3-Ingredient Banana Brownies {with Cocoa Powder} - Healthy Kids Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What does cocoa powder do in brownies? ›

Aside from the fact that you don't have to melt the chocolate—still a source of anxiety for many cooks—brownies made with cocoa can have very deep chocolate flavor and still retain a softer and moister texture than an equally chocolatey brownie made with a bar of chocolate.

Cocoa brownies also tend to be softer, while chocolate-based brownies are fudgy and chewy. Cocoa brownies are richer in chocolate flavor, while chocolate brownies are lighter and sweeter in flavor.

Milk. Most brownie mixes call for water. While water does the job, you can add some extra flavor and moisture by mixing some of that water with something richer, like milk. If you want to swap it out completely, be prepared for a more chewy and fudge-like brownie from the extra fat.

Dark chocolate is an ideal substitute for cocoa powder in brownies. For every three tablespoons of coca powder your recipe calls for, use two tablespoons (or one ounce) of dark chocolate.

Flavonols, a type of flavonoid found in dark chocolate, help to protect you from heart disease by lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow, and preventing cell damage. Cocoa powder also contains polyphenols, antioxidants that help to improve cholesterol and blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Fudgy brownies have a higher fat-to-flour ratio than cakey ones. So add more fat—in this case, butter and chocolate. A cakey batch has more flour and relies on baking powder for leavening. The amount of sugar and eggs does not change whether you're going fudgy or cakey.

The Londoner describes why they called them "slu*tty brownies" perfectly: "they're oh so easy, and more than a little bit filthy." Just as simple as I would've imagined. They are as easy to make as they are messy to eat. If you look up slu*tty Brownies on Pinterest there are thousands of recipes listed.

As compared to those made with just chocolate or a combination of the two, cocoa brownies are reliably superior in terms of texture and flavor.

Did you know that Brownies were originally called 'Rosebuds'? Rosebuds was established in 1914 for girls to join before they became Guides. Just one year later, the name was changed to Brownies.

If you opt to add more eggs, say double the amount, something interesting happens. Even though you are adding more moisture, the air bubbles that you catch in the extra eggs add volume, which decreases the density of your final product. This makes your brownies rise and gives them a much more cake-like texture.

What does adding milk instead of water do to brownies? ›

One change is to use milk or heavy cream instead of water. This change will make brownies more moist and gooey since milk is more fatty and flavorful than water. A second change is to use butter instead of oil. For similar reasons to using milk, butter adds a rich and more decadent quality to the batter.

One mashed banana can replace one egg in cakes and pancakes. Since it will add a bit of flavor, make sure that it's compatible with the other ingredients of the recipe.

Cocoa powder is a staple for brownies and chocolate cakes alike. But adding cocoa powder alone may transform your brownies from fudgy to cake-like. SBS Australia notes that cocoa powder has a texture similar to flour. Therefore, adding too much cocoa powder can dry out the batter.

It will still work though, I have done it a few times. nesquik is veeeery sweet compared to cocoa. I reckon you would need to reduce the sugar in the cake.

Because most brands of hot chocolate powder include sugar or sweetener, you may wish to reduce the amount of sugar you add to your baking recipe. To use it as a cocoa powder substitute, you need to use two teaspoons of hot chocolate mix for every teaspoon of cocoa powder in the recipe.

That said, cocoa powder is a slightly better form when you consider intensity and nutritional value. However, when it comes to taste, it is by no means superior to chocolate. Furthermore, if you're looking to try out sugar-free or vegan options, purer forms of cocoa or cacao will be ideal for you.

Cocoa powder, an unsweetened chocolate product, adds deep chocolate flavor to desserts and beverages. Cocoa powder occurs when the fat, called cocoa butter, gets removed from the cacao beans during processing. The leftover dried solids get ground into the product sold as cocoa powder.

Cocoa powder is made from dried and ground cocoa solids—what's left over after most of the fat (a.k.a. cocoa butter) is processed out for other uses. Because it has the highest percentage of solids of any chocolate product, a little goes a long way in terms of imbuing a baked good or dessert with rich fudgy flavor.

Cocoa powder has a more intense flavour than baking chocolate, less fat, and, in most cases, no sugar.