Making brownies at home is one of the most exciting things to do especially if you love baking. However, there comes a time when you discover that you have run out of cocoa powder which is one of the essential ingredients of making a perfect brownie and you just realise that it’s too late to visit the grocery store. This shouldn’t discourage you from baking your brownies since there are substitutes that you can use. The article below highlights some of the common substitutes of cocoa powder that you can use at home and some of the ingredients that are highlighted are things that you might stock up in your pantry regularly. It is important to note that the substitutes highlighted below are substitutes of cocoa powder when specifically making brownies.
Contents
Substitute cocoa powder in brownies with unsweetened baking chocolate
When you discover that you are out of cocoa powder when making brownies you can substitute it with unsweetened baking chocolate. This is because unsweetened baking chocolate and cocoa powder are both made from cocoa beans which means they have the same flavour profile so you can basically substitute cocoa powder with unsweetened baking chocolate. However, the only difference between the 2 is that unsweetened baking chocolate has cocoa butter whilst cocoa powder does not. When using unsweetened baking chocolate as a substitute of cocoa powder it is important to take note of the fact that it has extra fat as compared to cocoa powder so for every ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate you put you also need to remove 1 tablespoon of fat from the recipe. Furthermore, when using the unsweetened baking chocolate you should first melt it in a saucepan over low heat while whisking it so that it does not burn or you can do it in a glass bowl over a pot that has simmering water.
Substitute cocoa powder in brownies with Dutch-processed cocoa
When you are out of cocoa powder for making brownies, you can substitute it with Dutch-processed cocoa. Dutch processed cocoa is an unsweetened type of cocoa that is treated with alkali to make its pH neutral. Due to the fact that the pH level of Dutch processed cocoa is low this means it less acidic and it has a mild flavour as compared to cocoa powder. When substituting cocoa powder with Dutch-processed cocoa you need to add an additional acidic ingredient like lemon juice, cream of tartar or white vinegar so as to increase its acidic levels. So for every 3 tablespoons of Dutch-processed cocoa you need to add 1/8 of a teaspoon of an acid from the ones I recently listed.
Substitute cocoa powder in brownies with carob powder
Another decent substitute for cocoa powder in brownies is carob powder. It is made from dried carob tree pods that are roasted and then powdered to form carob powder. At first sight carob powder looks identical to cocoa powder but flavour wise they are different this is because it lacks that bitterness that is commonly found in cocoa powder, but its flavour is close enough to be an alternative of cocoa powder. When substituting cocoa powder with carob powder just use a ratio of 1:1. This means that you if a recipe requires you to put 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder you should just substitute that with 1 tablespoon of carob powder.
Substitute cocoa powder in brownies with dark chocolate
When making brownies you can substitute cocoa powder with dark chocolate this is because it actually contains cocoa. This means that it will automatically give your brownies that rich dark colour you will be looking for. However, it is important to take note of the fact that dark chocolate contains cocoa butter and sugar so you need to reduce the amount of sweetener in your brownies as well as the amount of fat so that the dark chocolate can really blend well with the other ingredients. When using dark chocolate as a substitute for cocoa powder in brownies just add 1 ounce of dark chocolate for every 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder required by the recipe so that it does not overpower the taste of your brownies.
Substitute cocoa powder in brownies with unsweetened or semi- sweetened chocolate chips
If you do not have all the above mentioned ingredients then you can use unsweetened or semi-sweetened chocolate chips to substitute cocoa powder in brownies. They are almost similar to unsweetened baking chocolate and when using them as a substitute for cocoa powder you first have to melt them. Unsweetened and semi-sweetened chocolate chips contain cocoa butter so when using them it is important to ensure that you reduce the amount of fat you put in the brownies. This means that you can either reduce the amount of butter you put in the brownies or the shortening. Furthermore, the semi-sweetened version has sugar so when you use it is important that you reduce the amount of sugar in the brownies.
Conclusion
Cocoa powder is an essential ingredient when making brownies and sometimes it can be very hard to find a substitute for cocoa powder. This is because cocoa powder does not contain cocoa butter of which it can be hard to find a substitute that replaces it completely. The above article has highlighted some of the common substitutes of cocoa powder in brownies. Some of the substitutes of cocoa powder highlighted in this article include unsweetened baking chocolate and Dutch-processed chocolate. These are the two substitutes that are widely recommended because they are the perfect fit. Carob powder can also be used as a substitute for cocoa powder this is because it has the same colour as cocoa powder and the flavour is somehow similar although it lacks that distinct bitterness that is found in cocoa powder. Hot cocoa mix can also be used as another substitute of cocoa powder when making brownies but it is important to just use a pinch of it since it can overpower the flavour of the brownies. The last substitute for cocoa powder in brownies that was noted is unsweetened or semi-sweetened chocolate chips.
