Easy One-Bowl Cocoa Powder Brownies

If you’re craving brownies but don’t want the hassle and mess that many recipes require, you’ve come to the right place! This cocoa powder brownie recipe is simple to make and uses just one bowl. Made-from-scratch, these brownies are the perfect mix between fudgy and cakey. Don’t wait, make these now —everyone needs a quick and tasty brownie recipe to rely on!

Easy One Bowl Brownies

As you probably already know, I’m a big chocolate-lover. Some of my favourite delicious dessert recipes here on the blog involve some form of chocolate. Like my fan-favourite Peanut Butter Chocolate Greek Yogurt Bark recipe.

Funny story – this recipe was actually inspired by a brownie recipe I found in a magazine years ago. The recipe was included in an article about break-ups and broken hearts and I was so amused at how it was written. I saved the recipe and made it a couple times. I was impressed at how simple and easy it was to follow, however the brownies themselves weren’t fudgy enough for my liking. So I made some changes.

The result – these classic and easy one-bowl cocoa brownies. They’re satisfyingly delicious, and the perfect mix of fudgy AND cakey. I say classic because there’s not necessarily any “healthier” swaps or added nutrition in the brownies. This is a brownies recipe with chocolate chips, cocoa powder, butter, flour, and sugar. You know, the good stuff.

Even as a Registered Dietitian, I recognize that opting for the classic option when you really want it can be the healthy choice in itself. And, added sugars – like the ones found in desserts – are fine to have in moderation, and can fit in to 100 grams of sugars per day daily value.

Ingredients for This Recipe:

• Butter – I always use unsalted butter
• Sugar – white sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs – Make sure you use large eggs
• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder
• Cocoa powder – I recommend using unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips – Or chocolate chunks
• Walnuts – Nuts are optional in this recipe

How to Make One-Bowl Brownies:

As you probably know, there are many different ways to make brownies. Some brownies are cocoa powder recipes, and some are made with melted baker’s chocolate. Some brownie recipes are more fudgy, and some are more cakey.

This brownies recipe is made with chocolate chips and cocoa powder, and the brownies are honestly the perfect mix between fudgy and cakey. And they’re ready in 30 minutes!

To make the brownies, we’ll start by melting butter in a large microwave-safe mixing bowl. Then we will whisk in the white sugar and vanilla extract. Next up is the eggs, which we’ll whisk right into the butter-sugar-vanilla mixture.

To the same bowl (remember, this is a one-bowl recipe!), we will add the flour, baking powder and sifted cocoa powder and stir just until combined. We want to be careful not to over-mix.

Lastly, we will fold in some semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped walnuts if you’re feeling adventurous. But because walnuts in brownies are a bit of a controversial topic, these are optional.

Finally, we will transfer the brownie batter to a parchment-lined 8×8 baking pan, and bake in the oven at 350F for approximately 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Tips for Baking The Best Brownies Recipe with Cocoa Powder:

• Opt for a good-quality cocoa powder. No-name brands will work, but you will get darker, fudgier results with better quality cocoa.
• Don’t over-mix the brownie batter! I know it’s tempting to mix until your 110% sure everything is combined, but over-mixing can result in a tougher baked good, and we don’t want that. A good rule of thumb is to mix just until there are no streaks of flour left in the batter.
• Remove the brownies from the oven right when they’re done. I know you might want to put them back in for “just another minute” but refrain from doing so unless you want them to be dry (which I know you don’t). As soon as the toothpick comes out clean, remove!

Is Cocoa Powder Healthy?

In this Cocoa Powder Brownies recipe, I use unsweetened cocoa powder, and it does offer some potential health benefits.

Cocoa (where cocoa powder comes from) is a rich source of polyphenols, which are naturally occurring antioxidants in plant foods. We know that polyphenols can offer a variety of health benefits, like antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Cocoa is also a dietary source of iron and magnesium, which are important minerals for good health.

However, as a dietitian, I wouldn’t recommend relying on cocoa powder as a main source of nutrition in your diet. While it’s rich in polyphenols, cocoa often loses some of its polyphenol content in the processing and production of cocoa powder.

For a diet rich in polyphenols, I recommend aiming to eat more fruits and vegetables every day.

Can I Use Cacao Powder Instead of Cocoa Powder?

Both cocoa and cacao powder come from the same plant – the cacao plant. They undergo different processing methods to produce cocoa powder (which is sweeter) and cacao powder (which is more bitter). Cacao powder may contain higher amounts of certain nutrients and polyphenols as a result of the differences in processing.

According to The Pioneer Woman, you can use cacao powder in your baked goods, but you might want to take into consideration that it is more expensive. Also, because cacao powder is less processed than cocoa powder, it is a lot more bitter.

Should I Use a Metal or Glass Pan?

You need an 8×8 baking pan for this recipe. You can use either a metal pan or glass pan to make brownies, but I usually use a glass pan and they take 25 minutes to bake.

Using a metal pan may result in a crispier brownie edge, so if this is what you prefer I’d recommend a metal pan. If you use a metal pan, I recommend checking the brownies at 20 minutes as they may not require as much time to bake through.

How to Store the Brownies:

Once the brownies are finished baking, let them cool completely before cutting and serving. If you have leftovers, which you probably will (I know it’s tempting not to eat the whole pan, though!), you can store them cut in an airtight container in a cool, dry place up to 5 days.

Alternatively, you can freeze the brownies in a sealed container up to 2 months.

Connect with Hannah Magee, RD!

If you tried these Easy One Bowl Brownies, let me know how you liked them by leaving a comment and rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook so you don’t miss a thing from me. 🙂