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.”
Cara says
Hands down the best brownies I have made! Recipe is a definite keeper. These were a huge hit with the family
Kriste says
If I wanted to increase the protein but not the fat or carbs, is there a way to do it without making tough brownies? What’s needed to offset extra egg whites or whey? Also, if I used brown Swerve, could that work? And sub coconut oil for some of the butter?
Dini says
Hi Kriste
In theory, there might be a way to change this recipe to be high protein and low fat/carbs, but unfortunately I wouldn’t know how to change the ingredients and still yield the same texture and flavor for these brownies.
I would recommend following a brownie recipe that has been tested, and has high protein and low fat + carbs. This way you know the recipe has a better chance of working and you get what you want without any guess work! Good luck!
Jamaica says
This is the best brownie recipe ever! Thank you for sharing this. I absolutely love it. I will try to bake this again, hoping to achieve the cracky surface.
Marlies says
These brownies are honestly some of the best brownies I have ever had (and I have eaten a lot of them in my life time)!
I love the detailed instructions – I tend to be better at cooking savoury dishes and am not the best baker; so interesting to find out what results using different sugars have. I have made these several times, adding some white chocolate chunks and using slightly less sugar. These are a big hit in my house and in the office, thank you for sharing!
Dini says
Thank you so much for letting me know Marlies. I’m so happy everyone liked the brownies! 🙂
Lakshmi says
OMG! These are the Most indulgent brownies I’ve ever made and I ever will I think… SOOOO Goooood
Dini says
Yaay, thanks for much for letting me know Lakshmi. 🙂 So glad you enjoyed the brownies!
Kristin says
Hi, I’ve made these a few times w great success! Thank you so much for all your research.
This last time though, the brownies are greasy, especially on the bottom. Any reasons why you may guess or suggestions to look out for?
Thanks
Eva says
If you double this recipe, will it still cook the same in a 9×13 pan? I figure they might be a little thicker, so maybe I’ll need to go for a bit longer than 30min? Is there a certain way a toothpick should look when inserted in the center?
Dini says
Hi Eva
It could work, but I can’t guarantee the results. You mat have to cook it slightly longer. Unfortunately, I can’t be certain how much longer it needs to be baked because I haven’t tried it myself. Since the surface area is larger, the edges will be drier than the 8x 8 inch pan brownie edges to get the same fudgy-ness in the middle of the pan. The middle of the brownies remain fudgy, so a toothpick inserted will come out with very wet crumbs, but it will be mixed with melted chocolate from the chocolate chunks – making it hard to judge when it’s done.
Anesta J says
I loved this recipe –
The best ever Brownies I’ve ever made!
I like to thank you for sharing such an easy and amazing recipes with us.
I’ve tried so many Recipes but nothing worked out as this.
Everything seems to be perfect !
My Husband loved it much ..
You have gone in a lot of detail explaining the steps. Its really helpful for me.
Lots of Love. !!!!
Cherisse says
Making these brownies were so easy and they smell AMAZING! Just one question, should I keep the temperature the same for a fan oven?
Dini says
Hi Cherisse!
Yay!! 😀 I hope you enjoy eating them too!
Usually the oven temperature is lowered if using a fan oven. Reduce the oven by 20°C or 25°F. Hope that helps! 🙂
Cherisse says
They taste absolutely amazing too! I love them, thank you for sharing and for replying so quickly!
Eliza Mathews says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! Its brilliant! Never fails. My 4 year old daughter and I have made it 3 times in multiple batches. It tasted divine! I also sold 4 trays for a bake sale in a hospital for charity. All of the brownies were gone in no time!. Thank you so much. You have gone in a lot of detail explaining the steps. Its really helpful!
Dini says
Yaay, thanks so much for letting me know Eliza! 🙂 So glad you liked it, and the information was helpful!
Francine says
Can walnuts or pecans be added to your recipe or will it alter the texture?
Francine says
Sorry! I didn’t see your reply earlier. I will definitely try this recipe! Thank you!
Francine says
Can I add walnuts or pecans to your recipe?
Dini says
Hi Francine
Yes, you can add walnuts, pecans or even roasted hazelnuts to this recipe 🙂
Beth says
Hi! 🙂
could you give me a rough guess at how long these will keep for in the fridge?
I see you say they store well in air right containers but how long roughly do you think? Many thanks for such an awesome recipe!
Dini says
Hi Beth
I don’t like keeping brownies in the fridge because it makes the brownies go stale faster.
I keep them at room temperature for about 3 – 4 days, and if I want to keep them longer, then I keep them in the freezer. I have to allow the brownies thaw overnight if I do this, but the brownies stay fresh for longer in the freezer. Hope that helps!
Saaski says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made them last night and they came out beautifully. I sampled a bit while the brownies were still warm and the texture was a little cakier than I was expecting, but I’m guessing that that’s because I wasn’t able to add as many chocolate chunks as the recipe called for. The texture did become quite a bit fudgier after I allowed the brownies to cool completely, anyway.
Also, for any gluten-free lurkers out there, this recipe works super well with gluten free flour! I just used three ounces of Arrowhead Mills gluten-free all purpose flour, and it worked perfectly.
Shanika says
Absolutely amazing recipe, the Brownies turned out fabulous.
I ran out of Cocoa Powder and added Ovaltine to make up the difference. The Brownie was still gooey and yummy! This brownie forms the bottom most tier of my chocolate sensation birthday cake for myself!
Thanks for the detailed recipe and all the other little pointers!
Dini says
So glad you enjoyed the brownies Shanika! Thank you so much for letting me know. I LOVE the sound of that cake, and Happy Birthday! 🙂
Eva says
I’ve been making a similar type of brownie, but with almond flour and honey/maple syrup instead. I can’t wait to try this particular recipe, but I have a couple questions: What do you think of doing 4 oz butter and 4 oz of coconut oil? I heard somewhere that a half oil/butter mixture was a sort of sweet spot for fudginess, perhaps in the same way you discovered that one extra egg yolk was sweet spot for fudginess. I think the butter acts as a very slight leavening agent (and also adds flavor), so if you replaced it with oil entirely, I imagine the texture would be super fudgy, and the coconut oil would obviously give it a sweet and mild hint of coconut. So what do you think about oil versus butter, overall? Have you tried it with oil? Second question: I never use granulated sugar, so could I use honey or maple syrup instead? (And which do you think suits brownies better?)
Thanks a lot, you have one of the best-written instructions I’ve found, and have highlighted how important it is to whip the eggs well.
Dini says
Hi Eva!
Thank you for your lovely comment! 🙂
I haven’t used coconut oil to make these brownies before, so I’m not sure how they will turn out. Generally though, I use vegetable oil to replace butter in my cakes, if I want a lighter crumb, and opt for butter for a denser cake. There is a possibility that the coconut oil may make the brownies lighter since these brownies are made with cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate, but I can’t be sure since I haven’t tried it myself.
As for honey vs maple syrup, you can choose whichever flavor you prefer in your brownies. Again, I haven’t substituted a liquid sweetener for granulated sugar for this recipe so I don’t know how it will impact the final results. As a rule of thumb, you do need to reduce the amount of honey you use relative to the sugar, so I would start at about 10 oz of honey instead of 12 oz.
I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful!