If you’re looking for the BEST Fudgy Chocolate Brownies Ever, then you’ve come to the right place! 🙂 This tried and true recipe uses cocoa powder (instead of melted chocolate) to make double fudge cocoa brownies that are slightly chewy and fudgy at the edges of the pan, while the middle pieces are super fudgy.
Fudgy chocolate brownies made with cocoa powder – fudgy and bittersweet!
I’ve been waiting to share this recipe with you guys for a while now. I really wanted to perfect this recipe for the BEST fudgy chocolate brownies ever, and I finally got around to sharing it. 🙂
These fudgy cocoa brownies have just the right amount of sweetness with deep, bittersweet chocolate flavor. I’ve also included plenty of tips in this post to help you make the BEST fudgy chocolate brownies! If you’re looking for a no holds barred, decadent chocolate dessert (similar to my double chocolate chip cookies, or flourless chocolate torte, or extra fudgy one bowl chocolate cake), then these brownies are what you need!
These fudgy chocolate brownies are a hit no matter who or what occasion I bake them for. But it did take me a few tries to get it right. I usually make brownies with melted chocolate (which is great, obviously), but I wanted brownies that were even fudgier with MORE chocolate (which is never a bad thing in my book).
So I started experimenting with cocoa brownies. And after numerous attempts, I’ve perfected the recipe for these addictive fudgy chocolate brownies (or as I’d like to call them Double Fudge Cocoa Brownies).
These fudgy chocolate brownies (cocoa brownies) have been tested over and over again, so I can confidently say that this recipe is foolproof! 🙂 And they don’t mess around in terms of flavor either. They are double chocolate cocoa brownies (or double fudge cocoa brownies), with deep chocolate flavor.
You can also easily adjust the fudginess to your liking by adjusting the amount of baking time as follows.
- 30 minutes for extra gooey, fudgy pieces in the middle, and perfectly fudgy pieces at the edges of the baking pan.
- 35 minutes for perfectly fudgy pieces in the middle, and chewy-fudgy edges.
- 40 minutes for chewy-fudgy pieces in the middle, and chewy edges.
Ingredients to make cocoa brownies
It helps to understand what each ingredient contributes to your chocolate brownie recipe, so that you can learn how to make the perfect fudgy chocolate brownie with cocoa powder!
Why does this chocolate brownie recipe use cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate?
The melted chocolate adds the fudginess to chocolate brownies. Or more specifically, it’s the cocoa butter and sugar in the chocolate that make chocolate brownies fudgy. However, since cocoa butter remains a solid at room temperature, the chocolate brownies tend to be a bit firm as well.
So instead of melted chocolate, these fudgy brownies are made with cocoa powder. The cocoa powder also adds a deeper chocolate flavor to these brownies. Another advantage of making cocoa brownies is that here you remove all the cocoa butter and replace it with regular butter instead.
And since regular butter is soft at room temp., this makes the brownies extra fudgy. It’s important to use melted butter for this recipe. Unmelted butter will make the brownies more cake-like than fudgy.
But by removing melted chocolate, you’re also removing a certain amount of sweetness (sugar) as well. So you must add extra sugar to compensate for that in this fudgy chocolate brownie recipe.
What does the sugar do in a cocoa brownie recipe? And which sugar is better? White sugar or brown sugar?
- The obvious purpose is to add sweetness. Cocoa powder is bitter, and the extra sugar will provide balance and make the chocolate brownie sweeter (instead of bitter, which obviously isn’t as desirable).
- Sugar makes the brownies “softer”. This is because sugar acts as a tenderizer for baked recipes. For example, with regular vanilla cakes, recipes with extra sugar tend to have a softer crumb. For this brownie recipe though, we are not really worried about getting “softer” brownies, as it doesn’t really provide an advantage as such. What we want is a fudgy chocolate brownie.
- White sugar makes the chocolate brownies chewier. Since white sugar is “dry” (with no molasses) it melts to create a chewier brownie.
- Brown sugar makes the brownies fudgy. The molasses in brown sugar melts to create a “wetter” batter that becomes fudgier when baked.
