Rich & Gooey Black Cocoa Brownies
Super fudgy homemade brownies made with black cocoa powder. They have a rich, dark chocolate flavor, chewy edges, gooey center and the perfect crinkly top. Not at all bitter or dry!
Calling all brownie lovers for the most indulgent black cocoa brownies to ever exist. I used to think that boxed brownies were the only thing that you could never replicate at home or make better at home but my reader favorite fudgy brownies proved that wrong real quick.
I adapted those into a brown butter version and now into a black cocoa version and I’ll never be the same. By far, my favorite two brownies.
Why use black cocoa powder
Well the truth is that sometimes you just buy a bag for another recipe and then don’t know what else to make with it so I’m here giving you options. However, once you try these black cocoa brownies, you’ll be buying the black cocoa just to make these regularly lol.
Black cocoa is just cocoa powder that’s been alkalized (even more than dutch cocoa) so it’s rich, intense, slightly more bitter/earthy and very dark in color.
I realize my brownies aren’t quite as black as you’d expect (the inside is but the top isn’t) and that’s because I neutralized the pH with a little cream of tartar which does bring back that brownish/reddish color a little (not quite as brown as traditional brownies would be though).
The reason I added cream of tartar is because the added acid will balance the flavors better and because you just won’t get that crackly shiny top with such an alkaline pH.
What kind of black cocoa to use
There’s so many different brands and honestly I’ve used a bunch of them with no issues at all. There are some that are lighter in color and some that are very intensely black.
For these I used King Arthur’s brand, which is slightly lighter than some other ones. I’ve also used The Cocoa Trader for all my black cocoa cake recipes. I’m sure any of them are fine.
Ingredients & Substitutions
*full recipe is in the recipe card at the bottom!
- Butter – I like using salted butter but unsalted works as well.
- Chocolate – I use dark chocolate chip or a 70(ish)% chocolate bar. Semi-sweet chocolate also works fine.
- Eggs – Make sure they’re large and at room temperature. Place them in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes if they’re cold.
- Sugar – I like to mix granulated sugar and brown sugar for brownies. I think it gives the best texture and flavor combination but one or the other works fine too. Light or dark brown sugar works fine.
- Cocoa Powder – well since they’re black cocoa brownies, I used black cocoa powder. You can swap it for dutch-processed cocoa powder but I would recommend just using my traditional brownie recipe then (pretty much the same but without the tweaks for black cocoa).
- Cream of Tartar – black cocoa is alkalized so I used cream of tartar to balance the pH back out. Any acid will do like 1-2 tsp of vinegar or lemon juice.
- Vanilla – Vanilla extract or bean paste works fine here.
- Flour – I use all-purpose flour and I don’t recommend swapping that.
- Salt – I like sea salt but any salt works, I’d just use a little less if it’s not sea salt.
TIP: I HIGHLY recommend using a digital scale, as dry ingredients are almost always over measured.
How To Make Black Cocoa Brownies, Step-By-Step Photos
- Melt the butter with the chocolate.
- Whisk the egg with the sugar.
- Whisk in the cocoa powder, cream of tartar and vanilla to the egg mixture.
- Whisk in the melted chocolate and butter into the egg mixture.
- Whisk the flour and salt into the brownie batter.
- Fold in the chocolate chips or any other add-ins.
- Bake until the top looks set and when you press on it, it should be soft but give some resistance (not feel runny in the center when you press on it).
- Cool before slicing.
TIP: I always recommend an oven thermometer just because oven’s can vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
I haven’t tried it but I suspect it would work fine with a 1:1 substitute like King Arthur’s or Bob’s Red Mill.
You can use dairy free butter and dairy free chocolate to make these dairy free.
When you push your finger on the top (in the center) you should feel some resistance.
It should feel like a brownie that’s a little “too gooey but almost perfect”.
At this point, you’ll remove them from the oven and they will continue to bake as they’re cooling.
To get the perfect crackly top on these brownies you want to make sure you whisk the eggs with the sugar aggressively for 2-3 minutes.
You can also use a hand mixer if you prefer.
You can but they’re a bit thick and super fudgy/gooey so I think frosting is just “too much” here.
I recommend something more like Black Cocoa Cookie Bars if you want them frosted. Those are more chewy/dense and pair well with a frosting.
Storing & Serving These Brownies
We all know warm and gooey brownies are irrisistable but if you want the ultimate texture for these, let them cool at least 30 minutes before slicing.
You want to let them set, they’ll still be a little warm but they’ll slice so much easier if they’ve cooled a little.
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for several days.
You can also refrigerate them for a couple of weeks or freeze for months.
I hope you enjoy my new favorite brownie recipe. If you have any questions, please comment down below – those will get answered much quicker than email or through social media.
If you’ve tried these, I would very much appreciate a 5-star rating or review as well.
As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!
Love, B
So so so perfect! Thank you for the recipe and clear instructions.
I’m just wondering if I double this can I use9x13 pan ?
Should be fine!
Let me start by saying WOW! I think these are just about the best brownies I’ve ever had and definitely the best I ever made. My family members want their own batch of these brownies for Christmas instead of gifts! Looks like I’ll be baking these up in double or triple batches for the next few weeks.
Awww this is the best comment ever 🫶🏼 I’m so glad you all liked them, they are one of my favorites as well!!
I’m confused as to why this recipe doesn’t have more 5 star reviews, because this is the best brownie i’ve ever had in my life. Maybe because the recipe calls for cream of tartar, which I bet most people don’t have. I substituted for 2tsp of white vinegar. Also maybe most people don’t have the dark cocoa powder, I got mine from King Arthur Flour on Amazon. I bet you could sub with dutch process as well. This recipe reminds me of eating a lava cake. This is a true “fudgy brownie” and I’m definitely to be using this recipe again. Insane!!!
I made these with a layer of cheesecake on top. Let me tell you, people went absolutely freaking feral for them, and it wasn’t about the cheesecake. (It was my first attempt at the recipe, but I’m an experienced home baker and trusted my gut on the addition of cheesecake. I used a 9×9 pan, and it took a little longer to cook. NBD.)
I also made them gluten-free/wheat-free with Better Batter as the flour. Just use the same amount of flour by my fellow GF people, and it’ll all work out.
Anyway, thanks so much for such a delicious recipe! I will definitely make this again (and again)!
Hi Allie, thank you so much for the review! I’m so glad it worked out and you liked the brownies. & thank you for letting me know about the gf flour, glad it worked out!
I’ve made these four times now. Without exception, I received at least one comment of, “these are the best brownies I’ve ever eaten”. I used Callebaut couverture chocolate for the batter and Ghiardelli 60% chips (for the chips). Mixes and cooks just as described, the mark of a well-thought out recipe. Recommend letting them set in the pan in the fridge for 4-6 hours before cutting into squares.
Thank you so much for the review Christopher! I’m so glad you like them, they are probably my favorite brownies as well!
bbb
Hi! What temp if I don’t have a convection oven?
I would just do the same temp
I don’t have convection and I did 350
Excellent recipe! Made a fudgy brownie with the perfect crinkly top. I used only 100g brown sugar and 100g white sugar. It was sweet enough for our family.