Cocoa Brownies with oil (2024)

5 from 85 votes

This vegetable oil brownie is quick and easy to put together in 15- minutes. No equipment is required, and no chocolate or chocolate chip is required, as the brownie is made with oil and cocoa powder.

• Spoon and level to measure: Spoon ingredients like flour and cocoa powder in the measuring cup then level it by sliding a knife over it. This helps to measure ingredients correctly without overpacking.
• Break eggs one by one in a separate bowl. So if one of the eggs is rotten it doesn't get mixed with good eggs.
• Mix the dry and wet ingredients with a spatula not whisk. Mix until just combined and avoid over-mixing which can form gluten strands making your brownies tough rather than soft.
• Fudgy brownie tips: Most importanttipis just to bake till the center is not jiggly upon shaking and firm. Remember brownie continues to bake in the hot baking tray for a few minutes after removing it from the oven. So, I’ve found that removing the brownie when the center is no more liquid and a bit firm, works best. If doing a toothpick test. It will have wet and dirty crumbs on it.
• Butter paper: It helps so much in the easy removal of brownies.
• No baking powder, please! Some old-school recipes still continue to add baking powder to a brownie. For a fudge brownie, you want the brownie to be dense and don't want to lift it with baking powder. Save the baking powder for cakes, not for brownies.
• Use correct size pan: For best brownies, the height of batter filled in-tray should be between ¾ to 1 inch.
• If making your own powdered sugar, always grind in small batches and for a few extra minutes.Sift the powdered sugar like flour, if needed; it separates bigger sugar granules from fine particles. This step is very important in baking as large sugar granules settle down in the pan and burn easily.

Ingredients and how to substitute?

• Oil: Any vegetable oil with a neutral flavor works best. Pomace Olive can also be used. Olive oil has a typical flavor itself but cocoa powder covers that smell reasonably. You can read more about Olive olive at Livestrong.
• Eggs: Use room temperature eggs. Organic eggs make a solid brownie crust compared to farm eggs. So organic (desi) eggs are recommended.
• Sugar: You may use icing sugar or powdered sugar for this recipe. If you grind your own sugar, measure powdered sugar. Do Not measure granulated sugar, and then grind it afterward. Otherwise, your brownie will be too sweet.
• Brown sugar: It gives that decadent deep caramel taste to the brownie. If you are short on brown sugar, white sugar can do.
• Plain Flour: Use fresh flour.
• Cocoa Powder: Use good quality cocoa powder for the best taste like Hershey's dark cocoa.
• Salt: A pinch of salt helps bring out all the flavors.

How to make it?

These cocoa brownies with oil (like vegetable or canola oil) are something that you can have with tea with the least effort and enjoy the moment.

1. Preheatthe oven to 350 F or 176 C and line an 8 X 8-inch baking dish with butter paper. Remember to leave the extra edges on the side that helps to lift the brownie out of the tray.
2. In a mixing bowl take sugars and oil. Mix together with a hand whisk. (You can use ¼ cup extra sugar for sweeter brownies.)
3. Add eggs, and whisk well so the sugars are dissolves. Protips: The key to brownie crust is the dissolving of sugar. Do not over-mix as this can incorporate too much air making brownie spongy like a cake.

5. Sieve cocoa powder and flour in the bowl.
6. Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients with the help of a spatula. Avoid overmixing.
7. Here's the deliciousbatter ready to be placed in the preheated oven. Set the timer to 20 minutes, usually, it takes a maximum of 25 minutes. Shake the dish at 20 minutes, if it is giggly, bake for another 5-7 minutes. If it is set, remove it from the oven for a gooey fudgy brownie. the brownie will continue to bake in the dish. If you like a well-set brownie, bake further and do the toothpick test.
8. In the test, you see the gooey center is sticking to the stick but there is no liquid batter. ( We do not want a clean toothpick! A clean toothpick means you overbaked it.)

More Tips

• Let the Oil brownie cool naturally for at least 30 minutes in the baking dish. Slide a knife around the edge to loosen the brownie. Then lift it out with the help of butter paper handles. Cut brownie into 16 pieces. Slice the brownie horizontally into half. Then divide each half into half. Similarly, slice vertically for equally sliced 16 pieces. ( I've found popping the brownie in the freezer for 15 minutes cools them enough to slice them neatly without getting many crumbs.
• Enjoy warm Oil brownie immediately or let it cool completely then store in an airtight box.

Variations:

This is my basic and ground-zero recipe to make all brownies. I switch to oil for butter, and cocoa powder for dark cocoa powder.

• Add 1 cup of good quality chocolate chip or chunks to the same recipe for a fudgy indulgent chocolate brownie.
• Other additions: If you love to experiment, you can add marshmallows, oreo, lotus, caramel candies, pretzel, mint melt, mint chocolate, coconut flakes, and smarties on the top of the brownie before baking for other flavors you like.
• Nuts: Similarly, you can add any nuts of your choice to the batter like walnuts, pecan, hazelnuts pumpkin seed, peanuts, and so on.
• Swirls: If you love swirls, you can add cream cheese swirls, Nutella swirls, or peanut butter swirls. So, my friends, the sky is the limit when it comes to brownie variation and it is never boring.
• You might also like my salted caramel brownie.

Recipe FAQ

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