Quick and easy, these Cocoa Powder Brownies taste just like your favorite boxed brownie mix. They’re made with pantry staples and ready in 45 minutes!
Easy Homemade Brownie Recipe
Raise your hand if sometimes you reach for a box of brownies instead of making them from scratch. I know that I definitely have – sometimes it’s just so much easier! Now I just make these Cocoa Powder Brownies instead!
I created this recipe with the intention for it to be quicker and easier to make, and to mimic a boxed brownie mix. In a boxed brownie mix, you’d typically add oil, water and eggs. This recipe is the same, but instead of water, I added some milk for richness.
While most homemade brownie recipes do not usually have a leveling agent, I intentionally added one to this recipe. The baking soda prevents the brownies from being overly dense and fudgy, though they’re definitely not cakey either. It’s the perfect middle ground! (And some boxed brownie mixes, like our favorite Ghirardelli Double Chocolate, also contain baking soda.)
What’s the Difference Between These and Fudgy Brownies?
I’ve shared a handful of brownie recipes in the past, most of them variations on my fudgy brownies recipe. So what makes this recipe different?
- This recipe is quicker and easier to prepare with less dishes
- These are thinner, less dense and a litte less rich
- There’s no melted chocolate in this batter. The melted chocolate makes for a heavier, denser and fudgier brownie
- These chewy but still fudgy brownies are my version of our favorite boxed brownie mix.
- This recipe used oil instead of butter, which keeps them moist
Key Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients you’ll need for these homemade brownies. Scroll down to the recipe card to see the exact measurements and full ingredient list.
- Granulated sugar
- Oil – Vegetable oil helps keep the brownies moist. I don’t recommend substituting melted butter.
- Milk – Adds a richness to the brownies.
- All-purpose flour
- Cocoa powder – It’s important to use natural, unsweetened cocoa powder. See notes below.
- Baking soda – A touch of baking soda provides just enough air pockets in these brownies to mimic a boxed brownie mix.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips – Add that rich, chocolatey goodness.
- Flakey sea salt – Optional but I love the salty-sweet combo.
A Note On The Cocoa Powder
The key to making these brownies is to use natural cocoa powder, NOT dutch processed cocoa powder. (Learn more about the difference between the two here.) The reason for this is the baking soda in the recipe.
Baking soda requires an acidic ingredient to activate it in a recipe. Otherwise, you end up with a flat dessert and a metallic aftertaste. In the case of this brownie recipe, natural cocoa powder is the acidic ingredient.
If you use dutch processed cocoa, which is made from beans that have been treated with potassium carbonate, the baking soda will not activate and these brownies will not only not rise, they will have a not-so-pleasant aftertaste.
How to Make Cocoa Powder Brownies
This may be the easiest brownie recipe out there – it comes together in just a few quick steps!
Step 1: Combine the wet ingredients. Beat the granulated sugar with the oil, milk, and vanilla extract. Add the egg. Take care not to overbeat the eggs, beat just until combined.
Step 2: Add the dry ingredients. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to the batter until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Bake. Transfer the batter to the greased baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add some extra chocolate chips on top. Bake then cool before cutting.
How to Tell When Brownies Are Done
Brownies, unlike cake, should be pulled when they are slightly underdone, as they will finish off baking as they cool. You often hear, insert until the toothpick comes out clean, but that’s not the case with brownies.
You are looking for a toothpick that is still slightly damp, with some crumbs sticking. It should not be gooey or wet.
For me, I pull my brownies around 25-27 minutes, I like them to be really fudgy once they cool. If you prefer a drier, less fudgy brownie, maybe you would go for 30 minutes. In my opinion, at 35 minutes, these brownies are overdone and would be much drier.
It’s important to note I use a metal baking dish, not glass. Glass baking dishes do not conduct heat as quickly as metal pans, and therefore it extends the baking time.
Can I Make These in a Different Sized Pan?
I recommend an 8-inch square pan for the perfect thickness, but if you only have a 9-inch pan, that will work too. The brownies will just be much thinner and you’ll need to reduce the baking time by a few minutes.
This recipe can easily be doubled for a 9×13 inch pan.
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips for making the best cocoa powder brownies – which may be different from what you would do for regular brownies.
- Don’t overbeat the batter once the egg has been added. Typically a well-beaten egg will help to create the meringue or flakey layer you traditionally find on the top of brownies. However, since this has baking soda, overbeating the eggs will cause the brownies to puff up too much in the centers and then sink as they cool. You’ll still get a thin crisp layer on top that cracks when you cut it.
- How to easily cut brownies. For clean-cut brownies, wash and dry the knife after each cut.
- Can I Use Butter Instead of Oil? While butter is an acceptable substitute for oil in brownies, I found that with the melted butter, these brownies came our drier than the oil version.
- Don’t overbake. A toothpick inserted in the middle should still come out damp, though not gooey or wet.
- Add sea salt. I love a touch of flakey sea salt on top to finish these off. It helps cut the sweetness and salty sweet is my favorite combo.
Serving Suggestions
I don’t believe there’s a wrong way to enjoy a brownie…but I will say that since these aren’t quite as dense and rich as fudgy brownies, they are perfect for making an ice cream sundae! Just add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, some chocolate syrup, and a maraschino cherry. Yum!
Or just enjoy with a glass of milk. (Bonus points if the brownie is warm.)
How to Store & Freeze
These homemade brownies will last for up to 3 days when stored on the counter in an airtight container. If you want them for a few extra days, store them in the fridge where they’ll last for up to 5 days.
To freeze the brownies, I recommend wrapping each one individually in plastic wrap. You can thaw in the fridge, on the counter, or pop them in the microwave for 15-30 seconds for warm brownies.
