Recipes with cocoa powder

Mocha brownies with cocoa and instant coffee topped with a boiled coffee icing and marbled melted chocolate drizzle. Fudgy, shiny, and intensely caffeinated.

Homemade hot cocoa made from scratch with cocoa powder, sugar, milk, and a splash of vanilla, no powdered mix needed. A rich, single-serving mug of hot chocolate ready in about five minutes.

Old-fashioned chocolate cake with deep cocoa flavor and tender, moist crumb from buttermilk and boiling water. This vintage one-bowl recipe bakes into pure chocolate nostalgia.

Moist two-layer chocolate cake with a bright orange zest frosting. Boiling water in the batter creates an extra-tender crumb. Drizzle with orange liqueur for special occasions.

Party date cake is a big-batch chocolate date loaf topped with sugar, chopped nuts, and chocolate chips. Served warm in slices with whipped cream for a crowd-sized dessert.

Chocolate contains compounds believed to boost serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain. Among them are theobromine and caffeine, which can increase alertness and trigger a pleasurable feeling similar to the natural high after exercise. Another group of compounds, called flavonoids, has been found to benefit heart health. Studies suggest they improve blood flow by relaxing the blood vessels.

Texas-style sheath cake (sheet cake) baked on a cookie sheet with cocoa, buttermilk, and a full half pound of butter. Thin, fudgy, and frosted while still warm. A potluck legend.

Pounded chicken breasts simmer in a quick mole-inspired sauce of cocoa, picante, cumin, and oregano with warm hints of cloves and nutmeg. Bold, spicy, and on the table in 30 minutes.

Change the look of your brownies with this simple recipe that will have your kids begging to try one!

A 3-ingredient iced mocha made with cold brewed espresso, cocoa, and vanilla, topped with sweetened whipped cream. Comes together in minutes. Serves 4 tall glasses.

Halloween gag cookies rolled in Grape-Nuts and served from a clean litter box with a scoop. Chocolate and gingerbread dough logs shaped like, well, you know. Harmless fun.

Double chocolate oat cookies in the Aussie Anzac style: cocoa dough studded with chocolate chips, oats, and coconut, bound with golden syrup, then finished with a dark chocolate drizzle. Crisp, chewy, and deeply chocolatey.

Glazed raspberry fudge cake is a flourless-style chocolate cake brushed with raspberry preserves, then coated in a glossy rum-chocolate glaze. Dense, moist, and finished with fresh raspberries for the ultimate dinner-party showstopper.

Low-fat fudgy chocolate cake made with buttermilk, strong coffee, and cocoa powder, topped with a glossy cooked chocolate icing. No butter needed.

Low-fat fudgy chocolate cake made with buttermilk, strong coffee, and cocoa powder, topped with a glossy cooked chocolate icing. No butter needed.

These are extremely low in fat, and the taste is more slightly bitter dark chocolate than the milk-chocolate sweet of most brownies, however if you love chocolate, they're a great treat!