers. How sweet is that!?
The issue? Most of the brownie recipes she was encountering call for a large quantity of high-quality chocolate. Which is very expensive and hard to find. Especially right now… given everything going on in the world!
I couldn’t have been happier to read this email and I basically ran into my kitchen to accommodate her request!
I also made a mental note: create more budget friendly recipes that’ll help keep us all baking through these trying times! So from here on out, I’ll be sharing a few basic baking recipes a week, in addition to the regularly programed content!
Do you have any requests? Let me know in the comments below! Or email me!
These Cocoa Brownies are:
- shiny, crispy, and crackly on top
- rich and fudgy in the middle
- loaded with gooey chocolate chips
- made with affordable everyday ingredients
- completely from scratch
- sure to become your new favorite brownie recipe
- always a crowd-pleaser!!!
How to Bake Brownies
- In a saucepan melt the butter and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Remove from heat and stir in the oil.
- In a separate bowl, add eggs and remaining sugar and whisk until well combined.
- Slowly – whisking constantly – add the butter mixture to the egg mixture, stirring until combined.
- Toss in the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and baking powder, and stir until JUST combined. Don’t over mix here!
- Stir in 3/4 cup of chocolate chips! Feel free to use milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, dark chocolate, or a combination!
- Bake for 27 to 30 minutes. The bake time here depends on just how fudgy you want your brownies to be! For brownies that are super gooey, pull them at 27 minutes. For more structured brownies, bake for 30 minutes, or until there’s barely any wiggle in the center of the pan.
- I suggest you place the brownies on a wire rack and cool completely in the pan before slicing. They usually come to room temperature within a few hours. If you want a warm brownie, you can heat it up for a few seconds in the oven or microwave.
This recipe yields about 9 large brownies! But I’ve successfully doubled the recipe by simply multiplying the ingredients by two and baking them in a 9×13-inch baking pan. If you do decide to double the recipe, you’ll want to increase the baking time by about 5 minutes, maybe a little more.
More Brownie Recipes:
- Brown Butter Walnut Brownies
- Baked Brownies
- White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies
- Peanut Butter Cup Brownies
- Raspberry Truffle Brownies
- Espresso Chocolate Chunk Brownies
If you try this recipe for Cocoa Powder Brownies, let me know! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #bakerbynature on instagram! Seeing your kitchen creations makes my day ♥
The Best Cocoa Fudge Brownies
Prep
Cook
Inactive
Total
Yield 9" Pan
Skip the boxed brownie mix and make The BEST Cocoa Fudge Brownies instead! Thick, chewy, fudgy, and so easy!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter
- 3 Tablespoons oil (35 grams) (Canola, Vegetable, or Coconut will work)
- 1 and 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar, divided
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional but enhances the chocolate flavor)
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup (120 grams) flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (43 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup (128 grams) chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F) (175 degreed C). Line an 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spray lightly with non-stick spray and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, oil, 1/2 cup sugar, and espresso powder (if using). Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until butter is completely melted. This mixture should be HOT.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and remaining sugar. Whisk until just combined. Do not over mix here or your brownies will be cakey!
- Slowly, pour the butter mixture into the egg mixture, adding it very gradually (a little bit at a time) and whisking constantly until completely combined.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder and chocolate chips and, using a rubber spatula, slowly stir until just combined. *Do not over mix! Stop staring when you see the last trace of dry ingredients. Over mixing will give you cakey brownies.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 27 to 32 minutes, or until the edges are firm and the top is shiny and slightly cracked.
- Place pan on a cooling rack and cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- For very gooey brownies, you'll want to pull them out closer to 27 minutes. For more structured brownies, let the, bake 30 to 32 minutes.
- Over mixing is the number 1 reason brownies come out cakey.
Courses Dessert
Cuisine American
Could these be baked with oil only?
Hi Z! I haven’t tried, but I don’t think they would be as flavorful. If you experiment, I would suggest using less oil. Let us know if you try it out 🙂
JUST saw these brownies on Ashley’s Instagram account and knew I had to make them immediately! They JUST came out of the oven and I couldn’t help but try a little piece before they fully cooled down and oh my goodness – new favorite brownie recipe! They are so rich and flavorful, and the texture is unreal. HIGHLY recommend! xo
Molly – you just made my day!!! SO HAPPY YOU LOVED THIS RECIPE! All caps because I’m that happy lol. Happy baking and thank you so much for letting me know you enjoyed this one!
