I always am hesitant to make a chocolate recipe that calls for bars of unsweetened chocolate (and many brownie recipes do).
While not exorbitantly expensive, unsweetened chocolate is more pricey than cocoa powder, which means I prefer cocoa powder. I’m not called The Frugal Girl for nothin’.
So, I’ve got a no-unsweetened-chocolate brownie recipe for you fellow frugal people.
Not only does this recipe use cocoa powder, is is also very, very easy and it yields dense, chocolatey, moist brownies.
I don’t know exactly how these compare price-wise to brownies from a box, but I do like them better. Plus, they have no artificial ingredients or preservatives.
And since they require ingredients you probably always have in your pantry, you can make them at a moment’s notice.
How to make brownies, step by step
First, preheat your oven to 350°F. Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over low heat.
While the butter is melting, mix the dry ingredients together (except the sugar! That will get mixed with the melted butter later.)
Cocoa powder is notoriously clumpy, so I always sift mine when I’m adding it to the dry ingredients.
When the butter is melted, take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the sugar. The mixture will be a sandy texture.
Stir in the eggs, vanilla, and the dissolved instant coffee.
The original recipe says to stir for about 40 strokes…I don’t usually count.
Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir for 40 strokes. I counted when I first made this recipe, and discovered that 40 strokes IS right about what it takes to get the flour mixed in.
So, just mix the flour in and you should be good.
The original recipe says to use a wooden spoon, which I dutifully do. A metal spoon probably won’t ruin your brownies, though!
Does this not look delicious?? At this point, I am always sorely tempted to take out a spoon and start eating.
Pour/scrape the batter into a greased 8×8 inch baking pan:
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Check them at 20 minutes; when a toothpick is inserted, it should still be a little wet and gooey.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack and cut brownies into squares.
Easy, Frugal, Not-From-A-Mix Homemade Brownies
These brownies don't require a mix and come together in about 15 minutes. Super simple!
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, sifted cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove pan from heat and stir in sugar (texture will be sandy).
- Stir eggs, vanilla, and espresso mixture into butter/sugar mixture until thoroughly combined.
- Stir dry ingredients into egg/butter mixture, and mix until no streaks of flour remain.
- Scrape batter into greased 8x8 inch baking pan and bake 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of pan comes out slightly gooey. Cool pan in wire rack, then cut into squares.
Notes
A plastic knife works amazingly well to cut brownies. Give it a try!
Sha says
Omg. Amen! I haven’t made this but all my years of baking (a little under 2 decades) I have NOT ONCE made a brownie recipe that calls for whatever type of block chocolate, for the exact same reason you mentioned.
If I were trying a brownie recipe, it ALWAYS had to be 100% cocoa powder. Btw have you tried the 50 cals brownies by the Broma Bakery? Very few ingredients and uses cocoa and oats and a couple of other ingredients. If made with real sugar obviously it’ll up the cals but will lower the cost and up the taste lol.
P/s- gonna make your recipe tomorrow!
Albertina says
I made this today and it turned out perfect! This is my favorite brownie recipe from now. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Annie says
Last time I ordered from King Arthur Flour I bought their brownie mix because I like their other mixes, especially the gingerbread one. Haven’t tried the brownie mix yet but I’m sure it will be good.
So glad you posted this recipe. My sister gave me a bunch of cocoa powder and I have been trying to use it up. My husband loves brownies so I will use it to make some for his upcoming birthday.
Nancy says
I make one ,but no cofffee in it. They are very good. But since I am diabetic, do not make them very often. Today is Thankful Thursday and I am pretty happy.
1. Snow is melted,will mulch garlic
2. Talked to our Army deployed daughter this morning
3Made an apple gallette , one crust apple pie.
4. Good doctor reports yesterday!
5.Have 80% of my Christmas Shopping done, trying to avoid any more large store shopping.
Will enjoy a Hallmark movie this afternoon.
Deidre says
ooh num nums…
Jeanine says
Thanks for the suggestion to make a batch of brownies today! I liked this recipe, especially the little bit of coffee.
