Rich, soft brownies made from pantry staples. This recipe uses cocoa powder in place of melted chocolate to keep the cost down, while still delivering on flavour!
These One Bowl Cocoa Brownies are soft, moist and slightly cakey with just the right amount of chew. They're not ultra-fudgy, but they're rich, chocolatey and absolutely perfect served warm with a scoop of ice cream. Best of all, they're made in one bowl using pantry staples, with minimal mess and maximum reward.
For something a little extra, why not check out my Hazella Brownie Sundae? Brownie made with pieces of Whittakers Hazella chocolate and topped with vanilla ice cream!
Jump to:
Ingredient notes:
- Eggs: Brownies use more eggs than many baking recipes, which helps give them structure while still keeping them moist. The eggs also contribute to the soft, slightly chewy texture that sits between a cake and a fudgy brownie.
- Butter and oil: This recipe uses a combination of butter and oil for the best result. Butter adds rich flavour, while oil helps keep the brownies moist and softer for longer. Using some oil also helps reduce the overall cost, as you don't need to rely on butter alone.
- Cocoa powder: Using cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate keeps this recipe simple plus budget and pantry-friendly, while still delivering a deep chocolate flavour. It also contributes to the lighter, more cakey texture compared to very fudgy brownies made with lots of chocolate.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake. Line a 25 x 37 cm baking tray with baking paper. Add all of the wet ingredients to a large bowl and whisk until smooth and well combined.
Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Whisk together until smooth and well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared tray and smooth the top.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the brownie looks set and gently springs back when lightly touched in the centre.
Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool completely before slicing.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes! This is a great base recipe to experiment with and make your own. Some ideas, try adding chocolate chips, chopped chocolate or nuts. Scatter frozen raspberries over the top before baking for a sharp contrast to the rich chocolate or even swirl spoonfuls of peanut butter through the batter before baking. Have fun with it!
Yes. Replace the butter with the same amount of melted coconut oil.
Yes, substitute the flour with a good gluten-free plain flour. This can also give a slightly fudgier texture.
They're delicious on their own, but even better served warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Storage
Store your brownie in the fridge for a few weeks. At room temperature, store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
This brownie freezes extremely well. Store slices in an airtight container in the freezer for several months.
Top tips:
- For a more cakey brownie, bake closer to the 20-minute mark. For a fudgier result, remove the brownie slightly earlier while the centre is still very soft.
- This makes a large tray, you can easily half the recipe to make a smaller batch but make sure to reduce the baking tray size too!
Related Recipes:
Made this recipe?
Please click on the stars below to rate it or, write a review!
One Bowl Cocoa Brownie
Rich, soft brownies made from pantry staple; butter, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla essence, white sugar, plain flour, cocoa and baking powder.
Ingredients
Wet
- 125g butter, melted
- ½ cup vegetable oil, or canola
- 4 eggs
- 1 Tbsp vanilla essence
- 2 cups white sugar
Dry
- 1 cup plain flour
- ⅔ cup cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake. Line a 25 x 37 cm baking tray with baking paper.
- Add all of the wet ingredients to a large bowl and whisk until smooth and well combined.
- Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Whisk together until smooth and well combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tray and smooth the top.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the brownie looks set and gently springs back when lightly touched in the centre.
- Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- For a more cakey brownie, bake closer to the 20-minute mark. For a fudgier result, remove the brownie slightly earlier while the centre is still very soft.
- This makes a large tray, you can easily half the recipe to make a smaller batch but make sure to reduce the baking tray size too!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 368Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 156mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 3gSugar: 31gProtein: 5g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
If you don't already follow me, head over to my Instagram, Facebook or TikTok pages to keep up to date with all my new recipes.
Vanya
Shellie Shannon says
You are fast becoming my 'go to' when I'm looking for a recipe. I needed a massive (and simple) brownie to do double duty, school lunches and a shared morning tea. This was perfect! It was very easy to make, made almost no mess, and I had all the ingredients on hand as there was nothing weird or expensive required. I was also able to make it gluten free just by switching the flour, and it came out perfectly! Thank you for posting these recipes, they really are very helpful and appreciated 🙂
VJ cooks says
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback, Shellie. I'm so please to hear you enjoyed this recipe! And even better when you can easily make it gluten free for a shared lunch.
Tam says
Could you use olive oil instead?
VJ cooks says
You could, it will just alter the taste.
Caitlin says
My son is recently dairy free could I sub the butter with more oil? Thanks
VJ cooks says
Yes, or Olivani.
Katie says
My brownie doesn't set in the centre, second making it and overcooked and still runny in the middle, any tips?
VJ cooks says
What size tin are you using? This recipe calls for a 25 x 37 cm tin which is quite large. If you were to use a smaller one, the mixture would be thicker meaning the edges would cook before the middle had a chance to.