Dark Chocolate Brownie Recipe (2024)

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Posted by Aimee 97 comments
Published: Feb 15, 2022 Last Updated: Feb 15, 2022

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Dark Chocolate Brownies prove that sometimes the simplest desserts are the best. Rich and fudgy with a bold cocoa flavor, these one-bowl brownies are a dark chocolate lover’s dream.

Love brownies? Be sure to try our delicious Oreo Brownies! Or give our Brookies a try next, the sweet combo of brownie and cookie.

Dark Chocolate Brownie Recipe (1)

Table of Contents

  • Why These Brownies Work
  • Ingredient Notes
  • Easy Instructions
  • Tips and Tricks
  • Recipe FAQs
  • More Easy Dessert Recipes
  • Dark Chocolate Brownie Recipe Recipe

Why These Brownies Work

Do you like your brownies light and airy or dense and fudgy?

I’m firmly in the fudgy brownies camp. My idea of the perfect brownie is one that’s tiniest bit underdone with a gooey chocolatey center and a few cracks on top.

  • DARK chocolate for a bolder, richer flavor.
  • 7 ingredient brownie recipe!
  • Moist center with crackly tops.
  • Dusted with powdered sugar.

This brownie recipe takes hardly any effort to make. The batter comes together in one bowl with no special equipment needed.

Bonus: your kitchen will smell like chocolate paradise when these brownies are in the oven!

If you prefer a THICKER brownie, try our fudgy brownie recipe. Truly one of the best!

Ingredient Notes

Dark Chocolate Brownie Recipe (2)
  • Dark unsweetened cocoa powder. Use a good quality cocoa powder for best brownies. Hershey’s Special Dark and Ghirardelli dark cocoa are both good choices. I find the cheaper brands, including Nestle, negatively affect the taste of the brownies by giving them a bitter aftertaste.
  • Melted butter. Using melted butter produces a chewier brownie with that soft moist center I love.
  • Chocolate chips – I fold these into the batter before baking to make the brownies even more fudgy and chocolatey. Semi-sweet or dark chocolate morsels are perfect.

Easy Instructions

Dark Chocolate Brownie Recipe (3)

Melt the butter in a microwave safe mixing bowl. Combine the melted butter with all the remaining brownie ingredients.

Pour the batter into a square baking dish. Bake for about 25 minutes. Let them cool completely.

Sprinkle powdered sugar over the tops of cooled brownies before cutting and serving.

Tips and Tricks

  • Spread your favorite chocolate frosting over these brownies instead of powdered sugar if you prefer.
  • The dark chocolate brownies will look a little underdone when they come out of the oven. I like them that way! They’ll continue setting up a bit as they cool.
  • For a more well done brownie, add an additional 3 to 5 minutes to the baking time.
  • Line your baking pan with parchment paper. When the brownies are done cooling, you can grab the ends of the parchment paper to slide them out of the pan easily.
  • Take it a step further. Add marshmallows and icing like we did with these marshmallow brownies!
Dark Chocolate Brownie Recipe (4)

Recipe FAQs

Can I make these brownies with regular cocoa powder instead of dark?

Yes, this recipe will work with any unsweetened cocoa powder. The darker varieties have a more robust flavor which I especially love in brownies.

What’s the best way to cut gooey brownies?

Brownies can be tricky to cut without tearing. That’s especially true for soft brownies like these! I recommend using a plastic knife to cut brownies. Use medium pressure and a smooth stroke to give the brownies clean edges. Wipe brownie crumbs from the knife between each cut.

Can I make these with nuts?

Nuts are a delicious crunchy addition to these dark chocolate brownies! Add 1 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter before baking if you like nuts in your brownies.

Do these brownies need to be refrigerated?

These do not need to be refrigerated but they can be! They’ll firm up a bit more as they chill–and I love the flavor of these cold. If you like them as they are, store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Dark Chocolate Brownie Recipe (5)

More Easy Dessert Recipes

  • Best Peanut Butter Cookies
  • Bread Pudding
  • Chocolate Banana Cake
  • Cake Mix Brownies
  • Pecan Pie Brownies
  • Hummingbird Cake

Dark Chocolate Brownie Recipe

4.82 from 22 votes

By: Aimee

Dark Chocolate Brownies prove that sometimes the simplest desserts are the best. Rich and fudgy with a bold cocoa flavor, these one-bowl brownies are a dark chocolate lover's dream.

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 brownies

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup dark chocolate unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup semi-sweet morsels
  • 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar optional garnish

Instructions

  • In a glass bowl, melt butter in microwave for 30 seconds to one minute. Add sugar, flour, cocoa and eggs. Stir with a spoon until well combined. Fold in morsels

  • Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Pour batter into dish, spreading evenly. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-28 minutes. I like my brownies a little under done and fudgy. You can add about 3-5 minutes for more well done, if desired.

  • Cool completely. Top with powdered sugar or your favorite frosting recipe. ENJOY.

Notes

  • For even more dark chocolate flavor, swap out the semi-sweet morsels for dark chocolate chips.
  • Spread your favorite chocolate frosting over these brownies instead of powdered sugar if you prefer.
  • The dark chocolate brownies will look a little underdone when they come out of the oven. I like them that way! They’ll continue setting up a bit as they cool.
  • For a more well done brownie, add an additional 3 to 5 minutes to the baking time.
  • Line your baking pan with parchment paper. When the brownies are done cooling, you can grab the ends of the parchment paper to slide them out of the pan easily.
  • Store brownies in airtight container at room temperature or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1brownie, Calories: 329kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 78mg, Sodium: 23mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 33g

Course: Brownies and Bars

Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?Mention @shugarysweets or tag #shugarysweets!