April says
Thanks. Made these for “lunch” today. Mine were GF and low sugar but still delicious. Needed 3 eggs.
Suzan says
I have been using a four ingredient brownie mix for over 25 years. It is not as frugal as yours though.
My family do not care as long as there are brownies about six times a year.
Madeline says
My grandmother made brownies JUST LIKE THIS.. Except she preheated the oven then melted the butter right in the 9×9 pan. Then stirred in the sugar. THEN, She mixed the dry ingredients as you mention in A bowl, then stirred them into the pan with the melted butter..saves one pan wash up! I love to add nuts too..
Kris says
The best recipes are always the ones that look like a mess.
I’ve made brownies with bars of unsweetened chocolate before, and I don’t think they taste as good as the ones made with cocoa powder. I have brownies in the oven now, but …. true confessions …. I’m pretty tired and I used a box mix. I always add a cup of chocolate chips to my brownies-from-a-mix and I think it perks up the flavor. One of these days I’ll have to try your recipe, Kristen. But today is not that day.
EngineerMom says
Lovely! Not too different from the recipe I use.
You can also mix the cocoa powder directly into the melted butter. This helps the cocoa flavor kind of “bloom” and become deeper/richer.
At that point I beat in some of the sugar (to cool the butter even further and not scramble the eggs), then the eggs, then the rest of the sugar, then flour (my recipe doesn’t have any leavening agents. I think it also has a lot more butter. Must go rustle..
…rustle, rustle…
Ah hah!
Oh. My.
Yeah, slightly more butter – 10 tablespoons for the same amount of sugar! 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to only 1/2 cup flour.
Gotta love the Bittersweet cookbook – excellent chocolate recipes.
Jenny says
I have made your version in the past–they are delicious and one of my favorite brownie recipes!
JD says
I prefer homemade, although I can eat the boxed brownies with no problem at all. I just like controlling the ingredients. I rarely make them anymore, though, since it’s just us here now, and I’m gluten free and he’s diabetic.
Someone gave my kids a kids’ cookbook and the covers got torn off, so the name is lost, I’m afraid, but it had a recipe for “Disgustingly Rich Brownies” that takes, if I remember right, 2 sticks of butter. It uses cocoa powder (no coffee) and makes a dense, dark, rich, moist brownie. I usually made them just for special occasions, what with all that butter. This recipe looks delicious, but when I’m stressed, I can’t eat!
Alison says
JD, I think I had that cookbook as a kid! It was from Klutz Press and called “Kids Cooking: A Slightly Messy Manual” or something like that. It came with a set of plastic teaspoons/tablespoons. I loved the pictures and picking out recipes to make, don’t know if I ever made the brownies though.
Lindsey says
I am always amazed when someone cannot eat due to stress. Stress turns me into a human vacuum, eating everything/anything in sight—even things I don’t like!
JD says
It’s got to be some form of genetics. My siblings can’t eat when stressed, either, but I have some friends who could eat a grocery store full when stressed.
Angie says
Thanks for this Kristen!!! Chocolate is definitely called for as well as carbs. I’ll be whipping these up tonight in an attempt to calm my weary soul.
Patricia says
I really appreciate this recipe because it is a 8×8 pan. Baking recipes for 9×13 is just too much for our 2 person household in which desserts are special. Thank you.
EngineerMom says
Hi! I ran across this website once when searching for something special to make for just my husband and me (the kids were at Grandma’s), and I’ve found it really helpful in learning how to scale recipes to not make enough for a crowd.
https://www.dessertfortwo.com/
akbj says
Thanks for posting this recipe! You’re absolutely right about needing something indulgent today after all the stress.
As to boxed mixes I like the Giradelli, (spelled wrong) brand. I use melted real butter instead of the oil it calls for & they taste really good. Not homemade obviously but a pretty good second.
