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!

black cocoa brownies with a cup of milk next to them.

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.

black cocoa brownies sliced with chocolate chips inside

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.

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.

eggs and sugar whisked together in a bowl — chocolate and butter melted

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 star rating or review as well.

As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B