These super easy brownies are made with just 5 basic ingredients: butter, flour, cocoa powder, eggs and sugar. No chocolate needed. The result is utterly delicious – fudgy, squidgy, rich… and very moreish! Better still, the recipe is really easy to adapt to suit your personal tastes… and what you have available in your kitchen.
Brownies made with cocoa NOT chocolate!
These delicious, fudgy, rich brownies are made with cocoa powder only – no chocolate – making them quick, easy and hassle free. But don’t worry, there’s no compromise on taste! I’ve spend years perfecting my recipe to make them just as good as regular brownies. (In fact, because they are made with 100% cocoa and no random additives, they taste EVEN better than normal brownies!)
Why make cocoa power brownies?
I have 5 good reasons for making brownies with cocoa powder rather than chocolate:
- Using cocoa powder is generally cheaper than using chocolate. (Every little helps, right?)
- I always have cocoa in my cupboard, but not usually chocolate (because I’d eat it, if it was there!) Because all the rest of the ingredients are also cupboard / fridge basics, this means my cocoa powder only brownie recipe can be made whenever you feel like making brownies (2am in the morning if you feel like it!) with no need to make a special trip to the shops.
- This cocoa-only approach to brownies means you can be completely flexible. I suggest 60g cocoa, but if you prefer a more milk chocolate style brownie, cut down to 30g… or if you prefer a super-dark brownie, bump up to 90g cocoa. Anywhere between 30g and 90g works just fine in this recipe, with no need to adjust the other ingredients.
- It makes life simpler. One less ingredient and no faffing about with melting chocolate in a bowl suspended over simmering water.
- Chocolate typically has lots of random additives (palm oil, vegetable oil, flavourings, stabilisers, emulsifiers…). Cocoa powder is (usually) 100% cocoa!
Super easy brownies!
These cocoa-only brownies require just 5 basic ingredients: butter, flour, cocoa powder, eggs and sugar… and are are super easy to make.
All you need to do is melt the butter in a small saucepan over a gentle heat. Meanwhile, combine the flour and cocoa in a large bowl. Then, whisk together the eggs, sugar and melted butter in another bowl. Next, pour the egg/sugar/butter mixture into the flour/cocoa mixture and gently stir together until just combined. Finally, tip the brownie batter into a prepared brownie pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Do you usually find brownies too sweet?
If you usually find brownies too sweet, you are going to love this recipe! Because these brownies are made with cocoa powder only, it means you can adjust the amount of cocoa powder to suit your tastes.
- If you want a super dark, rich and not too sweet brownie, use 90g of cocoa powder.
- If you have a sweeter tooth and prefer a less intense chocolate taste, use 30g of cocoa powder.
- If you think you are somewhere in the middle, use 60g of cocoa powder.
The type of sugar you use will also affect the flavour of the brownies. Dark soft brown sugar will give you a richer flavour. If you prefer your brownies less rich, I recommend you use light brown sugar. (You can even use caster sugar, if you don’t have any brown sugar – but if you do, the flavour will be even less rich, and slightly sweeter.)
My personal preference is dark soft brown sugar + 90g of cocoa!
(I’d love to hear your personal favourite – let me know in the comment section below!)
What can you add to basic brownies?
This basic brownie recipe is delicious just as it is, but if you want to jazz it up, there are plenty of mix-ins you can add. Here are some ideas…
- 100g chocolate chips (white, milk, plain or a mixture!)
- 100g dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, sultanas…)
- 100g chopped nuts (walnuts, pistachios, almonds, pecans…)
- 100g Smarties or M&Ms
- 75g mini marshmallows
- 75g desiccated coconut or dried coconut flakes
- 100g peanut butter (or any nut butter you like)
- 100g jam (AKA jelly in the US)
- 200g fresh raspberries
- Cadbury’s mini eggs – see this recipe >>> Easy Mini Egg Brownies
- Cadbury’s creme eggs – see this recipe >>> Easy Creme Egg Brownies
- 2 teaspoons ginger, cinnamon or mixed spice (or to taste)
- Any combination of these! (One of my favourites is White Chocolate and Cranberry Brownies)
I’d love to hear about it if you come up with any really good combos! Let me know in the comment section below.
How long do brownies last?
Oooh – about 30 seconds?
Seriously, though they taste at their absolute best when freshly baked, these easy peasy brownies will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container… though you’d have to have the willpower of a saint (and no children / sweet-toothed other halves!) for them to last that long!
Can you reheat brownies?
These brownies are delicious hot or cold, so there is no need to reheat them.
However, if you want to reheat them, you definitely can! Simply place the brownies on a baking tray and place in a preheated oven set to 180C / 160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F for 5-10 minutes, or until piping hot.
Can you freeze brownies?
Absolutely! When they have cooled, pack them into an airtight and freezer-proof container, separating the layers with baking paper, then put them in the freezer where they will keep for up to 3 months.