These are true to their title – absolutely AMAZING brownies and a HUGE hit in my home. While the espresso is optional, I highly recommend adding it! The only difference I encountered was my baking time – these were extremely thick brownies and I ended up baking for an additional 10 minutes in order for them to cook thoroughly. Not sure if that’s due to my error or due to an old oven! Just something to mention. Hands down best recipe – make it TODAY!
Hi!
Passover is about to start. Flour, not allowed. There is cake matza “flour”. It’s pretty dry and dry. Did I mention, it’s dry?
Good.
How would you modify this recipe? Add more oil or some water, maybe with instant coffee flavoring it?
How much of either would you guess?
Thanks, Hal
Hi Hal! Happy almost Passover! Unfortunately I have not experimented using that variety of flour in baking, so I cannot wisely advise. I would say that if you think it’s drier than all purpose flour, you may want to add an extra Tablespoon of oil! Sorry I can’t be more helpful, but I wouldn’t want to lead you astray with misinformation. If you experiment, I hope you’ll let me know how it goes! Stay well 🙂
Hai …i’m Lisya …How many used all-purpose flour?
Hola, cuántos brownies salen de esta receta, saludos desde Ecuador
Hola! Ella puso arriba que 9 brownies grandes
Hi!! I can’t wait to try these. Are the chocolate chips necessary for the chocolate flavor or is it more of an add-in, like nuts might be?
Hi Kath! Nope, you can totally leave them out! They’re an add-in and make the brownies more chocolatey, but they’ll still be divine without them 🙂
Good. Cuz I don’t have any on hand and I don’t want to go to the store…thanks!
Hi! Did you also melt the choco chips? Thanks
Hi Agatha! Nope, you stir them in at the end, right before baking. Step 5!
I was going to try this recipe and make it slightly more suitable for Easter by putting a small caramello egg in each square. If I do that, would I add less sugar?
Hi Lynelle! What a cute idea! I would suggest pressing the eggs on top of the brownies when they come out of the oven. Otherwise they’ll likely melt into the brownies, and be unnoticeable. I would say if you cut the sugar at all, only by 1/4 cup max. Can’t wait to hear how it turns out! Happy Easter!
Could I substitute gluten free flour for the flour?
Hi Laurie! I haven’t tried, but I think a 1 for 1 GF sub would work! If you give it a try, please let me know 🙂
It will be the same oven temperature if im using fan force setting?
Hi Lolit. I have to no experience baking with a fan force setting so I’m not sure. I would suggest doing a little google digging to see what the best adaptions would be!
Hi there,
I have made the mistake of forgetting that my oven was on fan and the brownies came out as a super dry very dark looking cake ahah
I have been very cautious about not over mixing but then forgot about having to lower the temperature with fan… oh man it was a sad moment when I cut out the brownies and realised something was wrong!
Plus I used GF self rising flour so it could have contributed to the semi disaster.
I will give it a try again without the fan on and see what happens! Otherwise I would recommend to lower the temperature while using the fan setting probably to about 150 degrees Celsius. Let me know if you have had the same issue!
I saw this recipe posted yesterday and went right out to get cocoa and chocolate chips. Made them right away and oh man, this is my new go-to brownie recipe. I used some freshly ground coffee instead of espresso powder. Made them exactly like the recipe and they turned out perfectly. The recipe is easy, too.
They have the perfect crackle on top, are fudgy and cocoa-y and perfect. I used milk chocolate chips but will probably use semi-sweet or even dark next time. I’m going to add walnuts next time too, yum.
Already thinking of events I can bring these to.
Delicious.
