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 ⅛ 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
Katie says
I made these with white chocolate powder instead of cocoa powder and I added freeze dried raspberries and white chocolate chips. YUM. YUM. YUMMM!!!
Kim says
Best brownies I have ever made 😋
Vic says
What is white cocoa powder? Is it white hot chocolate mix? Could I use nonfat milk powder to replace the cocoa powder for white brownies?
Victoria T Browder says
whats white chocolate powder?
Siobhan Eva says
I’m just another person saying that this recipe is great. It made quite thin brownies so I double the recipe. I also used muscavado sugar instead…Yum.. I also dust them with icing sugar. Delish!!! 10/10
Nancy Murray says
What size pan did you use when you doubled the recipe?
Annie says
Should’ve left this comment a long time ago. I am not a brownie person, but for some reason was craving them a couple of years ago and looked up a recipe and have never looked back. This is by far one of the best brownies I have ever had do you won’t be disappointed I always use a super dark cocoa powder mix with some Dutch.
Karina says
Thank you for your feedback Annie! This makes me so happy.
Stella says
This is the only brownie recipe I use! I use 1:1 GF flour, all coconut oil and coconut sugar and they still come out amazing!! Also used either dark or regular cocoa powder depending on what I had. Thanks for the great recipe!
ChefPaul says
You have a billion great comments already. Probably, nobody will ever read down this far. However, I felt compelled to come here and make a comment, knowing that I have made theses brownies over 50 times lol.
I am a retired pastry chef. And although we never made brownies (French pasty shop), I have personally always loved them. As a child, I have great memories eating a warm fudge brownie with chocolate chips, from the place in every mall back in the 80’s haha. Oh, how I loved brownies.
These, made with real ingredients, are so nostalgic for me, with every bite. I sprinkle some dark chocolate chips on the top, before placing in oven ( I find mixing them in is a bit overwhelming for my taste. The dark chocolate takes over). This brownie is so close to the greatest ‘Brownie Memories’ of my life. It has been my go-to recipe for many years now. I don’t even have to look at it. I know . One and 1/8 cup sugar, `1stick melted butter (very hot !! lol).
After using this recipe so many times, and living in a world where FAKE is the norm (fake vanilla, fake eggs, fake butter ) . . . These are simple and amazing. Glad I found them . . long ago.
Karina says
Hi Chef Paul, thank you for sharing your incredible review for this recipe. you brought me to tears… this is why I love creating recipes for my readers. Thank you for coming back and sharing this. Truly, thank you X
Noah Novoseller says
Hello these were so good
Alex Jarman says
I’m a father of 8 and bake daily for the kids and their sports teams and school and others because I love to make people happy. I bake brownies lots too, but a little different. I’m honoured to make yours, as they are more gooey and explains why mixing the dry ingredients make it too cakey…I’m so glad I came across your recipe. Once I make something good, I just memorize it and go for it. I thank you for making so many people happy. Bless you
Chloe says
This is the best brownie recipe ever !!
I substitute with my gf flour and still they were perfect, I used Glacé cherry halves cut up and then a mix of dark chocolate and milk chocolate chips and then also use a little more salt to create the perfect balance of sweet and salty
Karina says
Hi Chloe, it is so great that the gluten free substitution worked well for you! Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe.
Erica says
Hello Karina 🙂 Thank you for sharing! These are our favorite brownies. Question … how do you store yours? Are they shelf stable?
Thank you!
Erica 🙂
Karina says
Hi Erica, there’s never leftover brownies to store them. I usually refrigerate baked goods in an airtight container and reheat them when serving for a gooey, chocolatey experience.
Amy says
Absolutely amazed at how delicious and chewy these are, the best recipe I have ever followed to make brownies and the only one I will use again 😍
Mandi says
This recipe is awesome! They were delicious and there were zero pieces left of two batches I made for a small cookout. They were fantastic served warm with vanilla ice cream. 😋
Denise says
This is the absolute BEST homemade brownie recipe I have ever tried! It’s not dry, it has the crackly top I love, and it taste absolutely amazing!