Alice Medrich's Best Cocoa Brownies Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Pam February 11, 2024

These brownies turned out incredibly fudgy and delicious. Like other reviewers, I took a shortcut by combining the melted butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla, before adding the dry ingredients. I used dutch process cocoa, added chocolate chips instead of nuts, and ended up baking them for about 34 minutes. These were so incredibly easy, with the bonus of using pantry staples. I'll definitely be making these again!

I have a question….in the ingredients it says cocoa (natural or Dutch process). Yet in the intro I’d definitely says natural (not Dutch process) so I am confused. Which is correct?

I have tried so many brownie recipes in my life. They have called for complicated steps, freezing and re-baking, highest-grade ingredients, etc. I wasn't expecting these brownies to be very much, after all - there isn't melted high-grade chocolate, the recipe was thrown together in minutes and the bake time was 25 mins max. When I at them I was absolutely shell shocked. Fully had an out-of-body experience I'm telling you. These brownies are the best I've ever eaten. They're decadent, fudgy, cocoa-y and have a crackly top. Absolute perfection. 10/10 recommend.

Easy recipe that comes together fast! I reduced the sugar to 170g, used Hershey's Dark cocoa powder (100g) and about 50% whole wheat flour - not that it really mattered for such a small quantity of flour. Instead of a double boiler, I just used the microwave to melt the butter and mixed the sugar & cocoa in. It was quite pasty and thick after everything was mixed in, so I added ~1 Tbl water to help it spread, my eggs might have been on the smaller side. I used a dark metal 8x8" pan, and 20 minutes was enough time for it to set!

This recipe is simple and amazing. Fudgy goodness. I doubled it and baked it in a 9” x 13” pan and I ended up baking it for 45 minutes, but start checking it for doneness after 35 as all ovens bake differently. This will be my new “Go to” brownie recipe.

These are fool proof and phenomenal. My 11 year old makes them for parties and they never disappoint. We've also made them GF and dairy free with Earth Balance unsalted and sorghum/millet flour with no sacrifice in their perfection. (The GF/DF batch needed longer to bake. Just trust your nose and your toothpick test and you'll know when they're ready.)

I've never had a better brownie. 🥰

Shacia September 13, 2021

I have made these 3 times and theyre absolutely wonderful each time!

I shortcut the hell out of this recipe! Just melt the butter, add the sugar and remainder of wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients and combine in the same bowl. The brownies turn out perfectly every time! I have made it the traditional way once and have used the shortcut method ever since. Saves time and labor :)

T March 6, 2021

I lessened the sugar to 180g and butter to one stick (around 110g) +7 min bake and it came out perfectly! A bit hard to stay in shape while taking out but super dense and perfect richness that it feels like a rich chocolate cake... :)

I should have paid a little closer attention to the descriptions other bakers provided, but I was looking for a cocoa-based brownie recipe, and the reviews were glowing.... On the plus side, they are very chocolatey. However, although I made these according to the recipe, measured by weight, I found them way too dense and heavy. I read once that there is a great divide among brownie lovers--the people who like them to be intensely fudge-like, and the people who like them more cakey (these would be my people). So, if you are looking for VERY fudgy brownies, I assume these would hit the spot. If not, I'd recommend looking elsewhere or modifying the recipe slightly.

i made these today - used browned butter, reduced the sugar to almost 3/4 cup & baked for about 20 mins. they weren’t as shiny as i’dve hoped but they were chewy and had a chocolatey bitter taste i prefer! i will try to make these again to try to get a better shine on them.

These were such a lovely sweet to make! The transformation from grainy meltedness into the gooey brownie batter was sooo satisfying, almost as satisfying as eating them. I was rushed and didn't try anything fancy with this recipe and it was still exceptional. Plus, using just a wooden spoon and a bowl is always a win. Thank you for this jem!

If you have a SERIOUS sweet tooth this is probably the recipe for you. 250g of sugar for me and my family’s tastes however is too much. I tweaked recipe and used 210g instead and found a little too much on the sweet side... will try less next time around. 22 minutes was the golden cooking time for ooey gooey deliciousness.

These were shiny on top and dense, fudgy and delicious. I used Scharffenberger cocoa powder and added a tablespoon of instant espresso and a shot of chocolate extract to the batter. Big payoff for a one bowl operation! I think these will be my new go to brownie.

Liked not loved. Very dense and thick- more than expected. But also filling. Cooked for 28 minutes. Will probably do for 26 next time. I still love the basic Mark Bittman brownie recipe.

Delicious!! I made a few tweaks: used 2 T espresso instead of the additional cocoa powder, and added 1/4 t cinnamon. Like others, I also had to bake for about 10 extra minutes (but I also live at 7,800' so that could be part of it too). They came out super fudgy and amazing!

This recipe made a delicious brownie using an organic dutch process cocoa by NuNaturals. This will be a go to dessert.

These brownies are my go-to's, they are great and come together fairly easily. I do find, as others mentioned, I need to bake them for about 10 minutes longer than suggested.

These were the best brownies ever. Why anyone would use a box mix I don't know. These are easy to make, moist and so delicious. I did find they took about 8-10 more minutes to cook. I used Droste Cocoa Powder, Dutch process.