Defrost at room temperature for a couple of hours, then eat cold or reheat as above.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
Easy Cocoa Powder Brownies (No Chocolate Required!)
Ingredients
- 150 g butter
- 150 g plain (all purpose) flour
- 60 g cocoa (see Note 1)
- 2 medium eggs
- 300 g soft brown sugar (light or dark – whichever you prefer – see Note 2)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a gentle heat. As soon as the butter is melted, take the pan off the heat and allow to cool – do not allow it to bubble.
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F.
- Grease and line a 23 x 23cm (9 x 9 inch) brownie pan. See tips in THIS POST for how to line a brownie pan.
- Combine the flour and cocoa in a large bowl.
- Crack the two eggs into a jug (or another bowl) and whisk lightly.
- Add the sugar to the eggs, and whisk lightly to combine the eggs and the sugar.
- Add the cooled melted butter to the egg and sugar mixture and whisk lightly to combine all the wet ingredients.
- Pour the egg/sugar/butter mixture into the flour/cocoa mixture and gently stir together until just combined.
- Tip the brownie batter into the prepared tray, spread the batter out to the corners and smooth the top.
- Place in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes depending on how gooey you like your brownies in the middle. (Don’t test with a skewer because you want them to be a bit gooey inside!)
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin – until cool enough to handle – then lift out and chop into 16 squares.
- Can be eaten hot or cold.
Notes
- I suggest 60g cocoa, but if you prefer a more milk chocolate style brownie, cut down to 30g… or if you prefer a super-dark brownie, bump up to 90g cocoa. Anywhere between 30g and 90g works just fine in this recipe, with no need to adjust the other ingredients.
- The type of sugar you use will affect the flavour of the brownies. Dark soft brown sugar will give you a richer flavour. If you prefer your brownies less rich, I recommend you use light brown sugar. (You can even use caster sugar, if you don’t have any brown sugar – but if you do the flavour will be even less rich, and slightly sweeter.)
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Pin Easy Cocoa Powder Brownies for later
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Jen says
Best brownie recipe ever, always my go to, my son always says they are the best brownies he’s ever had! Very easy to make and taste amazing!
Eb Gargano says
Thank you for this lovely review! I am delighted that you and your son like them so much 😀
Diane says
This is my first time making brownies, this recipe is so easy and very delicious. I didn’t have a square tin, mine was 9 by 7 inches but I cooked the mixture for 23 minutes and I’m chuffed with the results. I did line my tray but is wasn’t very neat but it didn’t matter to the lovely end result.
Eb Gargano says
That’s so great to hear! Thank you for this lovely review 😀
Nicole Plunkett says
Made these tonight and served with double cream and some fresh raspberries, everyone loved them x
Eb Gargano says
Yay! That’s so great to hear 😀 Thank you for this lovely review! Eb 🙂
Abby says
Made these in the airfyer tonight came out amazing , i halved the recipe coz just incase it was a flop… but they are amazing will definitely be making them again baked them at 180 for 13 mins
Eb Gargano says
Yay – that’s so great to hear! Thanks for this lovely review and especially the 5* rating 😀
Kate Cassar says
Wow….these taste sooo good Eb! I’ve made brownies before with the melted chocolate and one’s from packets too. Not a patch on these beauties. I used 90g of cocoa powder, vegan butter (as i’m going dairy free currently) and used the light brown sugar you recommended and they came out really moist, rich and almost chewy like. A big thumbs up from 10 and 14 year old boys and hubby! I shall have to make another lot very soon…as they are going too fast!! LOL! Thank you for this simple and very tasty recipe! Now off to cook tea using one of your lamb recipes and soda bread! 🙂
hope says
I haven’t tried this yet, but it sounds delicious
Eb Gargano says
That’s so great to hear! 😀
james says
the best brownie I’ve ever tasted and you don’t even need chocolate
Eb Gargano says
That’s so great to hear! Thanks for this lovely review… and especially the 5* rating 😀
Evangeline says
This recipe is fantastic. I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical when I saw how short the ingredient list is but they are literal perfection. I made them once exactly as written and they were divine.
The second time around I decided to experiment and did a few things differently. I added a pinch of salt, 1tsp each of vanilla extract and instant espresso powder, 30g each of regular Hershey’s cocoa powder and King Arthur’s black cocoa powder, and 1/2tsp baking powder. THIS was to die for!
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay! That’s so great to hear. Thanks for this lovely review… and especially the 5* rating 😀
Soph says
I misread the instructions and used 150g of cocoa… I know!!!
Anyway, I just added a bit of milk in the final mixing stage to add some more moisture. They still turned out great! Definitely dark chocolate and not too sweet. Thanks for such a fool proof recipe!