So with all this in mind, I decided that it was important to include both kinds of sugar in this fudgy cocoa brownie recipe. You can use ALL white sugar if you do want a chewier brownie, and use ALL brown sugar for a fudgier chocolate brownie recipe. However, be mindful of the baking times when you make those adjustments, as you could end up with slightly different results then.
Role of eggs in the brownies
Eggs play a big role in chocolate brownies as well. A brownie isn’t really a brownie without a shiny, nice, crackly top, amiright? Eggs + sugar is how you achieve that deliciously crackly brownie surface!
How to get the glossy, crackly brownie surface
The eggs and sugar are beaten together until you have a pale, thick mix. This stage is crucial to create that beautiful brownie crust. The eggs beating vigorously with the sugar incorporates air which creates an almost meringue-like mix. And THAT is what creates that crackly brownie crust we all love!
This also brings us to another reason why eggs are important in this fudgy chocolate brownie recipe. Egg whites help create the meringue-like crust, while the yolks help make the chocolate brownies fudgy.
Since I wanted extra fudgy brownies, I used 3 whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk. When I make these cocoa brownies using ONLY whole eggs, the edges of the brownies become more cake-like than fudgy. And if I removed 2 whole eggs and used 2 extra egg yolks, the brownies were fudgy, but the batter was too dry. So 3 whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk is the sweet spot.
To make these cocoa brownies EXTRA fudgy, I added chopped dark chocolate to the batter as well! 🙂 You can substitute this (or add in addition to it) with chopped nuts, or other types of chocolate like white chocolate or milk chocolate, or even fruits like raspberries and strawberries, or even crushed Oreos!
How to make fudgy cocoa brownies
First step is to melt the butter. You can use your microwave for this (with a heatproof bowl), or even your stove top. Just remember to keep an eye on the butter.
Add the sugar (brown + white sugar) next along with the salt. The heat from the butter will melt the sugar and salt. It’s important to mix these ingredients well to form a smooth mix. This also helps to cool down the butter mixture.
The next step is to add the eggs and flavoring. This step is important because you want the brownie batter to transform into a pale, frothy, meringue-y batter! Use a hand mixer and mix on medium speed for at least 2 minutes, or until you see the batter thicken and become pale in color.
Sift and add the flour and cocoa powder (dry ingredients) next. You can do this separately and fold it into the brownie batter in two steps (this ight be easier for beginners, to prevent overmixing). OR you can sift the dry ingredients DIRECTLY into the brownie batter and then fold it in afterwards.
Remember to NOT OVERMIX!
Have the chopped chocolate or nuts ready to go. These are added during the folding process, while the dry ingredients are about 2/3 of the way incorporated. The reason I don’t incorporate the flour mix first before adding the chocolate is to prevent overmixing of the batter.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. If you feel generous, you can add a few chunks of chocolate on top too! These will bake into gooey melty chocolate pools once baked 🙂
Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C. Bake the brownies according to your liking (see the times above, or in the recipe card). Less for a fudgy chocolate brownie, and longer for brownie with a chewier texture. Once they are done, resist all urges to cut into them immediately! Allow them to cool completely, because these taste MUCH better once they have rested. If you ABSOLUTELY MUST expedite this process, let them cool in the fridge (uncovered).
Not only are the flavors better when these have cooled down, but they will be easier to cut too! Remember, the brownies are pretty fudgy…
Since these cocoa brownies are decadent, they don’t need any frosting. But you could drizzle them with extra chocolate sauce. They taste GREAT on their own, BUT I could NEVER turn down a slightly warmed up brownie with a scoop of creamy luscious ice cream either!
More tips on how to make these perfect fudgy cocoa brownies
- Use melted, very warm butter. The butter melts both types of sugar during mixing which helps create that fudgy and chewy texture, and the meringue-like, crackly surface.
- Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt you add to the recipe. If you use salted butter, you will need to adjust the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Use both types of sugar for best results. That way you get the best of both worlds – chewy and fudgy brownies!
- Mix the butter, sugar and eggs together for at least 2 minutes. So that you have a pale, thick mix.
- NEVER over-mix the flour and cocoa powder. You want to avoid using a hand-held mixer to fold in the dry ingredients. Whether you use a hand-held beater or spatula, you should mix the flour and cocoa powder ONLY until they are just mixed through. This way you avoid the gluten from developing, and end up with a deliciously fudgy brownie. Over-mixed brownie batter on the other hand, results in cakey brownies.
- Make sure to cut with a clean warm knife, for every cut, to get those nice clean edges. Dip the knife in warm water and wipe clean in between each cut to get the cleanest cuts.
Frequently asked questions about these brownies
Since I want to keep these chocolate brownies fudgy and dense, I don’t use any leaveners. This could cause the brownies to rise and give them a cake like texture.
I don’t recommend it. I use AP flour that has no chemical leaveners, and self raising flour does. You could end up with a more cake like brownie.
Absolutely!! You can use a combination of chocolate and nuts, or just nuts too. Keep the total amount of additions to 8 oz / 226 g if possible.
You can! The brownies will take less time to bake because they will be less thick. So keep an eye on them as they bake. This can vary from 20 to 25 minutes for fudgy brownies and 30 to 35 minutes for chewy brownies.
You can use either for this recipe. I use a dutch processed cocoa (usually Callebaut), but you can use either one of these. You can even use cacao powder too.
I like to use anything between semi sweet chocolate to bittersweet chocolate (50% chocolate – 70% chocolate). But you can use milk chocolate or white chocolate too.
While I prefer buying blocks or using couverture chocolate, you can use store bought chocolate chips too. These are more likely to be compound chocolate that doesn’t melt as much during the baking process.
At room temperature, they will last 3 – 5 days.
In the fridge, they should last about 2 weeks. Let them come to room temperature before you eat (or warm it gently). This prevents the brownies and chocolate chunks from being too hard.
In the freezer, they should should last at least one month. Allow them to defrost at room temperature before eating them though!
These fudgy chocolate brownies are so decadent and rich in flavor with perfectly sweet, deep, bittersweet chocolate flavor. And they also keep really well in the fridge (in an air-tight container). It’s a great recipe for beginners too!
So you can make batches of brownies and store in the fridge for a special occasion or whenever you fancy some fudgy, chocolatey deliciousness in your life! 🙂 Remember to let them come to room temperature a little before eating them. These will be PERFECT for Valentine’s day as well. Who wouldn’t want the best chocolate brownie recipe as a present?
Other recipes you may like
- Strawberry chocolate brownie trifle
- The best classic chocolate cake
- Easy chocolate truffles
- Chocolate champagne truffles
- Homemade chocolate ice cream
- Creamy chocolate cremeux
- Glazed chocolate bundt cake
- Chocolate ganache tart
- The best devil’s food cake
EQUIPMENT & TOOLS I USED FOR THIS RECIPE
8 x 8 square cake pan – You can change the pan size, but this will effect the thickness of the brownies and the cooking time. An 8 x 8 cake pan give the perfect consistency to my brownies, with perfect gooeyness in the middle, and no dryness in the edge pieces.
Hand Mixer – makes the process of mixing the ingredients so easy.
Mixing Bowls – I love these microwaveable ones so that they are versatile.
Spatula – to mix, and scrape out the batter.
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The Best Fudgy Chocolate Brownies
Ingredients:
- 8 oz butter 2 sticks of butter
- 6 oz brown sugar packed 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp
- 6 oz white sugar 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp coffee extract optional
- 3 eggs
- 1 yolk
- 8 oz dark chocolate cut into chunks
- 3 oz cocoa powder I use Dutch cocoa powder (callebaut) 3/4 cup sifted
- 3 oz AP flour approximately 2/3 cup
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8 x 8 inch square pan with parchment paper. To make it easier to remove the brownies later, have an overhang of parchment paper over the edges of the baking pan. Set aside when done.
- Place the butter in a heat-proof bowl and microwave to completely melt the butter.
- Add the brown sugar, white sugar and salt while the butter is still warm. Mix to combine the butter and sugars together until you have a smooth paste.