More Brownie Recipes:
- Homemade Broookies – Brownies and Cookies together!
- M&M Brownies
- Cheesecake Brownies
- Mint Chocolate Brownies
Cocoa Powder Brownies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 brownies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Quick and easy, these Cocoa Powder Brownies taste just like your favorite boxed brownie mix. They’re made with pantry staples and ready in 35 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups (238g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (78ml) vegetable oil
- ¼ cup (59ml) milk
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (40g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cups (168g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus additional for garnish
- Flakey Sea Salt garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease an 8-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine with the granulated sugar with the oil, milk and vanilla extract and beat together until well combined.
- Next add the egg beat just until combined, about 30 seconds or so.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and stir to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and sprinkle another handful of chocolate chips over top. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center will be damp but not gooey or wet. Remove from the oven and allow to cool prior to cutting.
Notes
- Baking times: several people have reported longer baking time. Refer back to the blog post section with the toothpick test to determine about how long the brownies should cook for. Use a metal baking pan and ensure the oven is properly preheated. To bake in a 9-inch pan, reduce the baking time by a few minutes.
- Storing: Brownies are best for 3 days when stored on the counter in an airtight container, or up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: I recommend wrapping each one individually in plastic wrap. You can thaw in the fridge, on the counter, or pop frozen brownies in the microwave for 15-30 seconds to warm.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 259
- Sugar: 29.2 g
- Sodium: 35.5 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 40.2 g
- Fiber: 2.6 g
- Protein: 3.5 g
- Cholesterol: 15.6 mg
Love it very tasty 😋, the best brownies
Thank you so much Justine!
This recipe was incredible! As a home baker whose just realised she hasn’t made brownies EVER I was searching for a perfect beginner friendly recipe that actually tasted good, at these didn’t disappoint! The middle is perfectly chewy, the chocolate chips add a lovely texture and the edges are crispy, it was enjoyed by all my friends and I would defo recommend!
Amazing Annie! Thank you so much!
I really wanted to love these. There were so many reviews saying how good they were.
Unfortunately, I got to where I had to mix in the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and found myself left with some very dry mixture. That is when I realize that the flower measurement listed in the ingredients is wrong and says that it’s 140 g for one cup of flour. Well, one cup of flour actually only weighs 120 g so I added 80 g more flour than I needed. it turned out being extremely dry. I was very disappointed since I doubled the recipe and wasted all those ingredients.
Currently standing in my kitchen eating one of these brownies when I see your comment come in. 😅😅😅
So fun fact, there is not a standard flour, some flour companies go off 120 g but you’ll find that one cup of flour varies up to 140-145grams.
Early on in my recipe development I based most of my recipes on 140 g. A couple years ago I switched and started using 120g, and I did notice that my recipes did not translate the same. Most home bakers that measure flour from the container without a scale are not getting 120 g they’re actually getting more flour.
So that is why I always provide the gram measurements that I use in my recipes.
And this one is in fact based on 140 g a cup.
The one I baked today was a double batch (280g) Not dry whatsoever.
I use a mixer and then at the very end when I add my chocolate chips, I switched to a spatula and there’s usually oil at the bottom of the pan that didn’t get incorporated, the batter would be very thick but you shouldn’t have any loose dry Ingredients.
The very BEST brownies I have made.very easy to make and delicious. Thank you @beyondfrosting
I-have made many of the recipes and have never been disappointed.
You are too kind, thank you Denise!
We have tried a few versions of homemade brownies, and these are by far the best. They have a very good flavor and taste a lot like fudge brownies from a box.
Thank you so much Matt! I appreciate that so much!
Just made them, they are cooling. I got the dreaded sinking in the middle. I did my hand so has not to overbeat. They still look good and hoping they will still taste good. Brownies are my nemisis.
Hi Jo-Ann, sounds like you did everything right. You will see some sinking with these brownies, especially if the centers are unbaked. The small amount of leavening in this recipe gives it a lift, but as it sets, it will have some sinking, but it will leave you with the most incredible texture!
I followed the recipe to a T, and we LOVED them. Better than any boxed mix and just the perfect amount of richness, chewiness, and crunchy top layer.
I love this so much!! Thank you Katie!
I “made” a pan of brown construction paper E’s to april fools prank my kids that I made them “brown E’s”. I also made these brownies so they are not disappointed. And we were NOT disappointed. These are great, came together easy and were a nice surprise after the prank “Brown E’s”. Now I have to watch my back. 😂
Oh that is so fun!! I have to remember this one for next year!
I made them today and was an instant hit with my kids.i had been searching for perfect fudge brownies recipe for a long time and this recipe lives up. I would definitely be baking more.
So happy to hear that, thank you!
I am yet another baker who is new to baking brownies from scratch. These are superb and the best brownies by far! Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and knowledge, Julianne. I have been searching your website for cookie ideas to bake for my grandson’s wedding. If you have any suggestions for cookies that are great for the Pittsburgh cookie table tradition, I thank you in advance.
I love this so much Cathy! Thank you for sharing your feedback!
I doubled the recipe and used a metal baking pan. I baked them for 30 minutes, and the edges and top were done, but the center looked slightly sunken in. When I did the toothpick test, it looked like the 20-minute one in your photo. I had hoped that if I let the brownies cool all the way in the pan the center would eventually cook, but that was not the case. I’d attach a picture of my finished product, but unfortunately, the option is unavailable.
I was able to salvage the outer edges and they taste pretty incredible!
Hi Rhonda, if it looked like the toothpick at 20 minutes, it would have needed longer to bake. Baking pans and oven will always vary but if it’s too underdone when it’s pulled out, it won’t fully finish cooking.