Easy Fudge Brownies
I have so many brownie recipes on the blog, but this one takes the cake (or brownie) in simplicity for both technique and ingredients. It’s an incredibly easy brownie recipe with a short list of basic pantry ingredients, so you likely already have everything you need to make them! But don’t let the ease fool you as these brownies are just as rich and fudgy as any brownie, minus the pricey chocolate. This recipe is just proof that you don’t need expensive ingredients to make really good brownies!
Brownies made with cocoa powder
Due to environmental changes, cocoa is in low supply but is still in high demand. So if you’ve noticed the price of chocolate is astronomical lately, that’s why. After spending $8 on a bar of chocolate, I said enough is enough and decided to make a fudgy brownie recipe without the expensive chocolate.
The keyword here is FUDGY. Since these brownies are only made with cocoa powder and no melted chocolate, they can easily lean into cakey territory…and who wants a cakey brownie?
So after testing these brownies 10+ times (and a few eye twitches later), I finally landed on an easy brownie recipe that is the definition of fudgy.
The secret? Just the right balance of flour and cocoa powder to butter and eggs, plus a little something extra. You’re not going to like it…but the key ingredient here is mayonnaise. Now before you pass judgement, mayo is just oil, vinegar, and eggs which are all very standard baking ingredients! But by adding a bit of mayo, you can level up both the fat and emulsification of these brownies without adding excess water.
The result is a super rich, silky, and fudgy brownie that tastes like it’s made with decadent melted chocolate. After one bite, you’ll be left wondering why it’s not a staple ingredient in all brownie recipes. I know for a fact I’ll be using it much more now!
In case you need further proof of the magic of mayo, I highly recommend giving my moist chocolate cake a try!
Ingredients for easy brownies
On top of making a brownie recipe that’s quick and easy to make, I also wanted to focus on simple ingredients that most people already have in their homes. There’s nothing fancy in there, but the combination of these ingredients is what makes them so special. Here’s what we’re working with:
- Unsalted Butter – I’m using basic American unsalted butter here, but feel free to use whatever you have! European style or salted also work great here. If using salted butter, reduce the 1/4 teaspoon of extra salt in the batter to just a pinch of salt.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – This is the most standard form of cocoa powder that most people already have in their pantry. When choosing between this cocoa and Dutch process, the answer was simple. The flavor is nearly the same and for a fraction of the cost. However, use what you’ve got as either work in this recipe!
- Eggs – These are what bind the water and fat in the batter, creating a smooth and fudgy consistency. I think it’s safe to say that most people almost always have these on hand.
- Powdered Sugar – In order to get a glossy, paper thin top on your brownies, the sugar must dissolve into the batter. To prevent any extra steps or fancy techniques, powdered sugar almost instantly dissolves just by mixing it into the eggs. The extra bit of cornstarch also helps create a chewy and tender texture.
- Mayonnaise – When developing this recipe, I wanted a little extra fat and a little extra egg but without having to add more of both. So when thinking of simple ingredients, I realized mayo works great in chocolate cake, so why not in brownies as well? It truly makes these brownies so silky and fudgy and trust me, you cannot taste it one bit!
- Vanilla, Salt, Flour – All basic ingredients that any dessert should have!
- Chocolate Chips – While the batter doesn’t contain any melted chocolate, chocolate chips mixed into the batter really elevate these brownies. If you don’t have any, use whatever you’ve got or omit completely! But we don’t have to get fancy here. My favorite chocolate chips are from Trader Joe’s and a bag costs about $4.
Easy Fudge Brownies FAQs
This can happen if the powdered sugar is not measured properly. It should be measured the same as flour, by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it off with a flat edge. If you scoop directly into the sugar with your measuring cup, this packs it down and adds way to much excess sugar to the batter. This is why I always recommend weighing your ingredients!
You can, however, you won’t get that paper thin cracky crust on top of the brownies. If you’d still like to use granulated sugar, you will only need 1 1/4 cup which is also 250g.
If you don’t use a scale when baking, it’s important to know the proper way to measure certain ingredients. Spooned and leveled means that ingredients need to be spooned into your measuring cup and leveled off with a flat edge. Otherwise, if you scoop your cup directly into that ingredient, this can pack it down into the cup and leave you with way too much of that ingredient.