When I woke up at 5:00 am today I ate a bowl of chocolate truffle ice cream to calm my stress. Pretty awful I know. Oatmeal coming next, lol. I make Uncle Bob’s Red Mill oatmeal in the microwave in a special microwave oatmeal dish that sits in an outer dish so it doesn’t boil over. Works great, then I like a little nutmeg in oatmeal, a spoon of peanut butter, brown sugar & a sliced banana if I have them. Or chopped dates are great too. Yummy.
Oh, meant to say, I like the addition of the instant coffee to your brownies. Might be worth getting a small jar to have specifically for chocolate recipes!
Thanks again for your posts. A voice of sanity!
Wendy says
I like the Giradelli also! Next time we make them, I am going to try replacing the oil with butter – I like this idea much better!
Profesora H-B says
Girl, you are shouting my love language from the rooftops. I ate an obscene amount of leftover birthday cake last night while stress cross-stitching.
Now I have brownies to bake.
Beth B. says
Thank you for this easy recipe! This might be just the thing today. I’ve had a headache since yesterday. Too much stress right now.
Isa says
Hmm, pretty easy recipe!
I’ll try it using a blend of gluten-free flours and no coffee (because we don’t drink it, so we don’t have it in the house) and report!
Patricia says
Looking forward to your report. Coffee is nearly nonexistent in my household.
Isa says
Just made it and tasted it.
I can taste the coffee and it’s not sweet enough for my taste (weirdly enough, since there’s a lot of sugar in there).
But my family really enjoyed it! So I guess it’s just me. Hubby didn’t taste the coffee (but he likes coffee and I don’t, which could explain) I would add chocolate chips next time.
I did use gluten free flour, it worked great, you just need to bake it a little longer and let it sit a bit.
I didn’t hate it, I think it’s decent and I will definitely have more.
Thanks for the recipe Kristen!
Laura says
These look yummy! Can I leave out the coffee if I don’t have any?
Kristen says
Yep! I’ve done that before and it’s been fine.
Ingrid says
I make this all the time. And for lots of friends’ birthdays. The perfect amount with a few left for us
SandyH says
Brownie mix is a big no for me. I can always, always, taste that “boxed mix” flavor, no matter how cheap or expensive the mix is.
Kristen says
That’s been my experience too; there is something in there that tastes a little bit “off” to me. Sort of like the “off” after-taste I get after eating something with stevia.
I know there are tons of people with well-developed palates who love boxed brownies, though, so I don’t know what’s going on with me!
WilliamB says
What is the source of this recipe?
Since you originally posted, I discovered King Arthur Flour’s brownie recipe, which is better than scratch. I may have to have a bake-off today.
Kristen says
It’s from a chocolate cookbook that I got from the library back in the 90s; I can’t for the life of me remember the name of the book or who the author was.
Alas, being in my early teens at the time (and also not foreseeing a future in blogging, which had not been invented yet), I copied the recipe down without noting the cookbook. I’ve tweaked it some from the original, but the bones are still the same.
Let us know if you compare the two recipes!
Debbie says
My husband hates coffee for some odd reason, so can you leave out the coffee or can you taste the coffee?
Kristen says
You really don’t taste the coffee; it’s more that it contributes to a richer chocolate flavor. But you can definitely leave it out.
On the other hand, you could make a batch with the coffee, and if he tries them and doesn’t like them, then you have the whole pan to yourself.
And they do freeze well if you don’t want to eat them all right away.
WilliamB says
I also hate coffee – can’t stand the taste, can’t stand anything that tastes like coffee, can’t stand the smell – and I judge that this small amout of coffee powder won’t make the brownies taste like coffee. I usually leave it out only becuase I don’t keep coffee powder on hand, for obvious reasons.
Kristen says
I was going to add; I made these for years while still in my coffee-hating stage, and I never thought they tasted like coffee.
Even though I like coffee now, I never, ever drink powdered coffee. But I do keep a small container on hand specifically for this recipe!
You can use espresso powder too, which might be available in an even smaller container.
