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
My sister has made these for us twice and I made her send me the recipe because they are DELICIOUS! Even my picky husband loves them.
I love when we can impress picky husbands with a recipe haha! Thank you so much!
I’ve tried many brownie recipes and these were amazing!
I had given up trying to find a recipe that compared to my tried and true box brownies, but I came across this one (I appreciated her notes on why she suggests the ingredients she does). I gave it a try on a whim and I was not disappointed!
I’ll never have to worry about stocking up on box brownies again! This is a keeper!
This could not make me happier! It was exactly what I was going for. Thank you so much!
They were gooey and so yummy! It hardly took more time than a box mix. They cracked beautifully on top also! This recipe is a keeper!
That’s wonderful Amy!! Thank you so much for sharing!
second time making these brownies and they are amazing! never using a different brownie recipe 🙂 thank you for sharing!!
I just love that!! Thank you so much!
Love to hear that! Thank you so much!
It wouldnt let me click the last star for some reason but ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️these are so good literally the perfect texture they are crunchy but chewy on the inside probably my fav brownie recipe ! Made for my sister but i probably ate the most of them hehe
Amazing! Thank you!!
Made this brownie today, baked it for 30 minutes, and they are delicious. Next time I’ll try half chocolate chips and chopped walnuts to mix in.
Sounds delicious! Thank you so much for sharing!
I made these tonight, but using a 9″x13″ metal baking pan. I know that I didn’t bake them long enough, but still were edible. I love your recipes!! Can you please tell me how long I should bake them when doubling the recipe and using the 9×13″ pan??? Thank you in advance.
Hi Tonya, I found the baking time to be around the same for a 9×13 pan because the thickness of the brownies is relatively the same. Glass pans will need an increased baking time. However, you can follow the toothpick test to determine when to take out your brownies. Refer to the image in this post!
I’ve been looking for a homemade brownie recipe. This is one of the best so fudgy will be my go to recipe from now on! Thanks for sharing!
Yes yes yes! Thank you Sherry!
I made these and they were very good. I made a few tweaks: I doubled the batch for 9×13, I used half white/half brown sugar, and I added about 1/2 tsp salt to the batter. Next time I’ll probably add a whole teaspoon, as it needs some in the batter to balance it out and bring out the flavors better. Overall a really good recipe!
Thank you so much Donna! Glad you enjoyed it!
Came out perfect!
Very happy to hear that Emily, thank you!
I’ve made these before & everyone loved them! They have a true brownie taste not like bought mixes that have a weakened brownie flavor. I have 2 pans in the oven now ❤️ Thanks for sharing!
LOVE LOVE LOVE Thank you Stacie!
I made this recipe exactly but I put it in a 8×6 glass pan and increased my baking time to about 35- 40 minutes. They are perfect! I have made other “from scratch” recipes and they have disappointed me. Not this one, there are chewy edges and a slightly gooey center. The flavor is fantastic in my opinion. This will be my go recipe from now on! Thank you for sharing it!
Thank you Kala! I am so happy to hear that, and thanks for sharing the adjustments you made on the pan size.
Can you add more eggs to make them more cake-like instead of fudgy?
I am not sure, this has not been tested. I’d recommend searching around for a cake-like brownie if that’s what you’re interested in.
These were so good! I love how simple the ingredients are to make these delicious brownies! I only had a ceramic pan so I did have to cook them a little longer. The toothpick photos were very helpful in me knowing the timing for myself!
That’s great! Thank you so much for sharing and noting the ceramic pan, I don’t have any of those to try!
Best brownies I’ve ever made, came out perfectly
Yeah Julia! Thank you so much for sharing!
They taste good, but even after 45 minutes and cooking them EXACTLY how you said they are extremely gooey. I would suggest maybe modifying your instructions so that others are aware.
Since you posted an anonymous review with a fake email, it’s impossible for me to follow up with you and see what the problem is, so I will publish your comment here so others can see it.
45 minutes of baking is way too long to bake these, they would be very overdone and dry.
What size pan did you use? Metal or glass? Are you sure you correctly measured the ingredients or didn’t forget something? Was the oven actually fully preheated?
I have modified and added some helpful information, including a toothpick test reference so you can tell when the brownies are done.
No matter how long I baked them they still came out really gooey. It was like eating brownie batter with a crispy crust.
Can you provide more information? What type of pan are you using? How long have you tried baking them? What pan size? I have baked these many times and I haven’t experienced this.
What did I do wrong? Followed the instructions but my brownies are really gooey! I mean, there’s nothing wrong with that but…
I baked them a little longer and the toothpick is still coming out gooey.
Hi Meaghan, you just need to keep baking them until they bake all the way through. The toothpick is still gooey but not wet. All ovens and pans will bake differently and it’s possible the oven is not 100% accurate on the internal temp.
Question? I know you like to use dark chocolate cocoa powder for your cakes does that apply to this brownie recipe as well or should I just use the regular cocoa powder?
Hi Christine, I intentionally used natural cocoa powder for this recipe since it has baking soda