The last time I made brownies was probably in middle school if I’m being honest, and they were definitely from a box- shh. I usually like a more “adult” dessert, if that even makes sense. I like different flavors mixing together and complimenting each other- and brownies just always seemed like chocolate. Don’t get me wrong- I LOVE chocolate, but it seemed like an overload situation.
Let’s be real though, it’s quarantine and it’s time to try out all those things that we never had time to before. Which primarily means it’s time to eat all the chocolaty desserts my heart can handle. Thankfully these brownies made the list! Real talk, I didn’t expect to love these as much as I do. I didn’t even plan to post about them. I made them with the intention of eating ONE and giving the rest away (contact-free drop offs, don’t worry). That being said, this recipe made 16 squares and by the end of 4 days, there were only 5 left. My bad.
They’re 100% from scratch and they’re nothing like the brownies I used to know. These are made from cocoa powder, with specks of melting chocolate & walnuts, and just the smallest hint of coffee to richen that chocolate flavor. I also added an easy dark chocolate ganache, which honestly was for the childhood memory of those cosmic brownies that always had a layer of chocolate on top that child-me was a huge fan of. So here they are: childhood cocoa brownies adjusted for an adult’s refined taste.
Cocoa Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp espresso powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 5 tbsp chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9 x 9 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Melt butter in microwave for 45 seconds. Pour into mixing bowl with paddle attachment. Add both sugars and beat for 1 minute.
- Add cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Mix for another minute.
- Gradually add in flour and eggs, beating until well combined.
- Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife can pierce the middle and come out cleanly.
- Remove from oven and let cool on countertop while you prepare ganache.
- In a double boiler set up, allow water to come to a light boil. Then add butter, milk, and chocolate chips to bowl on top. Stir to melt and combine ingredients.
- Once the ingredients have melted together, carefully take off the bowl from the double boiler. Scrape sides and pour mixture evenly on top of brownies. Smooth with spatula.
- Refrigerate for 1 hr or until cooled completely. Enjoy with a scoop of ice cream or a cold glass of milk!
Thank you dear for sharing this recipe. I was looking on internet for some new dishes and this Cocoa Brownies recipe I found the best. As we all are free and nothing to do in this quarantine so this is the best time to learn and cook something new. Thanks Again, I will definitely try this at home.
I’m so glad to hear that! Definitely agreed- now is the time to get all the baking accomplished- and honestly these brownies were such a HIT. I did contact-free drop offs, and my friends keep asking me to remake them. I hope you enjoy the brownies as much as they did! Let me know if you have any questions, & I’d love to hear how they turned out!