Clara B says
Yum! These look wonderful (and I love that they use cocoa powder, rather than melted chocolate). Yes, I may need some chocolate to get me through the next several days…
Cindi says
Yours is the go-to recipe I have used since you posted the first time. It always comes out great!
Maureen says
I ❤️ Brownies, especially the corners. Hence why I never make them!!! But I will give this recipe a try this weekend because I am going to an event.
Thanks!!!
Bee says
Good morning, I wondered if you have ever tried to make these with gluten-free flour?
Kristen says
I have not, but I would imagine that they might work out fairly well with a blend that’s intended for cup-for-cup replacement.
The cost of these ingredients is pretty low, and the effort to throw them together is low as well. So, I’d say you don’t have much to lose by trying a pan and seeing how it works out!
Trishia says
Thank You for this recipe! It’s excellent! My Hubby wanted some first grade brownies made without melted chocolate (he is frugal and prefers to eat his chocolate solo with a cup of tea). I’ve found Your recipe and proceeded to kitchen – it’s 11pm in Poland and we are eating this delicious brownies praising You for this recipe. Coffee is a great touch!
(Ps:For bitter dark chocolate lovers – one cup of sugar is enough in this recipe.)
Kristen says
They are surprisingly good, aren’t they? So simple too.
SK says
Thanks for the recipe Kristen! I already made 2 times for past couple of weekends and it is a big hit with kids. My 3 year old always came back for more
Can you please share recipe if you have for Pecan squares? Thank you in advance.
Carol B says
Made these tonight for my kids and grandkids! We are waiting on Hurricane Sandy! Delicious recipe! Thanks for sharing it! =)
Devrupa Paul says
Hi Kristen,
Thanks for the recipe, my husband took some to office to share with his colleagues!
I tried your brownie recipe yesterday with Caotina Noir (drinking chocolate powder) and it turned out great! Though I used less sugar (about 3/4 of a cup), because of the sugar in the chocolate powder
Tracey Hand says
Kristen, I know this is an old recipe but boy, do we love these!
They’re quick, easy and yummy and we all can’t get enough of them!
Kendra says
Just made these… They are delicious! I was wondering if they would be chocolatey enough (for my pregnant craving) and they definitely are. I love that they are so easy! All the ingredients required are always on hand. Yum!!
Jenny says
I’d recommend adding the coffee even if you hate it. I have a new favorite chocolate cake recipe that uses a cup of cold coffee (black), and it is absolutely awesome, and you can’t taste the coffee at all, it just makes the chocolate flavor more intense. Nobody could tell it had coffee in it, and the 13 year old girl I made it with said she didn’t want to eat it because of the coffee, but after convincing her to try it, she loved it. Then she requested it for her next birthday cake.
Tracey says
Something very spooky happened yesterday and I found myself on this page with NO clue why! I’d assumed I’d opened a most recent post and that it was yesterday’s “Wednesday Baking” but then I discovered it was nearly 3 years ago! How bizarre!
Anyway, I decided to run with fate and bake these. They are awesome! Dead easy, store cupboard ingredients (ie cocoa not chocolate) and they cooked up with just the perfect crunch on the top and moistness inside.
Now printed and inserted into my “sweet stuff” recipe folder for future making
Thanks again!
Frances says
Thanks so much for the recipe!!! Must Try!!!!
steff says
I am ecstatic about this recipe! I bought a giant container of cocoa powder for no bake choc peanut butter oatmeal cookies but am ready to use it for brownies! And this is a kid friendly recipe so the brownie monster can make them himself!
Lee Donovan says
I forgot to reply and confirm. My brownies were delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Lee Donovan says
Hi,
My brownies are now in the oven, I found the recipe nice and easy to follow, but my batter came out very very dry (as in solid) I suspect that my eggs were a bit too small, so added about half an eggs worth of mixed eggs.
I guess I’ll find out whether I was right in about 20 Minutes.