- Add the vanilla, coffee extract (if using), eggs and egg yolks to the butter-sugar mix. Whisk in the eggs until they have been incorporated into the butter sugar mix. Using a hand mixer, whisk the butter-sugar-egg mix on medium speed, until the batter becomes pale in color (about 2 minutes).
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour and cocoa powder together.
- Add the flour-cocoa mix into the wet ingredients (in two batches if that’s easier) and mix it in until just combined. DO NOT OVER-MIX. Add about ⅔ of the chopped chocolate halfway through the mixing in of the flour. The goal is to make sure the batter is not over-mixed when the flour is being incorporated.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Spread the batter evenly. Sprinkle the rest of the chocolate on top.
- Bake for 30 – 40 minutes (30 minutes = extra fudgy, 35 minutes = perfectly fudgy for my liking, 40 minutes = less fudgy).
- Remove from the oven and let it cool down to room temperature. Remove the brownies from the pan and let them chill in the fridge for a couple of hours (chilled brownies are easier to cut).
- Cut the brownies into 16 pieces. Use a warm knife to cut, making sure to clean the blade after each cut for clean, neat edges.
Tips & Tricks
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Emma says
What brown sugar do you use? I made these today and they were amazing although I wasn’t sure if I needed light or dark or a certain type of brown sugar so ended up using light muscavado and dark brown soft. Will be making again next weekend as my partner didn’t like the coffee in them, not that I could taste it so hoping you could let me know what is best. Thanks
Dini says
Hi Emma!
I have used both light brown and dark brown sugar (soft) for these brownies, and I like both. I personally prefer dark brown sugar. It’s more about personal preference as any type of soft brown sugar should work in this recipe. However, I don’t particularly like using dark muscavado sugar because it has a stronger molassey flavor (but light muscavado sugar should be fine too!).
Hope that helps!
Kate says
I bake a TON and love trying new recipes. I have never before felt compelled to write a review for a recipe on someone’s blog. But this. THIS. This is the greatest brownie recipe of all time. My two kids (major brownie connoisseurs) and I all strongly agree. I didn’t have chocolate to chop so I used a mix of milk and semisweet chocolate chips and they are just perfection. Thank you so much. I will make these brownies forever. No need to keep searching for new recipes to try. <3
Dini says
Thank you so much for your lovely comment Kate. 🙂 That made my day! I’m so glad you liked the recipe and they were approved by your brownie connoisseurs! 🙂
Amy says
Can I ask if it’s 3 egg whites and then one egg yolk or 3 egg (all) and an extra yolk?
Thank you
Dini says
Hi Amy,
It’s 3 whole eggs + one egg yolk.
Louise Parkin says
Glad I found and tried your recipe. Delicious !
Jy says
Hi! Do you put the eggs one at a time? Or do you just dump them in all at once? Thanks! 🙂
Dini says
Hi Jy
I put them all in at the same time. But I make sure I beat the mixture well until it’s pale in color 🙂 Hope that helps!
Stephanie says
Hi, I wanted to know if you use unsalted or salted butter?
Dini says
Hi Stephanie, I use unsalted butter for this recipe.
If you do use salted butter instead, you will need to adjust the amount of salt you add to the recipe. Hope that helps!
Kaisha Easingwood says
My first ever comment on a page like this. Its well deserved. What a perfect recipe. My step daughter and myself enjoy following this recipe step by step after also reading all the tips. They have not long come out of the oven perfectly and we have all just finished them with some ice-cream.
Thank you
Xx
Dini says
Yaaay, that makes me so happy! Thank you so much for letting me know Kaisha. I’m so glad your family enjoyed the brownies. I wouldn’t mind some brownies with ice cream too right now! 😉
Ana says
I just made them as the recipe saids, and they arenot fudgy or crunchy in the top 🙁
Dini says
Hi Ana!
I’m sorry the recipe didn’t work for you. It’s the first time I’ve heard of this recipe not working. The top of the brownies are not meant to be crispy though. They have a shiny crust, but it’s not a crispy crust. As for the fudginess, if you can send me a picture of the brownies, via facebook or email I can hopefully figure out what might have gone wrong.
