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.
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 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
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!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, this recipe will work with any unsweetened cocoa powder. The darker varieties have a more robust flavor which I especially love in 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.
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.
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.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Best Peanut Butter Cookies
- Bread Pudding
- Chocolate Banana Cake
- Cake Mix Brownies
- Pecan Pie Brownies
- Hummingbird Cake
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Dark Chocolate Brownie Recipe
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
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.
The chocolate oozing out is making me hungry again…this seems to happen to me all day long! LOL Wish I could stuff my face with these!!
haha! I know the feeling!
Brownies is an ultimate sweet treat! If I have craving for something sweet it’s usually brownies or cupcakes 🙂
Me too. Or cookies. Or pie. Or milkshakes 🙂
Those look amazing! Is there a particular dark chocolate unsweetened cocoa powder that you would recommend?
I have TWO favorites. I use King Arthur Flour Dark Cocoa or Hershey’s Dark Cocoa. I love them equally 🙂
YUM, these look so rich! I love dark chocolate. I’ve got to try these 😀
Aimee, these look so decadent! My little one could live on brownies…if I let him. And I love dark chocolate! Pinning!
I think I could live on brownies too 🙂
I want to stuff my face with these Aimee!
I know the feeling Dorothy!
One bowl chocolate brownies is so wrong but oh so right! I know what I’ll be having for dessert tonight.
Love how these are made from scratch!!
These brownies look amazingly rich and decadent. And I love how easy they are!
Thanks Elaine, I tried to make them as easy as opening up a box mix!
Yum!!! Rich chocolate brownies – Pass the milk!!!
No joke! Thanks for stopping by Robyn.
One bowl? Seriously? Look at how ooey-gooey these are! I want one now!
Yeah, I love my brownies soft in the center. But you can always cook a little longer if you don’t like the ooey gooey!!
That is one easy recipe and the fact that it’s in one bowl is so appealing when I want to make awesome brownies FAST. I’m always looking for more brownie recipes, so I’m adding this one!
Thanks Marcie, you won’t be disappointed!
Omg. That’s a definite brownie perfection 🙂
Thanks Kiran 🙂
This is like the easiest recipe ever! & I love small batch brownie recipes. I don’t need a 9” x 13″ pan-full taunting me. I will eat them all.
It really is easy, and I hear ya on the 9×13. Although, sometimes I NEED a double batch, LOL.
Oh man. I thought I had the most amazing brownie recipe, but now I am going to have to try this one, juuuuust to be sure. These look incredible!
Yours look incredible too Nora, love the mint addition!
Thanks, Aimee! I am thinking about trying yours with mint chips AND semi-sweet chips. The best of both worlds!
Wowzers! These look amazing! I’m more of a dark chocolate gal so these are perfect. Now I’m craving brownies at 9AM … I don’t think I’ll make it through the entire day without whipping up a batch. Thanks for sharing your ‘secret recipe’ 🙂
Thanks Nicole! I love dark chocolate too 🙂
Yum! We love brownies around here! In fact, my husband has been known to make them just so he can lick the bowl! He says that’s the best part!
He is like a kid, love it!! Although I don’t blame him, I’ve been known to leave a little extra in the bowl for my kids (and my self).
Love this – simple yet decadent. One bowl is my FAVORITE type of baking ever since I don’t have a dishwasher lol. 😉
Ah yes, I would never survive…
Wow they look incredible! So dark, fudgy, rich, perfect. And one bowl – the best kind!
Thanks Averie! Sometimes one bowl desserts are needed, especially when it gorgeous outside and I don’t want to spend my day doing dishes!
One bowl brownies that look this good? I”ll take the recipe please! Thank you for sharing your favorite. I can see why it’s the winner. I hope you have a wonderful day!
Thank you Monet! Have a great day yourself!!