April says
I had to add another egg too
Donnita says
Just tried your frugal brownie recipe and it is awesome! Thanks for sharing.
david says
Miriam, no hot chocolate mix in Switzerland? You must live in a different Switzerland to the one I know! I always bring a BIG pack – or two – or three back with me from Switzerland. One of my favorites is Caotina Noir – Swiss Chocolate Drink Mix. I love it. That is what I am going to use for my Frugal Girl Brownies.
Angel says
She sais no coco and she used hot chocolaté to do it
Mrs Green says
Oh yum; I missed this recipe last year. Have copied down the recipe and will adapt for a sugar free version for DD – thank you so much.
She loves brownies, but like you, I tend not to make them much when they call for ‘real’ chocolate as they work out expensive. I make them at Christmas and birthdays as a treat
Eggs are quite expensive over here now, but I guess 2 isn’t too bad!
Mrs. R. says
Thank you for THIS recipe, too! I’m gonna make ’em today for a friend’s children….and better taste-test the batter first, like you did, don’t you think?!
Really like you sense of humor, too!
Linda says
They look delish!! Do you have any recipes with marshmellow fluff? I got a bunch cheap and now it is just staring at me from the pantry shelf.
Jenn says
Hi Kristen! I made these brownies last night, w/ the espresso powder, and it came out wonderfully! I think I actually like these brownies more than the traditional recipe using unsweetened chocolate! It’s wonderful to make from scratch yet even more gratifying when it’s cheap as dirt and simple
Have a great day.
WilliamB says
An inexpensive box of brownie mix is about $1 with a coupon. I make mine by using a box + a generous slug of chocolate syrup – some of the water. Comes out very, very tasty to judge by how fast they disappear. I haven’t found a recipe that tastes as good. Yet. I’m going to try yours and see. I’d much rather make them from scratch, the boxes have too much unpronouncable junk in them for me to be really happy.
It doesn’t matter if you use cheap chocolate syrup or fancy Hershey’s stuff for this recipe. I keep the fancy stuff on hand because it *does* matter when you’re making hot chocolate (=hot milk + good chocolate syrup).
PS – One can remove a spoonful or two of batter from the batch without affecting the taste of the baked product. (Ahem.)
Miriam S. says
Hey Kristen!
I’ve started following your frugal girl blog… I am encouraged by your efforts in my own attempts to be frugal swiss college girl.
I made these brownies today and I loved them… the thing about living in switzerland is that we don’t have cocoa powder, but fortunately the hot chocolate powder mix over here isn’t nearly as sweet, so i just used that and it worked fantastically! Also I made it in a bundt pan because it’s the only pan I have, but I realized that it makes for fantastic all edge brownies! Yay!
Janine says
Didn’t quite get them done enough but this is an awesome recipe.
CanadianSaver says
I was looking for a recipe without the need for baking chocolate also. I always have cocoa powder on hand (buy it in bulk from Bulk Barn) but the only real chocolate I buy is for eating. I have the butter in the fridge… am definitely trying these, thanks for posting!
Kristen says
I’m so glad, Anna! That’s stinkin’ awesome!!! And yeah, I should clarify that about the sugar, huh? Thanks for pointing that out.
Anna G. says
I went ahead with 350 (glad I did then!) and this morning (they were too warm last night to try) they are perfect fudge brownies! One other thing I noticed – the step to mix the dry ingredients together came before the step to mix the sugar in with the melted butter. I had already mixed the sugar in with the dry ingredients, but the brownies still came out perfect
I made your buttermilk pancakes (from your baking blog) this morning for breakfast (yielded 10 using 1/3 C batter each), and they were also a hit!
Look at me! I’m turning into a baker!
Kristen says
Ohhh, I’m so sorry! Yes, it’s 350 degrees. I will go back and edit.
Anna G. says
Butter’s melted, dry ingredients are mixed, baking pan is greased… but at what temperature am I baking these at? I should point out that this is my very first time baking anything from scratch, so if there is a standard temperature (350 degrees keeps popping into my head) for baking, I don’t know what it is. I’ll do some Googling to try and find out and hope they turn out as yummy as yours look
sarahcarlos says
They look good! I think ill try them.