It adds extra richness to these brownies in ways that extra butter and eggs just can’t! After making these brownies 10+ times, trust me, mayo makes all the difference.
Yes! Swap the all-purpose flour with 1/2 cup (65g) cup for cup gluten-free baking flour mixed with 2 tablespoons cornstarch. I like Bob’s Red Mill (the blue bag) or King Arthur measure for measure.
Sure! Just use a plant-based butter. I really like Country Crock baking butter sticks. Also make sure your chocolate chips are dairy free.
Yes, just expect the brownies to bake a little bit thicker and add about 5 to 10 minutes to the bake time. Look for the same doneness signs as instructed in the recipe.
Store in a container at room temperature and they’ll keep for about 3 days, but they are the absolute best the day of!
For more brownie recipes, check out my:
- Brown Butter Brownies
- Salted Dark Chocolate Brownies
- Homemade Cosmic Brownies
- Better Than Box Mix Brownies
- Salted Caramel Brownies
- Fudgy Gluten Free Brownies
Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram and leave a review below if you make these easy fudge brownies. To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. Happy baking!
Print
Easy Fudge Brownies
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 16 brownies
Description
Influenced by the rising cost of chocolate, this easy brownie recipe gets its chocolate richness from just cocoa powder. Along with a few pantry-staple ingredients, you likely already have everything you need to bake these! But don’t be fooled by the ease (and don’t be scared by the mayo), as these brownies are just as rich and fudgy as any made with expensive chocolate.
Ingredients
Easy Brownies
- 1/2 cup (112g) unsalted butter*, sliced
- 2/3 cup (55g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder, spooned and leveled
- 2 large eggs
- 2 1/4 cups (250g) powdered sugar, spooned and leveled
- 1/4 cup (50g) mayonnaise (just trust me)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2/3 cup (85g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled *see notes for GF
- 1/2 cup (90g) semisweet chocolate chips*
Instructions
Easy Brownies
- Preheat the oven to 325F and grease the inside of an 8×8 baking pan. Line with a sheet of parchment paper to cover the bottom and two sides with some overhang for easy removal.
- In a 2 cup measuring glass, microwave the butter until melted. Mix in the cocoa powder until smooth, glossy and fudgy. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the eggs and powdered sugar until completely smooth, about 1 minute (when measuring the powdered sugar, make sure to spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off with a flat edge for a light and fluffy cup). Then whisk in the mayonnaise, vanilla, and salt.
- Scrape in every last bit of the butter and cocoa mixture and whisk to combine. Switch to a silicone spatula and fold in the flour and chocolate chips.
- Spread the batter in the pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the surface has that classic paper top and the center does not move when the pan is nudged.
- Drop the pan against a hard surface when they’re fresh from the oven to deflate the brownies and further that fudgy consistency. Allow to cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely, about 45 minutes.
- Once cooled, lift the brownies out, slice, and enjoy!
Notes
*NOTE ON BUTTER – This recipe works with both basic American butter and rich European-style butter. Just use whatever you have on hand! If you only have salted butter, reduce the extra salt in this recipe to a modest pinch (or 1/8 tsp). This recipe also works with plant-based butter.
*GLUTEN FREE – Swap the flour with 1/2 cup (65g) of 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour plus 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. I like Bob’s Red Mill (the blue bag) or King Arthur measure for measure. Also make sure your mix-ins don’t contain any wheat ingredients. Certain chocolates can contain barley malt syrup or other malt ingredients so always check the label.
*MIX-INS – Use whatever you’ve got! Semisweet are classic, but dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, milk chocolate chips, chopped nuts, butterscotch chips, a chopped chocolate bar…the list goes on. I would just stay in the chip, chocolate, or nut territory and keep it to no more than 1/2 cup. PS: Trader Joe’s chocolate chips are my absolute favorite!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cooling Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Join Our Community
Meet Jenna
I’m the creator, baker, and photographer behind Butternut Bakery. Here I share desserts for every diet because I believe everyone should have a chance to indulge!