Eb Gargano says
Yay – so pleased to hear it still turned out great 😀
Sam says
I made these with granulated sugar and they turned out fantastic. Will definitely make these again. 60g of cocoa was just rich enough for me. Thanks Eb
Eb Gargano says
Aw, yay – great to hear! Thanks for this lovely review 😀
Muffy says
I made these for a picnic and got rave reviews and a request for the recipe. I added 1 tsp of instant espresso powder to the flour to the cocoa to increase the chocolate flavor. I used about 70 g of cocoa. I use unsalted butter so added 1/2 tsp salt . I love the fact that you give the weight in grams, it makes it foolproof. My husband makes bread by measuring in grams and his bread is stellar.
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thank you so much for such a lovely review! Delighted to hear you and your friends and family liked it so much… and I love the sound of your adaptations 😀
Jennifer says
Hi! Can I use this measurement for 6×6 inch pan? How would it be?
Eb Gargano says
I have never tried this in a 6 x 6 pan, so I don’t know exactly how long it would take to cook. My guess is about 50% longer – so maybe 30-40 minutes. I would keep an eye on it and check every 5 minutes from 25 minutes onwards. Alternatively, you could just halve the recipe. (Because we are dealing with area 6×6=36, which is about half 9×9=81.) In that case, I would guess it would take a little less time – so I’d start checking at about 15 minutes, but I’d expect it would take 18-20 minutes. Enjoy!
JBow says
Simple and amazing! So, so good. Thank you for this recipe!
Eb Gargano says
Aw, thank you so much for this lovely feedback! That’s so great to hear 😀
Vicky says
My husband especially liked the brownies. They were a little too gooey in the middle for me, but the flavor was great. I doubled the recipe and baked them in two pans for 25 minutes. I’ll put one in the freezer for later.
The large batch was challenging to mix by hand, so I used a hand mixer to combine the egg, sugar, and butter and again to incorporate the dry ingredients. Overall, the recipe is a success and satisfies the chocolate craving.
Eb Gargano says
Great to hear your husband really liked them and that you liked the flavour. I am sorry you found these a little gooey in the middle. I normally find after 25 minutes in the oven they are not very gooey at all. (I have to do them for 20 minutes to get gooey ones.) But obviously all ovens vary – if yours runs a little cooler than mine, that could explain it. And the fact that you had two batches in at the same time could have also slightly affected things too. Either way, it’s a very easy fix for next time, simply cook them for a a fraction longer. Probably 2-4 minutes would do it, depending on the level of gooey-ness you want to achieve!
Lili Fernandez says
Is the batter supposed to be thick? It was hard to mix at the end. It is mu first tome making your recipe and I’m doubtful about them cooking right!
Eb Gargano says
Yes, the batter is quite thick. That’s quite normal with brownies. It should be thicker than a normal cake batter, for example. Hope you enjoyed them!
Lindy says
I found this recipe about a month ago and I have just put my seventh batch in the oven! They are so good. Such a nice treat to look forward to after the school run. I have added walnuts/chocolate chips/chopped dark chocolate on different occasions and they have been perfect every time.
Eb Gargano says
Aw – yay, that’s so great to hear! Thank you for this lovely review 😀
Penny Collins says
Amazing! Will definitely be making this again as it is very quick and easy to make. The perfect brownie.
Eb Gargano says
Aw – yay, that’s so great to hear! Thank you for this lovely review and especially the 5* rating 😀
Kate Cassar says
Can you bake these using Cacao? I always use the exact recipe but curious what they would be like if I used the Cacao? Thank you. Lovely brownies!
Eb Gargano says
Oooh, good question! But I am afraid I have never tried making these with cacao, so I cannot give you a definitive answer. However, I would imagine it would work just fine. Let us know how it turns out if you try it!
Su Wilkinson says
Hi,
Just did it !!! Really great and easy.
First one eaten warmish ! Yummy yummy !!!
However, mine are not so “risen” ?!
In all your pictures they look ” higher”.
Did all by the book …..
Any ideas ?
Thanks
Su
Eb Gargano says
Aw – yay, I am delighted to hear that! Thank you for this lovely review and especially the 5* rating 😀 In truth, brownies shouldn’t really rise very much at all, as they should be fudgy inside, not light and airy like a cake. So if yours are not very risen, it sounds like they are exactly as they should be. The fact that mine are a little taller than yours could be just due to a slightly different pan size… or it could just be the angle mine are photographed at or the size they have been cut for the photos which makes them appear taller than they really are. Hope that helps! Eb 🙂
Victoria says
I have been using this recipe for a very long time and I absolutely love it. I only bake Gluten Free so I switched out the flour for Gf flour as it says in the Gf version (but i didnt make it dairy free) and it is perfect with a shiny top. I also add 100g of milk chocolate chips…..wow!
I wanted the brownie to be a little thicker in height so I just did the recipe by 1 and a half with 150g chocolate chips in a 9 x 9 tin and it worked perfect. I bake mine for 30 mins usually so I added on an extra 10 mins. For me this is the perfect consistency. Eb, thank you so much for giving us such a perfect and easy recipe with an amazing favour and finish xx
Eb Gargano says
Aw – yay, that is so wonderful to hear! And I love the sound of your adaptations. Thank you for this lovely review and especially the 5* rating 😀