Oh, I should add that I made this into 16 smaller brownies. (but still a good size). They are 200 calories each at this size, in case anyone is wondering 🙂
Thanks for the tip! xo
Hi Kat! So happy to hear these were a big hit for you 🙂 I LOVE adding walnuts and dark chocolate chips… highly recommend! Happy baking! xo
How would this recipe work for a 13×9 baking pan? I would like to make a double batch of these brownies. But i only have 1 pan
Hi LuAnn! You’ll want to double all of the ingredients and then add a few minutes onto the bake time 🙂
Thanks so much. Can’t wait to try. They look so delicious. Thanks for posting
Bingo !!!!!. I doubled the recipe for a 13×9 baking pan. I just took them out of the oven. They smell incredible. Can’t wait to try. Thanks again for sharing this incredible Brownie recipe
Jeez. Blond moment here. I forgot to ask since i didn’t read it anywhere in this post. Can these brownies be frozen? Thanks
Hi Ashley 1
i was curious as to what would happen if i tripled the recipe in one go ? would it affect the consistency & do you recommend it ?
Thank you !
I made this recipe (thanks!) and although they taste delicious, I didn’t achieve that gorgeous, shiny, crackly top! Any suggestions as to how I can achieve that top the next time? Or where I may have gone wrong? I did follow the directions exactly as written. Thank you! 🙂
Hi Christina! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! But I’d love to help you get that shiny top! The trick is combining the hot butter and sugar mixture, with the sugar and egg mixture. I would suggest making sure the butter/sugar mixture gets really hot and not waiting long before combining it with the sugar and eggs. Basically, steps 2,3,4 should be quickly done back to back. I hope that’s helpful!
Yes, super helpful! That’s where I went astray; the butter/sugar mix wasn’t hot when I added it to the egg/sugar mixture. I will adjust the next time I make them! Thank you so much + stay well!! 🙂
Happy to help! And I added a note about that in the recipe – so thank YOU!!! Happy baking 🙂
What did I do wrong??!?? The texture came out more like a cake than brownies :(. It still tastes delicious though. Please help!!
Hi Janet. I’m sorry they came out cakey! The number one reason brownies come out cakey is over mixing the batter. Once you’ve added the flour and cocoa, you should mix very gently and only until the dry ingredients are just combined (I like to stop mixing when I can still see the lightest trace of the dry ingredients so I know I haven’t overmixed). The second reason would be adding too much flour and cocoa. To measure, I suggest lightly spooning the flour (or cocoa) into the measuring cup until it’s heaped, then leveling it off with the back of a knife. This ensures you don’t “pack” the flour into the cup. I hope that helps!
I stressed baked last night and for all the right reasons, these fudgy brownies were a hit with my family. As a mom of 4 girls I rarely get the first bite but I took the middle one and it was delish! So good I had one for breakfast ♥️
-Danielle, stress baker by nature
So happy these were a hit with you and your family, Danielle! And that you got the middle one (my favorite piece). Happy baking!
These brownies will not disappoint; they are quite simple perfection. I had all ingredients on hand, including the espresso powder and a sprinkle of Maldon salt before serving.
I froze half to prevent us from eating in one sitting so am waiting to find out if they freeze well.
I backed a few minutes longer than called for. As I don’t think my oven is heating to the correct temp; it’s old. Still resulted in dense fudgy deliciousness.
Hi Heather! So glad these didn’t disappoint 🙂 And thanks for the tip on increasing the bake time – so helpful for other bakers who may need to make a similar adjustment! xo
I made these with things I already had in my pantry! They were so easy to make and by far the best brownies I’ve ever had! Love the coffee and dark chocolate! Excited to try another recipe. I’ve been wanting to forever and I’m so glad I finally did.
Growing up we made homemade fudge with Hershey Cocoa. Can you make this one as well??
Love the Brownie recipe❤️ Thank you for the budget friendly, easy to find ingredients.
I will make this recipe again in a heartbeat. I have been looking for the best brownie recipe for months now. After lots of trial and error I came across this one and I can promise you they are the bessstttt. They are soft and cakey and they melt in your mouth. Try the recipe if you haven’t yet!
Note: due to personal preferences i did swap 1/4c of white sugar for ligh brown sugar, was amazing 🙂
So I completely forgot to add the oil!! Whoops haha
I made these the other day and they were fabulous. The texture was perfect. I used instant coffee because that’s what I had in hand, it turned out great
made these tonight, great texture (cooked 35 minutes), very rich (used dark chips that’s all I had) so that being said could’ve been a little sweeter:) still good and rich!
