Quick and easy, this fudgy cocoa powder brownies recipe makes rich, chocolatey homemade brownies that taste even better than your favorite boxed brownie mix! They’re made with pantry staples and ready in 45 minutes, with shiny, crackly tops and gooey chocolate chips in every bite.
I started baking these cocoa powder brownies years ago. I created the recipe to mimic a boxed brownie mix, with the goal being a homemade version that was just as quick and easy.
There’s a time and a place for brownie mix, and I know I’ve definitely reached for a box from time to time. With most mixes, you’d typically add oil, water, and eggs. This recipe is nearly identical. Instead of water, I use milk for richness.
Another small tweak is using leavening in these fudgy cocoa brownies. Most homemade brownie recipes don’t include leavening ingredients like baking soda, but I intentionally added it to this recipe. Baking soda gives these brownies lift, though they’re definitely not cakey. They’re moist, chocolatey, and just fudgy enough with perfect crinkled tops.
These cocoa powder brownies are the base recipe for my Oreo brownies. You can also use this brownie recipe in desserts that would normally use boxed mix as a shortcut, including homemade brookies, Slutty Brownies, a brownie bottom in cakes, and more!
What Makes These Cocoa Powder Brownies Different?
- This recipe is quicker and easier to prepare with less dishes.
- These have crackly, glossy tops, and they’re a little less rich than my classic fudgy brownies.
- There’s no melted chocolate in this batter. They’re made with cocoa powder for a less dense, not-so-heavy texture.
- These chewy but still fudgy brownies are my version of our favorite boxed brownie mix.
- Oil instead of butter, which keeps these homemade brownies extra moist.
Ingredient Notes
Here are the key ingredients you’ll need for these homemade brownies, why you need them, and possible substitutes. Scroll to the recipe card to see the exact measurements and full ingredient list.
- Oil – Vegetable oil helps keep the brownies moist. I don’t recommend substituting melted butter.
- Milk – Thins the batter without diluting the flavor. For even more richness, you could swap regular milk with buttermilk (or a buttermilk substitute), as you’ll find in my red velvet brownies.
- All-purpose Flour – Measure the flour correctly using a kitchen scale or the spoon and level method. Overmeasuring leads to dry, crumbly brownies.
- Cocoa Powder – It’s important to use natural, unsweetened cocoa powder for these cocoa powder brownies due to the baking soda in the recipe. See notes below.
- Baking Soda – A touch of baking soda provides just enough air pockets in these brownies to mimic my favorite Ghirardelli Double Chocolate boxed brownie mix, which also contains baking soda.
- Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips – You could also use dark chocolate chips, white chocolate, or milk chocolate. Chocolate chips are easy enough to swap with your favorite add-ins, like chopped Oreo cookies, M&Ms, peanut butter chips, pecans or walnuts, or crushed candy canes for holiday baking.
- Flaky Salt – Optional but I LOVE the salty-sweet finish from a sprinkle of flaked sea salt on my brownies.
What Cocoa Powder Is Best for Cocoa Brownies?
Natural cocoa powder is essential for these fudgy cocoa brownies. Do not use dutch-processed cocoa powder (learn more about the differences between the two here). The reason for this is the baking soda in the recipe:
- Baking soda reacts with the acidity in natural cocoa powder. This reaction neutralizes the acidity and leads to soft, risen, chocolatey brownies.
- Dutch-processed cocoa is treated to remove acidity. Therefore, the baking soda won’t activate, and you’ll end up with a flat dessert and a metallic aftertaste.
How to Make Cocoa Powder Brownies From Scratch
These may be the easiest (almost) one-bowl brownies out there. They come together in just a few quick steps, no mixer required.
- 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.
- Add the dry ingredients. Next, combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to the batter and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips last.
- Bake. Now, transfer the batter to the greased baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add some extra chocolate chips on top. Bake these cocoa brownies at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes (see below to check when they’re done) then cool before cutting.
The Easiest Way 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.
- How to tell when they’re done: You are looking for a toothpick that is still slightly damp, with some crumbs sticking. It should not be gooey or wet.
- How long do cocoa powder brownies bake? 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.
- Material matters. 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.
Baking In Different Pan Sizes
I recommend an 8-inch square pan for the optimal thickness. However, you can adapt this cocoa brownies recipe to another pan in a pinch.
- 9-inch square pan: The brownies will be thinner, so you’ll need to reduce the baking time by a few minutes.
- 9×13-inch: Double the recipe and also reduce the baking time slightly. See my tips above for testing your brownies for doneness.