Tawhida Khan says
Hello… Can i make the brownies without the chocolate? Does it affect?
Dini says
Hi Tawhida
You can leave out the chocolate if you like, but it will be less fudgy. The melted chocolate chunks in the middle give the brownies more fudginess. Hope that helps!
Carol says
I did last night. Just doubled the cocoa. Used dark Hershey’s cocoa. I’m stopping tonight to get the chocolate chunks and make again. This recipe is spectacular. I was craving the Thunder from Down Under that Outback serves, but too cold to stop and wait around after work. Went home and baked these with items on hand. My new favorite recipe!!!
Dini says
I’m so happy you liked the brownie recipe Carol! Thank you so much for letting me know! 🙂
Blinglingy says
Hi, Do you have measurements in grams or cups? I can’t find all the conversions in your link. Thanks!!!
Dini says
Hi Blinglingy,
I’ve added gram measurements to the recipe. There’s a toggle button in the recipe card to switch between oz and gram measurements now. I hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions!
Leia says
This recipe sounds amazing! You mention that the chocolate chunks can be substituted with fruit or nuts. In your experience, did the omission of that extra chocolate for nuts affect the moistness of the brownie/ crisp crust?
Dini says
Hi Leia!
Thank you 🙂
It will be slightly less fudgy without the chocolate chunks, because there won’t be melted chocolate pieces in the middle, but it’ll still be fudgy enough with nuts or dried fruits. The crust on top doesn’t change with the addition (or not) of chocolate or nuts or fruits, since it’s the egg and sugar mix that create the crust.
I hope that helps!
Caroline Hardwick says
I’m not usually a commenter but I have to give you some utterly deserved feedback on this recipe. I have always struggled with making brownies for some reason, they never come out as I like but this recipe really delivered. I live at altitude and even with this against me they were delicious, exactly as you described, fudgey, chocolate heaven. My friends were impressed. I was impressed. I will make them again. What I particularly liked was you reasoning behind the different methods and elements that go into the brownie. The explanation and rationale helps you understand the need for the ingredients to be blended and cooked in that specific way. Well done and thank you.
Dini says
Thank you so much for your kind words Caroline! I’m really glad the brownies came out well for you and you enjoyed them! 🙂
Ellie Nash says
I’m so impressed by how well this came out! Living in Japan makes it very hard for western recipes to turn out well. The ovens are different, the flours are different, and more often than not, if I don’t mix bread flour with cake flour just the right way, baked goods like cakes and brownies will either be way too mushy or dry and brick-like. I followed your recipe exactly, only using half bread/half cake flour for your flour measurement, and they came out absolutely perfect!!! So glad I chose this recipe – there are so many online, it can really be overwhelming, and I’ve tried almost all of them and never been satisfied. My search can stop now. I found the ultimate! Thank you! 🙂
Dini says
That’s great Ellie, thanks so much for letting me know! I’m really glad the brownies came out well for you. I’ve grown up and lived in different parts of the world and I totally get what you mean about recipes. That’s why I try to give as much info/detail as I can with some of my recipe posts, and I’m glad they help sometimes! 🙂
Patricia Rhoads says
Thanks for your quick response! Making these tomorrow–looking forward to the rave reviews. lol
Patricia Rhoads says
What size of egg are you using in the recipe? Since everything is so balanced I think it would make a difference?
Trish
Dini says
Hi Patricia
I use large eggs with all my baking which is a good standard size for eggs.
I hope that helps!
emelia says
Hi..I made these brownies, taste so delicious. But why no shiny crust surface. I had follow all the instruction from the recipe. Can you help me?
Dini says
Hi Emelia,
I’m not sure why that would have happened, as this recipe always gets the shiny crust. It’s a darker color than some brownies, but it’s still always there. What I would recommend is to whisk the batter a little longer after adding the eggs. Make sure the batter looks a lighter color after mixing it. It’s that foamy light color of the eggs that indicate that there will be a shiny surface. Maybe mixing it for an extra minute or two might help.
Cheers
Dini