Hi…Glad I baked these gooey brownies. Got a great texture, very rich n gooey and soft. The kids couldn’t wait for them to cool down. Got over like a swish. One thing I could not achieve was the flaky ness on the top from corner to corner which I see in your pics. How do I get that ?
Would you be able to give a gram /oz measurement for the flour? I’m so excited to make these but I don’t have US cup measurements as I’m in a different country. I know brownies go rather sideways if there’s too much flour so I would really appreciate it!
Do the chocolate chips melt during baking or so they create chunks? If so, I don’t love chunks in brownies, would melting them before adding to batter be a good option?
Hi Ashley, I tried this recipe today – it has come out well but nothing like yours. I didn’t get the shiny cracked top. Do you have a video of this recipe or can you post one?
Thnx. – Gazal
You’ve done it again! Ive made several of your recipes and love them all! I do have a question about how I could make them more chocolatey (I know, I’m hopeless)? I added the chocolate chips (semi-sweet) and used the full amount of cocoa powder. Mine didn’t look as dark as yours. They were delicious and my whole family loved them. I would totally make them again. I just love a slightly darker and more bitter brownie (like the boxed Ghirardelli mix) I’m curious how I could achieve this? A little less flour but more cocoa powder? Thanks Ashley!
Hi I was wondering can i change cocoa powder with milo? And lessen the sugar?? Will it still works? Until what stage should I melt the butter and sugar? Thanks
Thanks , Audrey
These were absolutely delicious! My husband and I could NOT stop thinking about them and dreaming about them. The intense chocolatey, fudgey flavor was amazing, especially when warmed up with a few scoops of vanilla ice cream! Truly decadent! Make sure to use good quality chocolate!
Hi! Can’t wait to make these!!! How long do they store well at room temp for?
Ok I just tried making these and the HOT melted butter basically cooked some of the egg………….so I have nasty white looking pockets of cooked egg in the middle of my brownies, and I used up commodities like flour, sugar, and eggs that aren’t easy to come by these days
Hoping it make these tomorrow! Can I just ask can I used vanilla extract instead of espresso? As I believe that’s just to add flavour?
hey!! the brownie looks incredible!!
im allergic to eggs- would it be possible for u to suggest how i can replace them? i really want to learn how to make these perfectly gooey on the inside – and crisp on the outside brownies!!
thanks!!
Hi! Can I follow the same recipe if I have an 8×8 pan?
Hi! I only have Dutch process cocoa powder. Could this work? If yes, should I change anything else?
Thank you!
Yes, you can use that and no other changes need to be made!
Made these today but I didn’t get the crackle on top and they weren’t done after 30 minutes. Only got the crackle in the middle but was very gooey, not done consistency. Trying to figure where I went wrong. Followed recipe to a tee. The only thing I can think is maybe I did over mix. I used an 8 X 8 glass pan and I didn’t use parchment paper or aluminum foil. Could this have been the problem? Help. I really love your recipes.
Hi Carmen. Yes, using a smaller pan means you would need to increase the bake time. Baking times are just estimates, so you should use visual clues to tell when they’re done. The brownies should still be a little gooey in the center when you remove them from the oven, since they will cool in the pan for 2 hours, where they will continue to cool and firm up. Your oven may also run a little low, which would mean you’d need to add extra bake time. Over mixing will definitely cause your brownies to be dry and cakey. The crackle top is achieved by properly combining the hot butter mixture with the sugar and eggs. I suggest you go my Instagram and watch me make these step-by-step, it’s saved to my IG Highlights. https://www.instagram.com/bakerbynature/
Hello, this recipe is for a 9×13 pan??
Hi Lizzy. No, it’s a 9×9″ pan. You can double the recipe for a 9×13.
Hey ashley,
Can I reduce the amount of butter ?
Hi Danah! I don’t recommend it.
Hi Ashley! I am dying to try this one out! But I only have a 8×8 pan. Could you advise how can I modify the recipe to accommodate that? Thanks! 🙂
In one part you leave out the expresso power in step 1. A lot of unnecessary scrolling if you are using a smart phone. I don’t know why mine turned out light brown
These were crazy delicious. 29 minutes. Very gooey…but not TOO gooey. These are my new favorite recipe.