Tips for the Best Cocoa Powder Brownies
After making countless brownies over the years, I’ve picked up the follwing 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 flaky sea salt on top to finish these off. It helps cut the sweetness and salty sweet is my favorite combo.
Serving Cocoa Brownies
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! Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzle with chocolate syrup or salted caramel sauce, and top with a maraschino cherry. Or just enjoy this easy chocolate dessert with a glass of milk (bonus points if your brownie is warm!)
How to Store & Freeze
- Store them airtight. 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 To Love
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
This cocoa powder brownies recipe makes fudgy homemade brownies with shiny, crackly tops that taste even better than a boxed brownie mix! Quick and easy to make 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
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (168g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus additional for garnish
- Flaky 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 the granulated sugar with the oil, milk, and vanilla extract and beat together until well combined.
- Next, add the egg and 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 before 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
Delish! Made this for a church picnic and it was gone in seconds!
Thank you so much Cecelia for making my brownie recipe. I’m so glad it was a hit! Hope you get to make them again soon.
The most decandent brownie ever! So easy to make.
Love that Lynda, thank you! These are one of my favorites too!
OMG the best darn Brownies I’ve EVER had ! The edges came out a little crispy and the inside were soft and chewy. They were fabulous and I mean “were” because they’re all gone.
Taste waaaay better than any box brownie, for sure!! (Thanks Julienne for the recipe!)
They were gooey and delicious!
I used buttermilk, trying to get them to rise a little more or become just a tad cakey, but it didn’t work.🙃
The temp of my oven dropped for some reason before I placed the 8×8 pan inside, so I had to add 5 more minutes at the end. The toothpick doneness instructions were instrumental in me determining how much more time may be needed. (Thx again, Julienne!)
Can’t wait to try your Banana Bread recipe!
I know we corresponded via email about this but I am so glad you found this recipe!
I haven’t seen this complaint yet — did anyone else’s batter turn out extremely dry like bread dough? I had to add over 1/2 cup of water to give it an almost-scoopable consistency. They turned out great otherwise, on personal preference I decreased the sugar to 1 cup & added 1tsp instant coffee and they made 6 perfect lil ramekin cakes 👌 thank you for the recipe!
Hi Bethany, the batter is thick, but bread dough consistency tells me the dry ingredients may have been over measured. I make these almost weekly, and never had to add so much liquid.
This is such an easy, whip up quick-recipe! My kids and I thoroughly enjoyed these delicious brownies. Had everything in my pantry, we scraped bare bones with the granulated sugar (barely had enough for a cup) and they were still Craving – curing! I saved to make over and over again! Love this! Thank you!
Oh that’s so awesome Jen!! Thank you so much for sharing!
I used dutch-process cocoa powder and gluten free flour for this, and it turned out great!
Hi Kyla, thank you so much for making this brownies recipe. I’m so happy to hear it turned out well for you. Hope you get to make them again soon!
So good! Definitely sweet, but it’s not a health food 😉 Didn’t change a thing except for baking in a glass pan. Baked for 26 minutes and they came out gooey in the middle with that crisp top that my family loves.
I am glad you enjoyed them! And yes, generally we’re not concerned with calories in this corner of the internet. I believe in moderation and enjoying life in whatever way that means to you.
These turn out exactly like you imagine them to taste via the picture. Has that nice crackled top, soft and chewy when you bite into it with a little crunch via chocolate chips on the inside. Even if you didn’t have the full, if any, chocolate chips this recipe is still on point. Will continue to make this recipe as they’re better than any store bought. Made mine with olive oil in place of vegetable oil and organic, unbleached flour in place of all purpose. Healthier and yummier! Ty 🥰
Amazing Abby! Thank you so much!
I would love to make these brownies in a 13×9 pan. How long should I set the timer for? Thank you for showing the toothpick pictures. That will help me to figure out when they are done. These look wonderful! Anxious to make them. Thank you for sharing this!
Hi Bev, you may need an additional few minutes but the thickness of the batter is about the same. Add time as needed to finish until your desired results, referring back to the toothpick test. Glass pans will increase the baking time.
You’re 100% correct, the toothpick test is Gold!
These were okay. More of a cake texture. I omitted the chocolate chips and think this recipe really needs them. My brownies were really wet at 30 minutes so I left in for 7 more minutes and that was too long. I also used 1/2 monk fruit granulated sweetener and 1/2 regular sugar and it worked well for this recipe.
Hi Danielle- if you changed the recipe by using monk fruit, then your results are not going to be the same as this recipe was intended to be. Perhaps you can try the recipe as written, and you’ll see it in not a cake texture at all.