If you love chocolate, this Dark Chocolate Brownies recipe is the only brownie recipe you’ll ever need! Gooey, fudgy and decadent brownies are easy to make with simple ingredients.

Dark Chocolate Brownie Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What does adding an extra egg to brownie mix do? ›

If you want to get a little more creative with your brownie mix hacks, add an extra egg to the batter. The extra protein will help thicken up the batter and make it fluffier, creating a more decadent, fudgy texture. You can also add the yolk by itself in addition to the 2 eggs a box brownie mix typically calls for.

Is it better to use cocoa powder or chocolate in brownies? ›

As compared to those made with just chocolate or a combination of the two, cocoa brownies are reliably superior in terms of texture and flavor.

What happens if you use milk instead of water in brownie mix? ›

One change is to use milk or heavy cream instead of water. This change will make brownies more moist and gooey since milk is more fatty and flavorful than water. A second change is to use butter instead of oil. For similar reasons to using milk, butter adds a rich and more decadent quality to the batter.

What happens if you use baking soda instead of baking powder in brownies? ›

If you accidentally add baking soda instead of baking powder to baked goods, they won't rise because there is not enough acid. To fix this, add about one tablespoon of white or apple cider vinegar for every half teaspoon of baking soda to the liquids before mixing with the dry ingredients.

What happens if I put too many eggs in my brownies? ›

They give brownies a lighter, drier, and more cake-like texture. If you prefer this over the chewy variety, then go ahead and crack in that additional egg. On the other hand, too many eggs will yield brownies that are hard, heavy, and tough.

What happens if I dont use eggs in my brownie mix? ›

Is it okay to make brownies without eggs? Without eggs, baked goods will become a little thinner and not rise as much in the oven. As long as you replace the moisture from the egg with milk, banana or applesauce, you can make brownies without eggs. And yes, this recipe makes thinner brownies than normal.

What makes brownies cakey vs fudgy? ›

Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones. So add more fat—in this case, butter and chocolate. A cakey batch has more flour and relies on baking powder for leavening. The amount of sugar and eggs does not change whether you're going fudgy or cakey.

What does too much cocoa powder do to brownies? ›

Cocoa powder is a staple for brownies and chocolate cakes alike. But adding cocoa powder alone may transform your brownies from fudgy to cake-like. SBS Australia notes that cocoa powder has a texture similar to flour. Therefore, adding too much cocoa powder can dry out the batter.

Which cocoa powder is best for brownies? ›

Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder

It makes amazingly rich, dark, and tender cakes, fudgy, moist brownies and cookies, and incredibly luscious frosting.

What happens if you use butter instead of oil in brownies? ›

the butter brownies actually had a fudgier texture. they were softer, and they really just melted in your mouth. they also had that shiny crust and just better flavor, whereas the oil brownies were actually chewier.

What oil is best for brownies? ›

When baking brownies it's best to use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil with complimentary flavor profiles. Extra virgin products offer much better health benefits than ordinary oils. This is due to the high levels of antioxidants, including polyphenols, in extra virgin products.

Are brownies better with butter or oil? ›

In brownies, both butter and oil will offer a moist, tender texture, but only butter will give the dish the aeration needed for rising brownies well. If you use a cake brownie, butter is a better option because it helps rise the batter. For denser, fudge type brownies, oil is permissable.

What happens if you put too much baking powder in brownies? ›

Too much baking powder can cause the batter to be bitter tasting. It can also cause the batter to rise rapidly and then collapse. (i.e. The air bubbles in the batter grow too large and break causing the batter to fall.)

How to tell when brownies are done? ›

For cake-like brownies, take them out of the oven when they just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, or when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. For fudgy brownies, bake within the time range stated in the recipe. For very moist brownies, take them out toward the minimum baking time.

Can I use baking powder instead of eggs for brownies? ›

You can whisk 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons of water and 2 teaspoons of baking powder together to replace each egg in baked goods like cookies, brownies or quick breads.

What makes brownies fudgy vs cakey? ›

Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones. So add more fat—in this case, butter and chocolate. A cakey batch has more flour and relies on baking powder for leavening. The amount of sugar and eggs does not change whether you're going fudgy or cakey.

How does an extra egg affect baking? ›

Too much yolk can overwhelm a dish with "eggy" flavor, and their tenderizing function weakens a cake's structure. Too much white, on the other hand, will create an awkward batter and a dry cake. Using the whole egg gives you the best of both worlds.

What does adding an extra egg to a box cake mix do? ›

Because eggs help build the cake's structure (don't use them and you're looking at a gooey mess), adding an extra egg yolk makes the cake batter denser. Translation: you'll have a moister confection. Conversely, she suggests an extra egg white for a fluffier cake.

How to make brownie mix fluffier? ›

When the back-of-box instructions call for water, try some instant espresso or strong-brewed coffee for roasty, toasty notes that pair impeccably with chocolate. Or use milk or half-and-half for even more richness. And for cakey instead of fudgy brownies, add an extra egg for more lift and spring.

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