These brownies don’t disappoint.. The first time I made them I melted all the sugar with the butter by mistake and added to egg mixture. They still came out fabulous! We made them again last night and followed the instructions to a t. They came out just as good. They are so most & chewy and live up to the title you gave them. I will never make brownies from a box again! Thank you for sharing this fabulous recipe with us! One note both times I made I used King Arthur gluten free flour. Could never tell they were gluten feee brownies!
Hi is it okay if i use unsweetened cocoa powder? Or what kind of cocoa powder will u recommend?
I made these last night and they came out incredible! Unfortunately I didn’t have any espresso powder, but I did top them with some sea salt flakes. I bake brownies in all different ways and no matter how hard I try I rarely get that shiny hard layer. I definitely did with these! They came out beautiful and flavorful. Thank you
Hello! Thank you so much for this recipe, just wanted to know what’s the difference regarding the taste, between only cocoa powder and a mix of powder and real melted chocolate?
I don’t have espresso powder. Any chance instant coffee Crystals work?
Hi! It’s Mother’s Day tomorrow & was thinking of making this… Can I bake this in an 8×8 square pan? I don’t have 9×9… Any adjustment with baking time & oven temp?
Hi i hv tried the brownies. It tastes yummy. Only thing is it stuck to lining paper.. Hv to cut piece by peices to remove it. Did i underbake? As since it is quite soft even bake for 40 min
I have faced the same problem here, I used the exact cake pan also, can help us in this please!
Are you lining the pan with parchment paper? It shouldn’t stick at all to that!
Hy yea , I did! But after heating the sugar and butter my mixture is really really hot before I keep them in the oven itself. And atlast while adding the chocolate chips, my chocolates will literally melts. Is this the reason for this ?
Delicious recipe! Would surely recommend to anyone who wants to impress your friends with homemade brownies! 🙂
My son and I made these last night for his class project. These are amazingly good and simple to make. Enjoying one this minute warm with espresso ice cream. Thank you for this recipe!!!
I have these in the oven now! Just wanted to say that in the written recipe it says 2 large eggs + egg yolk but on Instagram you had 4 egg yolks in the bowl? (Ie 3 eggs + egg yolk)? I ended up making mine with 3 eggs like in the written recipe but wasn’t sure
Ok so just tried these. I have to say this is the first recipe on this blog that I’ve made that I didn’t love. It’s a bit too fudgey and eggy for me, I guess it’s a matter of personal preference or maybe I didn’t cook it for long enough (32 minutes in 9x7in pan, to was smooth and sides coming away from pan)
Ok I know I seem deranged commenting so many times about brownies but I thought I’d come back and say after eating these when cold they’re pretty good ! My husband and friends really enjoyed them. I just don’t like them warm turns out 🙂
Hi ! I’m planning on baking these tomorrow but without the chocolate chips as I don’t have any on hand. Most conventional recipes taste too sweet for my palate and I’d like to substitute the white sugar with brown sugar. That won’t have any effect on the texture will it ?
Hi! Brown sugar will make the brownies more moist, and slightly cakier.
These are the best brownies. Every person I’ve shared them with says the same and I’ve been effectively locked-in with these as my contribution to any potluck.
Hi. Making it for the first time but little confused. In step 3, do we have to whisk egg and sugar until sugar dissolves or just to combine them?
hi, if i am using a 13×13 inch pan do i have to double the recipe?
These are delicious! Made these brownies today. These are so moist and chocolatey. Thank you for your recipes
If I only have sweetened cocoa powder would it be okay if I added less sugar?
I need a recipe for eggless brownies
Made these today and I got to tell you….Will never make a boxed brownie ever again! The buttery ,chocolaty goodness is amazing! They didn’t last long, so I havecto make again!
Hello –
I posted this question yesterday as well but it seems to be have vanished.
I just want to clarify the number of eggs needed in this recipe – in the listed recipe above it says use 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk and in your instagram stories you use 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk.
Thanks.
Hi! The recipe listed above is correct. 2 eggs plus 1 yolk 🙂