This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
These Black Cocoa Brownies are fudgy, rich, and oh so delicious! We’re talking deep, dark chocolate brownies with gooey centers, chewy edges, and that gorgeous shiny, crackly top we all know and love. Made with melted chocolate chips AND black cocoa powder, these babies have an intense, Oreo-like chocolate flavor that’ll make you weak in the knees.
If you love these brownies, make my oreo brownies and homemade cosmic brownies next!
If you love a good homemade brownie recipe, these fudgy black cocoa brownies deserve a spot in your baking rotation. They’re loaded with chocolate in every bite. Because of its dark color, I love making these around Halloween – the kids love them! Grab a cold glass of milk or a scoop of cookies and cream ice cream (to play up that oreo flavor) and you’ll be in heaven. If you thought regular brownies were good, just wait until you try these!
Black Cocoa Brownies Recipe Overview
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- 🕒 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🍫 Bake Time: 30-33 minutes
- 🧑🍳 Total Time: 50 mins, plus cooling time
- 👪 Serves: 12 brownies
- 🍫 Made With: Black cocoa powder, semi-sweet chocolate chips, butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract
- 🍫 Why This Recipe is the Best: A combination of melted chocolate and black cocoa creates an intensely rich, fudgy center with a deep, almost black color. They bake up with a gorgeous crackly top, studded with chocolate chips all throughout! It’s chocolate heaven!
Table of contents
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
(The full list of ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.)
- Black cocoa powder: The star of the show! This ultra-dark cocoa gives the brownies their almost-black color and distinctive Oreo-like flavor. It’s why I did an oreo frosting with my Black Velvet Cake.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Melted chocolate adds richness, sweetness, and a fudgy texture. I like semisweet chocolate because it balances the more intense flavor of the black cocoa.
- Salted butter and vegetable oil: Butter brings that rich, homemade flavor, while oil helps keep the brownies soft and fudgy, even after they cool.
- Granulated and powdered sugar: Both add sweetness, but they also play an important role in the brownie texture.
- Eggs give the brownies structure, while also adding richness for an extra-fudgy center.
Can I use normal cocoa powder for black cocoa brownies?
You can, but the brownies won’t have that signature dark color or Oreo-like chocolate flavor. Black cocoa is heavily Dutch-processed, giving it a darker appearance and a smoother, more roasted flavor than natural cocoa powder.
My recommendation: Stick with black cocoa for this recipe! If you prefer a traditional chocolate brownie, try my homemade brownies instead.
How To Make Black Cocoa Brownies
(The complete ingredients and detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card below.)
Step 1: Melt the butter and chocolate. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium low heat, then add vegetable oil and 1 cup of sugar (200g) and stir together for about 5 minutes, until combined and smooth. Remove from heat and add the semisweet chocolate chips and stir until smooth. The mixture may look a little grainy, and that’s okay!
Step 2: Whip the eggs and powdered sugar. Beat the eggs, 1/2 cup (100g) of sugar, and powdered sugar until the mixture looks thick and fluffy and lighter in color, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and slowly mix in the warm melted chocolate mixture and black cocoa powder until combined.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients. Fold in the flour, kosher salt, and chocolate chips until no dry flour remains.
Step 4: Bake until fudgy. Line an 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper and pour in the batter. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips over the top (optional). Bake brownies at 325 degrees F for about 55-60 minutes. Let the brownies cool completely before slicing.
How to Tell When Black Cocoa Brownies Are Done
Because these brownies are nearly black, you can’t rely on color to tell when they’re ready! Insert a toothpick into the center (avoiding chocolate chips). It should come out with moist, fudgy crumbs rather than raw batter.
My tip: Don’t wait for a completely clean toothpick! These brownies continue to firm up as they cool, and overbaking can turn that perfectly fudgy center dry. Honey, we don’t want that!
Britney’s Pro Tips
- Don’t burn the chocolate chips. Remove the melted butter and sugar mixture from the stove before adding the chocolate chips to prevent the chocolate from burning. Let it cool before pouring into the eggs.
- Whip the eggs and sugar well. This is one of the most important steps for encouraging that shiny, crackly top. The mixture should look slightly thick and foamy and considerably lighter in color before adding the chocolate.
- Don’t overmix once the flour goes in. Too much mixing can develop gluten and make the brownies tougher instead of soft and fudgy.
- Let the brownies cool completely before cutting. I know waiting is the hardest part! But cooling allows the chocolate and fats to firm up, giving you a fudgier texture and cleaner slices.
