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Hershey’s Cocoa Brownies are slightly cakey, fudgy brownies with rich chocolate flavor. They’re made with Hershey’s cocoa powder and standard pantry ingredients, nothing fancy and no chocolate to melt. These are just as easy as a boxed brownie mix, but so much better. You can have these cocoa brownies in the oven in less than 10 minutes!

Three chocolate brownies are stacked on a white plate placed on a wooden surface.
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I have a little paperback Hershey’s cookbook that was my Mama’s, so it’s pretty old. There’s a recipe in there called Hershey’s Best Brownies, which was the genesis of this brownie recipe. I also found my favorite Hershey’s Chocolate Cake in that book.

These brownies are my grandkids (and my kids) favorite. They’re simple, easy brownies full of fudgy chocolate flavor. They’re perfect with ice cream or straight out of the pan.

Testing results for Hershey’s cocoa brownies

  1. I alternate between a 9×9 pan and an 8×8 pan for these brownies, depending on how many I want to make and who I’m making them for. The 9×9 ones will be slightly thinner, and you can get a few more out of the pan. The 8×8 ones are my favorite. They’re thicker, chewier, and so perfect.
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I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!

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If you want to get fancy, you could drizzle some Homemade Caramel Sauce on these brownies and top them with Whipped Cream.

A close-up view of several chocolate brownies arranged in a pile, with one brownie in the center surrounded by others.

How to make cocoa brownies

  1. Melt butter, then stir in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs and mix well.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the Hershey’s cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Add the cocoa mixture to the eggs and stir.
  4. Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and bake 15-20 minutes.
Close-up of several chocolate brownies stacked on a white plate, showing their moist and crumbly texture.

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!

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4.86 from 7 votes

Hershey’s Best Brownies

Hershey's cocoa brownies are perfectly chocolate, dense, slightly cakey and hit the spot every time!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 16 brownies
Save This Recipe
Three chocolate brownies are stacked on a white plate, with a blurred glass of milk and additional brownies in the background.

Equipment

8x8 pan
8×8 pan
9x9 dish
9×9 dish
brownie set
brownie set
bench scraper
bench scraper
glass mixing bowls
glass mixing bowls
wooden spoons
wooden spoons
cake tester
cake tester

Ingredients 

  • ½ cup vegetable oil or melted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup Hershey’s Cocoa
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
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Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan with tin foil so that it hangs over the edges, and lightly grease the foil. (The 8-inch pan will give you thicker brownies and will take slightly longer to cook.)
  • Blend 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in large bowl. Add 2 large eggs; mix well with spoon.
    A glass bowl filled with a beaten egg mixture sits on a marble surface next to a whisk, a bowl of cocoa powder, and a striped cloth.
  • Combine 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup Hershey’s Cocoa, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add flour mixture to eggs and stir just until well blended.
    A glass bowl with a mixture of beaten eggs and cocoa powder on a marble surface, with a whisk and striped towel nearby.
  • Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or just until brownie begins to pull away from edges.
    An aluminum foil-lined square pan filled with brownie batter is being spread with a pink spatula on a marble surface.
  • Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then gently lift the foil out and allow brownies to cool before cutting.
    A square baking pan lined with aluminum foil containing a batch of baked brownies on a marble surface.

Nutrition

Serving: 16brownies, Calories: 133kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 1g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 38mg, Sugar: 12g
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Calories: 133
Keyword: cocoa brownies
Leave a comment and ★★★★★ rating below!

Southern Baking Essentials
Sign up for email updates and we’ll send you our free pdf checklist of our favorite Southern baking essentials.
4.86 from 7 votes

Hershey’s Best Brownies

Hershey's cocoa brownies are perfectly chocolate, dense, slightly cakey and hit the spot every time!
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 16 brownies
Save This Recipe
Three chocolate brownies are stacked on a white plate, with a blurred glass of milk and additional brownies in the background.

Equipment

8x8 pan
8×8 pan
9x9 dish
9×9 dish
brownie set
brownie set
bench scraper
bench scraper
glass mixing bowls
glass mixing bowls
wooden spoons
wooden spoons
cake tester
cake tester

Ingredients 

  • ½ cup vegetable oil or melted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup Hershey’s Cocoa
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
Save this recipe to your inbox!
Enter your email below and we’ll send the recipe straight to your inbox!

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan with tin foil so that it hangs over the edges, and lightly grease the foil. (The 8-inch pan will give you thicker brownies and will take slightly longer to cook.)
  • Blend 1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in large bowl. Add 2 large eggs; mix well with spoon.
    A glass bowl filled with a beaten egg mixture sits on a marble surface next to a whisk, a bowl of cocoa powder, and a striped cloth.
  • Combine 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup Hershey’s Cocoa, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add flour mixture to eggs and stir just until well blended.
    A glass bowl with a mixture of beaten eggs and cocoa powder on a marble surface, with a whisk and striped towel nearby.
  • Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or just until brownie begins to pull away from edges.
    An aluminum foil-lined square pan filled with brownie batter is being spread with a pink spatula on a marble surface.
  • Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then gently lift the foil out and allow brownies to cool before cutting.
    A square baking pan lined with aluminum foil containing a batch of baked brownies on a marble surface.

Nutrition

Serving: 16brownies, Calories: 133kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 1g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 38mg, Sugar: 12g
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Calories: 133
Keyword: cocoa brownies
Leave a comment and ★★★★★ rating below!
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About the author

Hi, I’m Lucy! I’m a home cook, writer, food and wine fanatic, and recipe developer. I’ve created and tested hundreds of recipes so that I can bring you the best tried and true favorites.

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Recipe Rating




4.86 from 7 votes (5 ratings without comment)

5 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    My husband loved these. Made them exactly as the recipe stated. Will be making many more times I am certain! Thank You

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    My husband loved these. Made them exactly as the recipe stated. Will be making many more times I am certain! Thank You

    Reply

  3. Lucy, you are so not helping me to reduce! Maybe I can count the calories that I just burned leaving the computer to pull the ingredients together 🙂

    Reply