The Best Fudgy Cocoa Brownies you’ll ever try thanks to a special addition that gives these brownies a super fudgy centre without losing that crispy, crackly top!
This one-bowl cocoa brownie recipe is outrageously easy to throw together, skipping the extra bowls and the extra steps but keeping ALL of the extra flavour.
COCOA BROWNIES RECIPE
What if I told you that you don’t need to melt chocolate or chocolate chips with butter together to make brownies and you don’t need two separate bowls? Just one bowl and five minutes to bring it all together to make the BEST cocoa brownies you’ll eat in this lifetime. The best part is they’re only 144 calories EACH! Dramatically lighter than the usual 356 calorie brownies, am I right?
If you’ve been closely following my brownie journey, you’d know I’ve tried almost every brownie adaption under the sun including our World’s Best Fudgiest Brownies, Mixed Berry Nutella Brownies and Cookies and Cream Brownies, all in an attempt to find the perfect brownie texture.
Well, after testing what feels like a lifetime of brownies, I finally found the perfect texture! What’s the secret? The one ingredient I add to these cocoa brownies that differs from most is a small amount of oil. The oil is just enough to keep the centres extremely fudgy, without compromising the crispy, crackly crust you can see in these photos.
WHAT MAKES BROWNIES FUDGY VS CAKEY?
- Hot melted butter creates those crackly tops!
- Whisk your butter and sugar really well.
- Beat in your eggs for a good minute. This step is crucial for that crackly top
- Do not over-beat your batter once the flour and cocoa powder are added. That creates air in the batter which will give you cake-like textured cocoa brownies. Cakey is okay, but not today friends.
- Try not over bake them! I like mine at exactly 21:30 minutes. You can go a little bit over if you like them slightly more set, but I don’t recommend it if you’re looking for the fudgiest brownies you’ve ever tried.
- I bake my brownies on the top shelf in the oven. I find the middle shelf cooks them a lot faster and dries them out.
I mean… I think these cocoa brownie pictures speak for themselves don’t you?!
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COCOA BROWNIES AND CHOCOLATE BROWNIES?
The difference between the two brownies comes down to the different types of fat used. For instance, cocoa brownie recipes traditionally use oil while chocolate brownies use butter.
The texture and flavour of the brownie can also differ based on the use of cocoa over melted chocolate. Personally, we prefer the flavours and fudgy textures you get from cocoa brownies!
CAN A BROWNIE BE HEALTHY?
As much as I love these Low Carb Zucchini Brownies, and these Flourless Hazelnut Brownies, I’m thinking these super luxe cocoa brownies are even better. Although, despite our cocoa brownies being decadent, they are still considered low calorie at 144 calories per slice.
WATCH HOW WE MAKE THE BEST FUDGY COCOA BROWNIES RIGHT HERE!
FOR THICKER DOUBLE BATCH BROWNIES: USE THIS RECIPE! FIND IT ON FACEBOOK HERE
Best Fudgy Cocoa Brownies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and HOT
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil olive oil or coconut oil are fine
- 1 â…› cup superfine sugar caster sugar or white granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup all purpose flour or plain flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking oil spray. Line with parchment paper (or baking paper); set aside.
- Combine hot melted butter, oil and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk well for about a minute. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until lighter in colour (another minute).
- Sift in flour, cocoa powder and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until JUST combined (do NOT over beat as doing so well affect the texture of your brownies).
- Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top out evenly. (OPTIONAL: Top with chocolate chunks or chocolate chips.)
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the centre of the brownies in the pan no longer jiggles and is just set to the touch (the brownies will keep baking in the hot pan out of the oven). If testing with a toothpick, the toothpick should come out dirty for fudge-textured brownies.
- Remove and allow to cool to room temperature before slicing into 16 brownies.
OPTIONAL ADD INS:
- Crushed walnuts, peanuts, almonds, pecans, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, chocolate chunks, dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, etc)
Notes
2. Beat in your eggs for a good minute. This step is crucial for that crackly top
3. Do NOT over beat your batter once the flour and cocoa powder are added. THAT creates air pockets in the batter which will give you cake-like textured brownies.
4. Try NOT over bake them. Check them at around the 15 minute mark and keep your eye on them. As some ovens run hotter than others, timing is a guide only. Our oven bakes them at exactly 21:30 minutes. Another oven we tested them in baked them at 18:40 minutes. You can go a little bit over if you like them set a bit more, but I don't recommend it if you're looking for the fudgiest brownies in this lifetime.
5. I bake my brownies on the top shelf in the oven. I find the middle shelf cooks them a lot faster and dries them out. If your oven runs hotter at the top half, move them to the middle shelf.
Nutrition
KAREN f REYNOLDS says
I am 69 yrs old and have been looking for these brownies for years. I am disabled and the simplicity of this recipe is amazing. I also substituted half of the sugar with brown sugar……perfection !!!
Pam says
Can this recipe be done in a 9×13?
Tom Mozgala says
Hey Pam,
Just spoke to Karina and yes, she said you can adapt this brownie recipe to a 9×13 inch pan, but there are a few adjustments to consider:
Baking Time: Since a 9×13 inch pan is larger and shallower than the 8-inch square pan, the brownies will likely bake faster. Check for doneness around 15-20 minutes instead of the original 20-25 minutes.
Thickness: The brownies will be thinner, which may result in a different texture. They may be less fudgy and more close to a cakey texture, so keep an eye on them to prevent overbaking.
Yield: You can expect to yield more than 16 brownies because of the larger pan size. Adjust your cutting size based on preference.
Temperature: Maintain the same temperature of 350°F (175°C).
By making these adjustments, you should be able to successfully bake the brownies in a 9×13 inch pan! Enjoy!
Redd says
These are the best brownies I’ve ever had! I baked them for exactly 20 minutes and they came out like a chocolate lava brownie. I sprinkled a lil sea salt on top. Perfection. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Farah says
Can’t agree more! Superb! I received many rave reviews on the fudginess of this brownie. Personally I live the crackly top. Best eaten about 1/2 hr after removing from the oven. I’ll be making another batch soon.
Cathy Laurito says
Oh my gosh. This recipe is amazing.
I added dark chocolate chips caramel chips.
You know anything that is amazing is EVIL. Lol
Marisa says
Cafe Delites is my go to for sweet recipes. None of them have ever failed. This brownie recipe is so fast and so delicious I don’t bother trying to make anyone else’s.
Shannon says
Hands down the best brownies!
SJ says
These are the BEST! I’ve made over 10 times at this point, and all my friends ask for me to bring them to gatherings. I follow the recipe as given except I usually do 1 cup of sugar instead of the 1 1/8.
Lisa says
This is my go to for quick delicious dust brownies. The recipe is easy to follow and the bake perfectly every time. It’s my favorite!
Steph L says
This recipe finally gave me the super fudgy, moist (and not cakey) brownies that I’ve been looking for for years. Time and time again, recipes would promise this and not deliver. This one did. Two small adjustments I did to help further achieve this result: 1) I replaced half the granulated white sugar with dark brown sugar and 2) I baked the brownies at 325F, not 350F. I also added in about half a cup of chopped walnuts and half a cup of chopped good-quality dark chocolate for extra texture. I am so happy I came across this recipe, and that as a bonus that it’s so easy to whip up!
Ahmed says
Very amazing and simple at the same time. I had no 8-inch square pan so I used 9 inch round one it worked the same it took about 30 min.