Storing
Store completely cooled brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3–4 days. For a firmer, extra-fudgy texture, refrigerate them for up to 5–7 days. You can also freeze brownies for up to 3 months. Let them come to room temperature or warm them briefly in the microwave before serving.
Black Cocoa Brownies Recipe FAQs
Black cocoa powder is an ultra-Dutch-processed cocoa powder known for its nearly black color and distinct, Oreo-like flavor. It’s less acidic than natural cocoa powder and is commonly used in dark chocolate cookies, cakes, and brownies.
Baking these black cocoa brownies at 325°F helps them bake more evenly. When baked at 350 degrees F, I’ve found that the brownies cook on the edges but the centers ended up raw. So, I lowered the oven temp and voila, it allowed the brownies to cook all the way through while still preserving that thick, fudgy texture.
Black cocoa brownies have a deep, roasted chocolate flavor that’s often compared to the chocolate cookie portion of an Oreo. Because this recipe also uses melted semisweet chocolate, you get that distinctive black cocoa flavor along with the rich chocolate taste of a traditional fudgy brownie.
A crackly top is influenced by how well the sugar dissolves and how the eggs are incorporated into the batter. For this recipe, beating the eggs and sugar until thick and slightly fluffy can help create that shiny surface. Also, avoid overmixing once the flour is added, and make sure the chocolate mixture isn’t excessively hot when combining everything.
Absolutely! Allow the brownies to cool completely, then wrap individual squares tightly and store them in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or warm gently in the microwave before serving.
More Decadent Brownie Recipes
Want more delicious recipes? Subscribe to my newsletter to receive the latest seasonal creations as soon as they’re released!
If you make this Black Cocoa Brownie Recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below! You can also tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can celebrate your beautiful creations!
Fudgy Black Cocoa Brownies
Equipment
- 8×8 Baking Pan (metal or ceramic, do not use glass)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (170 g) Salted butter
- 6 tbsp (84 g) oil Vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) Granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 (255 g) Semi-Sweet chocolate chips
- 4 (200 g) Large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g) Powdered sugar
- 1 cup (85 g) Black cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups (157 g) All-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (85 g) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, (for folding into the batter)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper so that there's about a inch overhang – this makes it easier to remove the brownies from the pan when they're done baking.
- In a small saucepan over medium low heat, melted butter. Once melted, add vegetable oil and 1 cup of sugar (save the remaining 1/2 cup for the next step). Stir constantly for about 5 minutes, until the sugar begins to dissolve and mixture looks syrupy. Remove from heat and add in chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate is fully melted, then set aside to cool. 3/4 cup Salted butter 6 tbsp oil Vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups Granulated sugar 1 1/2 Semi-Sweet chocolate chips
- In a large mixing bowl, add eggs and powdered sugar. Use a hand mixer to mix on medium speed for about 3-5 minutes, until the mixture becomes foamy and slightly thickened. It should also be slightly lighter in color. 4 Large eggs 1 1/2 cups Powdered sugar
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture along with black cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and kosher salt. Use the hand mixer to continue to mix everything together, beginning on low speed, and mixing until smooth and combined, about 20-30 seconds. 1 cup Black cocoa powder 1 tbsp Vanilla extract 1 tsp Kosher salt
- Add all purpose flour and chocolate chips and fold everything together with a flat spatula or mixing spoon until there's no streaks of flour. Don't overmix here, stop mixing as soon as the batter is smooth. This is the difference between soft and fudgy brownies vs. tough and dense brownies. 1 1/4 cups All-purpose flour 1/2 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with chocolate batter that clings to the toothpick. The toothpick should not come out clean, that means they're overbaked, it should have a thick smear of batter.
- Allow the brownies to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes, then place into the refrigerator for about 1-2 hours to set. If you like warm fudgy brownies, you can cut into them immediately, but they won't slice cleanly. They'll be delicious either way!
Notes
- Don’t burn the chocolate chips. Remove the melted butter and sugar mixture from the stove before adding the chocolate chips to prevent the chocolate from burning. Let it cool before pouring into the eggs.
- Whip the eggs and sugar well. This is one of the most important steps for encouraging that shiny, crackly top. The mixture should look slightly thick and foamy and considerably lighter in color before adding the chocolate.
- Don’t overmix once the flour goes in. Too much mixing can develop gluten and make the brownies tougher instead of soft and fudgy.
- Let the brownies cool completely before cutting. I know waiting is the hardest part! But cooling allows the chocolate and fats to firm up, giving you a fudgier texture and cleaner slices.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
